POWERS OF NATURE Book 1 - Into the Storm

Chapter 18

When her mom called to say she'd be working late, Stephanie felt a sense of relief. She wasn't sure how she'd have managed having both boys in her room at the same time. It was just another mess for her to try figure out, her feelings for them. She loved Matt, but she also had a bond with Aiden, especially after he had helped her. She couldn't say she loved him, but neither could she say she didn't. Hopefully, when this was all over, she could concentrate on forgetting how she felt about Aiden and focus on her relationship with Matt.

When all the papers were set out on the kitchen counter, she went upstairs to change. Lately she'd found herself almost always in her sneakers. It felt comforting in a weird way to now that, if she had them on, she could run if the need to presented itself. Slipping a vest on over her shorts, she braided her hair into a side plait. She was still over due for a haircut, and was considering just chopping it all off.

Wandering down stairs, she paused at the photos on the wall, wondering if her life would ever go back to those happy times where she didn't have to worry about someone out to kill her. A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts, and she hurried to open the door.

Both boys stood on her porch, neither one looking very comfortable having to be around each other. "Come in," she sighed, not in the mood for their brotherly rivalry. They followed her though to the kitchen counter where she had laid everything out and she jumped onto one of the chairs while the boys stood awkwardly on opposite sides of the counter, one on either side of her.

"Should I make us some tea and cucumber sandwiches, then later we build a fire and sit around singing khumbaya seeing as though we all pretending to be buddy buddy?" Aiden asked with a seemingly innocent look on his face.

Matt opened his mouth to tell him off but Stephanie beat him to it. "Aiden, now is not the time to be your usual asshole self, so shut it." She gave him a glare, and Matt watched as his brother have her an apologetic smile. He didn't know whether to feel angry at the obvious connection they had, or amused that someone finally knew how to handle his brother.
"Now that that's out of the way and I've been put in my place, anything you'd like to share, brother?" Okay, maybe Aiden's attitude was solely reserved for him. With a frown, Matt leaned on his arms against the counter and turned to Stephanie, who was looking at him with an expectant look.

"I spoke with my father today." Stephanie's eyes closed as Matt spoke. He paused, not sure how to carry on.

"Why did he call?" Stephanie didn't think he'd called just to find out how his son was. Glancing at Aiden, she noticed that he looked like he was enjoying this a little too much as Matt started looking a little uncomfortable.

"I am the eldest, and therefore it's my duty to call him with updates." Matt said, rushing the words out. He didn't look at her as he spoke, his eyes on his clasped hands in front of him.

"Updates? On what?" She knew the answer, but needed Matt to say it. She realised that this was one of the things he'd been keeping from her, and she forced herself to remain calm.

"On you. On how your talent is progressing, whether you've lost control." Saying the words softly didn't help soften the jolt of panic Stephanie felt. "I told him I had nothing new to report. He didn't seem satisfied."

"What does that mean?" She asked, looking from Aiden to Matt. "Why wouldn't he be satisfied with that? I mean, with nothing new to tell him you haven't told him whether I'm losing control or not. Wouldn't nothing new be good?"

Stephanie met Aiden's eyes as he moved to sit on the counter behind him. "Steph," he spoke slowly, as if approaching an injured animal, "our sister phoned Matthew after that. Our dearest father isn't happy with the non update because, according to him, 'its taking too long'."