"The most bitter of tastes is that hint of a life you could have lived, if only-"

***************

Natalie's POV

There was something odd going on.

A sudden tension enveloped the atmosphere after we got back, but I couldn't pinpoint its source exactly.

To be honest, I felt like it happened right after I told Nikolas about my mom, or maybe after he saw the picture of...my brother. I just couldn't understand if the sudden change in his mood was by any way related to me.

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. I am probably just reading too much into this.

For the umpteenth time, my gaze drifted to both Nikolas and Alex discussing something in the other room, they both looked way too serious, which was beyond odd, considering Alex was never serious for even a moment since I met him this morning.

They really are two very different people. I couldn't even grasp the fact that they're related, brothers even, or by any chance grew up in the same house and under the same conditions.

Hold on. Maybe that's it...they probably didn't.

It all adds up actually.

The curious psychologist that never just leave me be, started analyzing again. There was a bigger hidden story here that I just wish to know; Alex is another missing piece in Nikolas's messed up puzzle that I am trying so hard to arrange, desperately hoping to obtain the final image one day.

I will, I will definitely figure it out somehow, someway.

I wiped my hands and headed toward where they were standing, Nikolas's back was to me and when I got closer, Alex's eyes fell on me and he stopped talking almost immediately. I offered them a polite smile, "Dinner is ready," I said, grabbing Nikolas's attention to me as well.

Whatever conversation they seemed to have stopped right there and Alex moved, "You guys have a nice dinner, I am gonna head out now," He said and I frowned, "Really?" I asked, "But I made enough food for the three of us."

"Well, you can leave me some for tomorrow," He said and gave me a wink before he checked his watch, "I should go, the missus is waiting."

I nodded, "You will come back again, right?" I asked. I have a feeling he can give me more information than Nikolas did over the past two months.

"Of course," He gave me a knowing look, "Tomorrow morning you'll wake up with me here as well."

A low sigh parted Nikolas's mouth and he shook his head, "I am so changing the door's lock."

Alex shrugged, "I will still get the keys, don't worry," he added and casually tapped on Nikolas's shoulder.

His eyes drifted to me and a genuine smile curved his lips, "Natalie, it was nice to finally meet you," He said and I returned the smile, "If I wasn't scared that Nikolas is gonna finally punch me or something, I would've hugged you right now," I chuckled at his words and Nikolas facepalmed, on the edge of losing all of his calm once again.

I doubted he'd do anything though. I had a feeling that Alex is the only one Nikolas allows to trigger him as much.

"It was nice meeting you as well," I said, enjoying the banter these two brothers got going on.

He gave me a wink and headed out, dragging Nikolas along with him, they briefly talked about something by the door before he left, "Bye, Natalie."

"Bye!" I said with a wave and when a not-so-happy Nikolas came back, I couldn't help but ask, "So, are you like a hundred percent sure he's your brother?"

He immediately shook his head, "To be honest, I doubt it too sometimes."

I smiled and sat down, more than ready to eat, "Even though you're the total opposite of each other, you guys seem to be so close."

Nikolas joined me, he sat across from me at the table. A low sigh pushed out of his chest and he shook his head, "I am not so sure the word close is the appropriate one to describe what he and I have."

I shrugged, "Still," I looked down at my food, "If he didn't care about you, he would've never pushed you to come to me, right?"

When he kept silent, my eyes drifted up to him. He stared at me for a full second before he shook his head, "I kind of wish I didn't listen to him."

"Ouch," I mumbled, faking hurt but actually offended at the insinuation.

His eyebrow raised, "Did you forget what just happened today? Or yesterday?" He asked, addressing the fact that I was attacked twice.

I shook my head, "It's not your fault."

His gaze went to his food, but he looked like he lost all of his appetite, "But some things are."

My eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

He shook his head, "Nevermind."

Without another glance, he cut down his steak, deciding to end that conversation there, but I wasn't the one to shy away from talking too much, "Like I said, it's not your fault, you didn't choose to have a dickhead of a father like yours," My words had him looking up at me, a bit taken aback and I nodded, "Yup, I just called him a dickhead, because I really don't like him."

