"I have," I said, looking him in the eyes victoriously.

His eyebrows furrowed and he understood it quickly.

"Damien left a bruise?" He asked, with a sadistic look on his face as he clenched his jaw and his expressions turned hard.

"He did," I smirked. "So, legally, we can still leave and get out of your hair. Thanks for all the favors. I'll pay you back." I stated, tilting my head to the side.

He looked at me for a moment, taking in a deep shaky breath, while I took that moment to cheer myself internally for saying that to his face. Rose would be proud.

He grabbed his phone, trying to break it by how hard his grip was.

"Be home in five," he gritted into the phone and hung up immediately.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes before turning to stare at the wall.

"He didn't mean to hurt you."

'God! I didn't mean to slap you Amira. You just annoyed me too much.'

Lucas said it the first time he slapped me when I was ten.

"Every abuser has that excuse," I shrugged, my voice turning cold. "Besides, he doesn't want us here."

"Why would you think that?" Lucian said, failing to keep the disbelief hidden.

"Does threatening to kill Rose if we chose you, count as not wanting us here?" I mocked.

"Did he say that?" Lucian asked. From the looks of it, he didn't believe me. Not one bit.

I shrugged.

"There was a note in the stuff Father bought for us. Damien brought that up to our room."

"How can you blame him without any proof?" Lucian said, sounding extremely offended. "Damien might have trouble controlling his anger but he's not what you're imagining him to be."

"If he can do what all he did in the past days, I don't know what he's capable of."

Silence fell in the room, save for the fast beating of my heart, ringing in my ears.

Lucian is powerful. He could pull some strings and keep us here.

'Then they will hurt you and Rose.'

The silence vanished When Lucian started speaking.

"I know I shouldn't be saying this from his side. He acted out of anger, but he never meant to hurt you. Anything could've happened when you were roaming around without his knowledge and he got furious. He didn't mean to hurt you."

"He didn't have a right to do that when we made it clear that you guys weren't allowed to even touch us," I stated, not looking at him.

"Okay," he said, sighing again. I looked at him to find him deep in thoughts. "He hurt you physically and you can report it to Miss Wilson when she arrives tomorrow. If you really want to leave, I will arrange a home for you to live in."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Did he just offer to let us go that easily?

"I'm sorry for what he did," Lucian said, shocking me. His voice was still void of any emotions and his face void of any expressions. "But I can ask for a chance."

He looked back at me at last, causing me to look away.

"Give me two months, Bunny. If you still want to leave, I won't utter a word," he said, offering a deal.

"That's too long," I muttered, staring at the pretty paperweight on his desk.

"Three weeks. That's the least I can ask for," he said, compromising a lot.

So now the choices are, either I report tomorrow and we leave for a life away from them or give them another chance and live for three weeks more.

I don't know.

A knock on the door helped with my situation. I turned my head to look back at the door.

"Come in," Lucian said, coldly.

Damien entered the room. His head raised as he stepped in and his gaze landed on me.

"Bunny?" He looked at me then at Lucian.

"You're dismissed. Goodnight, Bunny," Lucian said, before he was interrupted by another knock.

"You can't be serious!" Asher said, in a reprimanding tone as he looked at me then frowned at Lucian. "Come on, Lucian. Kids need enough sleep."

"It's better you came, Asher. Apparently, Damien left a bruise that day. Can you help treat that?" Lucian said, ignoring Damien and his shocked look. Damien looked down at my collar with regret pasted on his face before he looked away and swallowed hard.

"Of course," Asher looked at Damien with pity. He turned to me and smiled. "Come on, sweetie."

I stood up and walked out, not sparing Damien one glance.

As soon as the door shut, I heard the loud sound of Lucian's fist slamming down on his desk. Even with the door closed, the sound was so loud, I jumped.

"What is he going to do?" I asked, looking up at Asher. I couldn't stop myself.

Why do I care?

"A scary lecture," Asher said, shaking his head.

"Just a lecture?" I asked, looking at him with disbelief.

He looked quite angry. I don't think he'd control himself enough to keep it to 'just a lecture' point.

"Imagine Lucian being really pissed off. Like really really. And yelling at you," he said, making me shudder involuntarily.

