LOTTIE SWIRLED IT WITH A SPOON, watching as it went in circles, until she suddenly paused, glancing up. "It's hot. Are you sure you don't want a spoon, too?"

Joseph shook his head, giving a subtle smile. "No, I've always liked hot things..."

She watched him take a sip, indifferent, and chuckled. "Ah, yes, I'm sure you do."

Joseph gave her a double-take, then squirmed back against the couch. "That's not what I meant." Another sip. "I just- I think we should talk about why we're here."

Lottie stumbled over her thoughts as she stared back. "Well, it's only fair... I did promise you the truth." 

"Lottie?"

"Yeah?"

Joseph was watching her hands, each fidgeting with the bracelet. "You're anxious and clearly want to get something off your chest, so why don't I help you." Slowly, he placed his beverage at his feet, then leaned in. "Your brother - what's going on with him?"

She gave a faint chuckle. "Starting out with hard questions, huh?" 

"Well, I've been more than curious," he said, studying her. "We never talked about it; not really. When we went to the movies and the park, I could never bring myself to ask."

"And now you can?" Lottie asked, raising a brow. 

He remained silent, gesturing her on. 

She stared back with narrowed eyes, then placed her cup on the end table. After another beat, she leaned against her chair's armrest. "He's gone, Joseph. That's all he is."

"Gone?" He lowered his eyes and then his voice. "What do you mean by that?"

"He's done stalking me, so now I can finally live my life. Thankfully, too! You've seen me, Joseph, and how much I've been struggling." Lottie suddenly went quiet, quickly going for her beverage. 

"Look at me."

Coffee in hand, she looked up and huffed. "You know, I'm getting tired of you demanding things of me," she muttered. "I mean, you may be cute to look at and everything, but-"

"Lottie."

She went silent, mouth dropping. 

"There's something you're not telling me and I'm tired of it. I need the truth, Lottie, and nothing but the truth." Joseph pressed his lips, keeping eye contact. "I know that's not the full of it."

Lottie closed her mouth, then looked down at her coffee and resumed stirring. 

"How can I help you if you're not honest?"

She sighed but again met his gaze. "Well, Eliott stalked my neighbor and me for a while, as you know." Then she scoffed, mumbling incoherent words. "He's always been weird like that... Only, when he was a kid, he was the sweetest thing! Oblivious, but sweet. Now, though, he's, well, you know how he is."

"At Culver's, Lottie, I saw you two walk outside together. What did he say to you?" Joseph pressed. 

"Why didn't you ask before?" She looked him over, leaning in. "You had so many chances."

"I never asked because it was never my business, but I'm done with being left in the dark."

For a long moment, they stared at each other, lost in their own thoughts.  

"Well..." Lottie trailed, giving a dry chuckle, "he, uh, had some news." She began to shift, leaving his face. "Whether it was bad, though, is debatable." When she collected herself, glancing up, she found that he was observing her. "What's with those furrowed brows? You might as well be scribbling in a notebook, recording your findings."

"I can see it in your eyes, Lottie. You're holding in tears." He paused, giving a small sigh. "I think the news was bad, but you don't want to admit it."

Her face twisted as she drew back. "Bad? Do you really think I care that my aunt is dying?" She pointed at her scar. "Eliott claims she's changed for the better, but after this little incident, I don't care. She could be an angel and I'd stay here, minding my own dam-"

"Language," Joseph said, holding up a hand. 

Lottie stared, resisting choice words. Slowly, she eased back and huffed. "When we went outside of Culver's, he told me that he'd be staying at the nearest hotel for a week and gave me a slip of paper. If I didn't come over, he told me, he'd get the message and leave."

Joseph slowly nodded, rubbing his face. "That's a lot to take in. If I'm honest, I don't think you should go-"

"And I went."

Joseph paled, then leaned back, crossing his arms. "That's, uh- Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" He was now tapping a foot, watching through narrowed eyes. 

"I only kissed you twice, Joseph," Lottie snapped. "And it was only twice because you wanted to put on chapstick."

He faltered, choosing his words. "You should know I'm here for you-"

"No, stop."

"But-"

"Stop talking."

"-I am." With that, he leaned in, spilling his coffee all over the carpet. "And I always have been."

There was silence. 

"Get out, now."

A beat passed. 

