Thicker than blood, p.1
Thicker Than Blood, page 1
Chapter 1
Audrina
“Audrina, could you please hurry up! I have a fucking date to get ready to!” Isaac shouted impatiently through the open window of his car.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” I replied just as loud as I ran through the schools parking lot, toward his car.
“About time...” He muttered just as I opened the passenger seat.
I rolled my eyes at his impatience. “I’m sorry, but Sarah really needed to talk to me right after school.”
“It’s cool, now that you’re finally here,” he teased, gaining a smack on his shoulder, before he started the car and raced out of the schools parking lot. I was used to his crazy speed, so I didn’t complain about it anymore. In his defense, he was a good driver.
“So, a date tonight, huh?” I asked, trying to sound casual, though I felt everything but.
“Yeah,” he smirked, nodding his head.
“Who’s the lucky girl for this weekend?” I continued to question him. Yes, this guy had a new girl every week. Talk about embracing the stereotype of a popular jock.
Glancing at him, I couldn’t stop myself from checking him out, albeit carefully, so he wouldn’t notice. Man, he was so effing hot! Isaac had pitch black hair that fell over his crystal blue eyes in a very sexy way. Yeah, I knew a lot of guys had that haircut now a day. I called it ordered chaos. Even though a few years had passed, but ever since Robert Pattinson showed up in “Twilight” as Edward Cullen, who could blame them for copying his hairstyle? It was so freaking sexy!
I didn’t even dare to think about his body. It contained not the six-pack, but the actual eight-pack, defined biceps, broad shoulders, and everything else that made my heart beat faster. I had a hard time preventing myself from drooling.
“Aw, come on! That’s not nice!” He said, feigning hurt.
“I don’t care if it’s nice or not, it’s still the truth,” I stated and he laughed.
“Well, I guess you do know me better than anyone. But if you must know, it’s Sienna.” Oh, of course, I should have guessed. It’s the most reasonable answer, I suppose, that the hottest guy in school decided to go out with one of the hottest girls in school.
“So, how long do you plan on keeping her?” I asked with a raised eyebrow, sarcasm dripping over my words.
“I don’t know… as long as I’m having a good time, I guess,” he winked at me before chuckling.
I rolled my eyes, meanwhile trying to pretend that the ache in my heart didn’t exist. “Whatever,” I mumbled as I turned my attention out the window, not wanting to look at him.
God, how I hated to know that he was with other girls, when all I wanted was to be with him myself. But I couldn’t say or do anything. No, that was impossible. All I could do was to sit in a corner and silently watch him with an unhealthy number of girls by his side, knowing I would never be one of them.
I felt him staring, probably noticing my mood, but I refused to meet his gaze and just kept on looking out the window. I felt someone poke my arm. Knowing it was him, I ignored it. The second poke made me glare at him, threatening ‘do that again, and...’. Isaac smiled innocently, pretending like he had done nothing. I rolled my eyes and once again turned toward the window. Not many seconds passed before I felt another poke. Only this time, his hand stayed on my waist as he started tickling me.
“Isaac, stop it!” I snapped, staring daggers at him, while trying to drain the butterflies that had arrived in my stomach.
Isaac smiled teasingly, his gaze shifting between me and the road. Just looking at his beautiful, smiling lips made my heart beat faster and my cheeks turn a shade darker. I quickly looked away. I mean, seriously, it was even better than Brad freaking Pitt’s oh.so-famous smile! Isaac had this cute, little dimple on his left cheek, which I always felt the surge to touch. I never had, of course. And probably never would... what am I saying?! Of course I would never be able, or aloud, to touch it!
“I’ll stop if you tell me why you’re in such a crappy mood,” he joked, though I could hear some concern lingering in his voice.
“I’m just tired, that’s all,” I shrugged, not tearing my gaze from the window.
“That’s not all.” He was clearly not giving up. Darn it, why did he have to know me so well?!
