After a long silent moment of preparing myself to open my eyes, I did. Slowly and cautiously, I opened my eyes, coming face to face with Asher.

Wasn't he the one holding me?

He was sitting before me, his hand on my knee. He smiled at me, the stress showing on his face fading away slowly.

I lowered my gaze, without moving my head to look at the one arm wrapped around me.

A navy blue coat sleeve with an expensive Rolex on the wrist.

Oh god!

"Lucian," Asher said, softly, poking his left bicep. His left hand was still holding my hand to his chest, while his right arm was wrapped around me.

"Hm?" The voice resonated in the chest. Calming and smooth.

"You can open your eyes too," Asher said. Lucian released a deep breath and lifted his head.

My lips turned down in disappointment when the kiss that was staying on my head for the last few minutes was taken away.

I looked up and saw Lucian open his eyes slowly and put his head back against the counter behind him. He sighed again, before looking down at me.

"You okay, sweetheart?" He asked. I looked at him for a moment, not quite believing Lucian, of all people, said that. I nodded slowly and tried to pull away.

He tightened his grip and pulled me more into him. He pressed his lips to my head again.

I sighed and leaned into the hug again. Turning my head to the side, I saw Rose hiccuping a little. Jayden stood by her side, holding a glass of water to her mouth, as she held it with both of her hands. After she was done drinking, Jayden gave her a small hug with one arm and helped her jump down the counter.

"She's okay," he muttered, bending down to her level and tucking her hair behind her ear.

A smile crept onto my face as I looked at the interaction.

"Now that's a pretty smile."

I looked at Josiah to see him smiling softly, despite the slight moisture in his eyes.

I turned my head when I felt my face heat up. Coming face to face with a 'holding in his laughter' Asher did not help.

So I did the first thing that came to my mind. I turned my head more and buried my face in Lucian's chest.

I didn't know that my other hand, that was not on his chest, had Lucian's coat bunched in it.

I released it quickly and tried to smoothen it out before he noticed and scolded me for it.

"Don't worry about it, Bunny," Lucian grumbled and I felt the vibrations on my nose.

My stomach growled, reminding everyone that we still had to have breakfast.

Asher chuckled, causing me to bury my head further, so my nose was squished.

Just bury me in the ground. Alive!

"Let's fill that growling tummy," Asher cooed in a baby voice, making me grunt in annoyance.

Lucian lifted his head and released his grip on my hand. He proceeded with pulling his arm away.

Making me feel cold. It felt oddly cold.

I nodded and cleared my throat, pushing myself off his lap and standing up. Asher grabbed my elbow when I stumbled, Lucian reached to hold my shoulders but stopped when I gained balanced again.

I feel weak.

He released my elbow cautiously and I turned to walk to the table.

I saw Rose and smiled. She shuffled her feet and looked at me hesitantly. I opened my arms.

Her eyes lit up before she practically threw herself onto me, causing me to stumble back and my back to collide with Damien, who was behind me.

"Easy there, Rose," he said, holding my shoulders and making me stand straight again.

Rose muttered a sorry and tightened her hold on me a little. I tightened my hold too.

"I was so scared," she muttered.

"I'm okay." I replied.

We pulled away and sat down for breakfast. It was sunday, that's why Asher was cooking. Jayden helped him, while we all sat at the table.

My fingers skimmed over the spot on the top of my head, where Lucian had placed that long kiss.

'Felt nice? Why would he do anything nice for you? All you've done is make him mad and break his rules.'

I lowered my hand slowly.

But he was trying to calm down. Doesn't that mean he panicked too?

'People can pretend.'

I sighed inaudibly and picked at the edge of the table.

"Nicholas wants to have seperate sessions with you first. Are you okay with that?" Lucian asked. I looked up at him, stammering for an answer.

I don't know if I want that.

I looked at Rose for an answer, causing Lucian to turn his head to look at her as well. Rose nodded. A reassuring nod.

"Okay," I said, clearing my throat.

"Okay then. You have an appointment in an hour. Jayden will take you and wait for you outside. We will arrive for the family session as soon as you're done. Is that okay with you?" He asked, causing me and Jayden to snap our heads to each other.