Lucian doesn't yell.

"He does." Asher smiled at me when I wondered out loud. "That's the worst reaction you can get from him."

"I was worried he'd hit him for a second," I mumbled, clenching my jaw. No one deserves that.

"Don't worry about it," Asher said. He smiled his usual sweet smile.

"I don't need help," I said, when I remembered Lucian's last statement.

"Okay. You don't need help. But don't you think Lucian will be mad if we don't do as he said?" He asked, looking back at me over his shoulder.

"So? I'm not scared." I said, defensively. He turned his head back to face forward and chuckled.

"Don't lie to yourself, Bunny. You've been terrified of him since forever," he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Fuck my life.

I stayed silent after that, looking at my feet, watching every step I took.

I stopped when his feet stopped. I looked up to see him opening a door.

"This is my room," he said, holding the door open for me. I entered hesitantly.

There was a warm touch to his room. Like a comfortable familiarity that made the room feel warmer than the hallway.

"I'd like to give you a house tour, now that you're being a little more friendly," Asher said, as he pulled out the chair of his huge desk. He waved his hand, motioning me to sit.

"I'm not being friendly," I said. A scowl appeared on my face.

"Yes you are. Or maybe it is because you're sure now that you will live with us forever," he said, shrugging his shoulders. He stepped back and moved towards a door. The bathroom.

Or maybe because they let us in after we chose Father over them.

Or they saved us. They could've easily refused to help or to even contact us.

'They didn't pick up your calls when Mom was dying.'

My hands clenched into fists and I clenched my eyes shut.

This voice speaks out of nowhere.

"Do you mind if I go to the kitchen to grab the ice pack? I'll be back in a moment," he said, coming back out of his bathroom with a small towel in his hand.

I shrugged and he smiled, before making his way towards the door.

I sat there for a while kicking the desk lightly with my feet and tracing patterns on the table.

I perked up when I heard footsteps outside. My head raised and I looked at the door cautiously as the footsteps neared.

They stopped just outside the door and stayed still for about two minutes.

A knock sounded through the room, before the door started opening slowly.

I stared at the door as it opened wider to reveal the uninvited guest.

"Get out," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I'm sorry," Damien said, leaning sideways against the doorway with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his black sweats and his gaze casted downward.

"I don't care," I stated, looking at the paperweight on Asher's desk curiously.

They're pretty. I was sitting on the desk chair, with my right ankle resting on the left knee and my elbows on the arms of the chair.

I extended my hand and slid my finger on the smooth surface.

"Elijah Verlice! Don't tell me you bought another one for your paperweight collection!" Mom said, narrowing her eyes with her hands on her hips.

"Don't be so mad, wifey. Look! They're so pretty. My little heart likes it. Right, Amira?" He nudged me for support.

"Your little heart likes everything you do," Mom stated, as Rose nodded her head in agreement. She's always on Mom's team. Two 'we like to stay away from trouble' people.

"Well, that's why I love my little heart." Dad placed a big loud kiss on my cheek.

"Ew!" I said, wiping the saliva, he left intentionally, on his shirt. "Stop doing this, Dad."

"So what else should I do?" He asked, grabbing me by my shoulders and pulling me to sit on his lap. "This?"

He grabbed my hands with one, throwing me into a fit of laughter, before rubbing his beardy cheek on mine, making me laugh uncontrollably.

"It hurts!" I said, still laughing. It stung but it was still tickly.

"Oh, does it?" Dad laughed before leaning back and tickling me. "Now you will face the wrath of King Elijah Verlice."

I giggled uncontrollably while he laughed.

Mom and Rose smiled at the commotion and chuckled when I would try to push him away and fall off of his lap. He always caught me from falling.

"Bunny?"

I blinked.

"Hm?" I asked, lifting my gaze from the paperweight to find Asher leaning forward against the desk, looking at me closely.

"Dex has been giving an apology speech for about four minutes," he said, pointing at a still sorry looking Damien.

"He's not forgiven," I stated coldly, before fixing my gaze on the ice pack that laid on the table. "I don't really believe in second chances."

"Just know I'm sorry," Damien said, before he stood up straight again and left.

Asher looked at him leaving and turned to me again.

"Can I help with something?" He asked, nodding his head towards the door.