Thankfully, we reached the house at that moment and Isaac parked in the driveway. I quickly grabbed my purse and jumped out of the car. I thought I heard him sigh before I shut the door, but I wasn’t sure so I pretended not to hear it.
I quickly crossed the front yard, but before I entered the house, I couldn’t help but to stop and admire it. I had lived here for many years, but the beauty of it still mesmerized me. It was a picturesque house that had white walls, made out of wood, and a black, shiny roof. It was a two-story house with four bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, two living rooms, five bathrooms and a few other rooms. A white picket fence surrounded it, and emerald grass covered the garden. An apple tree grew proudly in the front yard, as well as mom’s very beloved rose bushes. A barbeque area and a pool, frequently used, occupied the back yard. We had lived here since I was only a few years old, and I loved our home from the bottom of my heart. I loved everything about it. The rooms, the colors of the walls, the smell.
Even the boy who lived here.
Hearing Isaac get out of the car, I woke from my thoughts and ran inside. “I’m home!” I yelled into the hallway.
“Hi sweetie!” Mom said as she entered the hallway, probably coming from the library. When she was home, she loved to sit in our library and read.
Looking at her, I could find so many similarities between us. We both had this wavy, pitch black hair. Then again, everyone in the family shared that trait. The exception was that my mom wore it in a bob, while my hair reached to my chest. We both also had big, emerald green eyes, a small nose and full lips. The only thing that told us apart was the fact that mom was tall, while I was rather short. But that’s where the dissimilarities ended. A lot of people mistook her for my older sister. That didn’t bother me since I knew mom loved the compliment. She’d only been 19 years old when she’d had me. And if it hadn’t been for the laugh lines, I would have believed it too. Now she was 36, but didn’t look a day over thirty. And yes, you guessed it, this makes me 17 years old.
“Hi mom!” I smiled and gave her a warm hug.
I didn’t bother asking where dad was. He never came home before six o’clock due to his work. He was an architect. A quite sought after one, I might add. This led to him having to travel quite a lot, since he received job offers all over the states. Mom usually went with him, whenever she was able to.
My mother was a doctor, and the job truly suited her. She was very kind and caring, but could also keep her cool and stay sharp during stressful circumstances. But you never knew when she was at work or home. Her schedule was quite screwed up that way.... well, according to me at least.
“Hey, don’t I get a hug as well?” Isaac asked as he entered hallway, feigning hurt.
Mom laughed. I stiffened. No way in hell was I going to be able to give him a hug. At least not without letting go! “I’ll be in my room,” I blurted out as mom walked over to Isaac and gave him a hug. I quickly ran up the stairs.
“Okay, but dinner is at six!” Mom yelled after me.
Yeah, yeah, I thought dryly. Why not just tell me when the food is actually done? Okay, that sounded mean, but whatever… I was so not in the mood of being nice right now. Knowing Isaac had a date tonight annoyed the crap out of me. I know it shouldn’t and I didn’t want it to.
But still, it did.
He had a date almost every night, and he always had a girl by his side. But just because I was used to it, didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt just the same… whatever!
Entering my room, I closed the door and walked over to my bed just to throw myself on it. Sighing heavily, I soon felt a bit relaxed. But it was only because of my room. I truly loved my room. It was magnificent, if I may say so, and gigantic! The walls were painted in a deep, lilac color and the wooden floorboards emanated an almost black color. Everything in my room went in either lilac, black or silver. I had a king-sized bed, a black desk with a lilac chair right next to the big window overlooking the front yard, and on the right side of the desk I had a couple of black shelves filled with stuff such as my jewelry box, pictures and books. Then there was the huge mirror that covered each corner of where my bed stood. Perhaps it could be considered a bit kinky, but that’s not the reason I had them there. I just thought it looked really cool.
