The Twins

Chapter Eighty One

(Rosalie P.O.V)

This is going to be so awful. It's the day of Harper's mom's funeral. Ryder was already at the funeral home. He's been with Harper all day, and I haven't seen him since yesterday. Mom and Dad took their car, and I drove mine because I wanted to be there for Harper after the funeral was over.

Sam can't come because he's busy with his own life, which I get, but I'm almost over it. I never see him much, and he hasn't talked about taking me on our second date, and we've been talking for three weeks. Maybe I'm just a boring person. No wonder every guy eventually loses interest in me. I parked my car in the parking lot and wiped the tears that escaped my eyes. The funeral hasn't even started yet, and I'm already a huge mess.

During the service, Harper stood in the front and gave a speech while sobbing after every sentence. Her dad was in the front pew, and his broad shoulders were shaking with sobs too. I really can't imagine what they were both going through right now. About thirty minutes later, we all walked outside to the graveyard, where they were going to bury the box with her mother's ashes in. Harper was crying so hard; Ryder had to grab her waist and hold her so she wouldn't fall to the ground. After the funeral was over, Harper went back inside with her dad and the pastor.

"Is it okay if I stay with her tonight?" Ryder asked our parents.

"Of course it's okay, sweetie. She needs you more than anything right now," Mom murmured, wiping her wet face.

Dad nodded in agreement. "Bet today has been rough, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. It's been crazy," Ryder mumbled.

Harper walked back outside with her cremation necklace on. The chain was solid black, and the ashes were inside the hourglass pendant. She hugged my parents, thanking them for coming. I was just about to hug her, but she turned around and hugged my brother instead. That hurt my feelings, but whatever.

Mom asked if I was staying with them, and I nodded my head. They both hugged all three of us before getting in their car and drove away.

"You're staying?" Ryder asked me.

"Not the night, but yeah."

"You don't have to. You can go," Harper said, letting go of Ryder to look me in the eye.

"But I want to," I said softly.

"Don't you have plans with Sam or something?" She asked with a hint of attitude.

"If you don't want me around, just say that," I muttered.

"Okay. I don't want you around. Leave," she snapped.

Without a word, I rushed to my car and burst into tears as soon as I closed the door. I texted Sam and asked what his address is. He sent it to me a few minutes later with a follow-up text that he wasn't home right now. Guess I'll be waiting for him then. His house was twenty minutes away, but that was more than okay. I cried like a baby the whole ride there. I needed it. It made me feel somewhat better.

I parked in the driveway and turned my car off. I thought my crying fest was over, but I was wrong. More tears kept falling out of my eyes, and they wouldn't stop.

A car pulled into the driveway, and I started to panic. I didn't want Sam to see me like this, but every time I wiped a tear off, it got replaced with another one. I turned around in my seat to check out who it is. It wasn't Sam. It was his older brother Parker. The one I met at the dinner and who became friends with Ryder. That's even worse. Why couldn't it have been Sam? Why did it have to be him? His brother was about to see me and realize how big of a mess I am. I cursed under my breath and wiped my face as I noticed Parker coming toward my car. He knocked on the window and I turned my key on so I could roll it down.

"Oh. It's you. I was so confused as to who the fuck was in the driveway."

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm just waiting for Sam," I replied, plastering a fake smile on my lips.

His brown eyes flashed as he studied my face. "I don't mean to be a nosy bitch, but have you been crying?"

"No. It's just really cold out. Probably just that," I said, quickly. I could tell he wasn't buying my bullshit, but he respected the fact that I obviously didn't want to talk about it.

"Sam probably won't be back for a while so do you want to come inside so you don't freeze your ass off?"

I chuckled. "Sure. Thank you." I rolled my window back up, took my key out and grabbed my phone, and got out of my car. I followed Parker up the porch steps and inside his warm home. As I was checking everything out, I noticed Parker's eyes were on me.

"You can sit down. You don't have to stand there the whole time," He teased, his full lips curled into an amusing smile.

I blushed, sat on the couch, and set my stuff down beside me.

