Hi. This chapter is kind of random, but it tells yall a little more about her family and their traumas and about how weird, destructive, and evil their mom is

basically a filler chapter

enjoy

"How could she do this?" I paced. "How, Zane? She was put in a maximum security prison for fifty fucking years!"

Zane pulled me into his chest. "A'raya, I need you to calm down."

"I can't...." I panicked. "A'roya, she's going to hurt A'roya, then she'll hurt Jericho next."

"Stop." Zane stopped my movements, my panicking, and my stress. He sighed. "Your sister's calling." He handed me my buzzing phone.

"Hello?"

"A'raya, are you ok?" She asked.

I nodded, though she couldn't see me. "She's escaped A'roya; how did she do it?"

"A'raya, calm down. You can't let our mother rule your life. Don't do that to yourself. She will not hurt any of us. I dare her to put her hand on my children or even my damn husband. I'll get sent to Attica instead of her."

"What about Dad? And King, Lucky, and White." I asked.

"Listen, we can't have them stay by themselves."

"I know," I whispered.

"I'll have Dad and Lucky stay with me, and you need to take in White and King."

I groaned. "I don't want that monstrosity we call King in my house."

I seriously hate that his name is King because then it's always like you're bowing down to him, and he absolutely loves that. Not to mention he's a fucking slut, better than Lucky, but he's still a slut.

"He'll distract you from going too deep in your thoughts–Theodore, sit your ass–I meant sit down, damn."

I smiled, laughing. "I have my husband for that," I said, smiling at Zane as he looked at me suspiciously.

"Your husband has a job. He can't stay home forever, but King and White are able to."

"Don't they have school?"

"They got a permit to homeschool until mom's been recaptured."

I sighed, looking back at Zane again. "Zane, two of my siblings have to stay with me."

He nodded. "Yea, more people to push the dog duties onto."

I rolled my eyes. "Please." But then I realized something. "Wait, what about Jericho?"

"He works, Phoebe works, the kids go to daycare, and then they spend time with the kids before going to bed. They don't have the time or the space for someone who isn't their child."

"He's just being a lazy bitch. You have three children, too, you know."

A'roya chuckled. "Vincent's not a human; he can do more than protect us, so we're fine. You have an ex-navy seal, and do I have to mention the air force too?"

I rolled my eyes. "Zane is not that fucking great,"

He scoffed.

"Jericho was in the navy too; Atlas is a lieutenant, the fuck. Zane ain't nothing special." I teased.

"Isn't he in the room?"

"Yes, he's right here; wanna say hi?"

"Hi." He said while glaring at me.

"Hey, Zane–Theodore, stop; I'm not going to the library again. Damn. Don't let me call your father."

Zane furrowed his brows as I snickered. "Bye, A'roya,"

"Bye, babes, and um, I sent King and White on your way."

I gasped. "They're coming now?"

"Yes, hold on, I have to go before Theodore throws my babies off a roof." She groaned.

"Bye," I said, sighing.

She hung up, and I looked at Zane. "I'm so sorry that you've been dragged into this."

He shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather be here."

I smiled. "Why?"

"Because...I think I'm in love with you."

I fell off the bed.

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"Hey guys," I said as I let them in.

"This is your house?" White whispers.

I nodded. "Yea, I live here."

"Yea, you live here with your husband, fool; this ain't your damn house." King teased.

I glared at him. "I'm not in the damn mood for your fucking games, don't make me beat your ass."

King put his hands up in surrender. "I'm joking, damn."

I rolled my eyes. "Let me show you to your rooms."

"We get our own rooms?" White says quietly in awe.

I nodded, smiling. "Yes, you do."

White hasn't always been quiet; mother had her mouth tapes for four weeks while dad was on a business–well, a trip to visit our other brother in Switzerland, but at the time, we thought it was a business trip.

She had lost so much weight Jericho and A'roya started secretly feeding her, but mom found out. She kicked A'roya out in the cold and broke Jericho's nose.

Ever since then, our outgoing and bubbly toddler was now quiet and reticent. She can't stand crowds...agoraphobia.

I told you we'd all suffer from something.

Lucky has a fear of relationships; he got into a fight with King when he was younger and told mother she beat the both of them, but she hospitalized King...Lucky's never forgiven himself, of course; due to our information from the therapist being out there, he had that conversation with her.

I remember Lucky got in trouble for bringing his friend, Sadie, home; he had the biggest crush on her. We never saw her again after mom beat his ass in front of her, but Lucky says that he thinks mother killed her. She never came to school, her parents were looking for her, she went missing for weeks, and then weeks turned into years.

