After a long car ride and long argument in the parking, I managed to convince Josiah that we didn't need him to walk us to classes anymore.

First, it was embarrassing being walked to classes like kids. Second, I disliked the attention we got when people saw us walking with the Mazzanti twins.

"Okay." Josiah sighed, when I wasn't backing down. I smiled victoriously and grabbed Rose's hand, who jerked awake and stood straighter, looking around cautiously. She was leaning against the car while we argued and her head started lolling one minute in.

"So, what did you decide?" She asked. A yawn followed her sentence.

"That Josiah is not walking us to classes anymore," I said, still having the same victorious smile on my face.

Josiah however looked doubtful. Like he was about to start the argument again.

So I moved forward and wrapped my arms around his middle. Getting on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek, I smiled as I lowered back down.

"Thanks, Josiah. You're so cool." I smiled up at him.

He blinked and looked down with a dropped jaw. He quickly closed his mouth and smiled.

"That I am." He kissed my head, before pulling a yawning Rose into the hug too.

"Take care of each other." He placed a kiss on her head too, to which she smiled and kissed his cheek.

I pulled away, with the smile still prominent on my face. The smile had appeared for a purpose and by my will but it wasn't leaving by my will. I couldn't make the smile disappear when I saw just how much love and admiration was swirling in my twin's eyes when she looked at the brother she was the closest to.

"Okay. Let's go," I said, grabbing Rose's hand and walking to the building beside Josiah.

Josiah tried to accompany us with the excuse that he had some work towards the side of the school where our first class was.

As happy that made me, I still pushed him towards his side, to which he gave me a rather adorable pout for a cool looking person.

A sudden pain in my lower abdomen caused me to halt in my step. Rose turned to me, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"You go to class. Bestie just knocked. I'll be back in a few," I said, hurriedly, kissing her cheek before running towards the restrooms.

"Okay. Tell me if she bothers you too much." That's what she mumbled before I rushed away.

A loud sigh of relief left my mouth when I realised I was granted more time before the torture started.

Washing my hands, I swung my bag over my shoulder and walked out, finding a rather deserted corridor.

'What if Rose is hurt?'

I halted in my step as panic washed over me. How could I leave her like that?

My speed rose considerably but I came to a sudden stop just when I was about to turn a corner.

"Missed me, baby?" A heavy voice was heard from the empty hallway.

"I did." A soft murmur was heard next. A sweet angelic voice, not as angelic as Rose's but close.

"Let me make up for yesterday then," The deep voice said. I rolled my eyes and walked further, making my appearance known.

But the couple was too focussed on each other to notice poor little me.

I tried to be as quiet as I could while passing them.

I could see the guy's back, as he leaned down to the girl's level, who had his Tee clenched in fists and on her tiptoes. His messy raven hair fell to the side as he had his head tilted.

Maybe I was too loud while passing by, because he jerked up suddenly and stood straight.

I froze and turned to see if that reaction was because of me.

It was indeed because of me when he turned around slowly. My breath got caught in my throat when our eyes met. My silver-gray ones clashed right with his brown ones. Dark brown; so dark, it almost matched the color of his hair.

Oh my. I swear if he wasn't taken.

Since he was turning in slow motion, he just turned his whole body around, showing the girl behind him.

That girl, however, did not look up. She focussed on her shoes, while her cheeks tainted red. Her head was bowed so low that her coffee colored curls fell from the sides of her head. Her hair was pretty. The curls were perfect.

My gaze shifted back to the brown, almost black again, only to find him looking me up and down.

"Sorry for interrupting although it was the perfect place where you could be interrupted," I said, making him snap his gaze back to meet mine.

"Sorry for ruining your innocent walk," He said, his deep voice vibrating off the walls. He moved his hand towards the girl and pulled her close by the back of her neck. Making a show of smothering her. Her wide blue eyes looked at the boy as she hesitated when he pulled her before.

He pulled away and looked at me with a smirk.

"Now that we've already ruined it, I thought I'd show off." He smiled at the girl, cheekily, who was flustered enough to not looking anyone in the eye.

