A Criminal's Kiss

Chapter 17

ONE YEAR LATER

I sat between Elliot and Jake on the couch; Marcus and Aaron were sitting on the other couch and they were all grinning like complete idiots.

“Do you like your presents?” Jake asked, still grinning.

I rolled my eyes, “Yes, I love them. Thanks guys!”

Elliot smirked, “You haven’t even got your best one yet!”

“I haven’t?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

Elliot shook his head and handed me a present, it was wrapped in silver paper and I studied it for a moment, trying to figure out what it was.

“Open it!” Aaron urged.

Smiling, I ripped open the present and gasped, “You got me a Bushmaster AR-15?” I stared at the gun in amazement; I had always wanted one of these.

 “Yep, do you like it?” Elliot asked.

“Like it? I love it!”

Elliot grinned and pulled me into a bone crushing hug, “Happy twentieth birthday Skye!”

I smiled, “Thank you so much, I love you guys!”

Jake smiled, “Now come on, get dressed; we’re taking our baby sister out clubbing!”

I stared at him, “What? We’re going to a club?” I asked at the same time Elliot said, “We are certainly not!”

Jake frowned at Elliot, ignoring me, “We most certainly are,” he mimicked.

Elliot scowled, “Skye is not going to a club.”

“I don’t even want to go to a club!” I pointed out.

Jake threw his hands up in the air, exasperated, “Why don’t the both of you actually want to celebrate Skye’s birthday in style.”

I wrinkled my nose, “An old dingy club is not my idea of fun. I’d rather just stay home.”

Elliot looked gobsmacked, “What? You have to go!”

I frowned, “Weren’t you just saying that I couldn’t go?”

He shook his head, “I don’t want my baby sister to go clubbing, but I definitely don’t want her to spend her birthday at home.”

“I really don’t want to go!” I cried, hoping they would let it go.

“Well we aren’t just going to let you spend your birthday sitting around at home, watching television,” Marcus said.

I shrugged, “Honestly, its fine, I’d rather not go. Especially not after...” I trailed off, not wanting to think of what happened last year, and what people had said about us after rumours about what had happened with Blake had began to spread.

Despite the fact that the others tried to act like they weren’t bothered by it, it was obvious that they were, and that they couldn’t believe that they had let that happen. My brothers might not have been completely obsessed with their image, but their pride was important to them, so having others whisper about their mistakes, and even my own, was not a good feeling.

Ever since people has started talking about it, Elliot and the others had made sure that the rumours were a) as far away from the truth as possible and b) that the rumours didn’t reach my ears, but eventually I figured it out, especially after I noticed how Elliot and the others tried their best not to go out very often, for at least three months after the incident.