My Sister's Keeper

Twelve.

Xavi's pose was awkward as he stood at the entrance of their home with a hand behind his head, rubbing at the back of it.

"Um...Hey, Dame," he said and cleared his throat. "I...I mean Damien."

"Xavi," Damien repeated with furrowed brows. "Hey...What are you doing here?"

Xavi shrugged. "I uh...I wanted to come by and check up on you," he said. "You know, after what happened the last time I was here. I meant to come back earlier but I've been with my grandpa for a few days. I just got back in town last night."

Damien frowned. "And the first thing you thought to do was come here?"

Xavi shrugged again. "I really wanted to know if you were okay, bro."

A huge part of Damien told him to shut the door. To slam it harshly against the face of someone who could have potentially ruined his life...but he didn't. He couldn't. There was no concrete evidence whatsoever to prove Xavi's guilt, or at least that's what he had tried to tell himself. He should've stayed away for the time being. He should've distanced himself and went back to watching the movie with his mother.

He didn't.

Instead, he sighed and loosened his grip on the doorknob while saying, "Thanks, man...I'm cool though. You just caught me at a bad time that day."

Xavi nodded, but before he could speak, Damien's mother did as she walked down the hall.

"Damien? Baby, who was at the...Oh, Xavi! Hi, sweetheart, we were just talking about you!!"

Damien rolled his eyes with a groan and said, "Ma," while turning his head.

A small smile formed on Xavi's features as he looked at Damien before moving his gaze to Damien's mother. "Hey, Mrs. Bryant. Were you really? It's good to see you again."

Regina smiled, pushing her son slightly to hug the boy in front of him, which caused him to scoff as he was forced to open the door wider.

"It's good to see you too, honey! Been awhile since I've seen you around this much!" she said while pulling away.

"Ma," Damien muttered.

Regina waved her hand dismissively. "Hush, Damien. It has been a while!"

Damien clicked his tongue as he looked at his mother. "And this is why," he said. "You be doing too much sometimes-"

"Damien don't think because your friend is here you can't get knocked, don't start with me," Regina cut him off.

Damien laughed through his nose as Xavi watched them both in amusement.

"I'm glad to see you two are doing okay," Xavi said.

Regina smiled softly as Damien examined the two quietly, narrowing his eyes at the boy across from him.

The suspicion, no matter how hard he tried to doubt it, still hung heavily in the air around him. In some ways, Damien even felt guilty for having it there in the first place. Xavi had always been one to care for others, especially when it came to the twins given how they had first met. They were Xavi's first pair of friends when he was still the new kid in town. How could he ever hold any amount of hatred in his heart for either one of them to do such a heinous act?

Even still, the most innocent of faces could hide the most sinister of backgrounds.

"I was wondering if we could hang out today, Damien."

Damien blinked. Once, twice, and then for a third time as he furrowed his brows.

"Huh?"

He grunted as he was elbowed by his mother, who sent him a warning glare as he met her gaze.