Chapter 2

EW! Cara, she's your sister, you idiot! I repeated in my head.

"What were you thinking about that made your head contort like that?" Asked Alex after sitting in the driver's seat, then he took something from the backseat of his car.

At this close distance the smell of aftershave and perfume faintly wafted up my nose. I always liked the smell of his perfume, Alex never wore expensive masculine perfume that actually smelled strong.

The smell of Alex's perfume made me think of the forest and trees. Smells of pine and a hint of mint.

"HappyBirthdayCaroline Brennan." Alex held out a bouquet of blood red roses and a black velvet box with a small smile.

I stared at him stunned, too shocked to speak. If Alex wasn't my brother I would have stopped my thoughts quickly at this point, now I'm thinking about if Alex wasn't my brother? I feel disgusted at myself.

Usually Alex only gives me small things like perfume or sneakers on my birthday.

I stared at the bouquet of roses whose smell permeated the entire atmosphere of the car, joined by the smell of Alex's perfume, which for some reason always calmed me down.

"Alex, you just gave me flowers yesterday." I laugh nervously, nervous? I repeated again in my head. I want to hit my own head.

"You're not going to open it?" Alex was still facing me, looked at me a little seriously.

"Ok" My hand opened the red velvet ribbon that bound the box, from inside tucked between the black velvet was a gold necklace with a green emerald pendant. Wow.

"Wow...Alex..."I couldn't say anything else, with Alex who was looking at me while smiling, the bouquet of roses in my lap spreading a nice scent, and the necklace that was nowin my hand.

I feel like this is all too much for me.

I thought emeralds would suit your eyes." He said with a shrug and put his car keys in.

"Isn't this a bit much? You should give all this to your girlfriend, not your sister." I said jokingly.

Alex was silent for a moment.

"I don't have any." He said while looking at me with a serious look. I could only meet his gaze with my brow furrowed.

How could a man like Alex not have a girlfriend? But now that I think about it Alex never introduced his girlfriend to me, he never seemed to have one ...

Oh. Not.

"Alex, um, are you ... Look I'm not going to make a big deal out of someone's sexuality, but are you-"

"Cara! I'm normal!" Alex cut in while emphasizing the word 'normal', he looked at me with what-you-crazy look?

"Oh. Okay ... Great-I meant I was just asking" I still glanced at Alex suspiciously. Alex among billions of women in this world, single? It doesn't seem possible.

"Want me to pair it?" asked Alex changing the subject.

"Yep. Thanks." I curled my long hair with my hand then lifted it while turning my back to Alex.

Alex's hands wrapped around my body, he didn't touch me at all but it was enough to make my heart beat half dead. I was starting to worry that Alex would hear my heartbeat from this close.

The smell of pine and mint is getting stronger enveloping my sense of smell, making my brain a little foggy.

With great effort I turned my mind to anything other than Alex. I try to think of Jen, or Eric. Eric and his girlfriends.

But when his warm breath tickles my neck, it's all in vain, only Alex fills my head at the moment. He's your brother, Cara! For the upteenth time I repeated the mantra many times in my head.

"Finished." he whispered. I turned my body to face him, a little grateful with the dim lighting of Alex's car because otherwise Alex would have seen my blushing face at this moment.

"Cara ... " Alex looked at me like he was going to say something. I returned his gaze with a questioning look.

"Perfect." He said suddenly as he took his eyes off me and started his car engine. We drove in silence for half an hour in the direction toward the outskirts of town.

I turned on the music player in Alex's car, the song All Too Well Taylor Swift was the first to play softly.

"Taylor Swift? Are you serious?" I asked, frowning.

"That's your playlist." Answered Alex short.

Then I remembered the playlist I kept in Alex's old car a few months ago, "You still have it?" I asked in a surprised tone.

"Taylor Swift is not bad at all." Alex replied, "The song makes me want to cry." He added sarcastically. I glanced at him annoyed before looking away.

"Her songs always make me remember you" he added in a more serious tone. I couldn't hold back my smile when I heard the answer.

