~TIANA JACOBS' POV~
It's the weekend right now and I'm holed up in my room, doing absolutely nothing. I'm missing out on spending time with Tristan and Liam because the man is obviously fulfilling my duties for me. I groaned as I rolled around the carpet and the door opened to reveal Mum.
"Tiana, come down," she said.
I'd rather really stay on the carpet floor, I'd like to tell her, but when she says things like that, I can never say it. She's upset and mad and it's going to take something small for her to blow her top off. So, instead of being the smart ass I was born as, I went down to the living room and sat on one arm chair instead of sitting next to Tristan or Liam. See, I still don't like Liam and his useless lecture.
"We're having a family meeting," Mum said as she placed a tray of juice in front of us and I scoffed, making her eye me evily. "Tiana, dear, would you mind telling us why you're so upset?" she asked me.
"I'm not upset," I said and Liam snorted. "Dearest older brother Liam, shut up please, thank you," I said as I sipped my juice.
"If you're not upset, what are you?" he rolled his eyes at him.
"That's none of your bloody business now, isn't it?" I snapped and Mum sighed before she asked the both of us to stop.
"Tiana, if you're not upset, then, what are you feeling? Why have you been acting like a stranger this past week?" she asked me.
"Wow, I'm the one acting like a stranger now, huh. So, let's see... Steven is the one acting like the father he's supposed to be acting as this past week and here I am, acting like a stranger?" I asked her.
"Tiana," she said in her warning tone.
"No, I'm not going to answer whatever pleases you, Mum! I'm sick and tired of seeing the three of you fall at his feet in worship when he was the one who left us for 15 years! Mum, I heard you cry yourself to sleep when I was a kid, you would zone out while taking care of Liam and I and you refused to even work for one whole year because he left! I learned how to put my defenses up because I was scared of being hurt!
"Don't you think that maybe he's the reason why I don't trust anyone so easily and that I'm not having the time of my life in high school? Don't you think that maybe he's the reason why I want to leave this place so badly and make happy memories for myself because even if you call the four of us a family, we're not because he's missing! He's had 15 years of his life to come back and make it up to us, Mum. He's had more than a decade to try and contact us, but he didn't! So I'm sorry if I'm not feeling upset about this because I am feeling betrayed, frustrated and angry at every single one of you for accepting him that easily when we know he can leave out that door and leave us by ourselves again!" I stood up and walked away when I heard Tristan's familiar cries.
I turned around and he ran to me, hugging my legs. I bent down and scooped him up, placing him on my hips as he buried his face in my hair. I rubbed his back up and down, all the while daring the three people at the living room to speak by glaring at all of them.
"Are you going to weave me, Tee?" he asked me softly.
"No, I'm not going to leave you. I'm just gonna go out and get some air. Do you want me to bring you home some donuts?" I asked him and he stopped crying, nodding and giving me a toothless smile. "Alright, donuts it is," I gave him a soft smile and I kissed his forehead before setting him down on the floor. "I'll step out for a bit, kay?" I asked him and he nodded, waving goodbye at me as I closed the door behind me and I got into my car.
I am an idiot.
I forgot my car keys upstairs and my pride and my ego wouldn't let me go up and take it, so, I kept on walking until I ended up in Blade's house. Correction, mansion. I pressed a buzzer outside the tall iron gates and someone spoke at the speaker.
"May I know your business at the manor?" someone asked.
"My name's Tiana and I wanted to see Blade," I said and the person asked me to wait before the iron gates opened and I saw Blade jogging down the gravel path towards me.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked me as he reached me.
"The house was getting unbearable, so, I walked out and I ended up here," I shrugged and he gave me a small smile.
"Well, since you're here... Help me out," he winked and I groaned.
"Not one of your immature games again, Blade," I complained as I walked next to him.
"Please, you love my immature games," he rolled his eyes and we continued bickering until we got to the foyer of their house. It was filled with flowers and from the corner of my eyes, I saw Blade's frown. "Come on," he said as he ran up the stairs and I followed him. He went into a mini theatre and he asked me to sit down before he played something on the screen, sitting down next to me and handing me junk food.
We finished a movie and I stretched as I stood up and I yawned a little. "So, what did you want me to help you with?" I asked him and he laughed.
"Help me out of my misery," he laughed again as I threw a pillow at him. I sat back down as he loaded another movie and he turned to me suddenly. "Hey, are you up for something fun?" he asked me and I raised my eyebrow at him.
"What?" I asked him and he paused the movie, ushering me out of the mini theatre and he shoved me into a familiar room.
"Go shower and wear some comfy clothes," he said and I srunched my eyebrows at him, "you're wearing pajama shorts, Tee," he laughed and I looked down to see my floral pajama shorts and I groaned.
"I did not just walk here and watched a movie with you in my pajama shorts," I covered my face and he laughed even more.
"Doesn't matter! Go get changed!" he yelled as he ran down the stairs.
I turned around and saw that it was his sister's room again. I took a quick shower and I wore a white v-neck with ripped shorts. I wore the pair of black Converse shoes I wore to Blade's house and jogged down the stairs, hearing Blade's voice from the kitchen.
I was just about to speak up when I heard another voice, one of a woman's. I stopped dead in my tracks in the entrance of the huge kitchen and the two people talking stopped, turning to me. "We're gonna go," Blade turned to the woman and he started walking towards me.
"Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked in a cold voice.
Oh my God.
"This is Tiana. Tee, this is my Mum," Blade introduced us.
I smiled at her, going over and holding my hand out, but she looked down at it and she just smirked when she looked back at me. "You're beautiful, darling. I don't want to ruin your fantasies, but darling, Blade will never stick to one girl," she told me and my eyes widened in shock.
Blade groaned and he grabbed my elbow, effectively making me drop my outstretched arm and he pulled me behind him. "She's not like that. She's actually one of the most decent people I've met," he spat harshly and he grabbed hold of my arm again and walked the both of us to the entrance of the kitchen. "I don't want you saying anything about her and you should stop giving her the once over, she's clearly not affected by the way you try to intimidate her," he said, sounding scornful and we walked towards the doors.
He opened the door for me and he motioned for me to get in, so, I did. He rounded the car and he closed the door behind him as he got in next to me. We were just sitting there, the both of us silent, but never awkward. We were too consumed in our own thoughts to be awkward anyway.
"If you're thinking of saying sorry, don't," I broke the silence, feeling brave all of a sudden. "Your mother clearly loved meeting me." I shrugged and Blade took one look at my serious face before laughing out loud.
I smiled a little to myself and mentally patted my shoulder, congratulating myself for making him laugh. "Let's not think of that anymore," he said and he took something from the glove compartment. He passed me a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses case and took one for himself. He slipped on his sunglasses and I mimicked him. He turned to me and he smiled. "We're going to have fun," he said and he drove out of his house grounds.
