My hand hung in mid-air by imaginary harnesses as I stared at the scary door. Rose watched me silently as I contemplated whether it was a good idea to run away or not.

I finally gathered up the courage to knock.

He knows something. I'll just say it was parents' death. Rose believed that. He will too.

"Come in." Lucian's voice was heard, already making my hands turn cold.

I entered first, followed by Rose. Lucian raised an eyebrow when Rose entered.

"She's staying during the conversation," I said, before he could start with his bossy self.

"Since you get the courage to mouth off from Rose, she's leaving if you're disrespectful even once," He warned, flicking his gaze between us two.

How could he accuse her to be the one that makes me talk like I do?

"Stop blaming her for something she doesn't do," I gritted. He raised an eyebrow.

"You just proved my point," He said, simply, before motioning for us to take our seat.

"I wanted to talk to you about this footage we found." He turned his laptop towards me. The footage from days ago when I saw Damien hurting Rose. "What were you seeing?"

"Nothing." I said, looking away. I squeezed Rose's hand in mine, while she rubbed the back of it with her thumb.

"That's not the right answer, Bunny," Lucian said, leaning back in his chair. "You're not leaving until you answer all of my questions properly and truthfully. And I have a lot."

"Why do I have to answer your questions?" I said, clenching my jaw. "If I say 'nothing', it's clear that I don't want to answer your question."

"Because I'm your guardian. That's the answer to your question," He said, crossing his legs and keeping his clasped hands on his knee.

"I don't want to tell you anything. I just agreed to stay here, not share anything with you," I muttered.

"Then you're sitting here until you want to," He stated simply, turning his laptop back around and starting his work.

"Just tell him, Levi," Rose whispered. "He's trying to help."

"You make your decisions, Rose. I made mine. I don't want to tell him," I said, looking away and making eye contact with Lucian.

"Okay," Rose whispered, before slumping down in her seat and looking around.

After two minutes of just staring at him, trying to creep him out and him totally ignoring my whole existence, I spoke up.

"How about you answer some questions in return?" I asked, making him glance at me, without turning his head.

Lucian thought for a moment, before turning to me fully, giving me his full attention.

"And what questions you might have?" He asked.

"Just normal stuff. Easy questions." I shrugged.

"Alright. Deal," He said, nodding his head slowly.

He stared at me for a long time, while I stared back.

"The answer?" He asked. Oh.

"What was the question again?" I asked. Rose stifled a laugh, making me look at her and smile.

He shook his head.

"What were you seeing?" He asked, amusement visible in his eyes.

Okay. My questions are way easier than these.

I pulled my hand out of Rose's and put both of them on her ears.

"Damien trying to kill Rose," I muttered, quietly, feeling the same dread and fear settle in the pit of my stomach.

He blinked.

"Did he scare you that much?" He asked.

I shrugged.

"He didn't scare me but it wasn't in my control," I said, pulling my hands away from her ears. He nodded looking at Rose then back at me.

"Who gave you the scars?" He asked, already raising an eyebrow. I frowned.

"What scars? I don't know what you're talking about," I muttered.

"Stop lying," He gritted. His expressions had turned hard as he gave me a warning look.

I looked down immediately. Gulping a little, I started picking at the hem of mh top.

"Who gave you the scars, Bunny?" The tone was sterner and scarier. But it had an opposite effect when a question struck my mind.

"How do you know I have scars?" I gritted, glaring at him. He shouldn't be snooping in my past like that.

"Your shirt lifted when I put you to bed last night and you turned to your side," He said simply, unfazed by the threat in my words. "Stop gritting your teeth."

I unclenched my jaw and looked at the desk.

"Lucas," I muttered, digging my nails in my arms.

'If you dare tell anyone, I'll go for Rose.'

I looked up and jumped when I saw that sadistic look on his face back in all its scary glory. His eyes had darkened considerably, his hands were balled into fists, a vein popped from his temple as he glared.

He was looking at me, so I came face to face with those expressions.

I looked down again and gulped.

"What did he do?" He asked. I glanced sideways at Rose, who was also looking away from his face now.

"You're dismissed, Rose. Bunny and I need to talk alone," He ordered. I released her hand immediately, more than happy with this order.

Rose got the hint, stood up and walked out.

"So?" He said, expecting an answer.

"Just..." I don't know how to phrase it.

"It's okay," He said. I looked up at him, surprised. "You don't have to answer this one. But I'll have Asher check your back. Or should I appoint another professional for it?"

