Chapter 1
Chapter 1
~Holly’s POV~
The black graphite moved faster and faster on the white sheet of paper. My aquamarine blue eyes are focused on the sketch I am working on as I listen to the chirping of birds in the backyard of the house where I was born and grew up. A white mug of coffee sat on the coffee table on the back veranda, right next to my piles of sketches. It was the start of summer, and I just finished my first year of college. Now, here I was, back in the small town that made up 90% of my life so far. Ever since I went to college, I promised myself I wouldn’t come back. There was nothing here but nostalgia and childhood memories won’t help me in the future life as an adult.
The only reason why I came back was, because most of my friends, which I made in college went back to their hometowns too, and the idea of spending a full summer in an apartment, paying full rent, didn’t sound appealing to me. So, I decided to do what everyone else was doing. Leaving back home. My parents have left for a romantic vacation, leaving me all alone for the following two and a half months. It was the perfect getaway after a year of architecture lectures and exams. Or so I thought, because right now, I was anything but happy, and this sour mood only grew as the loud rap music from my older brother’s open window resounded outside, drowning the tranquil morning symphony nature had provided. The obscene lyrics made me grimace.
Blake was my brother’s name, and you would think that for a 28-year-old guy, he would be out of the house by now — married, or at least living in his own space with a girlfriend, but he was still a bachelor with a could-care-less attitude. At least he was working a decent job that allowed him to sustain himself. My brother was a mechanic and always had a knack for cars and motorcycles, anything machine, really. I recall the summers when I was a pre-teen, and he would spend his time with my father under the car.
My brother was smart and hardworking, but he could be so stubborn with the attitude of a bull. The big issue with him was his overly protective brother-side to me. The moment I hit puberty, he made it his mission to scare the guys from approaching me. He always told me it was for my own good.
“Holly?” After some minutes, I hear Blake’s voice from the open glass door of the back porch. Glancing over my shoulder, our eyes lock.
“Mmm? What is it? Finally decided to turn off the music?” I inquired with sarcasm to which he chuckled.
“I thought you would grow up to love rap.” He remarked, stepping outside and sitting on the wicker chair across from me.
“Not a chance, bro.” I smoothly replied.
“Anyway,” He brushed his fingers through his dirty blonde locks. “I came here to tell you Silas is coming over, and he will be staying here for the summer.”
I stopped sketching and moved my gaze to Blake, pure confusion filling me as I processed his words. The name Silas made goosebumps erupt on my arms and had my gut twisting into a string of knots as a bitter feeling hit me.
“Absolutely no,” I declared, snapping my sketchbook close with a loud noise to drive my point.
“Sis... Come on,” Blake started, ready to beg, but I simply crossed my arms over my chest, giving him the cold, silent shoulder. “His apartment had been flooded, and he had been sleeping in his tattoo salon for the past week.”
“And how exactly is that any of my problem, or your problem?” I inquired in a sassy manner, narrowing my eyes.
“I own him. He had been the only one to help me when I was financially in a hole with my mechanic’s workshop. Without him, I would have been homeless.” Blake explained with a hint of desperation, and I chuckled dryly.
“But you are not homeless. You are getting closer to your 30s and still living under the roof of our parents.” I pointed out sternly, making him sigh and rub the bridge of his nose.
“Next year I will have enough money to buy a place of my own, so I will be out of your hair for the following summers between college years.” He assured me as if I didn’t want his presence to be here. In a way, I felt bad, and my icy gaze melted a little.
“It’s not that... You know I care about you, Blake. You’re my older brother.” I softly spoke, my voice no longer withholding that abrasive edge.
“Then what is it, Holly? You can tell me anything. You know that.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I-It’s about Silas.”
Blake frowned. “What about him?”
“He is the biggest asshole I’ve ever met... and I’ve met plenty of guys in college who were insufferable.” At the mention of the other guys, Blake’s expression turned dark, and that overprotective brother’s energy started to show. Talk about nostalgia.
Silas was, and from the looks of it, is still my brother’s best friend. They met in the first year of high school, and ever since, they’ve been glued to the hip like brothers, only they weren’t blood-related. They shared the same taste in music and a passion for motorcycles. One might say it was a beautiful brotherhood, but it came with sourness for me, because Silas was anything but a gentleman or a nice guy. Back when I was a teenager, he would always make fun of my braces, calling me names like metal mouth, or making fun of my style of clothing. The truth is that as a teenager; I was a little awkward and undeveloped compared to other girls. Some might say I was a very late bloomer.
Blake offered me a sympathetic look, knowing how many times he had to make amendments between Silas and me. He was always caught between his little sister and his best friend, who was a ride-or-die friend. That’s the only nice thing I could say about Silas. He was a true friend. Other than that, names like a womanizer, player, asshole, bully, and DEVIL suited him like a glove.
“We all were young and stupid back then. Even I was very stupid! People change, and you know I would never let a guy near you if he was trouble.” My brother assured me, and the massive walls of protection around me started to crack.
“Please, Holly. I talked with Mom and Dad... and it’s all cool. We’re pretty much helping a family friend here.” Another swing of the hammer to my walls, and more cracks followed.
I sighed, and a part of me knew I would regret this. “Fine.” A huge grin spread over Blake’s features, making his dimples stand out and his blue eyes sparkle with joy.
“Thank you so much, Holly!” He exclaimed, rubbing his palms together.
“Yeah, yeah... Just make sure he cleans after himself. I recall what a dirty rat he used to be when he would stay overnight here after weekend parties.” I shiver in disgust as I remember finding Silas’ dirty clothes in the bathroom, more so his boxer briefs. Not a pretty sight for my twelve-year-old self back then.
“Chill out, Holly. We are all adults now. I am sure we can live under the same roof without having to kill each other.” Blake assured me before he disappeared back inside.
I rolled my eyes and went back to sketching. Hours passed, and I was back inside by lunchtime, sitting at the kitchen island on the high barstool, eating some fresh summer salad with chicken. The AC was running like crazy, but the heat was impossible to beat up during these hours. Oh, the blessing to live in sweet California. I was wearing a white tank top and pink cotton shorts. My long, arctic blonde hair was thrown into a high bun, leaving my neck all exposed for the chilly air of the AC to kiss my tanned skin.
The silence of the house was disturbed as the front door opened and closed, followed by the sound of two voices — my brother’s and another voice, deep with a husky edge. The kind of voice made for filthy audios. My brother was the first one to step into the kitchen, followed by someone who nearly made me choke on my food.
No fucking way...
