Breaking the Ice | ✍🏼

22. Early Surprise?

| Annalise Walton |

"Early Surprise?"

I couldn't shut the door and walk away. This was what I hadn't been expecting. This is almost what I didn't want to happen right now. I wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared. I was a mess. My hair was everywhere, I hadn't showered in days, my eyes were probably red rimmed from my tears, and my clothes were just a pair of faded jeans and a zip-up jumper that I was sure was going to look ridiculous next to these people. 

To my surprise, when I studied them better, only two of them were in suits, but even then, the jackets had been discarded somewhere in the room, and the rest looked like they too, could need a rest like me. But, this was all too soon. The door shut behind me, and that's when I knew that I had lost all grip on what was about to happen. 

"Annalise" someone spoke, and I tried to find who the deep voice belonged too. I followed the eyes of one of them to see one of the two that were in the suits. I nodded slowly, unaware of what was going on. I didn't want to speak; I was too scared of what could happen if I said a word. 

"I suppose you read my letter?" the same man questioned, which made it known that this was Hayden. My eldest brother. "Y-yeah, I did" I stuttered, grabbing onto the front of my jumper and twisting it between my fingers. I didn't like how they were all staring at me. "Ana?" a voice croaked, and I immediately knew that voice. Relief flooded my entire body, as I took a step towards the twisting figure in the hospital bed. 

"It's me Aiden" and with that, a hand reached out from the bed, and someone moved out of the way so I could see my brother. I looked between all of them, while they looked between Aiden and I, as I stepped forward, making my way over to my brothers bed. "I'm here" I clutched his outstretched hand, as he held on tightly. 

"I thought I lost you" he murmured, pressing a kiss to my hand, before he was lying down with his eyes squeezed shut. "You didn't" I responded, as I smiled sadly down at my older brother. One of my older brothers. There was now another 5 of them that surrounded the two of us. Not just the two of us anymore. 

The only thing that was keeping me grounded was the hand that was holding mine but I couldn't climb onto the bed and let my brother hold me to his chest in front of these people. These people who were our brothers but they were still practically strangers and we didn't know them like they thought they knew us.

"Ana, can I have a word with you outside?" the same voice from before caught me off guard and grabbed Aiden's attention. He opened his eyes and looked at me, before he was sitting up and looking around the room at the other people in the room. "No, you can't take my sister from me" clearly some of the drugs were still in his system as he pulled my shoulders towards him, causing the bar on the side of the bed to dig into my ribcage. 

I bit down on my lip to bite the burning pain in my ribs, right were the bruises had formed from falling down so many times. "She's our sister too" someone whispered not too far from behind me, causing me to jump a little and turn towards the person. He looked much younger than Hayden, and most of the others too. 

Must have been Elliot Walton if I remember correctly. "Yeah, but what proof do you have that she's your sister? She's mine and I know that for sure" Aiden bit back with anger lacing his tone. I tried to pull out of his hold, but he just pushed me towards the top of the bed, so I had a good view of all the men in this room. All the men that had to be over 6 feet tall. 

"Here, Aiden, read this" I noticed a letter on his bedside table that Alistair must have left, and handed it to him. I opened the envelope for him, allowing him to read the paper. I didn't dare take my attention away from him, as his eyes scanned the paper, to afraid of the looks that were being directed our way from our supposed other brothers. 

The people that had said that they were related to us. "You really are our brothers?" he questioned, once he had supposedly read the whole letter. A moment of silence passed through the room, which scared me. "Yes, we are. I- We have been trying to find you for the last 6 years" were the exact words that I had seen on the piece of paper. 

I was sick of hearing the number 6. "What do you mean 6 years? Obviously you knew we existed, but if I was right, 6 years ago, you would have been 23, which meant you were old enough to have custody. At 18, it would have made, Oliver, 16, Theodore, 13, Leonardo, 10, and Elliot would have been 8. The two of us would have been 4 and 6 years old. Why didn't you find us then, if we were with a friend of your fathers?" 

I didn't want to say our father because I wasn't ready to do so. If he was our father, I still didn't feel comfortable calling him so. I had a father, and look how that turned out. I didn't have a mother and still don't. The room fell dead silent, as everyone just looked between each others. I wanted to take the words back, but they were just the truth. I just wanted answers. 

"There were mishaps, for years. Fighting of custody and if I seemed fit. We had always been told that the two of you were in another country and that they couldn't track you down. It wasn't until 6 years ago, were we notified that things were starting to change. That there was potential that I could be your guardian. There was also certain things with the will that we couldn't change due to both of your ages" 

It wasn't the answer I was after, but I guess it did give us some reassurance. "I just don't know. Are you actually our brothers?" Aiden questioned again, and I was still weary, so I agreed with him by nodding along. I could see how some of the boys looked like Aiden, almost scaring me with how alike. 

Just as an example, Elliot and Aiden could pass as twins, even though they were 2 years apart. Other than Aiden's hair being a little longer than Elliot's clipped hair, they were nearly exactly the same. Even from the way he had spoken, had reminded of how Aiden would have spoken to me, about 2 months ago. 

"How about we do a DNA test tomorrow morning, as soon as possible? So then the two of you can see the results for yourselves" Hayden sighed, and I almost felt bad. Almost, being the key word. This man was a stranger claiming to be my brother! I had almost fully believed and trusted him, and the rest of them, but I held back. 

As much as I wanted a hug from them, I couldn't. I didn't know them and they didn't know me. "Fine, I guess" Aiden muttered, using whatever strength he had left to try and pull me onto the bed, which I just ended up doing myself. I climbed up and slid under his arm. I could see all their eyes on the two of us, but I just closed my eyes and ignored them, as I felt the soft breaths coming out of Aiden's mouth. 

---

thoughts? xx

was this what was expected?