a fake arrangement | wlw |

nine | absent

Truly worried for her brother, Valentina searched frantically as her eyes skimmed the seating room in which at the very corner of the place, her brother sat isolated from the rest. Running towards him, she kneeled down to his level and engulfed him in a hug, experiencing a wave of disregarded emotions that were locked away for a reason.

"Hey, kiddo." Alexander's muffled voice spoke as he spent the little energy he had left in himself and wrapped his arms around his twin sister, his head buried under the jumper Valentina wore.

A decade with no contact nor physical meet-ups between the twins, although Valentina hated to admit it, she ended up realising it was for the best for her, despite the many nights she spent crying herself to sleep, worried about her brother's well being and safety.

Her grip still tight, Valentina muttered a few words. "Why did you leave me?"

Taken back by her words, Alexander froze, not knowing how to word his reason for his previous decisions. "In time I'll answer your questions, but not now when you're this vulnerable. Soon kiddo."

Now her expression unreadable, Alexander looked at his twin, feeling a pang of guilt increase along with the feeling of uncertainty. At this point, he didn't know how to talk to her, let alone act like the older brother he was supposed to be.

On the other hand, Valentina had so many questions but at the same time, she couldn't stand the sight of her brother. Unwilling to cooperate with her thoughts, she finally spoke. "What have you been doing with the money I've been giving you?"

Alexander looked up to her intense gaze in which stared at the floor, sparing him no sense of emotion. He sighed, compromising with her request of a question, after all, he owed her. "I've been travelling. Going places where Dad used to go or dreamed to."

"You took his... journals?" Valentina stuttered, remembering the few times they got told off for even touching them. Ambrose was a protective and private man, those journals was his escape from his army days. "... Did it say anything about us?"

Alexander smiled a sheepish grin at his sister's curiosity, "He wrote about us, you know. He wrote so many things about us Val, so many that it hurts." His voice hitched, it sounded so broken, so distant almost. "I'm sorry. I haven't been there for you, I broke our promise and Dad's."

Valentina had never heard her brother so emotional, all she's ever known him for was too brave for his age, too blunt and carefree, wild at times. So when she heard his voice hitch at the memories of their father, her eyes watered because she knew he never fully got to say goodbye to him. 

Absentmindedly, she pulled her older brother into a hug, embracing him so tightly all emotions poured out of the two twins. Tears mixing into the fabric of each other's clothing and muffled noises filling the room, Valentina had never felt so close to her twin, she finally saw him, after the many sleepless nights, the many voicemails, the money sent to him over the years, the nights she used to get drunk or high just to have a night of peace just to forget about her problems. All those disappeared as she was tightly embraced by the one person who understood how she felt.

••••

Hours passed and now Valentina and Alexander spent the rest of the day in a hotel after she had bailed her brother out of his problems. They found the closure they needed as they read the journals that were each dedicated to one twin and Ambrose's journeys. 

The fourth book was dedicated to the sketches he drew when he was at his worst, which apparently was frequent. Drawings of a man and a terrifying shadow peering behind him, two souls wandering endlessly, a man without a face and more were drawn on several pages, even some scared the girl.

The twins didn't live the life they expected, nor wanted generally. Alexander wanted to be like his father, a bodyguard. He was close but gave up after the death of his father. Valentina wanted to strive as a model or a fashion icon, but when she began to be mindful of her physical appearance and her 'imperfections', she also gave up.

None of them wanted to, but eventually, they did. It was the reality of what life did to the weak.

With Alexander dozing off in his own room in the hotel, Valentina took the guest room. She opened her phone for the first time after leaving the Grayson Estate, and she was truly scared of what would appear on her lock screen.

Overall, between Mia and Teagan, 13 miss calls and 19 messages. However with Hazel, 39 miss calls and voicemails, and lastly 26 messages that she wasn't bothered to read nor look at. All she wanted was to be alone, but how could she when Hazel was at the back of her mind.

Even with Alexander in the other room, she was still too tempted to call the woman, and so she did. Within two rings, she picked up in a distant yet tired state. "Amon?"

"H-Hey." She answered back, trying to cover the unsettled state of mind she currently was in, however failing miserably when she tried to hold back a sniffle.

"I'm not going to ask you where you've been. But please come back to me. If I did something wrong then or if it's about the contract-" Her voice was rugged and troubled, and it shocked the younger girl to hear how much she cared about her.

"-My departure has nothing to do with you or the contract. I just... Needed some closure." Again, she sniffled. She had two more months left with Hazel, and up until now, she wanted nothing more to be associated with the Graysons, but it's changed greatly.

"Can I ask where you are?" Questioned Hazel, her voice still raspy after clearing her throat.

Valentina hesitated, she knew if she told the woman she'd chase after her, and that it the last thing she needed. The brunette was already causing some trouble with her absence from the estate without a proper goodbye, so if she'd tell Hazel, she'd get a reaction she didn't want in the first place.

As much as she wanted comfort right now, all she truly needed was to spend time with her brother; alone.

"Val?" Alexander's groggy voice emerged from the door entrance, the brunette breath hitched.

"Look, I have to go. Don't come looking for me, please." The woman begged as she abruptly hung up the call, turning her attention to the twin that was still wiping his eyes from his sleep. "Yeah, Alex?"

"...Don't you have a life to live, someone to go back to?" He replied after eavesdropping on their conversation. "You've given me enough of your time and money Val, I don't want you to take care of me any more than you have to."

"Alex I'm fine, I promise. We'll leave tomorrow afternoon." The girl spoke.

"We?" The man questioned, awfully confused.

Valentina sighed before answering his question. "There's a lot that I need to tell you but for now, you'll be living with me... In the Grayson Estate."