I shook my head. How could he help?

"Okay." He sighed, before picking up the towel and wrapping it around the ice pack. "Show me the bruise."

I looked down and unbuttoned the first button of my shirt, revealing the purplish skin.

Asher frowned and shook his head.

"Don't let Lucian see this. Dex is going to lose his life."

"How are you sure I won't intentionally show him how bad it is?" I asked, in a clipped tone. "You know? For the sake of revenge."

Asher smiled.

"It takes a big heart to take care of someone like you do for Rose. You have a good heart," he said, before coming closer to me. I tensed up.

Asher stopped his movements and extended his hand towards me.

"You can do it yourself." he said, hesitantly. "Just place it over your bruise."

Glad he cared about the distance.

'He's just disgusted. That's all.'

I took the ice pack wrapped in the towel from him and placed it over my chest. Goosebumps erupted all over when the cold touched my comparatively warm body.

I sat there for a moment before standing up.

"If this is all I have to do, I can do it while being close to Rose," I said, looking at him. "Thank you."

That thanks came out without my will.

Asher's smile brightened as he moved his hand forward towards my head, before he stopped and quickly retreated his hand.

"Pretend I ruffled your hair." he said, lowering his hand back to his side.

I just nodded and walked out of his room. He followed me to my room.

"You okay, love?" Josiah asked when I entered the room. Rose was sitting up, while he sat on a chair; a fair distance away from her.

"What's that?" Rose asked. Josiah's gaze fell to my chest where the ice pack was, just below my throat and a frown appeared on his face.

"Okay, babies. Time for bed!" Asher sang, giving him a look.

"Rose didn't want to sleep before Bunny came back," Josiah informed, standing up. "Goodnight, babies."

"Goodnight," Rose muttered, while I nodded in response.

She should've slept. She's still weak. A frown covered my face as I moved forward to help her lay down.

"Do you need something?" I asked. She shook her head.

I kept the ice pack on the bruise until Asher and Josiah left before placing it on the nightstand and turning to lay on my side.

"Lucian gave me two options," I began, watching her turn to me, curiously.

"He didn't know about the bruise and told me how we needed a proof of abuse or neglect to legally get out of his care. So I told him about this." I pointed at the bruise.

"He said sorry and that we could report it tomorrow when Claire arrives or we could give them another chance and live here for three weeks. If we still want to leave, no one will insist otherwise." I said, watching her reaction go from sad to surprised as I finished speaking.

"What should we do?" She asked, looking at me, waiting for the decision as always.

My gaze dropped to stare at the covers.

"I can't. You tell me," I said.

"Why?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. She understood what was going on inside my mind.

"I can't. I don't know what to do," I muttered, before laying on my back and staring at the ceiling.

"That hasn't happened before," Rose said, softly.

"That failure broke every last bit of self-confidence I had, Rose. I don't trust myself anymore," I mumbled.

"One decision?" She asked. "You're not that easy to break, Levi. You can't just lose trust in yourself."

"But I did. Everything that is happening is different. I don't have any power or way to keep you safe and fight against these people."

"Lucian saved us," she mumbled. I turned my head to the side to look at her. "I mean, you want my opinion, right?"

I nodded, turning to lay on my side again.

"I think, everyone deserves a second chance," she said, softly. "It's up to you really. They saved us when they could've easily turned their back to us. I think we could pay them back by giving them this chance."

I bit the inside of my cheek and thought for a second.

"Okay," I said.

"Josiah is really nice," she said, her eyes now closed. "I didn't talk to him. But he kept talking to help me pass time, till you came."

I hummed in response, a smile of my own appearing on my face when she smiled sleepily.

"What took you so long?" She asked.

"Nothing. Just Lucian being Lucian and scaring me out of my mind," I said, snorting. "I will show him someday when I'm no longer terrified of him."

Rose opened her eyes to look at me and smiled. Something was going on in her head. I could see it.

"What?" I asked, making her shake her head and shift a little to make herself comfortable.

"I miss Mom and Dad," she said, after some minutes of silence.

"I miss them too," I said, taking a deep shaky breath to calm myself before tears started forming in my eyes.

More than anything.

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I'll post another chapter in a while.

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