Where It Ends

11 | long time no see

IT ENDED TOO EARLY.

All I wanted was to stay in that house forever. It was the place that truly felt like home, which made leaving it so much more difficult. But Eli had to go home and make dinner, so I went along with him. I wanted to ask if I could spend the night, but Niko gave me a look that told I should do otherwise.

"You've known us for years, Vie, and you've only known them for a few days. I think that you should maybe... give them a chance. Try getting to know them," he said softly. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew he was right. I was aware that sharing DNA didn't mean shit; Whitney was my "real" mother, but she ended up being one of the shittiest ones around. I still wasn't sure what our father was like, but I had a hunch that it wasn't great. Blood wasn't enough, so they were going to have to earn my trust. As much as I hated to admit it, they couldn't do that if I didn't give them any opportunities to prove themselves.

So, I finally gave in. "Fine, I'll try. Eli made a good impression I guess?" I said, teasing, and the soft look on his face turned into a scowl.

"I still don't like him," he said, and I rolled my eyes. "I'm kidding... mostly. It's pretty clear that he cares about you. But if he or any of the rest of them try shit, know that me, TJ, and Theo will beat the shit out of them."

"You'll even take Eli and Dax?" I asked teasingly. After I let all my emotions about Whitney out, I talked with the guys and talked to them about what each of my brothers were like. As much faith as I had in them, I'm still not sure they could two fully grown men.

"Pa can handle them," he said jokingly, making me smile through the slight sadness I felt at leaving, even though I would see them again soon. Nik had known me for so long that it had become second nature for him to sense what I was feeling. He gave me a sad smile of his own. "Come 'ere, Vie."

He pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly while Theo and TJ joined in too. We stayed like that for a bit, but we all knew that it was time for me to go.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" Theo said, and I felt comforted by the reminder that I wasn't in this alone.

"See you then," I smiled.

I said goodbye to Ma and Pa too, giving them a big hug before I got back in the car with Eli.

༺ ♡ ༻

The drive home was... interesting.

Eli was slightly on edge the whole time. I had a feeling that he heard me crying through the thin walls of the house, making me feel slightly embarrassed and uncomfortable. I hated letting people see my emotions; sometimes I still had trouble showing them to my best friends and I've known them for almost my whole life.

"What did Ma and Pa talk to you about?" I asked Eli, trying to lighten the situation.

"We talked about work, hobbies, family, and they gave death threats if any of us hurt you. Just the normal," he grinned. "I really like them." He looked like he meant it, but I could tell that there was still something important on his mind.

"Me too," I said with a small smile. We sat there for a while longer, both of us unsure of what to say.

"Hey Evie?" Eli asked out of the blue as he sported a serious expression, making me guess that my hunch was correct.

"Yeah, Eli?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

Personal questions weren't my thing. Usually I tried to talk about anything but myself, but I realized that I felt comfortable around him. I could feel myself starting to trust him, so for this once I obliged. "Yeah, you can."