Within The Bonds

64: Couple Of Weeks Away

Astoria P. O. V

Numbness takes over me as I watch Xavier walk out of the room, his state of mind left undetermined to me. The news about my sister and the undeniable tension Jason's arrival brought along, is almost punishing.

Left with my thoughts as the two of them discuss whatever they have to discuss outside, I can't help but wonder how different my life would have been if Aria was still alive.

Turning the arms of the clock back to the beginning of this entire conversation in my mind, I'm left to ponder over what Jason initially said. Even though his words were intended to bring comfort, they did just the opposite.

"We have them." In that split second after he delivered this message, a fear of the unknown took refuge within me.

I wanted to ask him right then and there what he meant by what he said, but everything happened so fast, or more as I felt caught in a stupor. This situation I'm in makes me feel nothing but powerless.

'But what more can I do?' I have no answer to my inner thoughts. I just don't like the position I'm thrust in.

And even though I don't know all there is to know about my current situation or the meaning behind Jason's words, I have one thing made perfectly clear, I'm not getting any sleep anytime soon.

Just a while back, say maybe even a couple of hours back, I was affirmative that telling them about the texts was the right and smart thing to do, but now? Now I just feel trapped and something in my bones tells me that I dragged them into my mess for no reason.

The door is pushed open, this has my immediate and complete attention as the anxiety bubbling within me takes charge of my action. One by one in walk the rest of my brothers.

Their expressions stone cold with the only sign of warmth in the small smile they send me on their way in. Jack's eyes at once zoom on the locket still clasped in my hands, yet he refrains from voicing the evident question in his eyes.

"How are you holding up?" Noah asks clamming the vacant spot beside me.

"Okay, I guess," I shrug briefly glancing at the locket in my hand.

Xavier and Jason to join the rest of us in a matter of minutes and by the look on their faces, it's clear that they are here to talk business. Everyone in the room except me appears to have a rough idea of what's to come our way, and well enough I'm not surprised.

"We need to think our moves through before we even have to chance to implement them," Xavier starts out taking a seat behind his desk.

"Do we have a name?" Liam enquires while I sit in my place trying to fill in the blanks that they left blank in my head.

"Plural, names actually," Noah answers catching me off guard.

'How the heck does he know if Liam doesn't?'

This entire distribution of information amongst our family is confusing, to say the least. But I can only assume it goes in the order of who's older, which isn't very reassuring considering I'm the youngest.

"All this is leading back to them, isn't it?" Liam asks and Xavier, Jason, and Noah all visible stiffen in their places with their jaws set and fist clenched.

"Who?" I finally muster up the courage to ask.

"Wait why is she allowed to sit in on this? None of us got to sit in on any of these meetings until we were fifteen," Jack remarks his comment hinting of a complaint.

"That's just a couple of weeks away though," I defend, but he still doesn't seem content with it.

"Her age isn't the topic of discussion here," Xavier reminds in his infamous impassive tone that has Jack shut right up.