"No!" We both said loudly. He raised an eyebrow and pretended he didn't hear it.

In other words, he gave us a chance to change our responses and tones before we witnessed his wrath.

"I mean, we can't," I said, shaking my head, while Jayden nodded in agreement.

"Why? You've been so good to each other. I thought you made up," Asher said, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"I mean, yes we made up. But what if we get into an argument again?" I said, looking at Lucian, wanting him to see my misery.

"And what if I say something and she runs off again?" Jayden scoffed.

"I didn't run off." I rolled my eyes.

He was about to say something when Lucian cleared his throat.

I looked down at the table and frowned. Here comes an order in 1-

"You're taking Bunny with you." He addressed Jayden first. "There won't be a problem as long you keep your temper in check."

"As for you, Bunny." I glanced up at him, then turned my gaze back to the table. "Be respectful. That's all."

I nodded my head and sighed, hearing a small grumble from beside me.

I looked up at Rose when a plate of pancakes was put before me. We shared a look and she smiled.

Basic sunday morning breakfast.

I took a bite, my eyes widening then tearing up. Bowing my head more, so no one sees, I chewed it slowly, savouring the taste.

"You didn't put honey, Honey." Asher chuckled, after he was done putting it on his pancakes.

"But what were you cooking in the pan then?" I asked, while he drowned my pancakes in the sweet syrup. Yum.

"Nothing. I just did that to get your mind off your thoughts. But things took a turn." He said, his smile wavering a little, when he looked at me.

Oh.

I looked up at Rose, who was busy talking to Josiah. She looked at me, stopped whatever she was rambling about and smiled, which I returned.

Josiah was listening to her silently, chuckling and nodding his head. By the looks of it, Damien was listening to her as well, but he was acting like he wasn't.

Asher and Lucian started discussing business again. So, I drowned myself in the sweet breakfast, trying to keep the taste in my mind. Trying not to forget how this tasted.

I looked at Rose again, who was now fully focused on eating slowly. She looked up at me and smiled through teary eyes.

'Mom.' She mouthed.

Dad was a good cook, but his pancakes tasted a lot different than Mom, even after following the exact recipe.

These tasted like Mom's. I wonder if she taught Asher.

I blinked the tears away again and sighed, continuing the task I was loving so much at the moment.

"More, sweetie?" Asher asked, but before I coud shake my head out of politeness, he put more on my plate. I looked up at him, to find him smiling down at me.

"I know you loved them. I'd make them everyday for you if it wasn't for him stopping me," he pointed at Lucian at the end. I fought to keep the smile off my face. Lucian saw my struggle and narrowed his eyes.

"Thank you," I said. Asher just chuckled in return and turned back to Lucian.

A warmth settled in my tummy as I focussed on the delicacy in my plate. The pancakes looked weirdly lovely. Like the recipe itself consisted of love and care.

I blinked in surprise when a hand came into view after some time, dabbing a tissue at the corner of my mouth, where it was sticky because of the honey.

Surprisingly, I didn't flinch at the sudden touch.

I looked up slowly. Asher was talking to Damien while keeping his right hand on the back of my chair and wiping my mouth with a tissue in his left hand.

I don't know if he's aware he's doing this.

A smile crept onto my face as I just stared at him, talking to Damien and nodding his head.

"Oh," Asher said, ceasing his movements when Damien pointed at me with his eyes. He looked at me and gave me an apologetic smile before throwing the tissue away. He cleared his throat and turned back around.

My heart was beating fast as the weird warmth settled in my tummy, intensified a little.

I looked down at the little food I had left and got lost in my thoughts again.

Trying to ignore the warmth I was feeling.

---

I descended down the stairs, in a white T-shirt and denim overalls.

Wonderful.

I still want an ear piercing though.

I was carrying the white kicks in my hand while striding down, with my hair untied.

I sat at the bottom step, my hair hiding my face, as I bent down to put my feet in the shoes. My chin was resting on my knees.

"Rose!" I called out.

She insisted on helping Josiah put everything away and clean the kitchen. So she's still there.

"Coming! Let me just dry my hands," She yelled, which was almost inaudible by how soft it was.

Taking this chance, I tried to tie them again. Doing a simple knot first, I tied the ovals together.

