Song: Car Playlist by aesthetic songs

Every fiber of Lilah's being urged her to die right then and there as she entered a trance-like state. Her memory was spotty as hell after agreeing to dance with Ambrose. But she didn't think it was spotty enough to forget this.

"Did you drink anything else after I gave you that whiskey?" Caius asked, shutting his laptop to hide the picture that'd thrown his sister into a standing coma. "Hello? Earth to Lilah."

Lilah shook her head, toying with her hair like a nutcase. "No? I don't think so. But..." she trailed off then felt a rush of heat when the image resurfaced in her mind. Placing her face in her hands, she groaned, feeling like the world's biggest idiot. "The whiskey didn't hit until later. That must've been why I..."

"Why you...?" Caius continued with a hint of a smirk on his face. He slipped on an old hoodie and nudged the statue perched on the edge of his bed. "Come on, just say it."

Lilah scowled, kicking his ankle with all her might yet he didn't budge. "You're awfully chatty lately."

Caius shrugged. "Interesting things are finally happening. I have things to say. It isn't rocket science."

Before she could respond the doorbell rang and their eyes met. The siblings bolted towards the stairs leading out of Caius' room and to the first floor. Lilah raced towards the door with a purpose, needing to be the one to intercept Ambrose first. She screeched when Caius grabbed her arm and yanked her down. Curses tumbled past her lips as she latched onto his hoodie and he dragged her the last few steps. His large hand covered her face when he shoved her off. There was no one around to witness this great cheating moment as Caius crossed the threshold.

Lilah scrambled to her feet and darted towards the living room. She let out a quiet oof when she slammed into Caius's back. Smacking him for cheating, Lilah peeked around his body and saw Vincent walking by with a big silver pot.

Caius sniffed the air, distracted by the mouthwatering aroma filling the room. "What's in the pot?"

Vincent smiled triumphantly. "Creamy tortellini soup with sausage, spinach, and kale. It's Nonno's recipe and Ambrose made it so it'll taste amazing."

"Yeah?" Led by his stomach, Caius looked inside the pot with great interest. "Looks good."

"Ambrose got all the cooking genes," Vincent said, placing the lid back on the pot. "Can you do me a favor and put the stove on medium heat for me?"

"Yes he can!" Lilah butted in, shoving Caius towards the kitchen.

The man in question glared back at her but left as Vincent herded him away. Wiping her sweaty hands on her jeans, Lilah crept towards the front door. She paused when she saw Mrs. Lodovico was holding the door open and embracing Ambrose.

"Ciao, zia," Ambrose said and pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

"Ciao, mio dolce nipote." Mrs. Lodovico kissed Ambrose on both of his pink cheeks. "Dove sono Cameron e Jill?" she asked, looking over his shoulder for the other two. "Non volevano venire?"

Ambrose dusted himself off before stepping inside and ushering his aunt in too. "Stanno uscendo a cena e poi lei lo porterà a vedere un film."

Mrs. Lodovico sucked her teeth, miffed that they'd gone to a dinner and movie instead of coming here. Caius would've let them come too! If she'd twisted his ear a certain way to get what she wanted...

"Dille di venire a trovarmi e di portare anche mio nipote," she replied, making plans to see them later. "Voglio recuperare il mio giorno libero."

"Lo farò," he agreed, holding in a sigh when his aunt insisted on taking off his coat for him. His lovingly annoyed eyes raised and met Lilah's over his aunt's dark curls. "Oh. Hey."

Lilah nodded, twisting the ends of her blue sweater. She tried and failed to read Ambrose's face for signs of recognition of what happened the night before. All she saw was that same guarded expression she was used to seeing whenever they met.

Mrs. Lodovico sucked her teeth. "Non mi hai detto che stai uscendo con qualcuno," she muttered, smoothing out the creases in his white shirt.

How in the hell her nephew, the man who didn't have time to even look at women, got a girlfriend was beyond her.

Ambrose sighed and rubbed his eyes. "È complicato."

There was really nothing else he could say on why he didn't tell her he was dating again. Shit really was just complicated.

Mrs. Lodovico made a noise in the back of her throat, not that convinced. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Until then, Lilah can give you the tour. Isn't that right, piccola?"

Lilah's cheeks flushed from the term of endearment. "Sure."

"Good." Mrs. Lodovico tightened the apron around her doughy stomach. She fondly patted Lilah's cheek as she passed. Over her shoulder she said, "Non fare sesso con lei in questa casa."

Lilah glanced at Ambrose, quick to catch the way he visibly cringed. "What did she say?"

Not to have sex with you in this house, he thought.