"She sure is someone to show off." I mumbled. I wasn't being sarcastic, really. That girl was pretty and pretty is a big compliment in my opinion.

He heard me and raised an eyebrow while looking at the girl, before turning his head to face me again.

"But there was absolutely no reason to show off." I rolled my eyes. His other eyebrow accompanied the first and he looked a little surprised.

Before he could say anything though, the bell rang and the girl, finally having found an excuse, rushed away from there.

Something snapped inside me and I started moving too, speed walking towards where I was going.

I reached just in time and threw myself in the seat beside Rose's. She stifled a laugh at my exhausted state.

"So, did she bother you?" She asked, quietly, as the teacher entered.

I shook my head.

"Bestie was being cheeky and did a knock and run," I muttered, chuckling quietly when she let out a quiet giggle.

I kept doodling throughout classes, not like anyone cares. Half of the day was finally over and it was lunchtime.

The hallways were loud as everyone chatted and laughed with each other. Rose and I were just holding hands and trying to get out of this sea of people.

Finally, the cafeteria doors appeared and I pushed them open, letting Rose in first, before following her inside.

Something was different this time. Feeling a weird knot in my stomach, I looked around, locking eyes with my brother. Josiah smiled and the weird knot twisted and untied itself, sending immediate relief. Just one smile.

As I moved to the table, Rose and I sat at yesterday, I was still feeling creeped out. I looked around the cafeteria again.

Making direct eye contact with dark brown ones.

The head which the eyes were embedded into, was tilted to the side a little and a smirk rested on his lips.

I raised an eyebrow and tilted mine, which just made his smirk grow wider.

We broke eye contact when he looked away and to his side. The girl sitting beside him had said something, to which he chuckled, showing off his dimples.

This girl had red hair and green eyes. Less prettier than the one I saw with him earlier.

Is he cheating?

Just then my eyes fell on the girl sitting across him. The girl from before, laughing at something she said and slapping his arm jokingly.

Oh.

When his eyes met mine again, I pulled up my middle finger and gave him a deadpanned look.

He found it funny though, because he smirked and winked at me.

Jerk.

"What?" Rose asked from beside me. I looked at her to be met with a confused frown.

"Nothing." I said, digging into the food before she questioned me further.

The rest of the day was okay, with a few glances and smirks exchanged in the hallways. Nothing too big.

Rose decided to stay at the library after school and asked me to call her if I got permission for the picnic.

She decided on going to a park for the picnic.

We walked in to a silent house, so I assumed no one was home. Jayden and Josiah threw their bags on the couch and slumped in the living room, watching TV.

I put mine on the bottom step and walked to the kitchen instead. As I walked closer, I heard the chopping of veggies on the chopping board.

I pushed the doors open and nearly burst with joy when I saw Asher standing behind the counter in his home clothes.

He looked up when I entered and a big smile covered his own face when his eyes landed on me.

That smile alone caused me to feel warm and my small smile to turn into a big one.

"Hey, love. How was school?" He asked, wiping his hands on his apron.

"Tolerable," I answered, walking forward. He moved forward and rounded the counter quickly.

I stopped just before him, but he proceeded to wrap his arms around me for a warm hug.

"That's good to hear." He chuckled, before adding cheekily. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes," I whispered, burying my face in his chest, taking a long inhale of his cologne.

My face turned red when he cooed,

"Aww. I missed you too, Bunny."

He placed a kiss on my head and cradled me from side to side before slowly releasing his hold. Asher placed a kiss on my cheek then led me to the counter.

He started cooking, while humming to a song. I jumped on the counter, watching him and chuckling from time to time.

"Is Lucian home?" I asked, wondering if I wanted him to be home or not. If asking over the phone would be less scary.

"Yes. He's in his office. Why?" Asher asked, turning towards me questioningly.

"Rose and I wanted to go for a picnic today," I said, thinking about just letting the idea go. He won't say yes.

"Don't you have your appointment today?" Asher asked, knitting his eyebrows together.

"I have?" I asked. A sad frown covered my face. I really wanted to spend time with Rose today.

