He meant everything to her. Three years later and she'd still do anything to keep him safe, sacrifice everything to protect him- even if that meant keeping him at an arm's length.
She was the one person who truly knew him. The one person he'd choos...
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Two french braids fell down, resting against the lower half of Peia's dark hair. All of the underparts had been curled, the braids trailing the length of her scalp. She wore a white dress, the sleeves flowing off her tanned shoulders. Her small, twelve year old frame barely fit into the dress. She honestly probably needed another year to grow and then it'd fit her better.
Aurelia brushed through the last coil, separating her long hair into loose curls. She peered at her daughter through the mirror, ignoring her own pale skin. "You look beautiful." She said, a smile lifting her lips.
Before Cass could respond, her mother's eyes widened, a violent cough suddenly spurting from her throat. She immediately turned to the side, grabbing her white handkerchief she'd set on the mahogany vanity. The cloth was brought up to her lips, absorbing the intense cough.
She brought the handkerchief down after a moment, folding it over to conceal the crimson blood staining the inside. That was one thing her daughter didn't need to worry about— not today.
"Are you okay?" Peia asked, turning around in her seat to stare at her mom.
Aurelia pasted a smile to her face and rubbed her shoulder. "I'm fine, Sweet Pea. Let's get going. You can't be late."
Anxiety coursed through her small body as she vigorously nodded her head. She slid off the chair, her feet landing on the warm carpet below. No part of her wanted to do this. But she was finally old enough to be part of it.
"Why don't you go get your brother? I'll get Kai." Aurelia asked, lightly nudging her forward.
Cass didn't say anything as she ran the rest of the way to her older brother's room. Upon reaching the door, she slowly opened it, a soft creak sounding through the hallway. Her eyes peered inside his room, locking onto her brother's eyes as he met her gaze.
In an instant, she had made a beeline for him, becoming wrapped up in his arms. "I don't wanna go." She murmured.
"I know." Rhett responded, pulling away to look at her. Either of his hands were resting on her shoulders, his body crouched down so that he was at her eye level. "But your name's only been in there once. The odds of it getting called are, like," He paused, letting out a breath. "A million to one."
She didn't say anything, her eyes timidly locked onto his. "I'm not scared for me. I'm scared for you." She admitted. "You've been in there four times."
Rhett tilted his head, a smile somehow curling onto his face. "Don't worry about me, P. I'm gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay."
Peia bit down on her lip, eyes flickering to the floor.
"What's wrong?"
She didn't want to say it. If she said something, it would make it real. And if it was real, that meant she could lose her.