"This is kind of weird, but I'll be a gentleman like in the movies. Do you want anything from the kitchen?"

I smiled. "What are my options?"

"Damn I thought you were going to say no."

I laughed. "Do you want me to say no?"

"Kinda because now I actually have to tell you what it's in there when I have absolutely no idea."
He's actually making me forget about the whole thing that happened with Harper. That's so crazy. Sam was supposed to do that. Not his older brother. "So, let's see what we have," he said, opening the fridge. "Um milk."

I burst out laughing.

He turned his head to look at me. "I'm sorry. I'm not good at being a gentleman."

"You literally offered me milk. You are so not good at it at all," I teased after my laughter ceased.

"Well, you know what they say. Milk is good for you and doesn't it like make you stronger or something like that?"

I snorted while laughing and immediately stopped, feeling my cheeks heat up from embarrassment.

He smiled. "That was honestly kind of adorable."

"It was not. You can stop with the gentleman act."

He laughed and closed the fridge shut. "Are you still cold little piggy?"

I glared at him.

"You told me to stop being a gentleman."

"Oink oink fuck off."

"Wow. You pigs are fucking hilarious," He said, smiling as his laughter stopped. "But are you still cold?"

"Somewhat. Why? You going to make me a glass of warm milk?"

He laughed again. "Ew hell no. There's hot chocolate. If you want some to help with your coldness."

I nodded. "Sounds good. Thank you."

He flashed me a smile. "Of course piggy." He appeared in the living room a couple minutes later with a steaming coffee cup in his hand. "Be careful. It's really hot," he warned as he handed it to me.

I held it with both hands and smiled. "Thank you so much. Maybe you're not so bad at being a gentleman after all."

"You're welcome piggy," he said, sitting down beside me.

"Never mind. I take that back."

He laughed. "So how old are you if you don't mind me asking?"

I sipped my drink and swallowed before answering. "I'm seventeen. What about you?"

"Old," He replied in a serious tone.

I giggled. "You are not old. Aren't you the middle child?"

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean I'm not old."

"Well Sam will be eighteen soon enough so you can't be much older than him. I'm going to guess that you're either nineteen or twenty."

"Well you got one of them right."

"So which of them are correct?"

"The second one."

I nodded and drunk more of my hot chocolate.

"Is it good?"

"It's delicious. You did an excellent job."

"I'd take that compliment, but you have to be an absolute dumb ass to fuck up making hot chocolate for real."

I laughed.

"I might not be a gentleman, but I must be a damn comedian because of how much I've made you laugh."

"You have an awesome personality."

He smiled. "So do you piggy."

"Oink," I mumbled and smiled when he laughed. At that moment, the front door opened, and Sam walked in wearing jeans and a hoodie.

He turned to look at me and widened his eyes. "I was wondering whose car was in the driveway."

"I didn't want her freezing out there waiting for your slow ass," Parker said, leaning back on the couch.

"What are you even doing here?" Sam demanded, looking at his brother.

Parker shrugged. "I'm glad I showed up though. She probably would have had no fingers by the time you got home."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Bro shut up."

"So that's why you had no idea what was here. You don't live here, do you?" I asked Parker.

He shook his head. "Nah. I moved out about a year or so ago. Evan and I share an apartment."

"That's why I'm confused about why the fuck you're here."

"You should be thanking me for being here to keep your girlfriend from freezing her tits off," Parker shot back.

Sam glared at him, but I laughed.

"She thinks I'm funny," Parker said, smiling.

"She's the only one who does," Sam mumbled, bitterly.

"You're always such an asshole Sam I swear to God," Parker said, shaking his head. I actually agree with him on that. The way Sam is acting makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

"Whatever. Get out. Go back to your apartment where you belong." Sam opened the front door.

Parker rolled his eyes and turned to smile at me. "It was really nice to actually meet you."

"You too. Drive safe," I murmured.

"Did he make you something?" Sam asked, eyeballing the almost empty cup in my hands.

"Just hot chocolate. It's not a big deal."

His eyes flashed, but he didn't say anything. For some reason, I was starting to think that maybe I chose the wrong person for me once again.