"And, to be honest, I believe that everything happens for a reason," I truly admitted, "There is a reason your brother pushed you to this, there is a reason that out of everyone it was me," I shrugged, "I don't know what that reason is yet, but...maybe so I could help you, or who knows, maybe you could help me," He listened intently to my words, "Whatever it is, there is a bigger meaning behind this that we can't comprehend yet, and I truly believe in that."

He seemed to be thinking my words through and when he kept silent, I asked, "What?"

"Sometimes I wonder if you're naive or just so damn smart."

"Hey!" I said, offended at the accusation, "I am just smart, okay," I proudly remarked and pointed at my hair, addressing the blonde stereotype, "This color isn't real, okay, I am not dumb."

That seemed to pique his interest, "Hold on," His eyebrows pulled closer, "I feel tricked."

I chuckled and nodded, "Yup, see I am originally a brunette, this is fake."

His eyes narrowed at me, "Are your eyes actually blue?"

My eyebrow raised, "Of course, I am not all fake!" I inched my face closer and opened my eyes wide, "This is god-given beauty."

That earned me a very faint smile, but it was still there nevertheless, making me smile as well.

I backed into my seat and took my first bite, thinking of ways to investigate his and Alex's story without being too obvious, "So, Alex is younger than you, right?" I asked, looking at my food as if it's the most interesting thing ever.

"Yes," was all Nikolas gave me.

I looked up at him, "Yeah, explains why he is the fun outgoing one," My eyebrow raised, and Nikolas just shrugged.

"Is he..." I cleared my throat, "Is he part of what you are in?" I carefully said each word, desperately trying to not let the word mafia slip out.

He chewed on his food and shook his head, "He is not."

I placed my fork down, the answer taking me by surprise, "Isn't it a family-by-blood thing?" I asked.

The look in Nikolas's eyes changed a bit, like he just caught me, "It's...complicated."

Again with the vague answers!

My eyebrows pulled closer, "Then, why is your father after you only? Why not him as well?"

A low sigh pushed out of his chest, "Like I said, it's just complicated."

I huffed out, "What a girl gotta do to get a clear answer around here?" I mumbled, unable to hold back, annoyed at how he never just answers me.

He placed his fork down, harsher than he was supposed to, it clicked as it hit the edge of his plate and I almost winced, "If you gonna stay here for the next couple of days," His tone showed me that he really has lost his patience by now, "I advise you to stop investigating every damn thing!"

I shook my head, "Well, I am kind of a part of this now, like you said, I am being targeted, so the least you can do is make me understand."

He anxiously tapped his fingers over the table, one after the other, "The less you know, the better."

I scoffed, "No, that's so not true!"

He backed his chair away and angrily stood up, more than ready to leave me and my questions behind, "Yeah, just run away," I mumbled, frustrated at his behavior.

I stood up as well and my next words had him pausing to a stop, "You see, you hold a gun and you kill people and you think that's strength, but it's not," I was triggering him again, I knew it, it's the only way to reach that place in him, the one that could help him let go, if only he'd let go and let me in, I could help him, I could really help him, "The real strength is to face what you're feeling, and I am pretty sure you've never done that," His back tensed a bit, "So, no Nikolas, you're not s-"

"Don't you dare!" He turned around so fast and stressed out each word through gritted teeth, the wildness in his eyes dared me to continue that sentence, the way his whole being radiated with different energy assured me that he had heard those words before, but they weren't said for the same purpose as mine, they were said before to break him, and I could clearly see the broken behind the anger.

That look had me shutting up, yes, I want to trigger him, but not hurt him. The last thing I want is to hurt him.

He turned around and walked out of the kitchen and I sighed, my gaze drifted to the ground and I whispered, "I just want to help you."

**************

Nikolas's POV

There is something seriously wrong with her.

She is unbelievable, always trying to push me, trigger me, and curious about every damn thing in my life.

She wants to know everything.

I can't let her know everything. The more she knows, the...

I shook my head with a loud sigh. As if I needed this right now. I was already busy and worried about everything going on, from the men who are after her to the fact that I might've been the one to hurt her family. I am already unable to think straight, then she comes with her questions and psychological analysis driving me beyond insanity.

The only thing to pull me out of my thoughts was the phone ringing by my side. Seeing Jeremy's name flicker through the screen, I pressed answer faster than I could comprehend, "Did you find anything?" I asked. I've been calling him non-stop from the moment we came back, pushing him to find me any piece of information that could relieve some of this feeling away.