Lottie gave a subtle nod to the door. "I'll tell you one more time" - she was blinking back tears - "but that's the last chance you get."

"Let me help you-"

"Get out, now!" In the next moment, she was on her feet, tears falling from her cheeks. When he didn't move, watching from the couch, she grabbed at his sleeve and tugged. "Why are you so difficult?!"

Soon enough, Joseph had stood, blinking back his own tears. "Lottie-"

"No!"

"Yes!" And in the next beat, he had wrapped her into another hug, resting his head over her shoulder. Slowly, she stopped resisting, and he closed his eyes. "Just let me help you."

"Okay..."

-

"Oh, you don't need to look so satisfied," Lottie said, leaning in for another bite. 

Joseph chuckled as he scooped some onto his own plate. "I knew you were lying when you kept breaking eye contact," he went on. "Besides, even if I was somehow a terrible cook, I'm great at reading people."

"Wipe that smile from your face. You look too proud of yourself."

As she came forward and pulled up a seat, he gave her a knowing look. "Your gagging, though, had to be the worst acting."

She smiled, preparing another spoonful, when she peered up and forced it away. "Yes, Joseph?"

He was watching her, brow raised. "It's just that no one can resist my casserole! It's got corn, mash potatoes, hamburger, and just the right amount of cheese on top. I even invented it myself."

Lottie paused, looking him over. "Invented? You sure about that?" Soon enough, she broke into a smirk. "This is delicious, to be honest. The best food I've had in a while."

"Thank you-"

"But it's not hard to make."

Joseph gave his signature toothy grin. 

"You're a dork."

"You're welcome, Lottie."

Moments later, Lottie was finished and excused herself to the sink. Joseph followed suit a minute later. Before long, they were in the living room, each on the couch, watching the television in comfortable silence. They were halfway through Doctor Strange, which was pre-recorded, when Lottie cleared her throat. 

Joseph frowned as he searched for the remote. "What's wrong?"

"It's 10:30. Don't you have to go home sometime tonight?"

Slowly, he aimed the remote and paused the movie. "Well, my mom messaged me an hour ago, worried, but I told her I'm with you."

Lottie's heart skipped as she fully faced him. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I'm not going home tonight."

Lottie stared into his soft brown eyes, entranced, when she looked away. She wasn't about to make a mockery of herself; especially not in front of Josep-

"I just don't want you to be alone."

She straightened as her gaze dropped. "Well, I'm perfectly fine by myself. I've been alone this long, so I don't see why tonight would be any different." 

Joseph nodded at her hands - or, more specifically - her wrists. "I saw them, Lottie."

The color drained from her face. After looking down, ready to hide the scars, her gaze turned cold. They were covered, which meant-

"When you handed me my coffee - that's when." With a sigh, he gave a half-hearted smile. "Ever since, I knew I'd be staying the night; you're more important than sleeping in my own bed."

Lottie created a gap between them, peering at the door. "Maybe you should go."

Moments later, Joseph caught her eyes and searched, mouth parted. In the next, he snapped it shut and stood. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," he breathed, then turned. "I'll see you later."

"Am I really more important than your sick mother?"

He paused and dropped his head. 

"Well?"

Joseph waited another beat, then faced her, a new sparkle to his eyes. "What's a night, anyway?"

"Joseph?"

"Yeah?"

"Have a seat. I want to tell you a story."

-

They sat in silence, overcome in their own thoughts. While he was leaned in on the couch, she was drawn back on the chair. This had been going on for several minutes. Even though it was 11 PM, they were too consumed in the moment to care. 

"How old were you?"

Lottie played with her bracelet. "Nine."

"And how old was Eliott?"

"Seven."

For a moment, stroking his chin, he stared ahead. "Thank you for telling me. All this time, I've always wondered how you got that scar. It turns out, your aunt pushed you down the stairs."

"And thank you for spending the night," Lottie returned. "You've helped me realize why I've been single all this time. Now I know. It's because I'm so secretive and unpredictable that no one can get close enough."

Joseph huffed, then slipped onto the cushion beside her. "Lottie, I just think you're misunderstood. With all this trauma, it's no wonder you've got some abandonment issues." He began stroking her back, keeping his voice soft. "Do you hear what I'm saying?"

Lottie lifted her eyes, lost in his, and leaned in. When their lips touched, her heart shuttered and she wrapped her arms over his shoulders. 