"To be on my best behavior," he replied instead. A look of disbelief crossed her face. Ambrose switched gears to save himself from the embarrassment. "She calls you little one? That's funny. I call Cameron that."

Lilah frowned. "I used to be really short, ok? She thought it was a cute nickname and it just... kinda never went away."

Ambrose shoved his hands in his pocket, slowly entering the living room with caution. "You used to be short," he repeated, eyeing the minimalist design.

"Don't be an ass." Lilah steeled her nerves, eager to get him alone to see what he remembered. "Right, so, this is the living room." She led him towards the stairs then pointed at the entrance to the kitchen. "Kitchen's in there. Kiki and Mom's room is down the hall. Same as the bathroom. Uh, he's got a garden on his private patio. Not that much to look at since everything is dead."

Ambrose followed behind at a safe distance. It smelled like Chinese food and Ambrose's soup. He gnawed on his bottom lip, worried. Should he have made something else instead?

"Kiki's sleeping. He's moody when he's hungover so that's why we're keeping it quiet." Lilah pointed at a half opened door. "Caius' room is in the basement—"

Ambrose snorted. "Of course it is."

"—and," the corner of Lilah's lips quirked upwards, "the door down there? Dining room. Mom and Lonnie are setting up."

Ambrose's eyes widened when they reached the second floor, enamored by the intricate art. Letting out a low whistle, he stepped into the living room and perused the wine rack. Most of the brands he recognized from working at the country club but a few didn't ring any bells.

Shit was expensive.

"What is all this?" he asked, mouth slightly ajar when he stood beneath the shining chandelier. "You really are a princess, aren't you?"

Lilah winced, knowing how all this must look from an outside perspective. "This... is my floor."

Ambrose's brows shot towards the ceiling. "Your floor? This whole thing is yours?"

Lilah hummed, watching as he studied the fireplace and all the other nooks and crannies. She pushed her winter gear and purse into the corner of the couch in case he wanted to sit. But Ambrose appeared uninterested as he glanced inside the kitchen.

"Is there a kitchen on every floor?"

"No." Lilah's eyes widened when she saw the period drama she'd been watching was still playing on the TV. Muted. Before Ambrose could see she dove for the remote and flicked it off. Her ex's always made fun of her for liking them. She wasn't about to let her fake boyfriend do it too. "Uh, there's only kitchens on the first two floors."

She showed him the door to her bedroom and explained there was a private balcony out there. Hearing that got another eyebrow raise out of him.

"What?"

Ambrose shook his head. "Nothing." His eyes flicked towards the stairs and he let out a half scoff, half laugh. "There's another floor."

"The townhouse is four stories." Lilah felt on edge as she led him towards the third floor. She couldn't tell what Ambrose made of her childhood home and that left her... unsettled. Defensive, even. This was her home. She wouldn't have it disrespected just because she was raised in wealth. "The third floor is Lonnie's."

Ambrose took in the sight of the messy living room and bedroom. "She comes all the way up here?"

"Mhm. She's never been able to sleep in anyone else's bed but her own, so, yeah. Mom or Mrs. Lodovico usually helps her get up and down the stairs." Lilah eyed the sparse collection of men's coats hanging from a coat rack. "Or Adrian."

"Not a fan of the boyfriend?" he asked, staring curiously at the fourth floor.

None of the lights were on up there.

"Fiancé," Lilah corrected. "And, I don't know, I guess he's... probably fine. I'm just... not a fan of the circumstances regarding the engagement."

"Is she pregnant?"

Lilah made a face. "Good God, no."

Ambrose stared at her. "You made it seem that way with the whole," he motioned at her face, "woe is her routine."

"Woe is her routine?"

"It's an ironic—"

"I know what it means!"

Ambrose let out an unamused laugh. "Ok." He turned to the fourth floor and asked, "What's up there?"

Lilah swallowed thickly. "The fourth floor." Before he could question her any further she pointed out the entrance to the rooftop balcony then walked back down. "And that's it. That's everything."

Ambrose didn't press the matter of the fourth floor, sensing something off. He sat on the edge of the couch and waited while she disappeared into the kitchen. Moments later she appeared with two full glasses.

He grimaced when he took a sip from the glass, expecting sprite but was rewarded with "spicy" water. "What the hell is this?"

"Sparkling water," Lilah replied, holding back a laugh from the puckered look on his face. "It's lemon flavored."

"It's disgusting."

Lilah looked at his sour face, finding no traces of the man she remembered seeing the night before. It was incredible, really, how the person she saw could easily be tucked away once the alcohol faded away. Lilah wished she could forget it as easily as Ambrose seemed to have. She wanted nothing more than to go back to the days where he was a gruff ass that only cared about work and money.

But she couldn't do that.

