KYLE“What's the meaning of what just happened? Why are you this troublesome?” My dad asked almost immediately after Damien left.I looked at him with anger bare in my eyes, did he just blame me without hearing both sides of the story? The anger I was feeling doubled.“You didn't even hear from both sides before concluding, how can you just conclude that I was the one at fault?" I asked him.“Because you're the one who causes trouble every time, Damien is calm and would never start a fight.” My mom butted in.Why are they both pointing fingers at me? I don't even know if it's possible for me to hate someone how I hate Damien right now, I loath him so much.He has always made our parents see me as the bad person, they've been choosing him over me for years now and he has been revelling in that since.“He started this one first, you both should always try to hear what happened before pointing fingers at me," I said."We've known you for years, Kyle. You're the one who can cause that fig
EUGENEMy heart missed a beat as he said those words. If what he just said is true, then we're in deep trouble. His phone truly has all our secrets and schemes, there's no way it can go missing right now.“Come with me." I took his hand and dragged him into the elevator.We got into the elevator and soon got to the floor, I couldn't say anything when we were in the elevator because we weren't alone.I badly wanted to talk from there but I knew I had to get him into my office first, no one must know what we're about to say, or else it'll start raising suspicions.The moment we got into my office, I locked the door behind us and faced him.“How did the phone go missing? Why are you so careless?" I asked him.“Why won't you hear what happened before jumping to a conclusion? Why's everyone just blaming me? Damien fought with me at my parents' house and took the phone when I wasn't watching.” He rasped, anger evident on his face.I looked at him with fury still thrumming through me. And no
LIAMI got to the house of the person who'll provide an answer to the questions we have about the phone. The guy is my friend from college and he helps me with things like these.I knocked on his door and he opened the door in no time.“Hey, you're here already." He said, looking shocked.“I told you how urgent this is, I can't afford to waste any more time."He stepped aside for me to get in and I did, this place is just like his house and office combined. He uses it for the two. He leads me into a room that has a lot of computers set up.“Where's the phone?" He asked and I handed over the phone to him.He assessed it for a while before connecting a cable from one of his computers to the phone, he then started pressing some things on the computer.“This is it, the information on the phone. Is there anything in particular on the phone that you'd like to know?” He asked. I moved closer to the computer and saw the things on the phone just there."The messaging app first, just go to the
DAMIEN“This one's for me because I love trains, and this one is for Billy, he loves flying objects so he has a lot of airplanes," Billy explained as he showed me their toys.They've been explaining every one of their toys to me, we've been talking for quite some minutes now. I realized that I haven't been giving Phoebe attention and she's currently sulking.“Okay boys, your toys are cool. You both have all the cool stuff in here. But it's time for us to see your sister's collection together." I said.They both pouted as if they didn't like what I just said.“No, you won't give me that. We all have to check them out together.” They nodded simultaneously but they looked like they'd rather be anywhere than be near their sister’s toys.We've had so much fun already and it's safe to say that these kids are so smart. They're really smart for their age.We were halfway through Eugene's toys when my phone rang in my pocket. Who dares interrupt when I'm having fun with the kids right now?I w
DAMIEN“What do we do first now?" Shawna asked."England of course, that's where we'll get all our answers and gather more evidence on them,” Liam said.Getting to England at the moment wasn't a problem for them as all I had to do was to make a few calls and we’ll be on the flight."That's good then, let's prepare. I'll just get to some people so we can get there quickly. I'm assuming that you both have your international passports ready.” I asked.“Yes," Liam answered for them, he knew about Shawna so much that she could decide to fly out of the country anytime soon.The fact that he even answered for her made me feel somehow, but I just overlooked that, it's probably nothing.“Okay then, I'll need that to get us out of here. Let's get ready, shall we?" I asked and both Shawna and Liam nodded.Just as we were about to walk into the cars we came with, my phone rang. It was the doctor calling. Not just any doctor but the one working for Eugene.“It's the doctor," I said out loud, alert
SHAWNAWe arrived in England in no time, the journey was just smooth, with no unnecessary stopover. It's just like everything was working together for our good concerning that.We haven't been able to contact Damien, but I'm sure he'll contact us once there's something we need to know, so we're all good for now.“Are you good?" Liam asked me as we got out of the plane, on our way to the part where we looked for the car Damien already prepared for us.“Of course, what about you?” I asked him back."I'm okay, it just kind of feels good to be in another land even though we're here for something rather important.” He said."Right…" I mumbled as I looked around, the place is fine, people here are just minding their business, just the way I love it.We recognized the car in no time, the driver was just like Damien described with the clothes and everything. We hopped into the car.Liam brought out the papers he had with him, the one that had the address of the house we were going to lay befo
