This is an entirely new chapter of Attraction :)

We drove directly from Baltimore the day after the fight. Tom had pointed out that everyone needed space to cool down, but no matter what he said, it felt like we left the others in the lurch. Chris and Dante had been silent, whereas Lara had ushered us to go ahead, perhaps fearing that Tom would change his mind if given too long to think. She'd also allowed us to take the car, leaving herself and the others without a vehicle. She was a complicated woman to understand. At times, I disliked her. Other times, I saw someone who fought for others so they could achieve their dreams.

"Too bad we missed the party last night. I'd planned to make you dance," I said. We'd skipped the night club after the row. No one had felt like going out.

"I don't dance."

"Do you doubt my persuasion skills? I can be very convincing."

Tom pressed the pedal closer to the floor, driving past a slower car. We'd been at it for less than an hour, so we still had a long way to go.

"When it comes to dancing? Most definitely."

"We shall see." I'd wanted to see him move that body to music since I first lay eyes on him.

"Was that a challenge?" he asked.

"You afraid?"

"Not especially." Deadpan. His expression went beyond neutral. Perhaps he would make a fine actor if the performance required hidden amusement behind a stoic façade.

"So, are we going to call your brother?" Might as well put up a second challenge while we were at it.

"I don't have his number," Tom replied.

"I'm sure I can find it."

"Wouldn't bet on it."

"Was that a challenge?"

Tom chuckled. "Guess it was."

"I'll give it my best." I fished out my phone and began operation Find Luke. All I had was his name and location, but hopefully that would be enough. That is, if Luke still remained in Virginia at all. I thought it likely that Luke had moved to a bigger city at least, leaving home and all that, but Tom disagreed.

"No one leaves Smithfield," he'd said. Which had been a false statement, as proved by his presence.

I continued my search, hopping around social media to get a lock on him. He wasn't on Facebook, much to my dismay, but I did find someone on Instagram. I scrolled through some photos, wondering why they were kept public.

The guy I glimpsed in some of the photos was thin as a rail, but if I squinted, I could see a possible family resemblance.

"Is this him?" I held the phone where Tom could see.

"I'm driving."

"Just take a look. It'll only take a second."

Tom checked only to focus on the road again. "I don't know. It's been more than a decade since I last saw him."

"I'll send him a message."

"What?"

"It's just a message. Come on, we have to start somewhere."

"You want me to contact my brother, who I haven't spoken to in fourteen years, on Instagram?"

"Or, we can drive to the house. I honestly think he's missed the whole privacy setting. There's an invite to a birthday party."

Tom didn't say a word.

"There's an address here. We can ring the bell."

I allowed him to stay silent. We couldn't be sure this guy was Luke anyway. But to make the silence less noticeable, I put on some music and leaned back. Tom would have to talk eventually. Much to my relief, his silence wasn't of the angry kind.

We continued to drive along the highway, or interstate, or whatever it was called. It was a large road at least, with plenty of cars going in both directions. We got stuck in traffic outside Washington DC, and it seemed as though the city was taunting us for slighting the chance to visit. I'd always wanted to see the White House and the Capitol Building for myself. Perhaps we could stop by on the drive home. I would ask once Tom had finished thinking.

When he'd driven almost four hours without a break, I decided that we had to eat something.

"I'm kind of hungry." I had a feeling he wouldn't have reacted well if I said that he should eat something. It was better to pretend that my stomach was killing me.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked, seemingly not bothered that we hadn't said a word to each other for quite some time.

"Now that's an interesting question." I couldn't help myself.

Tom grinned with his entire face. "You never stop, do you?"

"I can go on for hours."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked.

"Jeez, this... I never get the last word. You're impossible." I was laughing, but it was a breathless laugh laced with awakening interest.

Tom got us off the interstate at the next exit and drove right up to a KFC. The second the car stopped, I turned my full attention on my driver. The food could wait now that I had him trapped in my neat little web.

"You know, this car has tinted windows," I said as innocently as I could.

"It does," Tom replied.

"Do you know what that means?"

"I can guess."

I ran my hand up his thigh, watching his gaze darken. "You're about to find out."

* * * *

"I'm not sure about this," Tom said, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

We stood parked outside a small house, white picket fence, a dog on the porch. I'd checked the address two times already, but Tom had cold feet. I didn't blame him. His nerves shone through again and again whenever he said something or made a move of some kind.

"Do you want to call him first, you mean?" I still hadn't found a phone number.

"No, let's go. I can't back out when we've come all this way." He was brave. Not stupid.

The air outside was disgustingly humid. It felt like someone had wrapped me up in a wet blanket and turned on the sauna. It was late afternoon, just the right time for a blast of heat. I almost wanted to get back into the car where it had been relatively cool.