Looking up at the ceiling, I couldn’t stop myself from admiring my work. It had taken years to create. Hundreds of different pictures were glued onto the ceiling, creating a really cool atmosphere. I had taken most of the pictures myself, throughout life. It was pictures from when I was around ten up until now. It held pictures from all of my travels, of people I hung out with, and of my family. But it mostly contained pictures of Isaac and me. Pictures of us playing in a sandbox, hanging on the beach, eating ice-cream, and many, many more of just the two of us. My eyes lingered on the one where Isaac had made the brilliant, last-minute decision to lick my cheek while I took the picture. My eyes were scrunched up, but my lips held a laughing smile. Even though I had scolded him afterward, it was one of my favorites. I could still feel the tingles of where his tongue had touched my cheek. Still feel the butterflies running havoc in my stomach.
Good I loved him so much!
The familiar ache in my heart returned, not ev er completely leaving. At first, I had been afraid of my feelings for him. Disgusted even. I had tried to tell myself to stop loving him. That it was so freaking wrong and weird and idiotic!
But not anymore.
Oh no, not anymore.
I had passed the point where it scared me. I had almost even passed the point where I thought it was disgusting and weird. Now I just thought I was so effing stupid and pathetic. Though only because I knew he did not, could not, feel the same way about me... ever.
Why, a stranger would probably ask?
The answer was simple. I only needed five words.
Because he’s my brother. That’s why.
Chapter 2
Audrina
Walking down the stairs, at exactly six o’clock, for dinner, I heard the front door open and someone enter the house. Realizing it must be dad, I ran down the last steps and threw myself in his arms just as he had taken off his jacket. What can I say? I loved my dad! Don’t get me wrong, I loved my mother very much as well. But I was daddy’s little girl, after all.
“Hi dad!” I squealed like a child, hugging him tightly.
Dad laughed as he lifted me up and spun me around. “Hi sweetie! How are you?” He asked as he put me down. Yes, both my parents called me ‘sweetie’. But I loved it, so... sue me.
“Just fine. How was work?” I asked, as we walked together to the dining room, one of his arms wrapped around my waist.
“Long, like always,” he sighed.
“That’s what you get for having the job you love.”
Dad chuckled and I looked up at him. I had to admit, dad was one handsome man. He had almost reached his forties, which you couldn’t tell. Unless you looked very closely. The only telltale of his true age were the few gray strands that painted his otherwise pitch-black hair. Like Isaac, he had these piercing blue eyes and dimples when he smiled, something he always did when he got home.
Mom and Isaac were already in the dining room. As soon as we entered, dad let go of me and went over to mom and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “Hi darling.” His smile was almost childlike, an expression he only got when he saw mom.
“Hi honey,” mom greeted and gave him another kiss, a longer one.
I know any normal kid would probably throw up by now, but not me. I loved the fact that my parents acted like newlyweds. It simply proved to me that love could last longer than just for the honeymoon. Isaac, on the other hand, made gagging noises, which had my parents laughing. I rolled my eyes and sat down in my regular seat, the one next to Isaac. Mom and dad sat next to each other, across from us.
Just as we began eating, a thought hit me. “Hey, weren’t you supposed to go out on a date with Sienna?” I asked Isaac, hope spreading its seed inside of me. Maybe he had canceled the date after all. Though that was not very likely –
“We are, but we’re just going to watch a movie, no food,” he explained, shrugging his shoulders.
The heavy weight in my heart returned. “Oh,” was all I managed to say, desperately trying to keep a straight face.
As soon as we were done eating, Isaac took off for his date. I, on the other hand, decided to watch a movie with my parents. They had decided for ‘He’s just not that in to you.’ Talk about sarcasm. Even though the movie made me laugh a couple of times, it never alleviated my heartache. I couldn’t stop myself from checking the clock every five minutes, hoping Isaac would come home soon.
“Do you have something you need to do, sweetie? You know you don’t have to watch a movie with us.” Dad, who was sitting between mom and me, said just as the time hit eleven p.m.
