Welcome to the Family

78

Sorry I fell asleep before I got to edit and publish haha

***

Cameron searched my face and I bit the inside of my cheek. "Amelia agreed to terminate any evidence against us ..." he said, "we agreed not to do anything if she moved out of the country and never to contact us again."

"How do you know she's telling the truth?" I asked, a bit pissed off. They were letting her leave for England, as long as she disappeared and we never saw her again. Despite many protests from Isobel, Evie agreed to visit and keep in contact with her mother.

"Evie said she'd cut off all contact if she hurt any of us," he said,  sighing, "I'm sorry, Maisie, I know this isn't ideal but you were right,  she's scared. She doesn't want to lose her daughter."

My brother explained what had happened, and why everyone was so late arriving at the house. We were right, Amelia didn't have any contacts anymore.  She used the evidence in hopes of keeping Evie close."

"She's idiotic and mental," I muttered, gazing out the window.

"What she did to all of us," Cameron said, pausing, "is unacceptable.  It was cruel. But Evie isn't ready to let go and forbidding her away from her mother will only make us lose her too."

I  nodded, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. "Yeah, yeah, I understand, I really do," I said, and squeezed my eyes shut. A few days ago, Eden and Harley discovered Amelia had buried a sister with the name, Felicia Laine Thaddeus. After doing some deeper digging, they discovered that  Felicia was the older sister of Amelia, murdered at twenty by her  father. 

Her mother had arranged her marriage to my uncle, to support the family  when her father went to prison. I hated the idea, hated knowing someone  who had the potential to destroy us would be free, but I understood it  too. While Amelia's choices were wrong and she hurt me, and especially my mother, she was scared and helpless.

Pain changes people.

***

With Amelia out of the way, we were able to finally ... relax.  It felt odd and unnerving. For the last few months, it felt like I  couldn't catch a break. I glanced outside, morning dew stuck to the glass, the ground thick with a layer of frost outside.

I picked at the yellow paint on the window sill, watching snow flurries  fall from the grey sky. Cameron and Sebastian were in the kitchen, Denver were sitting across from me at the table.

"What are you thinking about, Mase?" Sebastian asked and I turned to face him.

"Nothing," I mumbled and offered a small smile. His eyes narrowed, doubtful. "What?"

"Answering nothing to someone who is skilled in behaviour science? You know better than that," he said, lips twitching with a smirk.

Cameron placed a bowl of fruit in front of me, sitting down next to Denver. "Sometimes I forget about your annoying tendency to be observant."

Sebastian  snickered, taking a seat beside Cameron. "Maisie catches on fast ...  she's smarter than she looks," he said as he sipped his coffee.

I kicked out my foot, hitting his shin. He yelped, scowling.

Cameron rolled his eyes. "Seb and I are going into the city to do some errands.  Denver, Milo, and Chance will be here if you need anything, okay?"

"Eden. Where's she?"

"She went to visit Isobel," Sebastian said, putting a piece of toast on my  plate. "Eat that. You're barely touching your plate."

"I'm not hungry."