Stephen
M y finger floats above the call button`.
It’s stupid. I know I need to call Ava and let her know what happened to Vanessa but I can’t seem to get myself to do it. I also know the first thing I should have done was call Vanessa’s grandfather. But after what she let slip earlier about being cut off, it’s not too much to assume they aren’t on good terms. I swipe through my message thread with Ryder and consider it for a second before tossing my phone on the couch.
Jealousy courses through me and after feeling this way for the last few years, it’s become a familiar thing. I know… rationally I know, they’re just friends but I can’t seem to get past the initial thoughts I had when I first saw her in Ryder’s arms at that police station five years ago.
It took one call from my sister, Ava for me to finally make the call to security and admit to myself I fucked up. Dad had always stressed that we needed security detail on us 24/7. I had argued that we would never live a normal life if we did but now I wish I listened. That I didn’t give in to my innate need to argue with him over everything. This was the one thing, most likely the only thing we agreed on, that my sisters’ safety is a priority. Now my sister and her best friend have been assaulted at a party and sitting in jail.
It takes another twenty minutes for our security team to assemble a small caravan and to send out another team to watch over my other sister, Reese who was at a sleepover. Then we were finally on our way.
This was it. The night that changes everything. I could feel it. We had lived most of our lives in the shadows of our famous parents but there was no way something like this was going to stay hidden. Not in the age of social media and cell phones.
Even knowing that, nothing prepared me for the sight of my sister running to me. I take a step forward to meet her halfway but then the sight of a familiar face behind her stops me.
Is that?
It can’t be.
But then the girl groans in her sleep, her head nuzzling the guy holding her. An unfamiliar feeling of jealousy rises in me before I tamp it down in time to catch my sobbing sister in my arms. I force myself to look down at my sister and the sight of the visible bruising on her neck reignites the anger.
I shoot her boyfriend, Jesse a glare. Hoping he knows we will have a conversation later. I would like to know where the fuck he was when this happened to Ava and why he didn’t protect my sister… or Vanessa.
Our lawyer, Mr. Figgs approaches us and gives me a breakdown of what happened.
I nearly lose it when I find out that the person who hurt my sister and her best friend was none other than Vanessa’s ex-boyfriend. I do my best to school my face into a neutral one eventhough every muscle in my body tightens in anger. The urge to pay off the cops outside and demand ten minutes alone with him in a jail cell is loud.
Then Mr. Figgs starts going on about NDA’s and a press release to get ahead of the media dumpster fire.
“Just get it done.” I cut him off when he gets to the part of reaching a settlement to avoid going to trial. The last thing I need is to hear more about Vanessa’s ex-boyfriend. They can handle all that themselves.
All I want is to bring Vanessa–my sister home where she’s safe and everything else can be figured out tomorrow. A point Ava argues with Mr. Figgs.
“And it will be Mr. Figgs. But it’s two in the morning. We’ve had a horrible night, followed by a long, grueling process here at the police station. Forgive me if I don’t want to subject my friends to more of that, or wake my friend who still needs to be seen by a doctor. Do I need to call my father?”
The lawyer blanches. “My apologies, Miss Torres. I will be at your home later today.”
I sigh in resignation, feeling everything shift around me. Knowing this might well be the last night we remain the faceless children of Lucas Torres.
“Just make sure everyone else has signed an NDA.” I bite out.
Nodding his head, Mr. Figgs all but flees the room.
I turn to my sister, “Ace?”
Ava’s calm mask slips and her bottom lip quivers. “I want to go home, .”
“Okay.”
I let my gaze wander back over to Vanessa.
Her makeup has begun to fade and I can see patches of where she obviously covered up some bruising and lacerations. Vanessa shivers in her seat. That’s when I notice she’s showing signs of inebriation and possibly also on really strong pain medication.
“Is she okay?”
Jesse shakes his head. “She’s pretty out of it.”
He exchanges looks with Ava and that’s when I realize they probably know more about her situation than they’re letting on. But then again, why would they say anything to me? They don’t know about the connection between Vanessa and I. As far as they know, I’m here strictly because I’m Ava’s older brother.
Ava grabs my hand, steering us all towards the door.
“Let’s talk about it at home. We need to get out of here before the press gets wind of this and we start fielding reporters. Dad will have an even bigger fit.”
Fuck. Right. Bigger picture.
“Right. We’re parked in the back. Cain sent a car. He wanted to limit the risk of anyone identifying my car or us getting followed.”
And that’s when I notice Ryder picking Vanessa up as they follow us out to the blacked out cars.
And as time went on, I caught on. Ryder was just a friend. One who had for a period of time carried a torch for my sister. I was pissed as hell after what happened even going as far as risking everything but eventually I relented. I wasn’t the protector for either one of them and solitude was a far better option for myself.