"Yes. But it won't be that long. Nico said forty minutes were enough." Asher smiled. "I'll drive you there straight after lunch, so you have enough time to go to that picnic."

My face brightened with the megawatt smile that appeared on my face. Extending my arms forwards, I made grabby hands for him. He chuckled and moved towards me, letting me wrap my arms around his shoulders and hug him tight.

"Now that's a 'thank you' I love with all my heart," Asher said, happily. Placing a kiss on my cheek, he pulled away.

"Now go tell Lucian," he said, picking me up and putting me down on the floor. "By the time you're back, Lunch will be ready." He booped my nose.

I stood there for a moment, feeling the fear and nervousness settle in.

I can do this. I just have to ask for permission.

"Okay," I said, nodding my head, more to myself.

Asher smiled reassuringly before moving back to work.

I, however, took my time trudging out of the kitchen. With every step I took, I felt the warmth given by Asher's presence fading away and the coldness settle.

Skipping the third step while climbing up, like I do always, I continued my journey sulking.

His office door appeared too soon. I looked down at my slightly distorted appearance, wondering if Lucian will mind me being in his range of vision, looking homeless.

I raised my fist and knocked, hoping he couldn't hear me. Alas! He did, like he always does.

A rather soft yet emotionless 'come in' was heard. Now that was unusual. There was nothing cold in it.

I opened the door and poked my head in. Lucian wasn't surprised to see it was me, like he had expected me.

I cleared my throat and pushed the door open. Walking in, I moved to stand in the middle of his office, while he stared at me, showing no emotion.

"Good afternoon, Bunny," he greeted, once my fidgety self found the middle of his office. "How was school?"

"Good afternoon, Lucian. It was good," I answered, looking at his nose.

"Have a seat," he said, pointing to the chair across his desk. The middle one.

"No. It won't take long. I just came to ask if Rose and I could hang out at the park later. Like just us two. None of the brothers," I said, hesitantly. Something inside me saw a big no being thrown at me when he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Have a seat first," he said, in a tone which seemed more like an order than his previous one. Before, he said it like a request.

I cleared my throat and walked to the chair. After I was comfortable, I looked up then looked back down when I saw he was watching me closely.

"Don't you have your appointment today?" He asked, his gaze not moving from me. I could feel it.

"It's a short session. Asher said he'll handle everything," I explained, picking at my fingernails and tapping my feet.

"Alright. Then I don't see why you can't go," he said, making me smile while still looking down. I didn't lift my head until I got the smile off my face.

"Okay. Thanks Lucian," I said, about to get up. But I had to stop when he clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"I'm not done yet," he stated. I almost pouted but thankfully didn't.

I looked at him, watching him look away from me, then look down then look back up at me.

I shifted in my seat, uncomfortably. He lifted his hand and a paper bag had magically appeared in it. Sliding it on the desk towards me, he did his best not to break eye contact.

"This is my formal apology. I'm sorry for forcing the name on you and pushing you away indirectly," he said, immediately taking my mind to Asher.

The last part was definitely said by Asher. Lucian wouldn't have said that so my guess is maybe he had to listen to Asher's lecture for a long time.

"Please accept this and forgive me for whatever I've done." A chuckle threatened to escape my throat at the formal tone he was using.

He might have noticed my 'too hard to keep straight' face, as I tried not to burst out laughing. Noticing this, his eyes narrowed a bit with a slight clenching of his jaw.

"Bunny," he muttered in a warning tone.

The expressions dropped immediately and I nodded my head.

"I appreciate your apology, Mr. Mazzanti. You're forgiven. Truly," I said, putting my hand on my heart at the end; For extra effect.

A glare came running to show on his face. Normally, I'd be trembling if he glared at me. But this was nothing compared to his other scary expressions. It was a playful glare, nothing serious.

He dropped the expressions after a moment and nodded his head towards the bag.

Right.

My movements were hesitant when I reached for it. Putting it on my lap, I peeked in.

A beautiful box sat in the bag. I reached into the bag and pulled it out, admiring the color of the box. Slowly raising it to put it on the desk, I reached out to open it cautiously.