"I'm not wearing the right clothes for this," I muttered, shielding my eyes from the beating sun.

"Not sure he'd appreciate a suit," Tom replied.

I'd thought about the heat itself, but figured it had been easy to misinterpret. "Shorts. I want shorts."

"Do you have some with you?"

"Yeah, but I'll get them later. Let's get this over with." I didn't want to give him a chance to walk away. Not when we'd been in a car for hours. Hopefully, Tom wouldn't want to drive right back after this visit. If it was the right house, that is.

Tom strode toward the front door, projecting an image of fierce determination. Each step followed the next without as much as a pause in between. No hesitation.

He'd knocked before I caught up.

My heart thumped with adrenaline even though I had no right to be nervous. I was about to say something when a wet nose nudged my hand, diverting my attention. "Well, hello there, doggie." I sat on my haunches, scratching behind the dog's ear. She was adorable with her yellow coat and ears that almost looked too big.

Light footsteps tapped a smooth rhythm against the floor inside the house. I stood up just as a tiny girl opened the door. She couldn't be much older than six, staring at us with wide eyes.

"Daddy!" she yelled. "I don't know them."

"Coming," someone said from inside. The voice was eerily similar to Tom's.

A man appeared, thin as I'd seen in the photos, but also quite certainly Tom's brother. The resemblance was easier to see in person. He had the same jawline and a next to identical nose. Their sense of style didn't match to the same degree. He was dressed in khaki shorts and T-shirt, something I'd never seen on Tom.

He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder, blinking at both of us as if he wasn't sure what to think. I didn't blame him.

"Tom?" he asked.

"Luke." It wasn't a question.

The look on Luke's face was hard to read. It alternated between astonished, hopeful and wary. "It's been fourteen years," he said at last.

"I'm sorry. I'm here to apologize."

Luke seemed less than ready to process that. He glanced at me. "And who is this?"

"I'm Joah," I said, trying to keep my smile light. I had no reason to add to the tension.

"He's my husband." Tom placed his arm around my shoulder for those in doubt.

Luke didn't waste a second, offering his hand. "I'm Luke."

His fingers trembled against my palm while we greeted.

"You have a very nice house here," I said, just to say something. To get things going. They needed to talk for anything to happen, not simply stare at each other from two opposite ends of a threshold.

"Thank you," Luke replied.

"Daddy, who are they?" the little girl asked.

Luke leaned down and picked her up, placing her on his hip. "This is Tom and Joah. Tom is my brother."

"You have a brother, Daddy?"

Luke's attention shifted to Tom. "Yes, I have one now." His smile came easier this time.

* * * *

The atmosphere was far from relaxed as we sat by the kitchen table. Luke fetched glasses and a pitcher of cold lemonade. His daughter hadn't stopped staring at Tom.

"So, I have a niece," Tom eventually said.

I was impressed how he could stay composed throughout all of this. Both of them. I would have cried and hugged and made a spectacle of the whole thing.

"Yes," Luke replied. "This little darling here is Anath." He played with her curls which earned him a hard stare. She seemed like a little spit fire. No doubts, she'd charm Tom in seconds.

My husband appeared a bit lost, but eventually extended his hand. Her tiny fingers disappeared into Tom's hold.

"I'm Tom, Luke's older brother. It's a pleasure to meet you, Anath," he said to her.

"Are you here for my birthday?" she asked. "Did you bring any presents?"

Luke winced but settled an arm around her tiny shoulders. "Your birthday is tomorrow, honey. And you shouldn't ask for presents like that."

I realized that Anath's presence took away most of the strain from the situation. While she was around, we couldn't get into the gritty stuff, and perhaps that was a smart move. This way, heated emotions had time to simmer down.

"What kind of presents do you like?" I asked when no one else seemed able to speak.

She smiled with her entire face. "I like ponies."

"Do you have one in your room?"

"I have many."

"Do you want to bring one down here so we can see?" I asked again, hoping that could help us pick a present later. Because we were definitely getting a present.

She bolted, sprinting through the house with startling speed.

Tom watched her leave, smiling. "She's just like you, Luke. Running around. I can't remember you actually walking inside the house until you were a teenager."

Luke's laughter struck me as familiar. "She's amazing. And well, her birthday is tomorrow so I can't blame her for thinking you came all the way here just for her."

"I would have," Tom replied.

My heart ached from that statement alone. Grasping his hand beneath the table, I squeezed gently.

"Well, you're here now." Luke filled our glasses, leaning back once the ice cubes had stopped swirling around.

"Fourteen years too late. I'm sorry, Luke. I never wanted to leave you behind, but I couldn't live here. Not after everything." Tom's composure fractured until all I could see was a raw, open wound.

"I spent some of those years in anger, others in worry. I can't say it was easy," Luke replied.