"Found something," He said, "So, from what I could gather, her parents were in a car accident, a one that killed the mother and left the father in a coma for quite a long time," He said and I pressed my eyes shut, "It was an accident?" I asked.

"To be honest, I don't think it was," Jeremy said, "But one thing for sure, there is no way we were behind this."

I wanted to be relieved at the fact but couldn't, "What do you mean?"

"I am not sure about anything yet, but I've seen enough fake police reports to know when I see one," He said, "I need more time to look into this and into her mother and where exactly she worked."

"What about the brother?"

"That's the weird thing, I couldn't find anything about him, not even a name," He said.

"So, is he dead? Alive?" I asked, his answer confusing me.

"I really have no idea, whoever he is, if he is alive, he really did a good job hiding everything about himself," Jeremy answered and I couldn't come up with an explanation. One thing for sure, there is more to this than meets the eye; there was something definitely off about Natalie's expression when I saw the picture.

"Okay, just keep digging up till you find more information," I said and hung up after.

I stared at the phone screen for some time, lost in my own thoughts. Yeah, I didn't kill her mother, but still, someone else did, probably someone from us did. That nagging at my brain didn't just go away at the news. The guilt pressing up against my chest didn't fade away. Maybe I didn't hurt her parents, but I've hurt someone else's parents. I've hurt more people than I could count. Innocents or not. I never cared. It never bothered me.

Not till I started to care for someone again. Not till I felt that there are things I could lose.

Lilly, Alex, and...Cara. They made me see things differently.

They made me feel everything differently. Sometimes I wish they didn't, if only I didn't enter their lives. They would've been okay and I...I would've stayed as the man who numbed the pain by inflecting it.

Yet still, Natalie really insists on seeing that ugly part of me, and I don't want her to. Not the part that killed and hurt, nor the one that enjoyed it.

It's selfish, but I want her to keep looking at me the way she does now. She doesn't see a monster in me yet, she is never afraid or scared. Sometimes I need that, it's beyond selfish, but I do. Just like I need the way Alex looks at me, not as the man who took his happiness and ruined his life for the past years but as the kid he once grew up with in a small cold basement.

And like the way Lilly looks at me, not as the man who took her away from her father but as if I am her home and she is safe with me.

It was all things that I needed, to keep the monster at bay and the human alive. They were reasons that reminded me that maybe...I could still have a chance.

I don't know how much time passed till I heard light footsteps nearing me, they became so close till I felt the couch dip down a bit beside me. I lifted my eyes to Natalie and she stared back at me, guiltily, "I am sorry," She mumbled, her voice low and so soft.

My eyebrows pulled together, "For what?"

"For saying what I said and making you sad," She mumbled, the innocence radiating off her eyes almost stole my breath away. She was sorry because she thought she hurt me.

I wanted to smile at the thought, at how pure she was and how insanely dangerous getting close to her is.

I shook my head, "You didn't make me sad."

She nodded, "Still, I should've stuck to my limit, but I can't, I just can't," A low frustrated breath left her mouth, "It's my problem you see, I need to know everything going on around me, and when I don't, I go crazy!"

She rubbed a hand over her face and I stared at her for some time, carefully thinking about my next words, "What if I say that I could tell you some of the things you want to know so bad."

Her eyes grew wide in excitement and her whole body turned around toward me, my words grabbing all of her attention. I rubbed a finger over my lower lip to hide my smile at how enthralled she seemed to be by something as simple as this, "You could pretend to be less excited."

She shook her head, "I can't, this is a chance in a lifetime," Her eyebrows pulled closer, "Hold on, there is a catch, isn't it?"

I nodded, "For everything I answer, you answer a question of mine as well."

Doubt and confusion flared in the blue of her eyes, they narrowed, as if sensing my motives behind this, "Mr. Viarchi, are you finally curious about me?" She asked, a hint of tease in her tone.

I sighed, "Okay, never mind, we don't need to do this-"

"No, no, sorry, no, just carry on, I am just so very excited!" She said in a hurry before she crossed her legs over the couch and stared at me intently, totally absorbed by this, "Can I ask first?"

