Rose petals

Chapter 24

"How'd the date go?"

"Did you screw up?"

"Did she remember anything?"

"Where did you take her?"

"Did you kiss?"

"Do you think she's over you and will want me instead?"

"Harry shut up." I glared as he shot me a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders while everyone continued combating me with questions. "Guys the date was a success." I grinned. They all instantly relaxed and jumped up in excitement.

Everyone had planned to meet up at mine for the evening so they could distract the twins from too many questions and also completely ambush me right after I got home. It seemed like a good idea at the time but right now, not so much.

"Date?" A quiet voice whispered from a couple feet away making us all freeze in place. Elle.

"You said you were going on a work thing?" Emerson asked, standing right beside his sister who looked seconds away from tears.

"You lied? You never lie to us." Elle sniffled as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Both of them were stood just a couple steps up on the staircase and everyone was dead silent.

"What are you trouble makers doing awake? I thought you'd be asleep by now." I frowned, slowly walking over to them while everyone disappeared into the living room.

"We wanted to sleep with you tonight so we waited." Emerson said, putting a protective arm around his sister.

"Why did you lie to us?" Elle asked, completely ignoring my attempt to somehow change the subject. "You went on a date with a girl and you didn't even tell us?" She said, her breathing slightly laboured from holding back her tears.

After Everly had 'passed away' I genuinely believed I would never experience heart break like that again. It broke me, it shattered me, it obliterated me. But looking at my little girls face right now broke my heart all over again. She looked heartbroken while Emerson looked furious.

Before I could say anything, Emerson took Elle's hand and pulled her up the stairs right behind him. Their little legs barely got up the next couple of stairs before I had scooped them up in my arms and carried them the rest of the way. They didn't protest or try get down, instead they let me carry them to my room before pushing me away and sitting on my bed.

"You like a new girl?" Emerson asked after a couple moments of silence.

"Are you going to be in love with her and then marry her and then make her our step mommy? She's going to be an evil step mommy like in Snow White and poison us with apples." Elle hiccuped and my heart only broke a little more.

"You said you'll love mommy forever and ever, did you lie about that too?" Emerson asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at me.

Now how do I get out of this one? Do I tell them the truth? Do I lie more? There's no getting out of this with a good reaction. I refuse to do the one thing I promised myself I wouldn't do and that is to lie, and that doesn't include the small lies to protect them.

"I'm sorry for lying, I really am." I said, kneeling down in front of them as they crossed their legs on my bed. "What if I tell you that I lied for a very good reason? That I have the biggest surprise in the whole entire world for you but I have to be a little secretive before I give it to you?" I said with a small smile and my fingers crossed hoping their anger subsides.

"A big surprise? Like when you throw us surprise parties on our birthday and pretend there's nothing going on?" Elle asked innocently. I always knew they were on to me when I do that.