EUGENEHe looked at me tentatively before handing over his phone to me, he didn't look comfortable with that but he gave me the phone anyway.“Here it is." He said and took the phone from him. I took it from him with a smile on my face.“Thank you. I'm just going to…” I trailed off as I did the things I wanted to, I already prepared everything, all I needed to do on his phone was to accept it there.I was done in a minute and handed over the phone to him.“I just resaved my name on your phone, that was all," I said when I noticed that he wanted to check his phone to see what was going on.I did change my name on his phone to make this more believable. He stopped looking at the phone immediately I said that.“I think you should go to the registry to book a date for us so we'll get married as soon as possible,” I told him.“I don't think I understand you, why do we have to rush?" He asked.“Didn’t you agree to us getting married immediately?" I pouted, hoping I just gave him my best pou
SHAWNATerror gripped my entire form as whoever was with the gun started chasing us, the gunshots were getting closer and we kept running too.“Go faster! They're getting closer! You're both too slow!” Henry yelled. I felt like I was holding them back, especially Liam. He's a great runner, but right now he's being so slow.I tried to rub as fast as I could but it just felt like I wasn't doing enough, those people are too fast.At some point, it seems we lost them because no one was behind us anymore. I wanted to stop but Henry was greatly against that.“Don’t stop till I say you should.” He said, proceeding further. It's just that he seems to know about this very well and we just have to follow his instructions if we want to get out of here alive.He soon stopped at some point, the place was just in between two stores, one could run if they wanted to here, it's an open space. Going forward would be a street while going back is that alley.“Why are you two even here? You're only compli
RAMONThe air outside felt cooler than I expected. Maybe it was the heat I’d been holding in through the entire dinner finally releasing, or maybe it was just the way the tension in that house had clung to my skin like a second layer.I didn’t look back as I stepped off their porch. I couldn’t. My pride wouldn’t let me. I heard the door close behind me, and then silence. I shoved my hands in my pockets and started walking. I had no idea where I was going, just that I needed to be anywhere else.“Ramon!”Her voice.I paused, closing my eyes for a second before turning around. Phoebe was hurrying after me, her heels clicking loudly on the pavement. Her eyes were wide, her expression tight with anger and worry.“Ramon, wait! Please,” she said, catching up to me.“It’s fine,” I said quickly, giving her a small smile. “You don’t have to chase after me.”“I do,” she snapped. “You just got up and left in the middle of dinner. What do you expect me to do? Sit there and pretend like that didn’
RAMONI took a small sip of water, trying not to fidget too much. The food on my plate was delicious but my nerves were still high. I was trying hard to stay calm, to not show how much every little glance or question from her brothers made my stomach twist.I hadn’t expected them to be this intense. Every word they said felt like it came with a double meaning. Every joke had a sharp edge. And every look in my direction was like I was some kind of puzzle they didn’t trust but were determined to figure out.Still, I didn’t want to mess this up. I didn’t want Phoebe to regret bringing me here.“Thank you, Grandma,” I said quietly, giving her a small smile. “For standing up for me… and for the food. Everything tastes amazing.”Her face lit up instantly, her whole expression softening. “Oh, don’t mention it,” she said with a little chuckle, waving me off. “You’ve got manners, which is more than I can say for some people at this table.”Her tone was playful, but her eyes were sharp as she s
PHOEBEAs soon as Mom told Billy and Jasper that Ramon was the special guest for dinner and they should be nice, I could’ve hugged her right there and then. My heart was pounding in my chest, but she gave me this calm, reassuring smile like everything would be okay.“Thanks, Mom,” I said, my voice a bit shaky as I held Ramon’s hand tighter and walked past Billy into the house.She smiled at me, then looked over at Ramon. “You better come in before these boys start a war at the front door,” she said playfully.Ramon nodded politely. “Thank you, ma’am.”“Oh, none of that ma’am stuff,” Mom said with a warm laugh. “ Relax, dear. You’re not being marched into battle.”He smiled faintly, though I could feel how tense he still was.“Come on, dinner’s almost ready,” Mom said as she started walking toward the dining room. “And I’ve been dying to talk to you.”Ramon glanced at me, eyes wide. I mouthed it’s okay and gave his arm a small squeeze.“You remember that day Phoebe was robbed, right?”