She saw something new underneath that rough veneer Ambrose was so used to wearing. It changed the way she looked at him. Now she was faced with curiosity. Curiosity regarding the hidden personality that he kept tucked away from the rest of the world.

Lilah startled when a hand touched her elbow. "Huh?" Ambrose's voice sounded like it was underwater. She followed his pointer finger and saw that a notification flashed on her phone. "Oh."

Her mouth fell open when she followed the link Caius sent her. Pictures from the wedding had been uploaded and they were gorgeous. Stunning. Well taken.

And awfully revealing.

Lilah raised her gaze to meet Ambrose's pinched expression as he drank the sparkling water. She gulped. "Ambrose, do you remember what happened last night?"

He froze with the glass touching his lips. "Hm?"

"After... after we danced," she said, treading carefully when she saw his deer in the headlights look. "Do you remember what happened after we danced?"

Ambrose swallowed the bubbly water he'd been holding in his mouth in a stunned silence. "What do you mean we danced?"

Lilah smiled weakly, feeling a tad sick once she realized where this was probably going. "You kinda made me do the tango."

"I did what?"

"Well, you didn't make me." She awkwardly waved her hands around in an attempt to convey... something. "It happened," she said when she noticed the look of disbelief in his eyes. "You... told me your mom taught you how to dance."

Ambrose set his glass down, lips falling into a thin line. "I don't remember anything that happened after I drank with Kiki. Nothing but brief flashes, really." He let out a long sigh, avoiding her gaze. "Sorry. For the whole... dancing thing."

Lilah bit her tongue, watching as he retreated more and more into the man she was used to seeing. Conflict stirred within her and she hated the way it influenced her into...

She shook her head, confused now more than ever. "It's fine. It's what happened after that you should probably know about, then. People are gonna talk. They always do."

Ambrose gnawed on his bottom lip and accepted her phone. It all came rushing back to him when he saw the picture and his heart fell out of his ass.

Silver and gold confetti fell from the ceiling. The music sounded muffled, like it was coming from a different room. In the background he was vaguely aware of others screaming as midnight struck.

When he looked down he caught Lilah's eye. They were dark like ink and glazed over with drunken glee. He saw himself in her gaze, looking just as debauched and dazed as she did.

Ambrose watched through his mind's eye as her stare flicked towards his lips. Then back up to his eyes again. He felt himself do the same thing back and then lean closer. The scent of lemon and pineapple overwhelmed him when they shared air. He could smell the drink on her breath. Things blurred when their lips met and the picture immortalized the intoxicated moment.

His body felt unbelievably cold when he remembered his moment in the shower.

He'd started off fantasizing about faceless women. Only to finish himself off to the spotty memory of Lilah invading his space from the night before. The scent of the alcohol on her breath was what did him over.

"Jesus Christ." Ambrose dropped the phone on the couch and stood. He placed his hands on his hips, shaking his head to clear it. Or give himself amnesia. The latter sounded like a better option, if he was being honest. "I'm sorry, for," Ambrose glared at her phone, "that. I didn't mean to. I was just drunk."

Lilah nodded, tucking her phone in her back pocket while she got up. "I know. I'm sorry too. I think... I was the one that initiated it so..."

"We'll just play it off if other people bring it up," Ambrose said, avoiding looking at her in any way, shape, or form. "Between us, let's just pretend it never happened."

"Sounds good."

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Lodovico screamed and both of them let out audible sighs of relief.

"Well, we should—"

"Yup." Ambrose breezed past her before she could finish speaking.

He needed to get the hell out of this house and go die in a hole somewhere but no, no. He had to be a responsible adult and eat dinner like nothing was wrong.

"Uh, by the way," Vincent grabbed his elbow the second he hit the first floor, "Mrs. Carmichael doesn't know. About," his eyes went towards a sleepy Kiki and wiggled his brows, "us."

"Alright."

They were already keeping it from Vincent's mom. What was the harm in adding another mother into the mix?

"No sunglasses," Mrs. Carmichael said, snapping Kiki's pair up to reveal his puffy, squinting eyes. "You look like a steamed bun."

"Thank you, Mother," Kiki mumbled, propping his face up with the palm of his hand. "Such beautiful words to say to your son on this fine day."

"No one told you to drink that much, Kingsley." Mrs. Carmichael fixed the dishes filling the long table. Her face split into a wide grin when she saw Ambrose. "Ambrose! It's good to see you again."

Ambrose nodded politely as she ushered him to the right of her seat. "It's good to see you too."

Lilah sat beside Ambrose, stiff as a board. Her posture relaxed a bit when she looked to her right and saw Kiki. His face was so puffy that he really did look like a steamed bun. She couldn't help it, she laughed.