I nodded and a big smile curved her lips. She rubbed at her chin, thinking it through, "Oh wow, there is so much to ask, I don't know where to begin with," Her eyes lightened up and she looked back at me, "Okay, I found it."

She narrowed her eyes a bit, indirectly ordering me not to lie, "Did you and Alex grow up together?"

I shook my head, "We didn't."

Her eyes widened a bit, "Really? Then how was it? How often did you see each other? Were your parents divorced or were you like in different cities or-"

The raise of my eyebrow had her shutting up in her rambling, she gave me a guilty look and a cheeky smile, "Sorry, your turn," She mumbled.

I couldn't ask what I wanted right away so I played around the bush, "You said your father was in a hospital, why?"

The excitement that once took all over her features seemed to slowly fade away, "There was a car accident," She honestly said, fidgeting with her fingers, "My mom passed away but it put my dad in a coma, and just recently he woke up, but it did something to him," Her throat bobbed but she carried on, "He doesn't talk, he doesn't remember anyone, and he doesn't even give any reaction to anything."

"I am sorry," I mumbled.

She shrugged, "It's okay, at least he is awake and with me," She mumbled, "He'll get better, I am sure."

She rubbed a hand over her throat as if to blunt the ache before she let go of that pained look and tried to get back to her old excited self, "Now, my turn," She said but she seemed to take longer to think about her next question, she looked up at me, "Do you ki...hurt, do you hurt innocent people?"

"Not anymore."

My answer had her blinking, like she expected it but was hoping I would give her another answer.

She nodded, giving me the permission to ask, "Is your brother alive?"

Now this, had her eyes widening a bit, the question she least expected. That look took over again, wrapping up the innocence in her eyes with something so defensive. The muscles of her jaw tightened and she shook her head, "I don't know."

Before I could ask more or try to understand, she changed the subject, "My turn," She said, her tone now challenging, like I hit a nerve, she wanted to do the same, "You say you've done terrible things," Her eyebrow raised, "What's the worst thing you've done?"

I shook my head, "I can't tell you that."

The muscles of her jaw worked, "Then tell me one of the things you've done."

If I wanted answers, I needed to give her ones, "I've hurt my brother," I said and shock emanated from her gaze in waves, "Not physically like you'd think, worse, much worse."

Before she could react, I shot for my question, "What happened to your brother, Natalie, and I don't know is not an answer you could use."

Her fingers curled into the inside of her palm, "He left," She started before her gaze drifted down, "He left me, right after the accident, he just walked away," Her voice tightened, as if trying so hard to keep it steady, "Our mother died, our father was in the hospital, I was young and I had no one and he just left me all alone to deal with all of that."

That wasn't the answer I was looking for, "Why?"

She looked up at me and the sight of tears filling up her eyes made me want to take it all back, "I don't know, he didn't say anything, he just walked away and I tried to find him, I tried to reach for him," She shook her head, "For so long, I searched everywhere, I called every day, I left him so many messages," The first tear fell, "He never replied, and he just never came back home."

"If you want, I could try and find him," I suggested.

She shook her head, "No, no, that was in the past, I stopped searching and looking for someone who doesn't want to be found," Something furious took over her teary eyes, "I don't want to see him ever again, for me he died right after mom did."

She wiped under her eyes, "I am sorry that I am crying, I just-" She mumbled and I shook my head and felt myself inching closer, my fingers rested under her chin and gently lifted her head up, so she could look at me.

She sniffled and shook her head, "It's just when we were young, we were so close you know," A defeated smile came up her lips, "He was my twin brother, he was like my other half, and we had this connection," More tears welled up and spilled, "I could always feel it, but when he left, I no longer felt it, it was like I lost a part of myself as well."

She shook her head, "I never understood why he did it, it feels like after that accident, I just...lost everything."

What if she finds out it might've not been an accident? She won't. I will take care of this on my own and she doesn't need to know.

Tears uncontrollably fell and she was crying again. I didn't know what the hell to do. The sight of them made me uncomfortable in so many ways.

Involuntary, my hand went to the back of her head and I pulled her closer to me. It took her tears away when I did it in the morning, so maybe it could do the same now.

A low sniffle came from her side and she rested her head over my chest. Her closeness bringing that foreign warmness and controlling all of my senses.

It was a bit overwhelming. Her amber scent. The softness of her skin. How small her body felt wrapped up in my arms.

