Dishes clatter and crash from downstairs. I heard my mom and dad shout my name again. Sighing, I tossed the fantasy book I was reading onto the bed and stood up. I head down the narrow staircase and into the kitchen.

It was a mess.

My mom stood in the middle of the kitchen, a ladle and spatula in both of her hands. Her apron was dirty with what looks like ketchup and—was that eggs?

"Mom..."

She broke into an apologetic smile.

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Oh, you surprised me alright." I walk further into the kitchen.

"It's your first day back from college-"

"Mom, why don't you just take me out to breakfast, eh?"

"It's more sincere if I cooked it."

"Do you want me to live?" I retort with dry sarcasm as I pick up a broken eggshell in the egg mixture.

Her eyes land on the eggshell and she shrugs. "More protein?"

I drop the eggshell back into the bowl and rub my temples. I shouldn't be upset. She is happy I am home. To be honest, I avoided coming back to this place.

The front door opened and I heard Lucy's voice.

"Hey, we're back."

We're

Every hair on my body stood up as if I was stuck between two magnetic force fields. Alec came back with Lucy. I turn my back to them and walk over to the kitchen cabinet. Grabbing a glass cup out of the cabinet, I grab the orange juice on the counter and pour myself a glass.

"Lucy and Alec!" my mom exclaimed in excitement.

"Hey Mrs. Knowlton." His voice sent a shiver down my back. I sat the gallon of juice on the counter and lifted the cup to my lips.

I've known Alec for the longest time. He's been with us since diapers. I should consider him like an older brother, but I don't. Instead, my heart skips a million beats per second in presence. I can't breathe around him and my heart hurts that his attention is only on Lucy.

It's always been Lucy.

He has been glued to her side since the beginning.

"Grace?"

It broke me out of my thoughts and I turned around with a fake smile plastered on my face.

"Hey!" I greet them.

Lucy pulled me into a tight hug. She left to study at a nearby university while I accepted a university several hours away. I figured the longer the distance, the less I would feel and then move on.

I guess I got my hopes up for nothing because when Alec pulled me into a hug, I felt my entire being filled with a sense of longing. I missed him even if I didn't want to. I hugged him tighter and felt his chest rumble with laughter.

I shouldn't feel this way towards him. I knew he had a crush on Lucy. It was the way he looked at her. It was the same exact way I looked at him.

Lucy is oblivious to his affection. She treats him like an older brother.

We are twins, but Lucy had a certain kind of aura around her. She stood out more. Her auburn hair shinier and glossier. Her cheeks are more vibrant. She wore the perfect outfits that always seemed to make her look better.

While, I have my auburn hair tied up into a high ponytail and a plain black t-shirt and gym shorts on.

"How are you?" Alec asks.

"Good. You?" I pull back from his embrace.

His midnight tresses fell slightly over his forehead as he flashes me a breathtaking smile. An eyebrow cut on his left brow along with a slight stubble growing on his jawline just made him all the more bad. Those light gray eyes sparkled and I bit the inside of my cheek. He is as handsome as ever. I brought the glass of orange juice up to my lips to gulp down the turmoil inside of me.

"Excellent. It was a long drive." Alec hates driving. He would run if he had a choice.

I don't know how I am going to survive these next two weeks of break. Lucy and my birthday are near too. I regret not making friends at the university. The only friend I have is Kian. Why couldn't I like Kian? The man was just as handsome with his platinum blonde hair and sky blue eyes. He is just as tall as Alec.

Kian was another friend who has been with us since diapers. When we were little, it was just the four of us. We played and did everything together. Now it is different.

Footsteps rumbled down the stairs fast. I already knew who was coming. He appears in the kitchen a second later dressed in low gray sweatpants with no shirts. His platinum hair is a mess.

"Good morning, guys," Kian smirks.

He walked over to me and swung an arm over my shoulder. This is what I was talking about. It felt like Alec turned his attention to Lucy and Kian just became my bestie. The differences were there, but no one mentioned anything.

"I'm just so happy to see everyone home again."

