Sweet Devil [BL]

Chapter 158. Skeletons In The Closet

Jake peeked at Tristan through the rear-view mirror. The rhythmic movement of the car had rocked his little brother to sleep a while ago, and the boy was thus curled-up in the backseat, his head resting against the plush toy he had bought him earlier, just before leaving the aquarium. The bluish jellyfish, almost as tall as the child, seemed to have become Tristan's most precious treasure. Since Jake had given it to him, he always had it in his arms and dragged it everywhere. Even after falling asleep, Tristan hadn't let go. Instead, he snuggled against its bulging head with a pleased smile on his lips.

To say Tristan liked his big brother's gift would be an understatement—he adored it.

Jake had never seen such a bright expression on the boy's face than when he handed him the plush toy, and he still didn't know how to feel about it. It was just a plush, so why was his little brother so happy? But deep down, he knew that even if he had given him an ordinary pebble, Tristan would still have been over the moon. It didn't matter what he gave him; it was the gesture that counted.

'I don't think I'll ever understand why Tristan is so attached to me when I've been nothing but a jerk to him these past few years,' Jake inwardly sighed, his inner voice dripping with self-mockery. 'But I guess this kind of childlike attachment is cute in a certain way.'

"So?" Gabriel said, bringing back Jake's attention to him. "How was today?"

"Not half bad, I guess."

"Is that so."

Ignoring Gabriel's irksome smile, Jake gazed out of the window. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was glad to have come to the aquarium with his brothers. Only, it still felt weird to be as close as he currently was with Gabriel. They never had a heart-to-heart talk in their past lives, and it was disturbing how natural it had become for them to speak their minds to each other. He never thought a day would come when they would hang out together like this—he wouldn't even have dared to dream about it.

But what was truly troubling him was Tristan. After today's events, Jake could finally see him for the kid that he was. Tristan wasn't a monster, just a boy who loved his big brothers and wanted to be close to them. The Tristan he knew from his past lives wasn't this child; they were people that couldn't be any more different. Of course, Jake was aware of this before, but he had never been able to accept it until today.

"By the way, you should have realized by now that I'm as petty as you, and I don't like it when others make decisions for me," Jake paused to snort. "So, I'm warning you: the next time you force my hand like you did today, I'm going to tell Misha all the embarrassing stories I know about you. And I know a lot."

Gabriel choked on air before letting out a hearty laugh. It reverberated within the car, making Jake smile faintly.

***

Tristan sat cross-legged on the floor, his chin propped on the palm of his right hand. Unfathomable thoughts swirled in the depths of his eyes as he stared at the Lego castle he had built a few weeks ago. He had added another bedroom for Stephan, though he put it in the basement, far away from Jake's. He frowned slightly at the window leading to Stephan's small room before shifting his gaze to the jellyfish plush beside the castle. His eyes then seemed to turn gentle, a doting expression flashing across his face.

Knocks on the door echoed in the bedroom, and the warm look on the boy's face vanished. He became as expressionless as a doll as he lazily glanced at the door. He squinted but nevertheless invited the people outside to come in.

The door squeaked, and two bodyguards entered his bedroom. They were the men tasked with watching over the Laflamme brothers at the aquarium. The bodyguards, still wearing their suits, were both tall and well-built, the stern expression on their faces screaming they weren't to be trifled with. The tallest was called Connor, the shortest, Brian.