It gave him his fear....philophobia...scared to love someone because they'll only end up hurt.

And while I hate King, he's been through a lot; I don't even know who went through it the most in our house. His fear of separation stems from A'roya and Jericho always protecting him. I remember he was always sick. He had a weak immune system, and he could easily die at that time if mom had touched him.

When Jericho and A'roya left, he felt abandoned and worse; he felt our mother's wrath, beaten, hospitalized, and thrown in a garbage bin. He eventually became dependent on Lucky until they got older, but even now, he struggles with his anxiety.

He'll never know, but he concerns me the most. The therapist gave him two diagnostics.

Isolophobia and autophobia.

It's basically one in the same thing, but it means he's afraid of being alone, of being abandoned, ignored, or uncared for.

A'roya had frequent panic attacks that have calmed down since meeting Vincent. Mother made her believe being abused was normal.

Jericho's anxiety and overdosing, which he's now getting help for.

Atlas lost his frontal lobe, and his wife is now the one who teaches him that it isn't ok to ask a random woman if she's pregnant.

Me, me, and my nyctophobia.

All of this, my mother caused, all of this, stuck in my head. I worry about them every single day.

What if Jericho relapses?

What if A'roya panics again, and Vincent doesn't know what to do?

What if King can't handle being away from Lucky?

What if Lucky's forever in isolation because of his phobia?

What if Atlas's time is ticking because part of his brain is gone?

What if White gets lost and goes through a panic attack?

What if Zane leaves me, and I have to deal with the dark myself?

What if my mother hurts my father, who's done everything in his power to keep all of us alive?

"A'raya." King grabbed my shoulders. "S–should I get your man or something? Are you ok?"

I envy men. Always so fucking tall. His name is King, and he's six foot, so now he looks down on me.

I shook my head and calmed down. "I'm sorry." I could see White's eyes glass up as King sat me down on the bed. "Don't cry; it's just." I sighed. "I have a lot on my mind; my best friend died, our mother escaped from prison, and I'm worried about you guys," I said as White hugged me tightly.

King sighed. "We're fine. You're not."

I smiled, jealous. "I wish I could be like you and live without thinking."

King scoffs. "I do think A'raya. I worry about my siblings as well, but not to the extent where I blank out, out of nowhere, I should add."

White sniffs. "Y–you shouldn't worry about us," she whispers. "You, Jericho, A'roya, and even Atlas do enough for us already." White smiled softly, pulling out a little white cat from her pink and white bag fuzzy bag. "Look at what Atlas got for me."

I cooed. "What's its name?"

"Lexus, it means helper. She helps me calm down when I feel my chest tighten." White put the sleeping cat back in the bag.

I smiled.

"Speaking of which, where's Hide?" King asked. "He's sleeping with me, so I don't feel lonely."

"I'll get him and Cloud for you, don't worry." I forced him into a hug. "I love you, bitch."

King pretended to be disgusted. "Ew, fuck off." He hugged me back, though.

"I love you too, White, ok?" I smiled, hugging her as well.

"I love you." She said softly, lifting her hands for King to pick her up.

Yes, she's thirteen, but we spoil her...especially Atlas and A'roya; plus, she can pass as an eight-year-old.

King lifted her up, and she laid her head on his shoulder. "You ready to see your room?"

White nodded. "Mhm."

I smiled softly. "Let's not keep the princess waiting."

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"Zane," I whispered, walking into his home office.

"Hm?" I hate when he just hums at me.

"I didn't answer you when you told me you loved me." He looked up at me, closing his laptop. "I need you to be sure that you love me...because I'm not a normal person," I whispered as I walked closer to his desk. "My mother's mental; she even has an unknown history with you. I have an extreme fear of the dark, and I'm pretty sure that if I go to therapy, they'd tell me I have serious problems. Are you sure..."

"Yes, A'raya, I'm sure. I love you."

"You sure? Cus, I'm not afraid to put a bitch in a hospital for flirting with you."

Zane chuckled. "I love you."

"I'm very dramatic," I said.

"I love you."

"I'll annoy you."

Zane looked into my eyes. "I love you."

"I'm a nymphomaniac, and I blame you."

Zane smiled softly as he pulled me onto his lap. "I love you, A'raya."

I nodded, pressing my lips against his as he gripped my neck. "I love you too, Zane."

Yay. Finally

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