Devereux House

6

Carter

"You good?" Bella asks me as I drive off.

"Yes." I tell her. She looks around and gets a wet wipe out the side. "Give me your hand." She says

"Here you go." I say. I bust my knuckles at the second punch. She cleans my hand in silence.

"Sorry about that." I say clearing my throat. In my head I was thinking of next time I see him how to strangle him.

"He is an asshole." She says. Bella was quiet most of the journey. I park the car and get out getting the door for Bella.

When we get there, I hold her hand as we walk over to the house.

"Hi! Come in." Charlotte says as she answered the door. Just like her sister, she lived in a mansion on the hills. The house was beautifully built. It had a Spanish theme.

"Hey." Bella says as her sister hugs her and then hugs me.

"Your home is beautiful." I tell her.

"Thank you. Come in. Come in." We follow her through to the living room.

"Hey. You guys look great. This dress looks good on you." Melanie says hugging her sister. "Chanel. Not my collection." She says and Melanie rolled her eyes. "I know everything that is yours."

"Hi Carter. So nice to see you again." She says kissing my cheeks. "These are so good." She says holding my arm looking at my tattoos. I was wearing a tshirt and last time they didnt see any of this.

"Thanks." I say. "Your sister is soon tattooing my name on her arm." Melanie and Charlotte's head both snap towards Bella who was biting into an appetizer.

She looks at me and rolled her eyes as she continues eating. "Over my dead body." She says.

"That would be hilarious. For us. Dad would kill you." Melanie says smiling. "Hey." Adam says walking into the living room from the back yard. He was followed by another man.

Adam shakes my hand greeting me. "How you doing Carter?" He asks

"Good. Thanks for having us." I say.

"This is Adrian. My fiance." Melanie says. "He was in South Africa and couldn't attend the wedding." She tells me and I nod shaking his hand. He looked like a poster boy for preppy white boys.

Adam and Adrian both hug Bella. "How are you little one?" Adrian says as Bella rolled her eyes.

"How are you old man?" She asks smirking. He did look a little older than Melanie. Maybe late thirties?

"What were you in South Africa for?"

"The hospital paired up with a hospital in South Africa to fund under privileged people with health problems."

"You are a doctor?" I guess and he nods. "Yes."

"Adam is a surgeon." Bella says. "I had to before he starts asking to guess what he is. I can't listen to that."

"Come on! How often do I mention that?" He asks as the sisters laugh. "Honey you do always talk about blood and cutting into people's organs." Charlotte says.

"Where is AJ?" Melanie asks Adrian.

"Hes playing out there with Alexandria." Adrian says. "AJ!" He yells and a little kid runs in followed by Bella's little sister.

"This is AJ, Adrian's child." Melanie says and I nod. Nothing about children interests me. I could barely stand Angelina growing up and she is 3 years younger than me.