Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
“Hello?” I put the phone to my ear, wondering why my mother is calling me and not just yelling out through the house like she normally would.
“Breakfast is almost ready, and you might want to warn Addison your heathen siblings are here.”
I groan. Addison and I spent last night watching crappy rom-coms and catching up. It really is like no time has even passed when I’m with her. The last thing I want to do is expose her to my siblings, though.
“Tell Mabilia she has to be nice.”
“I have, but your sister is, well, she’s your father’s daughter.”
“Maybe I’ll just take a plate up to Addi.”
“And make her feel like she’s not part of this family? She has to meet everyone eventually. Might as well be now. You’ve got ten minutes to have your ass in the living room, Lex.”
The call cuts off. Great.
I message Addison as I make my way through the house to her room.
Me:
Mom wants you at breakfast.
Addison:
Okay.
Me:
I’m coming to get you.
Addison:
We’re in the same house, Lex.
Me:
I know, but I don’t want you to get lost.
Really, I just don’t want her running into any of my siblings without me by her side. It’s not that I don’t trust them. Addison just isn’t used to our kind of family.
I lift my hand to knock on her door when it opens. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I look her up and down. She’s wearing jeans and a baggy hoodie. A hoodie I recognize because it used to be mine a long time ago. “Nice hoodie,” I tell her.
“It’s my favorite,” she says.
“You ready for breakfast with my insane family?”
“Sure.”
“My siblings are here,” I warn as we make our way down the hall.
“Oh, okay.”
“Whatever they say to you, ignore them.”
“What are they likely to say?” she asks.
“Probably stories about me. Just don’t listen to them,” I tell her, because I know what my siblings think of me. I’m the family fuckup, the resident psychopath. The past year and a half hasn’t helped to paint me in a different light either.
When we walk into the dining room, my brother Neo is there. So is my sister Mabilia, without her husband Tommy, which is shocking because those two are usually joined at the hip.
I point to my brother. “That’s Neo.” And then I point to my sister. “And that’s Mabilia,” I explain while glaring at my siblings. “This is Addison. Keep your mouths shut and your thoughts to yourself,” I grunt as I pull out a chair for Addi.
My siblings give each other a look. Yeah, they’re not going to be keeping their mouths shut.
“Thank you,” Addison whispers to me.
I sit next to her and pick up a knife on the table. My hand clenches around it. I wouldn’t kill my siblings, but I’m more than prepared to stab them in a nonlethal part of the body.
“Hello! It’s nice to meet you finally. Lex has told me so much about you both,” Addison says to my sister and brother.
“Really? He’s told us nothing about you,” Mabilia hums.
“Because she’s none of your business,” I grumble.
“Enough. You’re fucking adults. Start acting like it,” Dad barks. “Addison is a part of this family. You two will treat her as such.” He points at Neo and Mabilia.
I smirk at them. They didn’t know how much my dad weirdly likes and accepts Addison.
“Papa, I’m always nice,” Mabilia says. “I was just stating a fact. Lex is selfish and keeps things to himself.”
“She’s a person, Mabilia. Not a thing,” my mother chastises.
“It’s nice to meet you, Addison. Welcome to the family.” Neo smiles, giving Addi that well-polished version of himself he’s being groomed to use.
“Thank you,” Addison says.
“So, how long have you two been together?” Mabilia asks.
“Oh, we’re not… We’re just friends,” Addison spits out quickly.
Mabilia frowns. “Lex doesn’t have friends.”
“That’s because he scares most people off with that grouchy look of his. But I don’t scare that easily. Or at least I didn’t when we met,” Addison says as she turns to me.
I give her a soft smile. I hate that she has so much fear now. Although I’m fucking relieved she’s not scared of me.
“Does Lex know you’re just friends?” Neo asks.
“Fuck off,” I tell him.
“Just saying. I’ve never seen you look at anyone like that.” He points at my face. “Usually, your eyes are as dead as your soul, little brother. Right now, they have life in them.”
“I’m going to need my flamethrower back,” Mabilia adds.
“You gave him that?” Mom hisses. “He got kicked out of school because of that flamethrower, Mabilia.”
“Actually, he got kicked out of school for slicing some kid’s throat and throwing him out the window,” Neo clarifies.
Addison goes still next to me.
“I didn’t give it to him. He broke into my house and stole it,” Mabilia tells Mom.
“It’s not breaking in if you have a key, and both of you would have done the same.” I point at Mabilia and add, “Or worse.”
“What he do?” My sister turns to me.
“Looked at me the wrong way,” I grunt.
“Your mother and I are taking a trip to Australia to see Zoe. You two are coming.” Dad gestures to me and Addi.
“Oh, I can’t go to Australia, Mister… Mikhail,” Addison says.
My siblings gasp, and I smirk at them again.
“Why can’t you come, Addison?” Dad asks.
“I… ah… I don’t have a passport.”
“I’ll sort it out. Any other objections?” He quirks a brow at her.
“Um…” She looks to me for help.
“No objections. We’re coming,” I say. “It’ll be fun.”