She was so innocent and pure, and the urge to protect her from all of this only intensified.

"Can you please not cry?" I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.

She pulled away a fraction and her gaze flickered up to me. My eyebrows pulled closer at her teary red eyes and I shook my head, "I don't like it when you cry and I really don't know what to do."

For some reason, at my words, she smiled. A somber faint smile crawled up her lips and she wiped at her cheeks, "Every time I cry, you hug me," She pointed out, "For some reason, it makes me feel...safe."

Her eyebrows pulled together, "You've killed in front of me, you've threatened to kill me so many times as well," Her eyebrow raised, "You keep warning me that you're this big bad wolf but still, somehow, I feel safe with you."

This look, this exact look, is the one I was talking about.

"I told you, you're either so naive for trusting me, or just smart enough to believe that I won't hurt you."

She shook her head, "I don't know you for that long, and to be honest I haven't figured you all out yet," She pulled her body a bit away, "But I can sense it when someone is bad and Nikolas, behind all of this tough hard exterior, there is something good in you, a pure instinct that tells you to...hug me when I cry," She shrugged, "That makes you feel the need to protect me from those people even though you don't have to."

She nodded, "So yeah, maybe I am naive, but I do trust you."

What the hell was she doing to me?

I couldn't say anything back, how could I after she said all of that? How could she even see a part of me that I, myself not sure it exists. A part that I haven't had the chance to discover yet.

At my silence, her head tilted and she stared back at me, "What are you thinking about?" She asked, not curiously this time, more like a request to let her into my thoughts.

If only she'd know what's going through my mind now, "Something not...good."

Her eyebrows pulled closer, the shade of blue in her eyes was darker now due to her previous tears, "Such as?"

I couldn't stop my gaze from drifting down to her lips as they moved and asked me that, "Such as what would it feel like to kiss you again."

She gulped down at the straightforwardness of my words, her eyes grew a bit wide, taken aback by my bluntness before she shook her head, her voice a bit low, "I don't think that's so bad."

It was bad. It was me crossing a boundary.

A brief moment of tensed silence wrapped us in, as if both aware of what's coming next. She inched a fraction closer, and on instinct, I did the same. This time, it wasn't for the purpose of shutting her up, it was just something that I wanted. Just a brief blissful moment that could pull me out of the chaos my brain is lost in.

We were so close now, one little move and I could have my lips on hers. Seconds separated me from that decision but something jumping up Natalie's lap with a loud shriek had me pulling away and breaking my stance.

"Fuck," I cursed under my breath and Natalie's gaze drifted to the cat that not-so-subtly interrupted anything from happening.

"See, I don't like that thing for a reason," I mumbled in annoyance and raked a hand through my hair.

Natalie smiled and she looked down at the cat as a bit of redness rushed up to her cheeks. My gaze drifted to the animal, who rubbed herself against Natalie's hand, very pleased at the fact that she prevented me from doing something I wasn't supposed to do.

It's better this way. I should have more control over my thoughts. I am always with a plan and the plan is simple this time; kill Isaac or die trying to. This...this definitely isn't part of the plan.

I got up to my feet, "I should head out, there are a few things I need to take care of," I said and Natalie's gaze immediately flickered up to me, "Just do whatever you want, okay, and if you need anything, call me."

Sadness swirled in her eyes, "You're going out? At this time?" She asked, as if bothered by the idea, "Will you come back late?"

I nodded, "Probably," I mumbled, the further I keep myself away till I fix this, the better, "When you want to sleep," I pointed at my room, "Sleep on my bed, okay."

She gulped down and sadly mumbled, "Okay."

"Don't worry, if it isn't safe here, I wouldn't leave you alone."

She nodded, "I know, I am not scared."

I grabbed my jacket and keys but before I could leave, her light footsteps behind me had me turning around. She hesitantly stared at me before she decided to speak, "I don't know where you're going or what you're going to do, but judging by your lifestyle and that gun that never leaves your side," Worry flared in her eyes, "Just...just be careful, okay?"

I nodded, "Okay," I never had anyone telling me to be careful before or...worrying about me.

So this is how that feels like.

