"Is this supposed to make me believe you aren't stalking me?" I question when I open the door to see Felix on our front step – this time out of his football jersey and in a palm leaf short sleeve button down. "How'd you even get in here? The community is gated."

"And your brother left my name with the guards," he smiles in my direction, clearly amused with my reaction. "I take it Riker didn't tell you that we have a project together?"

I press my tongue to the inside of my cheek, "He did not."

"Are you going to let me in?"

"Why should I?" I cross my arms over my chest, meeting his brown eyes while trying not to melt into them.

"You're feisty," he smirks and takes a step into the house, his chest nearly touching mine. He's testing me. I can tell by the way he's holding my gaze, not once breaking it. "It's a good look on you, Stevie."

"Is that Felix, Vee?" Riker shouts and I find myself swallowing as I step back from him.

"He's in the kitchen," I huff, moving all the way to let him into the house.

"You gonna show me the way?" He asks and I nod, leading him into our big kitchen where Riker stands idle at the counter with his eyes focused on his phone screen, only looking up when I clear my throat.

"Hey Felix," he says as he straightens his stance.

"Hey man."

I roll my eyes at the interaction and reach for my camera on the counter. "Have fun. I'm going to the guest house."

"Thanks Vee," Riker smiles softly. "Mom's working late so I'll order pizza in a bit."

"Sounds good," I nod and head for the stairs to get my keys with my USB stick attached to them.

I make sure to grab my phone and laptop off my desk before heading back downstairs. When I reach the main floor, I move into the kitchen once again to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. My eyes lingering longer than I want them to on Felix at the kitchen table as I slowly make my way to the back door.

Our house is by no means small. We have everything a kid could ever dream of but even with so many of us, it still feels lonely at times. We all have our own lives. Have our own things and I dread the end of the year when Riker and Isaac go off to college. With the rate our parents are going, I fear they may never make up and their love story will end in a broken divorce leaving me in the middle.

When I open the door to the backyard, I run into a broad chest – a small squeal of surprise leaving my lips as I look up to find my eldest brother, Greyson in front of me. A duffle bag resting on his shoulder.

"Grey! What are you doing here?" I ask in a hushed tone to ensure Riker doesn't hear us.

Greyson isn't supposed to be here. He lives in Los Angeles, a little over an hour drive from our Malibu mansion. He was attending UCLA for a degree in biochemistry. Key word being was.

He dropped out at the end of last semester and has been lying to our parents ever since. It isn't that they won't understand. My parents come from families of lawyers and doctors, them being the only two to venture out from that path but for some reason, Greyson is afraid to share his dreams of writing with them.

It isn't a wishful dream either. Having read his writing, I know he's good. Better than good, actually. He is a great writer and if he would just tell them – they could help.

For right now though, this information is a secret. One only I know about.

"I can't come see my baby sister?"

I raise an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Relax," he sighs. "I just need a place to crash for a few nights. I've run out of couches to sleep on."

"Why don't you just get an apartment?"

"Because if I get an apartment mom and dad are going to see the payment and wonder why I'm getting an apartment when I have a perfectly good dorm room," he explains and I roll my eyes at the lame excuse.

"I still don't get why you don't just tell them."

"It's not that simple, Stevie."

I hum softly. "Well, you're going to have to tell them eventually. They're going to wonder what's up when you don't graduate in a few months."

"I know, I know."

"Go upstairs," I tell him as I take a step back to let him into the house. "Rik's in the kitchen, Isaac's on a date and mom won't be home until later."

"Thank you, Vee," he smiles softly and I nod as I step out into the backyard, heading for the guest house that my dad converted to a home studio, with the added addition of a dark room and office for me.

It's really my place to escape the boys, my dad building it into his studio when I started getting into photography. I am grateful for the space but now that he doesn't live with us anymore, it's hard to enjoy it knowing he won't be in here. I won't get to listen to magic being made or get to watch him in his element.

He is my hero.

And this whole mess of separation has me missing both of my parents. When he moved out, it felt like the house was going to come crumbling down but my mom kept a tough face. She's trying to prove something. To us. To him. To herself. She is working longer hours and locking herself away in her office more and more often and I'm beginning to wonder if this is going to be our new normal.

Unlocking the door to the guest house, I step inside and make my way into the once bedroom. As I turn on the light, a smile crosses my face at the finished film images I hung out to dry the night before and how well they turned out. Collecting them from their hangers, I set them aside before pulling my desk chair out and sliding over to the big desktop monitor, perfect for editing images on.

Taking my SD card out of my camera, I plug it into the desktop to scan through them. Sorting through the pictures is one of the hardest parts for me, because I want to keep them all and I learned a long time ago never to delete anything. It doesn't matter if I shoot something I don't mean to or the exposure is off. I keep everything because it's the unknown things that can hold the most beauty.

A beauty you don't always expect to find.

After rating the images on a scale of five stars, I start picking out which ones I'm going to send of to Miss. Arthur for approval before editing and which I'm going to print for my wall, if any. While scoping through them, color coding the images going towards the paper I land on the picture I took of Felix while on the football field.

