Chapter 20 – Bonus: Curve Balls (Brennan Conrad POV)

There are a million damn clichés about how unexpected life can be, calling all those moments different things.

Unforeseen circumstances and curve balls are two I can normally go with and understand. In just eighteen short years, I had seen my family grow, change and evolve. But with all those good times, unfortunate incidents came along as well.

Some would say that death was just an unavoidable part of life, but that's only something one would say if they were not like us. Sure we ran the risk of losing someone we loved every once in a while, but my great grandfather was still alive and kicking but my healthy younger brother – Silas – was gone. I guess for our kind, old age was not what killed us, it was normally diseases or misguided intentions to weed out the different. Boy... were we different.

Losing a family member though, the pain and grief was nothing you could explain with words, nor would you wish upon anyone, not even an enemy. Silas, the troublemaker, was still sort of the glue to our family in ways, keeping everyone on their toes, entertained.

Before his death, I'm not quite sure what I thought my family would look like but I suspect mom and dad would have added a few more to our already sizeable brood.

Guess I was wrong.

But just when I thought life couldn't throw us any more curveballs, not for a while at least. I hoped. We got Faith Ashlynn, this tiny wisp of a girl, but I think she was only small in stature. Not in bravery or weirdness.

Talia, my twin, was alive and well because of Faith.

But that didn't mean that the girl or her reactions and responses did not puzzle me.

And I was not the only one.

"Brennan it was so weird you should have heard the conversation we were having!" My sister gushed still shocked; "I asked her how she could afford a VPI Classic Direct turntable? I mean the one she has starts selling at around thirty grand!" Talia shook her head, "And she tells me that she got it from a friend, that he worked for four days in exchange," obviously aware of the price of that turntable that response was off to me.

Still weird or not, we were all grateful to Faith for rescuing Talia, but that's not where the story ended when it came to Faith. It was as though it was only the beginning, and she had her hooks in my family, though it was purely so. Faith had no ulterior motives but she was surely changing our family dynamic, but again, I'm not sure she was aware of her impact. I mean how could she? Between the fire and her burns, the stitches at the bottom of her foot and the flu she caught, the only person Faith was a danger to, was herself.

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Our family had been in Bend, Oregon for a while now, attending the school, living in dorms as many others did, though it was not necessary. As such, on weekends everyone got passes, and with our family having the space to accommodate everyone, we normally had about ten or twelve people at the house. This weekend being no different, everyone had arrived, and while it would be a blast, this time was anything but.

"What is between Taylor and Samson is between them. Your relationship with Devin is separate Brennan. It is a tough place to be, but the two of you are not you, Samson, Taylor and Devin. Talia and Javier are together. You and Devin are together. It is not written anywhere that Samson must be with Taylor for you to be with Devin, or for Talia to be with Javier, son," my father – Ansel Conrad – words play on my mind in a loop as I watch my younger brother, with eyes only meant for Faith. Closing my eyes slowly, I knew I could no longer fight the truth, not when I could easily see what Samson was clearly not hiding.

Then, I glance over at my best friend and twin sister – Talia. Despite both of his sisters storming out of the room, Javier hadn't so much as blinked in their direction.

Pushing away from the table only after Samson and Faith have left the room, I walk up to my own room with what feels like the world on my shoulders – weight that should not be there.

"He took her to our spot," Taylor cried. I stilled right outside my room; placing my forehead against the wall, dread rushing through my veins. I was not in Taylor's position, and had it been any other guy that made her this way, I'd be the first one to rush and pay this guy a visit. But knowing that it was Samson changed everything. I wouldn't fight my brother over a girl that I was not even with. He hadn't disrespected Taylor in anyway that one would deem ill mannered, so what was I supposed to do? "He hasn't been able to – why would he take her there!" She cried indignant.

Please do not answer Devin, please, I pray silently, closing my eyes, when she does, "Maybe it wasn't his idea, maybe Faith asked and since the family feels like they owe her for saving Talia, he just went along with it all," my stomach sank lower than ever. Those pictures... proof of Samson's feelings...

Squaring my shoulders though, I push away from the wall, sighing heavily, not at all looking forward to entering my own damn room. Twisting the knob, I enter as quietly as possible, closing the door behind me and walking over to my desk pulling my chair out to sit in front of Devin and Taylor.

With red eyes, and puffy face Taylor turns her teary gaze onto me swallowing thickly, her eyes fill and tears tip right over before she stands hurriedly, dashing into my shared bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

The instance she is gone, Devin turns to me, "Can you believe he took her to their spot?!" she asks incredulously angry and again I'm not sure what to say. Any other guy and I might have saw fault, "He – she thinks that he's led her on, hell I think that too!" Devin says crossing her legs and arms.

"Honestly there is something wrong with that girl baby," I snap out of my daze, frowning, "I spoke to my dad about this – well he kind of spoke to me," I start off slowly, reaching for Devin's hands taking each of hers in one of mines. "I know you love your sister Dev, but we cannot get involve-"

"Do you know that Faith has like no online history?" Devin asks, interrupting. Blinking confused, I cock my head to the right gazing into deep wood brownish yellow eyes. "I know right?" she mistakes my shock for agreement to continue, "I went online and searched her name, then even did a Google image search of her face and there is nothing, baby!"

"You looked her up?" I ask voicing my shock. "Of course, Taylor and I needed to know her competition. We'd search her room, but she never leaves it," Devin says shaking her head. While I just process what she's saying. "Okay, look, no," I shake my head, "We cannot get involved Devin, I'm serious! Samson – he's already let Taylor down, said how he's felt, now just let her deal with this rejection, there is nothing else-"

"Baby, really there is something wrong with her! I mean I hacked her computer and did a backdoor live remote connection and she's looking up all this Stockholm-"

"Stop!" I jump to my feet looking at Devin in total shock, "You hacked her computer?" I ask but I don't give Devin a chance to reply, "And do not say that it was only practice and that you do everyone's in this house-" I shake my head mind blown.

"Faith is off limits Devin-"

"I'll leave Faith alone, if you just talk to Samson," Devin says standing walking towards me slowly, "He might be interested in Faith – though I don't know why," she rolls her eyes, "but, you and I both know that he must feel something for Taylor, we've seen them together," Devin pleads with me, "so just... please ask him to give Taylor a shot?" I know better. I should have said no. I should have told her that we couldn't get involved, I should have done a million different things, said more than I did, but instead of all the positive things I should have said, I only nodded slowly.

"I'll talk to him once, Devin. Just once and if he doesn't-" I barely get the rest out before Devin throws her arms around me, "thank you, thank you!" she whispers, her mouth near my ear.

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