Gracious

Part 3 - Chapter 31

A/N - yes this book is still alive...

Zane is 23 in this part :)

TW: scenes some may find upsetting ❤️

~~~

"Happy birthday to you!", we all cheered as Chase blew out the candles on his cake, leaning back and pressing a kiss to Aurora's temple afterwards.

How my brother was seventeen today, I'd never know.

"You gonna make a wish Chasey?", Caleb chuckled, shaking him by the shoulders, "more books? A new pair of glasses? A nicer girlfriend?".

He gave Aurora a teasing look and she rolled her eyes, shoving the eighteen year old's head.

"You love me and you know it", she jabbed a finger at Caleb, "but yeah, make a wish".

"I already made a wish", Chase revealed, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend and picking up the knife with the other. His voice was deeper, he was taller, growing what only some would class as a beard, as well as his hair being a little longer.

They were growing up, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"I want the first slice", Xavier announced, barging past his twin and our cousins so he was at the front of the line, "you don't mind me going first, right Rory?". She just chuckled, ruffling his black hair and shaking her head.

"Have at it", she told him, "why is there so much gel in your hair?".

"He claims the girls love it", Prescott snorted and I rolled my eyes, looking at my fourteen year old brother's all-over-the-place hair in distaste.

"They do", Xavier flashed us a grin, taking a slice of cake on a plate from Chase with a thank you, "I've already got girls wanting to be my valentine". Give me strength.

"What about you Xan? Long line of girls for you too?", Caleb grinned, only to be met with a scowl from our youngest brother, "who shit in your hands and made you clap?". Emiliano and the twins laughed, Marco wearing his usual stoic facial expression as always; I just eyed Alexander carefully, he'd been worse than I'd ever seen him temper wise recently.

"Fuck you", and there we were. The laughter died down instantly and I cleared my throat, watching his blue eyes settle on mine.

"Do you need a moment outside?", I asked, he just scoffed in reply and barged to the front of the line for cake, holding out a plate.

"I want some fucking cake", he stated, I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed, this was how we were going about it apparently.

"Xander", Chase warned, not making a move to cut any for him.

"Fine. I want some fucking cake- please", he snapped, "what are you all looking at?".

"Okay, that's enough", I pried the plate from his hand and held a hand on his shoulder, "with me now". I knew it wasn't his fault, trust me I reminded myself every time he did or said something out of line, but we'd been having a good day so far, I wasn't having him try and throw it into jeopardy.

And just because he had to, he shoved Xavier's plate of cake on the way out, causing it to squash against his chest- really?

"Xan!", he exclaimed, dropping his plate onto the table as if it were on fire and grimacing at his shirt, "ew, ew, ew!".

"Relax, take it off", Prescott was at his side in an instant as I began to usher my hot-headed brother out of the room, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"I don't know how you cope", Marco muttered to me as I brushed past him, a smirk tugged at my lips as I directed Alexander to my office.