The Fallen King | ✓

Chapter 27

~Chapter 27~

Coming home had never really been my favourite activity in the world and, unfortunately, this visit was no different.

Mother had decided, without informing me beforehand, that she wanted to pick me up from the airport instead of the chauffeur who normally did. It was safe to say I wasn't ecstatic when I saw her waiting for me when I arrived, an impatient look on her face.

She spent half the journey home ranting at me for being late, as if she believed it was me who controlled the speed the plane flew at. However, I was far too tired to argue with her so just nodded my head, acting apologetic and going along with whatever she said — it was just easier that way. She had chided me slightly on my looks but nowhere near as intensely as I was expecting. She was acting softer than usual and I was definitely surprised.

However, she had still briefly mentioned my weight and dieting and at this point, I was almost considering it, partially to shut her up about it but also because I was starting to feel that it might be necessary. My weight must've been really bad for mother to constantly belittle me for it. Maybe I was fat.

No. I threw out the thought. I wasn't fat.

I tried to remind myself of this but the more I said it the less I believed it.

~*~*~

The house felt different the moment I stepped inside. Yes, it was filled with noise and was bustling with life thanks to all my siblings wanting to spread the festive cheer but there was still something terribly wrong with the whole place. Other than my younger brother, Wyatt, who had temporarily moved out to enjoy a gap year before starting university, I was the only one who didn't still live here so the loud surroundings and occasional screams were no surprise. Yet, the atmosphere felt stiff and cold, like a part of the family was missing; Zack.

Zack was the only one who made my life stuck here bearable and without him, everything felt so wrong, so unbelievably wrong. Spending time here, no matter how fleeting, was going to be a near-impossible task without him by my side.

My heart went heavy at the thought, feeling like a dead weight in my chest, and I let out a long sigh before quickly escaping upstairs before mother could catch up and nag at me further. I definitely did not need that right now.

Despite the overwhelming sadness that crept up my spine by stepping inside this house — mostly due to thoughts of Zack but also from all the bad memories associated with the place — there was still one silver lining: I was able to see the rest of my family.

The first people I saw were Anna, our nanny, and the twins, Aria and Hunter. Surprisingly, they got on really well and did almost everything together like right now with them both helping Anna with the laundry, both of them carrying large baskets up the stairs.

They grinned in unison when they saw me, their hazel eyes alight with cheerfulness. I smiled brightly back and told them to save a spot for me later so I could watch a movie with them.

The twins tended to keep to themselves more than my other siblings. They weren't exactly quiet but when compared to everyone else you'd almost think they came from a different family. If it weren't for all the similarities in our facial features, like the slightly smaller ears and signature grins that all of us Kings had I might even have believed it.

After I had put my stuff away, I couldn't contain the grin on my face when I beheld the small figure standing in front of me.

I had practically jumped on Carter when I'd seen him, almost squeezing the life out of the adorable redhead and he had only complained mildly at near choking embrace, clutching me just as tightly in his small arms.