Letting out a loud yawn, Kiki pulled his hoodie up closer to his cheeks and smacked his lips. "I hope the underside of your pillow is always warm when it's summertime."

"Now you're just being hateful."

Kiki smirked, holding the chair out so Mrs. Lodovico could sit by him. Across from her was Vincent, Caius, and then Lonnie sat beside her mother. The chair at the end was empty and, Ambrose noticed, no one even acknowledged it.

It was like the fourth floor again and that only made him more confused than he already was.

"Alright, before we eat, I'd like to say something." A low groan went around the table as the siblings stared at their mother. "What?"

"You say the same thing every year," Kiki said, eyeing the food in front of him hungrily. "I could give the same speech if I wanted to. Any of us could."

"Good to know." Mrs. Carmichael raised her glass of wine in Caius' direction, dismissing her older son. Ambrose couldn't help but grin since he'd done the same thing with Cameron many times before. "Nineteen years ago—"

"Oh, here we go," Caius muttered, placing his elbows on the table. He folded his hands in front of his mouth, staring up at his mother with a gentleness that Ambrose had never seen before.

Not even with Lilah.

"—I had decided that I wasn't going to have any more kids," Mrs. Carmichael continued. She paused when her gaze landed on the empty chair across from her. Yet she pushed away the sadness it stirred within her. It wasn't the time to mourn the daughter she lost. Now it was time to honor the son that was still living. "I had four kids running around this townhouse with only me and Vittoria chasing after them. I thought my life was complete."

Ambrose caught Vincent's eye, raising a brow at the four kids line. Vincent subtly shook his head and he let his curiosity go.

"One day I got a call about a baby that needed a home. He had health issues just like all my other babies and he needed a family." Mrs. Carmichael let out a quiet sigh when she looked away from Caius' blank face. Mrs. Lodovico smiled, quietly urging her on when she faltered. "I wanted to say no because I didn't think I could give him the love and attention he deserved. But then my only son found out because he had a bad habit of eavesdropping. He demanded a new brother because he didn't want to be the only boy in a house full of three sisters."

Kiki sucked his teeth, looking at Caius with a pointed stare. "You're welcome."

"Shut up," Caius whispered, although his eyes were very soft.

"Next thing I know, I'm visiting this baby and he's in my arms." Mrs. Carmichael's warm eyes glistened. "He was too small for a two year old. When he held my hand his grip was weak. But it was his eyes," she said, motioning at Caius, "that really got me. His honey eyes."

"Aw." Lonnie chuckled, elbowing Caius in the ribs. A soft splatter of pink dusted his freckled cheeks. "Your honey eyes got you adopted."

"I hate you."

"Such a cute little baby," she said in a baby voice, pulling on his cheek.

Caius shut his eyes, making no move to stop her. He envisioned his older sister falling down a well like in the movie Coraline. Thinking of that brought a small smile to his face.

Mrs. Carmichael laughed, staring at her children tenderly. "Bringing him home made me realize that things weren't complete until he got here."

"True. He was easier to dress up than Kiki was," Lilah butted in with a small smirk.

"We'll show you the pictures later," Mrs. Carmichael promised Ambrose, ignoring the startled sound Kiki made. "Now, let us raise our glasses to Caius. You may not have grown in my belly. But I like to think you grew in my heart before I was blessed with your presence. Thank you, for being my son. Happy gotcha day!"

Caius bit his bottom lip to keep the building emotions at bay as the table echoed her final words. He cleared his throat, nodding in her direction and let out a tiny laugh. "Thank you."

"Thank God that's over," Kiki joked. Having picked up on his brother's need for the attention to be off of him, he stole a bun from the center and bit into it. "So, can we eat now?" he asked around a mouthful of fluffy dough. "Or is the point to make us cry and water the food with our salty tears?"

Mrs. Carmichael rolled her eyes. "Fine. Fine. Stuff your face since you can't wait any longer."

"Thank you."

The chatter moved onto lighter topics about what Caius was like growing up. From being Lilah's favorite doll to Kiki's favorite brother. Or that brief period where he followed Lonnie around so much that he tried to go to school with her at one point.

Ambrose sat in silence. He absorbed the stories and atmosphere with a new perspective that he was woefully unprepared for. When it was time for him and Vincent to leave he took Caius aside and asked why he'd been invited. The answer he received did him and his uncertain mind no good.

Because.

Ambrose sighed, following Vincent through the fresh snow and towards the car. "Because isn't an answer," he whispered to himself.

And yet, it was the only one he was given.

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QOTD: How do you think things will go now that they remember kissing AND it's been posted? What are your thoughts on the gotcha day the Carmichael family shared?