I groaned.

"This f-"

"Complete that sentence."

I froze and zipped my mouth shut, not even daring to look back.

Doesn't he have work or something? Why does he have to appear just when I do something slightly wrong?

"Hm?" Lucian said, encouraging me to say it.

"This funny. Yeah funny. There was this funny character who knew how to tie-" I stopped, before I embarrassed myself more.

I clenched my eyes shut, my hands curling into fists when I heard his footsteps approaching.

"Look up, Bunny." My eyes snapped open and I lifted my head immediately.

Lucian looked at me for a moment before crouching down before me. He tied my shoelaces again within seconds, then lifted his gaze to look at my hair closely.

"When did you dye it?" He asked, taking hold of a curl gently.

"About a month ago," I said, scrunching up my face in confusion.

"They look pretty," He said, snapping his gaze to lock it with mine.

I looked at him for a moment. I didn't even imagine he'd know that word. Pretty.

"Thanks," I muttered, lowering my gaze to my hair in his hand. He was rubbing his thumb over it softly.

"Let me do your hair," Rose said, but stopped suddenly when she saw Lucian sitting there.

Lucian stood back up, looked at me, then at her and walked away.

How emotionless.

Rose sat on the third step, resting her feet on the second step.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, her fingers sliding from my sides and taking the curls that fell on the side of my face to the back.

"That braid thing you do, that keeps them back," I said.

"Okay," She said, as I handed her the comb, getting it out of my pocket.

She gathered the front part of my hair and braided them at the back. It looked kind of like a half ponytail.

I stood up and turned to her with a smile.

"Thanks," I said.

She rested her elbows on her knees and smiled back.

"Show me how it looks from far," she said, pointing her index finger down and moving it in a circular motion.

I twirled around, showing her the fabulous work she did.

She's good at it. Like really really good.

I turned back around when the heavy footsteps thundering down the stairs stopped. Damien stood two steps above Rose, his phone in hand. He looked at Rose and frowned in confusion.

"What did Rose do?" He asked, frowning at her.

"My hair?" I said, pointing my finger to my hair.

"Why is she sitting here?" He asked, pocketing his phone.

"What's the matter?" I asked, scrunching up my face in confusion.

He pointed his index finger to the step Rose was sitting on.

"That's the naughty step," He deadpanned.

My eyes widened.

"Ew," I whined, dragging the ew. I grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her away from it quickly.

Damien's scowl vanished and his right fist raised to hide his mouth. His one arm was crossed, so his right elbow rested on it.

"Why do you have that?" I asked, looking at him ridiculously.

"Because raising four kids at twenty is not easy," Lucian appeared out of nowhere again, apparently hearing the conversation.

I scowled, glaring at the third step, wishing it would engulf itself.

"Then why do you still have it? There aren't any kids here," I said, looking at Lucian, hoping he'd drop it. We're not kids.

God! Who would've thought Lucian will use the exact punishment Dad did?

"Are you trying to convince me that you don't need this anymore?" He asked, pointing at the third step.

Fuck.

"Uh... Maybe. We're teenagers, not kids. We're sixteen." I stated.

"That doesn't make it less effective," He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

I groaned quietly.

"Jayden sat here two days before you moved in, if that helps." Damien said, trying to assure me.

That doesn't help. That just crushed my hopes. Jayden is eighteen and still serves this sentence whenever he gets in trouble.

"Damien sat in timeout too. Just last month," Jayden said. I whipped my head around to find the source and found Jayden standing behind Lucian, glaring at Damien. His ears were red, probably from embarrassment.

"Did not," Damien said.

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

Lucian turned towards them completely, his back facing us now. They stopped immediately and stood straighter, looking down at the floor.

"That's what I thought," Lucian said, pulling one hand out of his pocket and checking the time on the expensive watch on his wrist.

"If you're late for her appointment, Jayden, your sisters will see for themselves if you really sit there or not," he said, threatening to put him in a timeout.

Jayden scowled at Damien, who was again controlling his laughter and walked past us to the door.

I held my hand to my mouth, to hold in my laughter.

Never laugh at someone about to get a timeout. At least not before the guardian. It can cause a turn of events and for you to go through the same punishment.

---