Locked Heart

-Taylor-

I felt completely exhausted. The hours dragged on, stretching into what felt like an endless journey aboard this plane. Before this moment, I had never truly experienced the warmth of a place to call home. Now, I was embarking on a journey to a completely new place.

"We are about to land at Los Angeles International Airport." The voice on the speaker said,

This was going to be a new start for me, or at least I hoped it would be.

After getting off the plane, I made an effort to locate the exit. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I saw that my brother had sent me a text.

Tommy – Hey, Sis, we are outside by the pickup zone to the left of the exit. I cant wait to see you! :)

I’ll give you some background information. Since our parents divorced five years ago, my brother, who is twenty, and I, who am eighteen, have not seen each other. My father took my brother, and my mother took me. My brother resided in California, while I was in Michigan. We made every effort to stay in touch until my life became difficult, and I began to distance myself from everyone after interacting with the wrong people—or, perhaps more accurately, person—but that is a story for another time.

I walk out of the exit with my suitcase and carry-on bag in my hands. I look to my left and see my brother and one of his friends standing by their car. Of course, they have attracted the attention of two blonde girls, whom I like to call airheads.

It took me a moment to grasp how long I hadn’t seen my brother. He now appears stronger, older, and taller. He used to be the thinnest person I’ve ever met. He still has the same golden blonde hair that we both had as kids. He also still looked the same. Before I recently changed my appearance and style, I had the same hair colour. I used to wear non-revealing clothes, have blonde hair and glasses, and be as quiet as ever. However, these days I have long, dark red hair that I wear down most of the time, contacts instead of glasses, and I wear tight leggings or jeans that accentuate my figure more, along with smaller tops. I also got a nose ring as well, even though I know my dad and brother would hate it, but it makes me look cool, I think.

I seized the moment to observe his friend, who was positioned next to him. He stood just a bit taller than my brother. Every girl would be enchanted by the allure of his jet-black, tousled hair. His right arm was adorned with a cascade of roses inked in vibrant detail. With a mere glance, it was evident that he possessed defined abs hidden beneath that shirt. He possessed an undeniable allure, a captivating charm that drew the eye. Yet, there was an enigmatic quality about him, a hint of danger that lingered just beneath the surface. It was clear to me that he was someone I should steer clear of, if at all possible...

I felt like I had been staring at them for ages, so I decided to head over to them, as they looked like they had had enough of these blonde girls trying to get into their beds.

"Hey Tommy," I said, putting my bags down on the floor beside the car. The girls simply snapped their heads at me and hissed in an attempt to push me away, while the boys both gave me confused looks.

"Um... I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Tommy’s statements were uttered with a great deal of bewilderment as he furrowed his brows in an attempt to figure out who I was, while his friend was simply examining me closely.

“I’m...” One of the blonde girls interrupted me, saying, “You should leave; he was mine first.” With her arms crossed like a child.

Tommy and his friend looked at me as if I were insane, as I simply laughed at her.

“It’s sad you’re being so desperate because I assumed I had my brother first,” I remarked, turning to face her. Her eyes were wide open when she realised her error. I turned to face Tommy and his friend.

"Wait, Taylor!?" He shouts and looks so shocked to see the new me.

"That's me, big bro," I said, giggling. As soon as I finished my sentence, he grabbed me and gave me the biggest bear hug ever.

“You look...different?” He murmured as he let go of me, his expression now filled with rage. “What’s up with you wearing so little clothing, and where are your glasses?” As he speaks, he narrows his eyes at my manner.

"I've grown up now, Tommy; I'm not the same little girl anymore," I said to him, looking at him and then at his friend. "So are you going to tell me who this friend is?"

"Oh shit, sorry." Um, Taylor, this is Adrian. Adrian, this is Taylor, my little sister," Tommy said as he moved back so I could see his friend better.

"Well, it's wonderful to meet Tommy's nerdy sister finally. He has talked about you a lot." Adrian speaks finally, showing off his deep, manly voice, which makes me slightly speechless.

"I hope all good things," I said as I turned to Tommy and winked at him, and he gave a smile back.

Tommy looks at Adrian as if he is telling him not to say anything. Adrian turns back to Tommy and says, “Only mentioned how much of a geek you are and how you would just be on your most of the time,” still staring me up and down before returning their gaze to Tommy. I roll my eyes and smack Tommy on the stomach.

"I'm not that much of a geek, bro!" I say, folding my arms back across my chest.

Tommy responds as he pulls my luggage to load into the car, “You used to be when we were young, always stayed to yourself, which I hope will continue now that you’ve decided to wear so little clothing, prompting eyes to follow you everywhere.” He nods to a bunch of teenage boys standing behind us after loading my suitcase into the car. I turn around to find three males behind us, probably around 17/18 years old, simply staring at me. One of them winks at me, and I wave back until my brother returns from the car, snatches my hand from the wave, and says, “Don’t even think about it. You cannot date anyone until they pass the brother test, which I doubt anyone can, and luckily, I have Adrian and also our other friend Jake to stop anyone from getting with you, isn't that right, Adrian?" He says, nudging Adrian on the side

Adrian had been staring at me for what felt like ages with one hand in his pocket and one hand on his face, like he was in deep thought. I wonder what he is thinking about...

-Adrian-

1 day ago-

I was finishing up in the boys’ locker room after a long, exhausting football practice. Except for me, Tommy, and Jake, my two best buddies, the other boys had all left. It was entirely silent after our exercise, except for some heavy breathing after the training, until Tommy spoke up first.

"So, boys, I have something to tell you." Jake and I look at each other and back at him

“You’re not going to confess your feelings for one of us, are you? Jake says with his eyes wide open and afraid, “I’m sorry, bro, but I’m not turning that way.” I smirk slightly at his words.