For a few seconds I just stare at the way the sun bounces off his skin. Backlighting the whole image and giving him a halo of sunshine. He's looking directly into the camera, weather that was intentional or not, I don't know but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of my new favourite. Making a mental note to get it printed and added to the collection on my wall.

He is breathtakingly beautiful and it has my stomach in knots. I hate the feeling. The not knowing. The wondering about him and I would do anything to get rid of it but I have a feeling it's here to stick around for a while. Which scares me more.

I don't know how much time passes before my thoughts are interrupted by the soft strum of a guitar. My lips curling up as I send an email with my final choices for the online paper to Miss. Arthur before shutting everything off and heading into the studio with everything I brought inside.

"Dad," I grin when I walk out to find him sitting on the black leather couch with a guitar in his hands.

He's who my brothers get their height from and their lean, muscle bodies. His jaw sharp and even though he's nearly fifty, he doesn't look a day over forty. His hair still sandy blonde and his eyes as bright and youthful as ever. I don't have many features from him. Everyone always saying I'm the spitting image of my mom when she was younger but if I get my looks from my mom, I definitely have my dad's personality.

"Little bird," he smiles.

"Does mom know your here?" I question as I walk over to greet him, setting down everything I'm holding while he gets up to greet me. His strong arms wrapping me up in a big bear hug.

His hugs are my favourite.

Even on my worse days, a hug from him can totally change them around. To say I'm a daddy's girl is an understatement. It isn't that I don't get along with my mom too. I do. Really well, actually. I never understood families that fought until this separation. My parents are amazing and I am incredibly lucky to have both of them. My brothers are my best friends and our only arguments come out of teasing gone too far.

Maybe it's because of the media and knowing we at least have each other at the end of the day. Or maybe we're just lucky. Either way, I wouldn't change a thing.

Except maybe the separation. My parents love each other more than life itself, so for it to come to this. We were shell shocked. I think a small part of me is still in shock.

"It is my house too, Stevie," he rolls his eyes at me.

"So, that'd be a no."

He smiles mischievously in my direction as he sits back down on the couch, pulling his guitar back into his lap.

"Working on something new?" I ask as I sit on the arm rest, putting my feet down on the cushion in front of me as I watch him.

"Yeah, it's trying to be at least," he nods. "Was that Greyson's car I saw out there?"

My eyes widen quickly before my face falls natural, ready to lie my ass off and save Greyson's. "He decided to come spend the weekend."

"And he dropped out of college," he smirks.

"What? No..." I trail off when I see the knowing look his face. "How do you know that?"

"Your brother isn't as smooth as he thinks he is," he laughs. "I've known for a while. Figured he'll tell us when he's ready and if he dropped out, it's probably for a good reason."

I laugh with him as I slid down onto the cushion. "I don't know what he's scared of."

"Life," he answers, his eyes trained on the neck of his guitar. "Life can be scary, little bird."

My lips curl down as I wrap my arms around my legs. "You miss mom, don't you?"

"Like crazy."

"Then why are you separated? This is so stupid, dad! You clearly love each other so why aren't you here?"

A sigh falls from his lips as he runs his fingers through his shortly chopped hair. "Sometimes love isn't enough."

"Why not?"

"Because it just isn't. Love is hard and sometimes it takes more than loving each other to make a relationship work. You need sacrifice and communication. And...your mom has given up a lot for me, Stevie."

I nod, "I just hate seeing you both so unhappy. Mom is trying to distract us by working more and you're never here. I miss you. I miss how things used to be."

"I miss you too," he smiles sadly, holding his hand out for me to take. "We're still a family though, little bird."

"Sometimes it doesn't feel that way."

"It'll get better."

"And by that you mean I'll get used to it," I sigh as my phone buzzes. Peeking over at my screen I see Riker's text on the screen letting me know pizza is here and I should come get it while it's hot.

"Riker got us pizza for supper. Do you want some?" I ask as I move my legs over the edge of the couch to get up.

"I'm okay. Thanks, Stevie."

I smile sadly, "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"I won't," he assures me as I collect everything and head for the door.

Just as I open the door, I find myself unable to leave. My chest tight as I turn around, biting on my bottom lips before exhaling softly. "Dad?"

"What is it?" He turns his head, a look of concern resting on his face.

"Promise me you won't give up."

"Stevie..."

"Promise me you'll fight for her. For us to be a family. Promise me you won't ever give up."

"I promise, little bird."

I nod, a weak smile curling up on my lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Hope replaces the unnerved feeling in the pit of my stomach as I step out of the studio and make my way to the main house. He promised to fight and I just pray he is everything my mom has ever said he is. If there is one thing to know about him, it's that he's not a quitter and I just hope this isn't the one cause he loses faith in.

a/n;

This has been the longest week ever. And also magically cause the Jonas Brothers are back and I'm stoked. I'm also stoked for chapter 4 of this book.