“I love watching movies with you,” I quickly replied. “It’s just that I’m quite tired and I think I’ll just go to bed early.” The last part was a lie. But I still faked a yawn and stretched my body for extra effect. I rose from the comfortable sofa and gave each of my parents a goodnight kiss on the cheek before walking up the stairs. Knowing I probably wouldn’t get any sleep for a while, at least not until Isaac was back home, I decided to write in my diary.
I was heartbroken on so many levels over my ‘crush’. First of all, and most importantly, because he’s my brother. I know that’s just weird, stupid and literally incest, but I couldn’t help it! Secondly, I knew he didn’t feel the same way about me and never would. Thirdly, even if there was the slightest possibility that he returned my feelings, it could never work out. The world would not accept it.
When time reached one o’clock, and Isaac still wasn’t home, I decided to give up and turn off the lights. Of course, I didn’t get much sleep. My brain filled with questions and thoughts about Isaac. Would he even come home tonight, or would he stay over at Sienna’s place? My heart clenched painfully. It wasn’t unusual that he spent the night with a girl. I should have gotten used to it by now. Yeah, I had gotten used to it. But it still hurt so much every time it occurred.
My brother was eleven months older than me, but he was a senior and had already turned eighteen. Apparently, after my parents had had Isaac, they had been very eager to have another child, and soon enough I had been created. Even though I loved my parents deeply, a small part of me wished that I, or Isaac, had been born into another family. That way, it wouldn’t have been forbidden for us to be in a relationship. I wonder what he would have thought of me, if I hadn’t been his sister. Would he have been attracted to me? Probably not, considering how many girls he could choose from. Practically the whole school. I didn’t know a single girl that wasn’t in love with him, or at least thought he was effing hot. Even I was in love with him, for crying out loud! If nothing else, that should say something about him.
Me, on the other hand… okay, I wasn’t ugly, or anything like that. A lot of people had even told me that I was pretty. And yes, a couple of guys had asked me out, but I had always turned them down seeing as my heart had already been stolen from me at the age of fifteen.
Throughout my childhood, Isaac and I had been very close. Almost like best friends. There were barely any memories of my childhood that didn’t include him. He had always been there for me, both as a friend and a protector. Making me laugh when I was sad, comforting me when I was scared. I could always count on him. Well, until a few years back, that is.
About the time Isaac had turned sixteen, things had changed. He had started to distance himself from me. At first, I hadn’t been able to understand why. But soon enough I realized he considered being with friends and playing football more important than being with me. I couldn’t blame him for that. I mean, which adolescence kept hanging out with his baby sister when he could go to parties, hook up with girls and be a teenager? It was normal. It meant growing up.
We still hung out every once in a while, doing things just the two of us. Like, going to the cinema to watch a movie, or play a game at home. But it still hurt, because I knew that I would choose being with him over anything, any day. But I was in love with him, so it was different. Different and plain stupid.
I still remembered the moment I realized I was in love with him. A couple of months since my fifteenth birthday had passed. Thunderstorms scared me. But I had a good reason for being afraid of them. When I was thirteen years old, my absolutely best friend Mariah Clark and I had been walking on the beach. We had been in the middle of the beginning of a storm. We knew it was dangerous to be outside during thunderstorms, but didn’t really care. We had been talking and laughing about random stuff, like we always used to do. Suddenly a lightning had struck and hit Mariah, who had immediately fallen down and gone completely still. The terror that had risen inside of me, could never be put into words. I had fallen down on my knees next to her, screaming and shaking her body, hoping she would wake up. Her body had stayed completely lifeless and I had started crying violently. Not knowing what else to do, I had called to my brother and told him everything. I had heard him shout for mom to call for an ambulance, then he had told me to stay on the line as he ran to us as fast as he possibly could. Soon after my brother had arrived, trying to give Mariah CPR, the ambulance and police had come. I had been pulled away from the scene. I had been in complete shock, and it had taken days before I had truly realized my best friend had died. I couldn’t stand thunderstorms ever since.