“Bro, you are weird,” Tommy replies as he stands up and returns his bag to his locker. "I just wanted to let you know that my sister is starting her first year at this university. " Jake and I both glance up at Tommy, and naturally, Jake asks, “Is she hot?” Tommy tosses a football at Jake as soon as he finishes speaking, but Jake catches it before it strikes his head.

"She’s off limits to everyone, okay!” Tommy shouts, and then he takes a deep breath in and says. “I also need you two to keep an eye out for her when she is around. She’s been through a lot, and I need extra eyes to make sure she’s okay, and I trust you with both my life and hers.” And then he goes out of the locker room, leaving Jake and me sitting in silence.

“That was deep, wasn’t it?” I murmured to Jake as we stood up to follow Tommy out of the changing room. Jake replies, “That’s what she said.” I rolled my eyes and swatted him on the back of the head as we walked away.

Later, at the flat with Tommy, we took some beers from the fridge and sat in the living room to watch football. Tommy turns to me and says, “Oh, and I forgot to mention that my sister will be staying with us in the spare bedroom until she finds her place.” I almost spat out my drink. “Wait, what?!” I shouted.

Tommy continues, taking a sip of his drink. “I realise it’s a bit short notice; this whole idea of her coming was short notice, but the only way she was coming to California was if she lived with me, and as we have the extra bedroom, it’s also a way for me to keep an eye on her,” he says.

“You keep saying that you need to watch her. Why is it the case? Tommy sighed and inhaled deeply as I asked him. “I’m not sure exactly what she went through when she lived with our mother in Michigan, but she needs a new beginning and won’t bother us. She’s a huge nerd who was constantly reading and spending time in her bedroom or at the library. He smirked at me and carried his empty beer cans to the kitchen after adding, “She won’t trouble us at all.”

Well, if she doesn't bother us, I guess that will be okay

The next day –

Tommy had asked me to come help pick up his sister at the airport, to which I said I would help. I promised him I'd look out for his sister, and so did Jake. He was getting nervous about seeing his sister, but I reassured him that Jake and I would help him as much as possible.

We got to the airport, and Tommy pulled out his phone to message his sister that we were outside. Whilst he did this, these two blond girls came over.

“Want to come back with me, handsome?” one of the girls remarked while putting her hand on my arm. While the other girl was trying it on with Tommy. I was mostly in a daze since I didn’t find girls who threw themselves at men particularly appealing. That is, until a different female came over and greeted Tommy.

“I apologise, but do I know you?” Tommy asks, bewildered, how could he forget this girl? She had dark brown, nearly black, eyes and long, lustrous red hair that framed her face. Wearing a form-hugging crop top and revealing leggings, she showed off her figure, and her apparent abs from her workouts were visible. For what seemed like an eternity, I was studying her every inch as she frightened away the naive blondes.

“Wait, Taylor!?” Tommy shouts and takes me out of my daze

Wait, that's his sister! I thought to myself as they both hugged each other. She asked who I was, and Tommy introduced us to each other. I mentioned to her that Tommy always spoke about how nerdy she was, but by looking at her up and down, she doesn't seem like a nerd, more like trouble to me.

She waved back at the boys behind her when Tommy pointed out that she was drawing their attention, but Tommy intervened. I couldn’t stop glancing at her. She seemed different, mysterious and well-guarded. I also took the time to notice her nose ring glitter over her pink lips. Why am I thinking of her lips? She is the sister of a close friend of mine.

“Right, Adrian?” Tommy says, nudging my side. I snapped out of it, quickly replying, "Oh, sure, right." Tommy and Taylor looked confused but didn't ask about my moment of zoning out. "Let's start driving home; you must be exhausted, Tay," Tommy says as he gets into the car on the driver's side. Taylor's already looking at me with her beautiful brown eyes as I glance back.

"If you want, I can put your carry-on in the trunk," I say, as we lock eyes. "Oh, yes, thank you," she replies, smiling a little and fluttering her lashes. I reached for her bag; our hands briefly touched, and we both exhaled sharply. She entered the car, sitting behind Tommy, while I got in the front.

-Taylor-

The ride back felt so slow. My brother kept asking if I was okay, to which I always replied with 'yes' every time. Adrian seemed really quiet since being back in the car.

Adrian and I frequently gazed at one another when he arrived to pick me up. He’s quite a handsome man; I could sense he was deep in thought about something. I just hope I'm not overstepping by staying with them.

After approximately 45 minutes, we arrived at an impressive apartment building that appeared very costly to live in. I exited the vehicle and gazed up at the building. “Oh my God,” I exclaimed, my mouth agape in disbelief. "You live here?" I turned to my brother and Adrian, who were unloading my suitcase and carry-on bag out of the car.

"Yes, sis, we do," Tommy chuckles, then turns to Adrian. "Adrian, could you take her bags up, and we will meet you up there in a bit? I just want to talk to my sister real quick." Adrian nods and starts taking the bags upstairs after glancing at me before going through the doors.

I glance at Tommy, who swiftly pulls me into another bear hug, saying, “I’ve missed you so much, little sis. I’m really sorry I didn't visit you in Michigan, but you know how university and football can be.” He sounded upset, as if he might cry. I pull away and stare at him. “Tommy, it’s all right; I understand. I’m happy that Dad came to visit me; if he hadn’t, who knows where I’d be right now?” I murmured, almost crying.

Tommy took hold of the edge of his jumper and wiped away a single tear that was running down my face. "You are a strong woman. " I don't know how you did it by yourself for five years, but I promise I won't leave or go anywhere this time. He laughs and says, "You are stuck with me now," which makes me laugh a little. "Come on, let's go up to the flat." "Our other friends also wanted to meet you, so they are at the flat too." Tommy smiles, takes my hand, and pulls me up to our flat on the 50th floor.