The streets were dark and only lit by the moon made the situation in the car even darker, from where I was sitting I could only see Alex's silhouette with his brown eyes shining because of the reflection of the moonlight.

"I didn't know there was a restaurant near the forest ... " I muttered, trying to get him to say where he was taking me

His car sped toward Black Hill National Forest, one of the largest forests in the country that borders our citySeattle.

Alex was silent, his eyes focused on the road in front of him.

"Don't tell me you took me into the woods tonight to kill me, Alex." I added with a chuckle.

"I would never hurt you, Caroline." Alex answered seriously without taking his eyes off the road.

My heart pounded after Alex said my full name. I chose silence for the rest of the trip, calming my heart while filling my head with thoughts other than Alex.

what's wrong with me today?

Alex parked his car on the edge of the forest road, got outta open my door. My eyes were glued to the in the path leading into the forest which was lit by hundreds of tiny white LED lights.

My breath caught in my chest. I looked at the around me with my mouth agape. Was this what he been busy doing all afternoon?

Alex reached out his hand to me then led me into the forest. We walked hand in hand into a part of the wherethetrees were sparse. A wide expanse of in the middle of which there is a large rock lavender flowers. My nose can smell the pleasant fragrance of lavender. The scene before me stunned once again, I didn't know that in this forest there was a beautiful place. Crickets and owls could be heard calling in the distance, making the atmosphere not too quiet.

Behind the boulder, a table and a pair of chairs with tablecloths are neatly arranged, on top of whichare a bottle of wine, a glass filled with candles and a vase redrose. I looked back at Alex in disbelief. Alex smiled my expression and sat me down.

"Alex, this is really too much ... " I said with a big smile, really impressed.

"For you, Cara-bear, nothing is too much." 

For a split second I saw the strange expression on Alex's face it was covered by his handsome smile.

Alex helped me sit down then filled my glass of wine. "I didn't prepare food, I thought after here we can stop by nearby restaurant, how about pizza?"

"Yay! Pizzas!" I replied while drinking a little wine-which turned out to be just grape juice-in my glass. "Thanks,

Alex."

We chatted about many things for halfan hour. Alex talked about his job and plans to take over Dad's business as soon as his business was over.

"Cara-Caroline." His tone suddenly turned serious as he called my name.

"Huh?"

"Actually I want to talk about something."

"What?" I asked curiously. Alex didn't usually talk like this.

"About us. There's something ... we've been keeping it a secret all along." Alex seemed to be starting to doubt. What do we mean?

"What do you mean?"

"Mum and Dad should tell you, but maybe it's better if I tell you." said Alex before placing his glass of grape juice on the table.

"I don't understand." The small smile on my face started to fade. My head started to fill with worry.

"But you have to promise you don't hate me, especially Mum and Dad. And don't think anything out of the ordinary. Okay?" he asked carefully.

"This is about Mum isn't it? Is she sick? That's why Mum was crying?" Fear and panic gripped my chest.

"What? No, not about Mum." Alex looked at me with a little frown. "Promise Cara, no matter what happens, no matter how you feel, don't run away from me."

I nodded, trying to digest what Alex was saying. He took a deep breath before looking hesitant again.

"What, Alex?!"

Alex took a deep breath before answering me. "Caroline, actually you are my mate."

I tried to process Alex's words then looked at him blankly.

"Mate. Mate." Alex continued slowly.

I still look at him confused.

"Cara, we're not siblings. You were adopted when you four."

Alex said was spinning in my head, it felt like just dumped a bucket of cold water over me. "So ... you're saying Mum and Dad aren't my parents?" I asked, very confused.

... " Alex tried to calm me when my voice started to me more clearly, Alex." .

"Mum and Dad adopted you from the orphanage after they took me too. After we met I asked our parents adopt you." Alex explained to me slowly.

silence enveloped us for a few minutes. "Who are my parents?" My eyes started to heat up.

I realize why I don't have any baby photos in our album.

"I don't know."

"How could you not know?!" I asked in a trembling voice, must be data about my parents in the-"

Alex grabbed my hand with both of his hands me look up at him.