"No. That's not needed. It doesn't need to be checked. It's not that bad," I muttered, picking at my nails.

"I didn't give that option, Honey. Either you get it checked by Asher or another professional," He said, raising an eyebrow, looking at me expectantly.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I can't handle some stranger.

"Asher will be fine," I gritted, clenching my hands into fists.

"Talk to me like that one more time and see where that gets you," He said, his voice dropping an octave and becoming scarier.

"Sorry," I muttered, before realizing what I said. My eyes widened a fraction as I got the sudden urge to slap myself.

"Apology accepted," Lucian said, in his monotone voice, as he looked at the pen he was twirling in his fingers.

"How close were you to Elijah Verlice?" He asked, his focus still on the pen. I hid the sudden downward twitch of my lips.

"Too close?" I said, not knowing how to answer this. I didn't measure it on a scale.

He stopped twirling the pen and looked at me.

"I mean, we were so close that he couldn't survive a day without me and Rose."

"What did you see yesterday?" He asked. I bit my lip and looked away.

"My family dying," I said, hoping he wouldn't hear that.

"How many hallucinations have you had?" He asked, looking at his phone, while saying that.

"Just two," I said.

"And did you zone out like you do before moving in?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"No," I frowned. I never got flashbacks or miss Dad as much as I do after Rose got hurt.

"I think we should contact a therapist," He said, trying to make it sound like he was suggesting, but it still came out as an order.

"No," I said, putting my head up. I won't agree to that.

"Why?" He asked, confused instead of being angry.

"Because I'm not ready," I said, simply. And I would never be. I can't go into any details or make a therapist mess with my mind more.

"Alright then. I'll wait till you're ready," He said. My eyes widened as my head lowered a bit. He agreed?

"Okay," I said, nodding my head slowly while staring at him.

"Enjoy your picnic, Bunny. You can go now," He said, just as we heard Josiah calling for me.

"But what about my questions?" I asked, standing up slowly.

Josiah was already fussing over why we had to talk before and waste time.

"Meet me here when you're back. Asher will check your back after that," He said, not taking his eyes off his phone.

I nodded and turned around to walk out.

"Rose!" I called sitting on the second step, with my feet in shoes, laces untied.

"Coming!" She said.

I bent down to tie them.

Step one: Take both sides in your hands.

Step two: Make two ovals.

Step three: Tie them together.

Easy peasy.

"Fuck this-" I muttered when at the end just one oval could be seen.

"You didn't do a simple knot before making the ovals."

I jumped and turned my head back to see Lucian leaning against the railing, with his arms crossed.

I just cursed!

He pushed himself off from his leaning position and walked to stand in front of me. He crouched down before me, taking a hold of my shoelaces.

He took about fifteen seconds to tie both of my shoelaces and looked at me.

"All done," He announced. I nodded and cleared my throat, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Lucian looked at me for a moment, with his usual emotionless face, before he stood up.

"I'm here," Rose said, as she came down the stairs, looking prettier than ever with the hairstyle she took so long to do. "Oh. It's done?"

She looked down at my shoes. I nodded and looked at Lucian before looking back at her. She understood and a smile appeared on her face.

"Ready to go?" Josiah asked. He adjusted the hood of his gray hoodie, that matched his eyes but contrasted with his black joggers. His trainers looked really cool and I'm in love.

"Yes," Rose said, softly.

Jayden appeared next, in everything similar to Josiah except his hoodie was black but shoes were white.

He had an ear piecing too, which now had a silver earring hanging from it and he had black shades sitting proudly on his nose.

"Have a good day, kids," Asher chimed as he appeared. He had a coffee cup in his hand and a 'getting ready for work' attire. He was wearing a white shirt, whose upper two buttons were not done, tucked into his navy blue pants.

We nodded and got ready to leave. Jayden and Josiah walked towards the door.

"Pretend I kissed your forehead." I turned around to face Asher.

"If I kiss your forehead, it means I'm blessing you with safety and protection," Dad said, placing a kiss on both our foreheads.

"If I kiss your cheeks, it means I'm transferring lots of love to my little hearts." Dad proceeded to kiss our cheeks.

"We're just going on a camp, Dad." I rolled my eyes but smiled at the kisses we were getting.

"And King Elijah Verlice is missing his little hearts already!" He said, in a heavy voice, before turning his head back and calling out. "Big heart, you coming to give some kisses or not?"