**************

It was way past midnight when I returned back home. The lights of the living room were still on, I confusingly walked there and stopped in my tracks when my eyes fell on Natalie, fast asleep on the couch, her head resting over the pillow, her legs pulled up to her chest, the position she was in looked so uncomfortable, like she was sitting but sleepness took over her body and knocked her down.

It felt a bit weird, coming home and finding someone there. For the biggest part of my life, I've been coming to an empty house, or an empty room.

This, her mere presence, made the house feel oddly warm.

She was right before, this place was my hideaway, just a bed to sleep on when the night comes, nothing more. I always avoid coming back early, being limited down within four walls isn't for me. I've spent the largest portion of my life trapped inside that I can't afford to go through it again, but today, tonight was different, I was just thinking about when will I get back here, it almost felt like there was someone there waiting for me.

I shook my head and walked closer, wanting to wake her up so she can go sleep on my bed, but when I took another look at her peaceful and calm face, I couldn't get myself to shake her awake. I pulled into a deep breath and leaned down, carefully I let one of my arms go under her back and the other under her legs.

I took her into my arms, her cheek pressed over my chest and I was scared she might wake up but thankfully, she didn't. A low breath parted her lips and she pressed herself deeper into my embrace. On light footsteps, I walked her to my room and carefully laid her head down on the pillow. The cat was already sleeping right in the middle of my bed and I desperately avoided waking it up as well.

I pulled the blanket over Natalie's body, who was still fast asleep. Involuntary, my fingers inched to her face and pulled the hair strands that covered up her eyes away. I tucked them behind her ear and my hand lingered there longer than it should.

I swallowed past that weird feeling and pulled myself back. I should fix this fast and let her go. Like I said, she isn't part of the plan.

She can't ever become a part of it.

Whatever fucked up thing I am feeling, whatever that pull toward her is, it's happening only because she's giving me things I never had before, things I craved for once.

Maybe in another life, in a different time and place, she and I would've worked.

If only-

I stopped there, preventing myself from dwelling over the possibilities behind these two simple words.

My plan now changed a bit, but not a drastic change. I will make sure she is no longer in danger, I will find who was behind her parent's accident, and I will get the hell away from her life after.

If she stays with me any longer, she'll know, she'll know everything and I can't afford to let that happen.

I can't have her look at me the way Cara does.

**************

Natalie's POV

Just like yesterday, I woke up and the first thing my ears registered were the sounds coming from outside the room. There were people talking, probably just Alex and Nikolas.

I blinked in a haze and looked around me; hold on, I didn't fall asleep here, did I?

Shaking myself out of my sleepy state, I yawned as I got to my feet and walked to the bathroom. I freshened up and decided to change my Pj's, hoping Nikolas won't comment on my clothe's state again.

After brushing my hair and making sure I look the least presentable, I headed out of the room, my eyes searching around for Massie, hoping she isn't disturbing Nikolas again. I found her on the couch by herself and fast asleep. I patted her head before I made my way toward the kitchen, the scent of coffee pulling me in.

I stopped by the door when my eyes caught Alex sitting down drinking his coffee but what took me a bit by surprise was some girl, a one I haven't seen before, standing by the counter and buttering up her toast. The sound of my footsteps had her looking up, she paused in her eating midway and her eyes grew a bit wide.

Her green eyes stayed on me as her hand went to Alex, it accidentally brushed over his face, "Alex, Alex," She said urgently and he pushed her hand away, annoyed, "Alex, there is a girl in here!"

That had his gaze flickering to me, and he immediately smiled, "Yes, I know," Her head tilted to the side, "Morning, Natalie," I smiled back, "Good morning."

That girl's wide eyes went to Alex then back to me, "Natalie? Who is Natalie?"

"She is Nikolas's girlfriend."

My eyes widened at Alex's answer, "I am not his girlfriend," I mean I am trying to be, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

"Oh wow," The girl said and placed her unfinished toast away, "I thought I am gonna die before I see this day."

She looked at me from up to down and I had a feeling that I won't like her very much. She smiled ever so sweetly before she stabbed the knife that was in her hand into the bread and walked closer to me, "I am Emma," She said, extending her hand forward.

Before I could say anything, her gaze drifted to someone behind me and her smile grew wider, "Nik, I just met your girlfriend, I think I like her," Her words had me turning around, my eyes falling on Nikolas right behind me.