Tom inhaled a ragged breath. "I'm not asking you to forget what I did or forgive me. I don't deserve that."

"I remember, you know? I wasn't that young. Mom cursed you to hell and back when they found out. Dad wouldn't let you leave the house unless it was for school. They abused you as much as they could without laying a hand. I don't blame you for leaving."

"I abandoned you."

"It felt like it at first. I hated you for leaving until I was old enough to understand. I just wish you'd come back sooner."

I felt like an intruder, listening to painful truths from both sides. On one hand I wanted to support Tom and be there for him, but it wasn't right to listen in on a conversation like this. "I'll leave the two of you alone. I'll check what happened to your daughter up there."

Luke only nodded in response.

I pressed a kiss to Tom's temple before I went. "I'm here, so just call if you need me."

"Thank you," he said, indicating that I'd made the right move.

The house was fairly small, but lived in. It glowed with the feel of a home. Framed photographs lined the walls along with art ascribed to a young painter at different stages of her life. Anath, five years old, pony, one of them said. The creature was brown and had legs, but otherwise it was hard to see what it was. No matter the accuracy, the drawings were endearing.

I walked up the stairs and peeked behind the first door to the left. Anath was sitting on the floor, legs folded beneath her. She turned her head, blinking in my direction. No smile this time.

"I can't find Pomona," she said.

"And who is Pomona?" I walked inside, smiling at the sight of a floor scattered with toys and shelves filled with both books and boxes.

"She's my green pony. I wanted to show her. She's my favorite." Anath appeared quite desolate.

I sat on the carpet to reach her level. "All right, so where do you think we should start the search?" Going on a mission would be a good way to distract myself from thinking about the conversation downstairs.

"Maybe in the living room, but Mommy cleaned it yesterday."

"Do you think she brought it in here?"

"Maybe."

We both got to work, checking all the boxes laden with toys. She had one dedicated to action figures which made me smile. Girls were meant to be heroes too. I also noticed that there was an order to the chaos. Most toys were sorted, but I couldn't find a green pony in the pony box.

Anath was growing increasingly frustrated. "What if Mommy hid her?"

"Or maybe Pomona is still in the living room."

I wasn't sure it was a wise decision to pass the kitchen, but it was hard to temper the urge to know what they were talking about. I'd always been a nosy bastard.

Anath solved my problem by taking my hand and steering me downstairs. She was not one to be trifled with, clearly. She had that precious kind of confidence of a loved child. A confidence I'd had until my family died.

We passed the kitchen where the brothers were deep in talk, both looking quite harried. Anath was on her way in there, but I managed to halt her progress. It was hard to walk away when all I wanted was to support my husband, but he needed time with Luke.

"Why don't we let them talk? I'm sure we can check the living room on our own, right?"

She nodded without saying a word, clenching her small fingers around my hand. The living room was large enough to house two sofas, plenty of bookcases and a TV. There were plants almost everywhere, some stretching for the ceiling. I liked it.

Anath opened the drawer beneath the TV bench. "We can watch a movie instead." She showed me the DVD of some film I'd never heard of. Clearly, she wasn't too concerned about the pony.

I recalled that most children lacked patience. Not that I had anything against watching a movie. Kids movies were usually fun.

The front door slammed shut, keys were dropped.

Anath darted away, yelling, "Mommy, Daddy has a brother, and I can't find Pomona."

I hesitated, wondering if it was best to surface once the scene had played out. My presence would only add confusion and need for explanations. But I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to see her face after she'd heard the news of a brother in a sentence together with a missing pony.

Anath's mother was short, perhaps a head shorter than I was even though she wore heels. Impeccably dressed, she radiated calm and confidence. If she'd been shocked before I reached the hallway, she'd tucked it away soon enough.

She was stroking her daughter's hair. "A brother, you say?"

Luke and Tom had both moved from the kitchen. "Lizzy, this is Thomas. You remember my big brother."

She blinked, then smiled. "Of course, welcome home, Tom." She more or less attacked him with a hug, and damn if I didn't feel a tear running down my cheek. Her display of such absolute certainty that Tom belonged was heartwarming.

Tom hugged her back, holding on for the amount it took to show that it wasn't a regular embrace. It was a hug of time lost and deep-seated regret. Perhaps even one of forgiveness.

"It's good to see you, Lizzy. You've grown up."

They let go of each other, and Lizzy instantly turned to me, still smiling. "Hi, I'm Lizzy."

I shook her hand. "I'm Joachim. It's nice to meet you."

"He's Tom's husband," Luke explained.

"Oh, that's lovely." Lizzy didn't miss a beat. "Welcome to the family."

That statement must have hit Tom much in the same way as it hit me. My chest felt ready to explode. We moved simultaneously toward each other, touching hands.

A/N I hope you enjoy this new version <3 let me know what you think xox