Chapter 1
My eyes snap open on their own accord. I sit up against my headboard and place a hand over my chest, as I desperately try to calm my racing heart. I furiously look around the pitch black room for any kinds of danger but find none.
The sound of my door, practically being ripped open, makes me shift my gaze to it. Zach, my little brother by one year, stands by the doorframe, a concerned look on his face.
"Are you okay, Aves?" His voice sounds sleepy. His appearance telling me just that, dark, tousled hair and dropy eyes.
Guilt washes over me and I look down. The white sheet on my matresssunddenly becoming the most interesting to look at. Is that a rose next to the butterfly?
"I'm sorry I woke you up." I barely whisper. I wipe my cheek as the salty taste of a tear lands on my bottom lip.
Shaking his head, he keeps the door open, letting the dim light of the hallway shine into the room. Zach walks further into my room, taking a seat at the edge of my bed, leaving the mattress sink under his weight and opens his arms wide, inviting me in for one of his hugs.
He wraps me up in his arms and I rest my head against his hard shoulder, desperately trying to swallow the golf ball sized lump in my throat. I breath in his familiar scent, calming down a little. At least I know he's still here.
"Was it one of the nightmares?" He asks hesitantly, after a while of complete silence. I nod against him, unable to form a word. It'll either be no sound coming out of my mouth at all or a sound that resembles a dying wale trying to speak.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I shake my head.
There's nothing new to say. He and all my brothers know what the nightmares are about.
They might not be the same all the time but they are about the same event; the night mom got murdered.
Even six years later, I still get them, maybe not as regularly, thanks to my therapist, but she said it was normal.
I would never be able to get rid of them completely, no matter how much I want to, but you can't get everything you heart desires, can you? At least I got to stopy therapy sessions. She said I made progress and that my mental state got steady. I call bullcrap. Sometimes.
"Sleep with me?" I sleepily ask once I've calmed down and he nods before pulling away.
I lay in the middle of my king sized bed. Zach grabs the covers-I just now notice are laying on the floor-and motions for me to scoot over. Once I do, he grabs the fluffiest pillow-which happens to be the one I'm having my head on-earning a scowl from me and makes himself comfortable.
With my pillow.
Soon enough, his soft snores fill the room. I sigh and shakily turn my back to him, trying to get some sleep myself.
.......
An annoyingly loud alarm goes off, waking me up but I stay under the covers, knowing that my brother will probably turn it off, but when a good minute pass, with the annoying sound still going off, I turn to my side only to find the other side of the bed empty.
Sighing loudly, I get out of bed and let the cold air, outside my warm covers hit the exposed skin on my legs and arms.
My eyes widen as I realize that today's the last first day of school and I rush into the bathroom, in need of a good shower to wake me up. That and it was in my bucket list to enter my last first day of high school with freshly washed hair.
When I'm out of the shower, I walk into my closet and am left disappointed when I notice that the only pants available for me to wear is a pair if skinny jeans, that are the definition of skinny.
Sure enough, they cling on me like a second skin. Yeah, I don't think my brothers will let me wear this.
If the pants were light khaki coloured, I'm pretty sure that it would look like I don't wear any.
The golden seamline in the middle, parts my booty cheeks and it looks more like a pair of jean coloured spandex tighs than jeans.
And don't get me started on my tighs. You can see the movement of my muscles and flesh with each step I take.
Throwing on one of Tristan's stolen sweatshirts, I skip downstairs with dread on my face. They're all going to throw a tantrum when they see what I'm wearing.
Sighing in defeat, I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. My eyebrows raise in surprise when the only people I see are my three younger siblings. All of them sit by the kitchen island, eating cereal in complete silence. Distant looks in their eyes.
I mentally thank God for saving me like this. If my older brothers would be here, I would probably be changing clothes right now. Clothes if their choice.
"Where's the others?" I question, as I make myself a bowl of cereal by the counter across from them. "Work." Zach answers, not once taking his eyes off the wall behind my head.
This is starting to creep me out.
I give him a hesitant nod, which he probably didn't even notice, and walk over to the wooden table by the window. With my ear buds in my ear, the music on the loudest and a book on my phone in front of me, I eat my cinnamon toast crunch, cutting the rest of the world around me out.
That doesn't work in my favor though, because I nearly have a heart attack when big arms wrap themselves around my shoulders, pulling my back against a stone-hard chest.
"Excited for the first day?" Hunter pulls one earbud out of my ear and leans his head against my shoulder. His dark green eyes-that match mine-stare at me expectantly.
"Stop creeping up on me like that you creep!
" I slap his arms off, making him chuckle.
"And I don't know if I should be excited or not.
And you need a hair cut. " I mumble the last part, earning chuckles from Xavier and Tristan-two of my three older brothers-and unfortunately, Aiden, their best friend, aka the person who annoys me more than life itself. Sometimes.
I've known the guy all my life and I even considered him a friend at one point.
But that 'friendship' has turned into more of love-hate relationship-where the 'hate' overpowers the 'love'-over the past five, something years.