I duck and Kian's arm drops. I heard him rummaging in the pantry for something to eat. I walked to the dining table and sat down with my orange juice.

"I'm going to put my stuff away," Lucy announces before walking back to the front door to pick up her stuff.

Alec slipped into the chair next to me. His size made the large chair look like a kiddie chair.

"So," he started.

My eyes travel to him.

"How's school?"

"Good."

"Oh, that's good."

Really? This conversation couldn't get any more awkward. Why couldn't I talk like a normal person? Why am I behaving this way? It's just Alec.

Except, it wasn't just Alec. I harbored a crush on this man for 13 years. 13 years is a long time to have feelings for him. I thought that overtime it would go away, but it only grew. To the point where I felt guilty for feeling this way. To the point where I had to accept entrance into a university hundreds of miles away.

"Shit, I forgot to buy the buns for later," my mom curses from the kitchen.

"I'll get it." I jump from my seat, eager to escape talking to Alec.

"I could go with you." He stands.

"No, it's fine."

Trust me. That was the last thing I wanted.

"Thank you, Alec," my mom agreed for me.

I plaster a smile onto my face and shrug my shoulders nonchalantly. I walk around Alec and head down the small narrow hallway to the front door. I heard Alec behind me.

"I got my bike. It'll be faster."

"Ok," I murmured.

Great. Bike.

It means I'll be close to him. I want to scream out loud. Suddenly, I can't wait till I go back to my dormitory.

Alec got onto the bike first. He grabbed a helmet and handed it to me. I swung my leg over the bike and sat behind him while putting on the helmet. He had his on before me.

"Ready?" he asks.

"Ready," I said. I had my hands gripping his shirt.

He chuckles and grabs my hands before wrapping my arms around his waist.

"What are you worried about, Grace? I bite, but I promise not to bite hard," he teases.

I dryly chuckle at his teasing.

We arrived at the store twenty minutes later, Alec followed closely behind me while I walked down the bread aisle. I stopped when I reached the hot dog buns. Standing on my tiptoes, I reached for two hot dog bags on the top shelf.

Unexpectedly, I felt my heart rate quicken and my vision blur. I stumbled back and Alec caught me with his arm. A throbbing pain hit my temples and I couldn't open my eyes any more. The headache was causing my eyes to be sensitive to light. I grimaced and on instinct turned my face toward Alec's chest.

"Are you okay?" Alec asks in concern.

I shook my head, "I'm fine. Just a headache."

I force my eyes open and see Alec staring at me. His eyebrows furrow with concern while his eyes search deep into mine. I gave him an assuring smile.

"I'm fine. Just a headache."

"Have you been getting a lot of these?"

I nod. "It's all the late night studying."

His shoulders relax. I step out of his embrace half a second later. Turning, I reached for the bags again before rushing down the aisle.

We paid for the items and left the store. Again, Alec got on the bike and I got on behind him. Leaning my body into his hard body, I pray he didn't feel my heart racing or how much he is affecting me. My arms circle his waist. Alec starts the bike and revs off.

The ride back was silent. I kept my eyes on my surroundings. Anything to distract me, but I couldn't help but think back to when I went to grade school with Alec. I used to get on his bicycle and he would ride us both to school.

I can't remember how long Alec and Kian have been with us, but from my understanding, they were adopted by my parents and lived with us. There were summers or winters that Alec and Kian were in boarding school or camp. We wouldn't see them for months.

Alec pulls into the driveway and I hop off quickly.

"Thank you for coming along." I handed him his helmet.

He takes it with one hand and a small smile appears on his face.

"Why are you so polite, Firefly?"

My gaze snaps to him. He hooks the helmet onto his bike and turns to look at me while still sitting on his bike. It was his little name for me.

When I was 10, my parents took us out to camp. Alec, Kian, Lucy, and I snuck out of our tents to play by the lake. There, we saw a bunch of fireflies. Several fireflies landed on my head and when Alec saw them, he kept that name for me.

I haven't heard in a long time. My heart skips a beat and I shrug my shoulders. A genuine smile appeared on my face. He smiles back at me.

"You two are finally back!" My dad shouts from the front door.