He sighed and looked at Alex, "Seriously?" He asked in annoyance before his gaze went to this Emma, "You two ganging up on me now?"

Alex shrugged and Emma nodded, "Come on bro, don't judge us, we just thought this day would never come."

"Bro?" I asked, unable to hide my shock.

He has a sister?

Why am I not shocked that he never told me that she existed?

Emma nodded, "Yup, I am the sister," She said and shot Nikolas a fake glare, "Why didn't you talk about me to your girlfriend?"

"I am not his girlfriend."

"She is not my girlfriend!"

Nikolas and I said at the same time. I gulped down and looked at him, and our gazes met.

"Aww, they're so cute," Emma said with a dreamy sigh, and Nikolas's jaw tightened and he looked away. His hand circled over her arm, pulling her away, "Emma, let's go, I didn't bring you here for this."

She stopped him from dragging her away, "I know I came here to help you with Isaac, but damn, this is more fun!"

"Emma," Nikolas grated out in warning, he seemed to lose his patience faster with her.

She rolled her eyes, "Okay, okay, let's go," She turned to me and smiled, "I will be back, you and I need to spend some time together."

Her eyes went to Alex, "Hey, cuz, you coming?"

Wait, what?

"Hold on, hold on," I interrupted, looking between the three of them, "You all are not siblings?"

"Oh no, no," Alex said as he walked closer, "Definitely not, no," He looked at Emma and winced, "Oh fuck no, never never say that again," He pointed at her and at Nikolas, "They share same father," He pointed at himself and Nikolas, "We share the same mother."

Okay, I am officially lost.

My eyebrows pulled closer, "But she, she called you cousin, so your father," I pointed at Nikolas, "And your father," I pointed at Alex, "Are brothers?"

Alex nodded, "Yup, that's it."

"Oh wow, that's so messed up!"

Alex scoffed, "Wait till you hear the rest of the story."

************

Nikolas's POV

"Soooo," Emma started breaking the silence in the car, "Natalie is cute."

I huffed out, "Emma, not you as well," I commented.

She smiled, "What?" She asked ever so innocently.

"I am just trying to protect her," I stated.

"And when exactly did you transfer your house into a safe haven for pretty girls?" She sarcastically remarked.

I decided to ignore her, maybe she'll just shut up and stop with this already.

"I think she would fit well with us," She carried on.

"No, she won't, and she doesn't have to."

"What's the problem then?" She asked, still not dropping it, "Scared you may destroy her as well?"

My fingers tightened over the steering wheel, "I would never," I grated out. But the problem wasn't here; the problem is that she is the one who could easily destroy me if I let her in.

"You like her, don't you?" Emma asked, very amused.

I pressed my feet over the brake, slamming the car to a stop by the red lights and I turned to her, "Since when exactly you became interested in my love life?"

My words or the harshness in my tone had her smile fading away, "Since I started to believe that you need to..." Her tone became serious so did her eyes, "That you need to let someone in."

My eyebrow raised, "Last time I checked, we didn't do the whole brother-sister caring, didn't we?"

"Well last time I checked, I thought you died, okay?!" She shot out, and something wild took over her eyes, "Yes Nikolas, we didn't grow up together, we definitely don't have that brother-sister bond but I literally have no one but you," She said, "My mother died, Isaac wants to use me as a weapon, my husband hates my guts, so yeah if anything was to go wrong, I know you are the only one I could depend on to be there for me."

The light turned green and I resumed driving, "I don't do the whole feelings thing but when I thought you died, it did hurt," Her words had me facing her again, taken aback by her confession, "So yeah, maybe I do care about you, deal with it."

Speechless, I stared back at her in silence, "But if you keep going down that road, you and I both know you won't ever be able to come back from it," She added, spitting down facts, "So take it from someone who feels the exact same way," She said, exposing a weak part in her that I didn't know existed, "You gotta let someone in."

She looked ahead of her, her jaw tightening as she said, "Because I can't afford to lose you again."

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Hey! Missed me?
Of course you did, duh!

So, what do you think? Natalie's parents? Her brother? Nikolas and Emma? xD

If he would just open his eyes, he'd see there are people who care about him but he's Nikolas and he has a thick brain *facepalm*

I started to write Blue Ribbon's next chapter, see ya there soon!

Love ya all!