In response, Joseph nudged her away, turning his head. 

When they parted, each kept a distance as they stared, motionless. 

A beat passed. 

And another. 

Joseph, hand over heart, lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "I'm sor-"

"What was that for?" Lottie snapped. 

"When I came here tonight, I said I needed to tell you something... and this was it." Then, after rubbing his face, he met hers and sighed. "I'm only twenty-one, so I shouldn't be focusing on relationships. I've got my life ahead of me. Before anything progressed after our kiss, I had a meaningful talk with my mother and she agreed."

"What do you mean?" Lottie asked, blinking back tears. "I'm gonna need more than that."

"Well, my mom married my father when she was just twenty. At the time, he was the ideal man, you know? In her eyes, he was perfect. Just two years later, though, he began drinking and doing hard drugs. He passed away last year... I just don't want to make that same mistake."

"But you know I wouldn't do that stuff!" In a bout, she uncovered her wrists, holding them up. "What, because I'm cutting you think I'll become some hardcore addict?"

"No." Then he tilted his head, a thousand words on his face. "It's me who's not ready. Right now, I'm just trying to discover myself and succeed. Years down the road, when I've met my beautiful wife, I'll start a family with her and live my remaining years. Until then, I need to focus on myself."

-

On her side, hair in face, she brushed it back and peered over. He was still on his back, asleep, covers pulled up to his neck. Despite the situation, his snoring, soft and steady, calmed her own until her eyes fluttered. 

But she stiffened. Auntie doesn't deserve me. She can just die alone.

Then, wiping her eyes, she went over the scene in her head. 

-

Flashback ~

"I'm winning, sister, I'm winning!" Eliott was on his chair, leaned in, as she spammed the controller. The game was Call of Duty. When she remained quiet, he glanced over. "Don't you see that I'm winning?"

Lottie resisted a sigh from her bed, back to frame. "That's great."

Eliott was quiet for a moment, then looked back to her. After searching her, brows furrowed, he turned back and whined. "I lost because of you, sister. I lost!"

Lottie covered her ears, closing her eyes. "Keep it down, will you? I can't hear myself think!"

In a bout, he tossed the controller aside and aimed at the television, turning it off. "Ever since you got that scar, you've been quiet. The old you would have congratulated me and meant it."

"Well, I guess I have a lot on my mind..."

He moved the chair to face her, then plopped down. "Why don't you tell me about it?" 

"I'm not so sure..."

He crossed his arms and pouted his lip. 

Lottie nearly denied him when she stood and neared the staircase. From above, the door was shut and all was silent. As she came back to her bed, she gestured him over. "Just be quiet, okay?"

After she settled under the covers, he smiled, joining beside her. "What's the secret?" 

Lottie shushed him, finger to lips. "I said be quiet, yes?"

He laughed but nodded. "Okay, but what is it?"

For a moment, Lottie could only stare back, forming her words. "Well, remember when you and Auntie were looking through that photo album?"

He nodded. 

"Well, I did too..." She paused, listening for any movement upstairs. "What if I told you Auntie was actually your mother?"

Instead of pausing to reflect, he just giggled, waving her off. "I'd say you're crazy."

"Well, you see my scar? I told her I'd tell you and she pushed me down the staircase." She pointed at it, lips drawn. "This is what your mother did to me."

Eliott grew silent, looking her over. In a small voice, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we're cousins. That's why we barely look alike."

Still, he said nothing. 

"What are you thinking, Eliott?"  she asked, giving a soft nudge. 

His eyes turned big and bright. "Can I still call you my sister?"

"Of course. And I'll still call you my brother."

Little did he know, though, that her bags were packed. Lottie was going to be gone in a week because she was done with Auntie; she was done with everything. The only person she felt safe was her brother, but he'd be fine. 

Auntie always loved him best, anyway. 

Hey there! I think this was the longest chapter yet and I hope it was enjoyable. Please free feel to point out anything, whether it's good or bad. 

Anyway, as always, it's interrogation time! *rubs hands* This time, they're about the book:

1) What could I do better? This could be grammar, plot, character development, etc.

2) Is there anything that doesn't feel realistic?

3) Lastly, are you connecting with the characters, or do I need to do better?

Well, as always, I hope you're doing well and God bless. <3