Care For Me ✔️

21

L I L Y

The car ride is relatively silent.

Callan and Carter attempted to make some small talk when we first left school, but I was too tired to really engage with them, and because they're nice, they turned up the radio a little and left me to my thoughts.

Leo was different to his brothers, he didn't try and chat with me, didn't even look at me. Instead, he placed his hand in the middle seat, facing it upwards, inviting me to hold on if I needed to.

I did. I really did.

He held my hand the whole way home.

When the car pulls up to a stop in front of a very large gated house, I struggle to hold back the gasp lingering at the back of my throat. I watch wide eyed, mouth agape as Callan rolls down his window and presses a four digit code into the intercom, opening the gates automatically. He drives us through the open gap, and I twist my head to see Alex's car follow in behind us.

My jaw drops open further as the car comes to a stop in one of four designated parking spaces in front of the house, or mansion, should I say. My gaze doesn't linger on the house too long, drifting to the garden surrounding us instead.

White rose bushes cover each side of the long gravel driveway from the moment you enter the gates, ending at the entry way. Blossom trees surround the garden, give at each side of the smaller gated entrance, they're all different sizes, tall, to middle sized, to really small, like they've still got a lot of growing to do.

We walk towards the steps and I can't help but stare, there's potted lilies on each steps white and pink. Everything's so tidy, so precisely placed, so beautiful and vibrant, more colours than any rainbow.

Leo squeezes my hand, smiling when our eyes meet. He gestures to the steps, silently warning me as not to trip as we follow his brothers into the house.

The entryway is so bright with natural light, white walls, light oak floors with a long fluffy rug leading to the end of the large open staircase. An extravagant chandelier hands from the ceiling, Crystal if I had to guess. The white walls are covered in photographs of Leo and his brothers at all different ages.

My smile falters, envy tugging on my heart strings. I don't think anyone's ever cared enough to picture me, to want to document each moment of my life...

My eyes linger on one photograph. It's Leo on what I assume to be his ninth birthday, judging by the big inflated number nine balloon in the background. In the photo, he's surrounded by his brothers who all look at him with so much emotion in their eyes, except for Ace, he just looks bored and Alex looks expressionless. Leo, however, his expression isn't one of happiness, he looks defeated in a way I can't comprehend.

Why would he be sad on his birthday when he's surrounded by so much love?

There's two cakes in the photograph which only adds to my confusion. They look decorated, one blue and the other pink. I'm vaguely familiar with the teen birthday cake, Atlas had mentioned it one day last week. But I'm no expert. I don't understand why there's two or why one looks a little girly for Leo's tastes. He doesn't strike me as a pink kinda guy.

I could be wrong though, Atlas loves pink, maybe Leo secretly does too.

Someone taps my shoulder and I jolt, hand over heart. I look to Alex and smile sheepishly.