He's just gotten worst the past one. Always throwing his smart remarks and always having his own opinion-which most of the time is negative-on things I want to do or wear.
He is the defenition of tall, dark and handsom-I won't even go there. Aiden annoys the poop out of me. He is almost as overprotective of me as my brothers are, and since-
Hunter's dissapointed voice cuts my internal Aiden-rant off.
"I thought you liked my hair cut." He puts his button lip. It's kind of weird seeing a twenty-two year old man, that always has a blank face towards everyone, doing that but that doesn't make it any less adorable.
"I didn't say that, but your hair has grown way too much." I grip a fistful of his chastenut hair and give him a small smile in which he returns.
"If you say so." He shrugs and takes a seat next to me, draping his arm around my shoulder as I continue to eat.
"Don't you have to pick Summer up?" Aiden says, all of a sudden, his perfectly shaped, dark eyebrows scrunched up together.
My eyes roam his well sculpted face. High cheekbones, jawline as sharp a a knife.
Perfectly sized nose, that's slightly crooked, I think he broke it a few months back, and among looking lips.
His dark hair is swiped off to the side and back, leaving his amazing tattoos, on the side of his head exposed.
Defenetly the definition of tall, dark and handsome.
"Yes, I do what's it to you?" I reply, dryly, shooting him a glare.
"No need to be so damn-"
"Can the two of you please have a civil conversation?
" Xavier looks bored between us but we continue our glare competition.
"And, Aves, Aiden's right you need to get going, the others already left.
" He nods towards the kitchen island. I turn my head and sure enough, the only one there is Ashton, who's riding with me.
"Yeah, fine." I roll my eyes and kiss Hunter's cheek before standing up, totally forgetting what I'm wearing.
"What kind of fucking pants are these?" Xavier's voice snaps. I can feel all of their eyes staring holes in the back of my head. I make eye contact with Ashton who smriks at me.
Crap.
"Is that my lost sweatshirt?" Tristan sounds shocked.
Double crap.
"Uhm, these are called jeans and I don't know what sweatshirt you're talking about. I bought this a few weeks ago." I turn around slowly, giving them an innocent smile.
All of them glare at me, jaws clenched. Even Aiden. See this is one of the reasons as to why this guy irritates me so much, how is it any of his buisne-
"You're changing out of these pants. Now." Xavier speaks with finality in his deep voice.
I sigh, "I don't have any other pants to wear. They're in the laundry." Without a word, he points at the chair I was sitting on as he stands up walking out of the kitchen. I sink back in the chair, all three pairs of eyes glaring at me.
"Here." Xavier hands me a pair of grey sweatpants, which I assume are Ashton's, considering he's more my size than any of my other brothers who are all at least 6'2, they might be even taller.
"Why are you giving her my sweats!?" He exclaims from behind me, taking the unwanted glares away from me.
"I mean yeah, she can have them." He mumbles. I grab the pants from Xav's hand and walk into the restroom in the hall, quickly changing into them after I see the time. I need to hurry.
Having, my skinny jeans in hand-for probably the last time-I walk out and hand them to Xav, before biding all of them goodbye and walking out the door with Ashton behind me.
We enter my car, a white Range Rover-that I still have no idea how we have money for and I speed off.
Ten minutes and a lot of Ashton's terrible rapping in the background, my redhead best friend gets in the backseat.
"Hi!" She smiles happily, giving Ashton's cheek a pinch.
"Hey," I smile at her through the rear view mirror.
Summer Smith. My child hood best friend and probably the only friend I have. Basically a sister to my brothers and Aiden.
Long story short;Her mom, Withley, is Aiden's godmother, his and my mom's best friend and basically my motherly figure since my mother died.
"Are you excited for Freshman year, kiddo?" She asks Ashton.
"No," he scoffs, "nothing changed since you last asked me which was last night." He reminds her.
"Whatever," she mumbles before turning her attention to me. "Are you excited for the last first day of high school?" She smiles widely.
"Yes, and like he said nothing changed since you last asked me which was last night." I playfully roll my eyes at her.
"It's not my problem that I'm the most talkative person in this car."
"I am actually singing, so it's kind of obvious that I don't talk, don't you think?" Ashton asks her rhetorically.
"Well, you sing horribly for your information." She shrugs.
"Why do you still keep her around?" Ashton looks at me pleadingly. Summer gasps and holds a manicured hand on her chest, right over her heart.
"Enough, we're here." I park the car and get out, the other follow suit. I look amusedly at Ashton who's looking around with an unreadable expression.
High school kids stand everywhere, either alone or with their friends. Poor freshamns, they look scared.
"I'm off," and he's gone before we get a chance to reply.
"Babe!" Jason shouts. Thank god, Ashton left.
Neither he or my brothers, or Aiden, know about him and I would like to keep it that way, but considering me and Jason have dated for a year, he wants to spend time with me, outside school, public places and his house.
He wants to meet my family; my brothers.
Little does he know that if he places a foot close to my house or me, he'll probably get beaten up, or killed or escorted by our guards. Yes, we have bodyguards. 'Extra protection when we're not home' Xavier's words.