PHOEBEAs soon as we got to the house, my heart started racing a little. I glanced at Ramon beside me, who looked like he was walking into a haunted mansion instead of my childhood home. His hand was a little clammy in mine, and I gave it a small squeeze to remind him I was right there.“It’ll be fine,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure I fully believed it myself.He gave a tight nod. “I’m trusting you.”I nodded back, smiled to reassure him, and stepped up to the door. My stomach twisted as I rang the bell. Every second that passed felt like it stretched on forever. Ramon shifted beside me, pulling at his sleeve, clearly nervous. I could practically feel his thoughts buzzing just under his skin.Then, with a soft creak, the door opened.And there he was, Billy.He stood like a statue, tall and square-shouldered, with that usual unreadable look on his face. His eyes scanned me, softening just a little, and then he gave me that familiar, half-hearted smile.“Hey, Phoebs,” he said, voic
PHOEBERamon’s face was frozen like he’d seen a ghost.I couldn’t hold it in, I burst out laughing. “Oh my God, Ramon! You should see your face!”He blinked a few times, like he was trying to wake himself up from a dream. “Phoebe. This is not funny.”I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, still giggling. “It is a little bit funny.”“No, it’s terrifying,” he said, wide-eyed. “Your parents hate me. Your siblings ignore me. I don’t even think your dog likes me.”I placed my hand gently on his arm. “Ramon, come on. It’s not that bad.”“It’s worse.” He looked serious now. “You’ve seen it. Your mom glares at me like I stole her favorite necklace. Your dad won’t even shake my hand properly. And your brothers, they act like I’m invisible.”“They’ve promised they’ll try,” I said softly, squeezing his arm. “They told me they’re going to make an effort. And I believe them.”He raised an eyebrow. “And we’re just supposed to walk in there like nothing’s happened?”“Yes,” I said, nodding. “We’r
SHAWNAI met up with Damien later that evening, just after the sun had started to dip below the trees. The sky was painted in soft oranges and purples, the kind of calming colors that made you want to slow down and breathe. The air was cooler now, the heat of the day finally giving way to a gentle breeze that brushed against my skin. I pulled my cardigan tighter around me as I walked toward the little park near our house. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a few benches, a narrow path, and a small patch of grass, but it was our place. Whenever things felt too loud or too heavy inside the house, this was where we came to talk.Damien was already there, sitting on one of the wooden benches under a tall oak tree. His head was bent over his phone, his fingers scrolling slowly. His expression was calm, focused, the soft glow of the screen lighting up his face.“Hey,” I called softly as I got closer.He looked up immediately, and when our eyes met, he smiled, that easy, warm smile that always m
SHAWNAI sat there in the kitchen, my fingers wrapped around the coffee mug, the warmth of it doing little to ease the cold feeling in my chest. I had been trying to push away the gnawing jealousy I felt, but it wasn’t easy. Phoebe had been so open with my mother, telling her everything, while I was left feeling on the outside. I couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d run to my mom whenever she had something on her mind. What about me? Why didn’t she come to me?I was frustrated, unsure of how to even approach the situation. Phoebe was my daughter, yet it felt like I was losing her bit by bit. I knew she was growing up, and I didn’t have any control over that. But it still stung.I stared out the window, the feeling of being left out creeping up on me again, until I heard the soft footsteps coming down the hall. I didn’t need to look up to know it was my mom. She’d always been able to sense when something was bothering me, even when I tried to hide it.“Shawna, you okay?” she asked, s
PHOEBEI couldn’t stop smiling.Mom actually said it. She said she’d give Ramon a chance. I didn’t even know what to say. I just hugged her, tighter than I ever had.“Thank you,” I whispered. “You have no idea what this means to me.”She smiled, but her eyes still looked cautious. “Don’t make me regret it, Phoebe.”“You won’t,” I promised, still holding onto her like I never wanted to let go.It felt like the air had shifted in our house lighter, warmer. All that tension between us, all the arguing and silence and stares, it felt like it cracked open into something soft again. Something hopeful.The first person I thought about next was Granny. I needed to tell her. She always understood me more than anyone. Not just listened, but understood, like she could feel what I felt without me even saying much. I had to tell her. I needed to see her face when she heard it.I grabbed my bag and headed straight to her place. As soon as I walked in, she was already at the door, like she knew.“Ba
SHAWNAI sighed and wrapped my hands around the warm mug, even though I wasn’t cold. "I know. I do. But this feels different, Damien. She's not picking up her phone. She's not even replying to texts. That’s not like her."Damien reached over and gently placed his hand over mine. "You have to breathe, Shawna. She's not a little girl anymore.""That's the problem," I said softly. "She’s growing up and pulling away, and I don’t know if I’m handling it right. What if we pushed too hard this time?"He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "Maybe we did. But maybe... that’s what she needed to figure things out.""I don’t want her figuring things out in the arms of that boy," I muttered, staring into my tea like it would give me answers."That boy has a name. Ramon," he said gently. "And I don’t know much about him yet, but Phoebe’s not stupid. She sees something in him."I pressed my lips together, shaking my head. "But does she see it clearly? Or is she just rebelling against us? Agai