"Coming! Let me prepare the cookies. God! Elijah," Mom shouted from the kitchen making us giggle and Dad to act like he was scared.

"Bring some for me too!" Dad yelled.

"Cookies or kisses?" I asked. I yelped and hid behind Rose when Dad fake glared and moved his fingers to the side of my stomach.

"Amira!" Came a voice from the kitchen. I don't know how she heard me.

"Both preferably." Dad winked, before getting back to the topic.

"So where were we?" He asked, looking between me and Rose.

"Kisses on the cheek." We both chorused and acted like we were bored of his theatrics.

"Right. So if I kiss you all over your face, I'm transferring enough love and safety and affection and more love to last a hundred lifetimes. Maybe more," He said, proceeding to kiss me all over my face, intentionally placing loud sloppy kisses making it tickly yet disgusting.

"Ew!" I whined. He moved towards Rose but she rejected him by putting her hand on his face. Dad pouted and tried biting her hand.

"Are you denying the king from loving his daughter?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Mom will be mad if you don't have any kisses left for her," She said, like the sweet baby she is.

A warning in 1-

"Aurora Rose!" Mom yelled again. We giggled and Dad tried to copy our giggles.

"And if I send flying kisses, it means you're the most adorable little hearts that I was blessed with and I look at you with nothing but adoration," He said, pushing his lips out and making kissing noises.

"Love you too, Dad. We gotta go now," I said, kissing his cheek, while Rose kissed his other cheek. He wrapped his arms around our shoulders and smiled.

"I'm not done yet," He said, making me almost roll my eyes. With the help of his arms wrapped around our shoulders, he pulled us both into a tight hug.

"And if I hug you so tightly, it means you are my whole world." He kissed our heads and ruffled our hair with both hands, before pulling away reluctantly. "I'll miss you."

"Two days, Dad. The shortest camp we have," Rose informed.

He throws a tantrum every time we go on such camps or anywhere for that matter.

"Did you get everything?" He asked, nodding towards our bags. "Enough love and hugs. Should I fill them with flying kisses if they are not filled enough?"

"Yes Dad. We got everything." I smiled. He sent flying kisses towards me.

"Just because you're being adorable." He smiled cheekily.

Funny because he sent flying kisses every time he saw us.

"Huh?" I blinked, looking at Rose, a little lost.

"You were lost in your own thoughts," She said, a worried frown visible on her face.

"Right." I cleared my throat and turned towards the door.

Hearing Lucian say,

"We need to do something about this zoning out." I shut the door.

A black sports car was parked before the huge stairs that led to the driveway. Jayden climbed in the driver's seat, while Josiah got in the passenger's. Rose and I got in the backseat.

During the ride, I wanted nothing more than to throw Jayden out.

He was playing loud music and if it wasn't for my sister's life, I would've kicked him out. He was saved just because he was driving.

"Can you fucking turn it off?" I said, emphasizing the word.

He turned it down.

"Don't curse," Jayden said, looking at me with a warning look. He turned the music back up after 'scolding' me.

I scowled and pulled my middle finger, showing it to him in the rearview.

"Stop being my Dad or my stupid guardian," I muttered.

He turned the music down again.

"I'll tell Lucian you called him stupid," He said, smirking smugly.

"You won't," I gritted.

"Trust me, I will," He said back.

"You're such a snitch, Jayden," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I wish he scolds you in my presence, so I can enjoy you being terrified."

"I'm not scared," I muttered, waving him off.

"And I'm not a Mazzanti," He rolled his eyes.

"Well that's true. Mom picked you up from a trashcan," I said, hearing stifled laughter from the passenger's seat.

"If she found Jayden, doesn't that mean she found her twin too?" Rose asked, sweetly, genuinely confused.

This time the stifled laughter came from the driver's seat as Josiah slumped into his seat.

"Sorry, Josiah. I didn't mean for it to hurt you," I said, smiling smugly at Jayden.

"But, Rose..." I turned to my twin. "Why do you think Mom would pick up a dirty little garbage-eating alien that is currently our driver?"

"Why?" She asked, looking at me through big curious eyes.

"He looked like her kid. Exactly like Josiah," I said, clapping my hands together.

Josiah laughed out loud at that while Jayden scowled at no one.

"Stop talking," He gritted, turning the volume up again.

Everyone was silent after that and I like it that way better, despite my hate for this loud music.

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