18. Lauren
Lauren
T he first thing I do when I wake up is head straight to the window. The view from my room overlooks the ocean, stretching out into a small beach that looks like it belongs exclusively to the Walkers. I open the balcony doors, letting the crisp morning air rush in. The cold stings my face for a moment, but the sun is just beginning to rise over the sea, casting a warm glow that softens everything. It’s a sight I can’t miss—one of those moments where the world feels still and perfect. No matter where I am, it seems like the Walkers are always surrounded by sunrises or sunsets, like they’re woven into the very fabric of their lives.
I grab a cream-colored sweater from the chair and pull it on, wrapping myself in its softness as I step onto the balcony. The waves break gently along the shore, seagulls circle in the air, searching for breakfast, and the salty wind brushes against my skin. I take a deep breath, soaking it all in. This feels like a moment I need to remember—one I’ll hold onto when I’m back in my tiny space, trying to heat up a frozen dinner and dreaming of places like this. I won’t always have this view at Christmas, though I wish I could share it with my sister and parents. Maybe, one day, I’ll have enough to give them a view like this. But for now, I just stand here, letting the beauty of the morning sink into my bones.
“Hey!” I hear Silas call from below.
I lean over the balcony to see him standing on the deck, holding up two cups with a grin. He nods toward the outdoor chairs. “Come have breakfast!”
I smile, pulling the sweater tighter around me as I make my way down. Yesterday had been exhausting, spending most of it deflecting his mother’s endless questions. I had to repeatedly explain that Silas and I weren’t together, which only led to more prying,
“Are you single, then? What do your parents do? Why didn’t you visit them for the holidays?”
Fun times.
Silas hands me a cup as I sit beside him on the deck, crossing my legs and settling into the chair. “Freshly brewed coffee,” he says with a wink, sinking into his own seat.
I wrap my hands around the warm mug and take a sip, the heat cutting through the morning chill. Silas is wearing a black-colored sweater, though he has a turtleneck, paired with moss-green pants that fit him perfectly. He’s always had a way of looking effortlessly put together and elegant, but never flashy. His brothers, on the other hand, couldn’t be more different. Luca always dresses in black, even back in school. Now that he lives in Miami, I have no idea how he manages to stick to that color. Oliver showed up yesterday in jeans and a fitted white shirt, and Killian immediately started teasing him, saying he looked like a cowboy. Funny, since Killian wasn’t dressed all that differently.
The Walker brothers have a peculiar dynamic—equal parts brotherhood and rivalry. When they’re together, it’s like watching strangers at a poker table, each one hiding their cards and trying to outwit the other.
“Thanks,” I say, taking another sip of the coffee. The warmth spreads through me, easing the cold that’s biting at my skin.
“Did you sleep well?” Silas asks, his gaze fixed on the sea.
I glance over at him, studying the slight puffiness under his eyes, the dark circles that seem more prominent this morning. He looks like he hasn’t rested much at all. “Better than you, I bet,” I joke lightly.
He rubs the back of his neck, wincing. “That chair might be expensive, but it’s definitely not made for sleeping all night.”
“Chair?” I raise an eyebrow, setting my cup on my lap. “I thought you were sharing a room with your brothers.”
He scoffs. “Pfff, they all slammed the door in my face. I ended up on the living room couch.”
I frown, guilt washing over me. “Silas” I scold softly. “Why didn’t you come to the room?”
His sky-blue eyes meet mine, a flicker of something playful in them before he hides behind his coffee cup. “Didn’t want to intrude. My mom’s already doing that for me.” He laughs, and I can’t help but join in.
Our laughter fades into a comfortable silence, the sound of the waves filling the space between us.
“I’m ready to ask you some questions.”