I didn't want to damage it in any way with just how the packing was.

I undid the ribbon around it, that was tied into a bow and opened the box, my eyes twinkling when I saw the twinkling things in it.

There sat two pendants, with long silver chains attached to them.

That wasn't what made my eyes go wide and a lump to form in my throat.

It was the fact that they were initials. A.L.V and A.R.V.

I looked up slowly, doubting if I wanted to even look at Lucian right now.

Is it that easy to make up? Did he just make up for something as small as commanding us to use Father's last name with such an expensive item?

"This looks a little too expensive," I said, gulping when I saw a tornado of emotions swirling in his eyes.

"When you agreed to let me be your guardian for three weeks, you agreed to accept everything I buy for you." He stated, tilting his head to the side.

"This wasn't needed. I already told you that we forgive you." I shrugged, touching the V of my initials lightly with the tip of my index finger.

"But I'm still giving it to you," he said, snapping my gaze back to him. I let out a defeated sigh and nodded.

"Thank you," I said, staring into his eyes. This was probably the longest dive I was taking into those cold silver-gray eyes and definitely this wasn't about to be my last.

Because something told me this was a start.

A start towards the road of a proper brother-sister relationship that we needed. The bond that was to be formed. The frankness that needed to be there, instead of formality and fear.

"And thanks for apologizing," I said, not taking my eyes off his. My lips twitched, indicating a smile was on its way to ruin my emotionless facade.

His gaze lowered to look at my smile, causing us to break eye contact. I don't know if I was seeing things again, but his own lips twitched up. More than they've ever done but it still didn't reach the level of a smile.

"There's no need to thank me." He shrugged, his hand lifting up to rest on the back of his neck as he looked away.

My smile grew wider at the nervousness he must be feeling but wasn't showing one bit.

We sat in silence for a while, lost in our own thoughts, thinking about what all happened and how it all seemed to be improving, despite the disagreements here and there.

At least, I could see the hope of improvement.

His phone pinged, pulling both of our attention towards the device. He picked it up and read whatever text was sent to him with a frown. He looked up at me hesitantly before looking back down at the phone.

Lucian cleared his throat and turned to me.

"Lunch is ready," he said.

Nodding my head, I stood up slowly. I closed the box and put it back in the bag, treating it like delicate glass which could be broken by just a touch too harsh.

I clutched the bag close to my tummy, holding it with both hands and turned around.

I had just taken three steps when I was stopped.

"Bunny?"

"Yes?" I asked, turning around and looking at him questioningly.

"The shoelaces." He pointed his finger at my feet. I looked down and indeed they were hanging loose.

"Yeah," I said, awkwardly rubbing my foot on the back of my leg. "I'll just go take them off."

When I looked up, I was met with a pointed look. Now this wasn't anywhere near friendly.

It was all dark and scary. Scary old Lucian was back.

He shook his head and stood up. I looked down with a confused frown on my face, wondering what I was supposed to do.

I bit my lower lip and my eyes darted back and forth between my feet, trying to find an escape. My breathing hitched when Lucian's shoes came into view, directly before mine.

But his shoes were soon hidden behind his head, as he crouched down before me, tying it again.

'Pathetic.'

The bitch is back.

I clenched my jaw when I heard the voice. Doing my best on focussing on something else instead, to ignore the voice, I looked around trying to find something.

'You can't even tie your shoelaces. Pathetic.'

Lucian stood up. Since I was looking directly before me, his chest now blocked my vision.

I craned my neck to look up at him, only to lower my gaze just a little to settle on his nose.

"I got carried away, because I wanted to rush the apology part," he admitted, making me almost pass out. Why is he being like this today?

Probably a long lecture from Asher.

"What did I say about going out when I told you the rules?" He asked.

"To report to you before going out," I said, knitting my eyebrows. I did exactly that, didn't I?

"To report to any one of your brothers when you go out whether by text or by call or in person," he said, repeating what he said that day. "There's no need to get so worked up to ask for permission. You simply tell one of us and go."