"Hi," I smile gently, he pecks my lips. "Hey, Aves." Asher, Summer's boyfriend greets me. They don't know she has a boyfriend either. For the same reasons.
"Hi," I nod.
"What are you wearing?" He looks me up and down. The others do too. "Ashton's pants." I roll my eyes, they all chuckle at me.
"I want to see you wearing my clothes." He whines playfully, scrunching his light brown eyebrows up in the middle.
I smile gently, looking him up and down. Blue jeans and blue sweater that matches his blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. You wouldn't think he's a receiver in the football team.
"You're wearing jeans." I swat his shoulder playfully. He does not look like a receiver from schools football team that's for sure. I thought he played lacrosse the first time I saw him.
I meet eyes with Summer. She looks between us with a tight smile. She was never fond of Jason but when she and Asher got together, she started to somehow accepting him. Thanks Asher for being his best friend.
"And they're comfortable." He shrugs just as the bell rings. The conversation about me wearing Jason's clothes, luckily comes to and end, and the guys lead us inside the school building.
Jason tries holding my hand, but I let go of his as soon as we touch, not wanting to risk getting caught by one of my brothers.
The rest of the day goes by like that. Me trying to get as far away from Jason as I can get, who's getting more than touchy. This dude just doesn't get that I can't tell them about him. He doesn't seem to love his pretty face that's for sure.
He even got mad at me at lunch for not sitting by his table with him, which was the same table Zach was sitting on. He's the quarterback. One of school's biggest players.
It runs in the family.
Back to Jason, he said he understood when I gave him the milionth explanation but he's still trying to convince me to tell my brothers right about now.
"You just don't understand." I groan.
"Aves, I just want to meet them, we've been dating for almost a year now." I get the double meaning behind his words but I don't let my uneasiness show.
"I'll think about it." I finally sigh. A wide grin stretches his face. "Thank you, babe, I gotta go now. Love you!"He calls behind him as he walks away, probably going to the football field."Love you too." I mumble.
"Fucking finally! What were you two discussing about for-" Summer looks at her clock-"twelve minutes?" She gaps at me.
I turn the car on and drive out of schools parking lot. "He wants to meet the guys."
She nods her head knowingly. "Yeah," I sigh. I do a lot of that lately. "Wait Ashton!" She gasps.
"He's coming back with Zach, wanted to try out for the lacrosse team." I explain, my eyes fixed on the road ahead.
We sit in comfortable silence until she speaks again. "I've got an amazing idea!" She exclaims. I turn to her for a second. She looks deep in thought but the smile on her face tells me what I already know. I probably won't like this.
"Let's throw a party!"
"Yeah! And then get high and go skydiving in California!" I match her excited tone, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Summer's always been the... extreme type of person.
That'll show on her clothes, hair pretty much her whole personality and I am not the least surprised that suggested to throw a party for our birthdays.
She's just a few days older than me, and she suggested the same thing when we turned sixteen.
The girl wanted a party with the whole school invited.
And surprise, surprise. The guys didn't let us.
"Avery, I'm serious." She deadpans. I pull up in front of the gate surrounding my house and lower my window when Danny knocks on it.
He's our head bodyguard. Has worked for my parents since Xavier was born and now works for my brother.
"Hi, Danny." I smile.
"Hello, Avery do you want me to open the garage for you?" He uses my full name. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. I always park outside. He seems to understand my confusion explains.
"Aiden parked in your space." He nods toward where I usually park my car. I follow his gaze and my eyes land on the black lamborghini belonging to none other than him.
Annoying butthole.
I roll my eyes and nod for him to do so. Parking inside, Summer stops me from getting out.
"We should tell them now." She smiles. "So you were serious?" I dread for hear answer. "Yes! Come on Aves, we're turning eighteen. I think they'll let us." She shrugs.
.....
Annoyance bubbles inside me when I see Aiden sitting next to Xav. He whispers something harshly, his well defined jaw clenching when he does so.
Xav gives him a nod before they both turn to look at us, standing by the doorway of the kitchen, waiting for them to finish.
"Hey, Summer." Xavier smiles opening his arms wide for her. She hugs him, then Aiden and stands back beside me when she's done.
"So, we wanted to talk to you guys about something." She smiles brightly, twirling a strand of her red hair around her finger. A sign that she's nervous.
"Yeah?" Aiden speaks up. I roll my eyes.
"Actually, why don't you tell them, Aves?" She gives me a push and hides half her body behind me. As much as she can at least, being a good inch taller than me and all.
My eyes meet Aiden's green ones. It always feels as if he's looking right through my soul whenever we make eyecontact. It makes me uncomfortable. No one's need to know what's going on inside me. I avert my eyes to Xavier's.
"We wanted to talk to you about a party." I say slowly. Their expressions remain blank.
"Let me guess, for your eighteenth birthday?" Tristans bored voice sounds from behind us.
"Yeah." We confirm in unison, nodding our heads.
"No."