My Brother's Best Friend (Luke Hemmings/5SOS Fanfic)

Chapter 22

       There was a fine line between lying and keeping a secret. Ashton and the rest of my family and Riley are the only ones who know about this as well. I don't want to lie to Luke, so I'm not, I'm really just keeping a secret from him.

My life is an entire lie, my childhood anyways. I'm not blood related to any of the Irwins, but I do look so much like then that I can act like one.

"Luke!"I screamed, giggling as Luke threw me over his shoulder as we tried to paint our room. My boyfriend, now fiance, was an idiot. Everything he did was stupid, and I found it adorable. Honestly, he does what he wants, and most everyone is okay with that. If they aren't Luke doesn't really give a damn, neither do I.

Not everyone is okay with Luke and I getting married at our age, but we plan on making the best of everything, even just the engagement is going to last at least a year, if Luke will last that long. If he doesn't, then I will just make him suffer a while longer and back the wedding up farther than a year away. 

"Babe!"Luke screamed, laughing, as he spun around and nearly knocked us into the freshlypainted wall. Noticing i had a paint brush in my hands, I took my chances and painted his face, and part of his hair? Oops. Luke gasped, rather loudly, and dropped me to the floor on my feet, and luckily I caught myself. He grabbed the closest brush to him and started to paint me. Unfortunetly for him, I don't give a fuck what he does. I have lived with the infamous Ashton Irwin for most of my life. 

"LAY IT ON ME, BABY! I TAKE WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU BRING!"I shouted, putting my arms up in a v formation, and laughing afterwards. Luke smirked before he placed his hands on my waist, pulling me closer. "Nothing sexual until we are done painting at least, I would rather not have anything painted that has clothing on it."I smirk as his smirk turns into a small smile. I pecked his lips and pushed him away, "Back to painting"I said

We got done soon after, but the paint would take at least a day to dry, considering I'm cheap, and Luke had to have a dark blue color. I couldn't keep this secret from him and the rest of the people living with us, and the boy's girlfriends! 

"FAMILY MEETING! EVERYONE THAT LIVES HERE AND RILEY, MAIA, AS WELL AS IZZY LIVING ROOM NOW!"I basically scream, and watch as everyone piles in, and I look at Riley and Ash. "It's time I tell you guys something very important about me. I've managaed to keep it secret. Riley and Ash alreayd know, Ashton has know about it since the day I met him."

"You mean the day after you were born?"Cal asks, confused. Ashton shakes his head and smiles at me. i take a deep breathe before continuing on.

"I am technically not apart of the Irwin blood line."I paused, "I was adopted by Ashton's mum when I was seven. I was the lucky one in what was left of my family. My biological brother wasn't so fortunate, he didn't get adopted until he was thirteen, two years after me. His name is Branden, he's Riley's brother now. So technically, Cal you're dating my sister!"I laugh, "he wasn't originally a guy though, and that's what made my mom commit suicide when I was two, Branden was about six or seven. And he looked at my mum and said, 'I am not a girl, mummy. I am a boy, so why do I have to wear this stupid dress?'"I sniffled, looking at everyone, knowing that they were accepted of him already.

"When he was adopted, he told me that he wasn't going to be far away, that this family already loves him as a guy, and accepts it"I felt a tear roll down my cheek."I didn't want any of you to know, not because I'm embarrassed of him, cause I'm not, Branden's my best friend other than Riley. Even though he may not be with us anymore, he's always going to be my brother and my best friend. I miss him so much."I shook my head, vision blurry, as Isat down infront of everyone, wiping my tears away.

"About a year before I met you guys, while I was dating Jake, I got a call, from Riley. She told me to come down to the hospital quick, that something was happening to Branden. I of course panicked and had Ashton come pick me up from Jake's house, Jake didn't know about Branden then, and take me to meet up with that side of my family. "I paused, as Riley came up and sat next to me, her arm warpping around my shoulders and pulling me into her, "The doctor called out as soon as I got there 'Lillian Josephine Johnson', and I corrected him, saying his name was Branden not Lillian. Anyways, Riley told me that Branden had been having troubles doing much, and the doctor told us that he had brain cancer, and that there was minimal that they could do to help."

"They tried Chemo, because the radiation was too dangerous, it was his brain for fuck's sakes. The Chemo worked for about six months before it just stopped, and the cancer was taking over his body, within another two months, it had reached his heart and stopped it. My own brother, I was the worst thing ever while that happened, all I wanted to do was hang out with Branden, I didn't know how much longer I would have had with him. Branden died at the age of nineteen, the day of his birthday. He died on the day he was born."I was almost full on sobbing by this point, and I noticed now that everyone was around me and hugging me. 

"It took me sometime to finally get my life back together, a full year and a half. I met Leo after Jake and I broke up and I met all of the boys, and my life seemes pretty normal after that. But I can never ever have plans on New Year's. That's when I go to visit him, every year since he died, Riley comes with me and sometimes Ashton. But I just sit there and talk to him like he's sitting right there and talking back with me. He's burried right next to my mom and Riley's side of the family. There's one small plot left for me when I die, right under Branden and next to Ashton's side of the family. And I tired killing myself several times while I was recovering, but I knew it wasn't what Branden would have wanted."I pulled out the box from under the couch, where I kept it in case anything happens. 

In this box were pictures of Branden in his best times and in his worst. Everything about him was perfect. Branden was my only biological family left before he died, now there's only me.

"These are of Branden. When he was Lilly and after and everything in between and after until his death. Branden died in the hospital two hours after his party, which was at Riley's house. I have so much of his stuff, and he is my muse, sorry Luke, sorry Ash, and no it wouldn't have been you anyways Cal, Riley maybe, but not you"I laughed as i read there minds basically. Seeing as I've known them for so long, it seems crazy that I can do that, but it's not. This is my family now. Branden lives a little in all of us, but mostly in Riley and I, being his sisters. Biological or not, Ashton will always be the best brother ever, and Riley the best sister ever.

"Yeah, I've kept that from you for five years now."I sniffled and realized I could see again, glad I am wearing my glasses today. 

"I love you so much, and your brother looks like the best guy a girl could have as a brother."

"Here's the worst part: he has two children."