"Aaron. Hey, baby, wake up."

I frown and shake my head. "But dinner's ready," Sebastian's voice sounds from somewhere behind me.

Hiding my face with my hands, I whimper. "Give me two seconds, please? I—" I'm cut off by him joining me in the bed, one arm around my waist and his body perfectly fitting over mine. "Take your seconds, baby. As long as you are actually wake up, I'm long happy."

I nod, sighing in comfort as he squeezes my waist. "What's for dinner?" I mumble, blinking a few times. I like this way of waking up way better than my alarm clock.

"It's lasagna. Ada worked together with Micah for it, so I've been trying to avoid the kitchen for most of the time, but it smells really well. But . . ." He nestles his head in my neck, startling a laugh out of me. "You smell nicer. Tell me, which perfume do you use?"

I laugh again. "Not telling you! It's mine!" I feel him scowl before he bites my neck. "Tell. Me!"

Trying to squirm away but being able to, I'm trapped in his embrace. He's attacking me, and I can't do anything as long as I don't stop laughing. "stop! Stop, please! I'm-I'm dead!" I yell.

He kisses my cheek before letting go of me. "Aw, no, who woke you up?" he pouts, innocence written all on his face. "That's just mean!"

I give him a fake scowl because really? I don't care he woke me up. I'm actually glad he did.

"Just you wait!" I call after him leaving the room. I run after him, past him to the dinner table. I'm half out of breath, feeling bubbly on the inside, but the good kind.

Micah starts to smile at the sight of me, patting the chair besides him. Sebastian is really slow, only now arriving. He, too, is smiling. "Don't steal my chair away," he winks and sits down on the chair Micah wanted me to sit on.

Micah, who now frowns in displeasure and crosses his arms over his chest like an angry child. "Move, fatass," he tells Seb, who just shrugs and takes his part of the lasagna. I shrug, too, receiving a wink of Aiden. "You can sit next to me?"

I nod, taking place next to him. Ada seems unhappy now, but takes place on the head of the table. I don't like her upset, so I shift my chair a bit until I'm as close to her as I am to Aiden.

Aiden takes my right hand in his left under the table, eating with his right and talking to Micah. Just when I'm about to lift my hand and eat too, Ada interlocks my left with her right.

Wait a minute. I frown and look down at my plate and my lasagna getting cold. Sebastian notices and glares at me, pointing at my plate. "Eat. Or I'll shove it down your throat."

Dude. I would eat it if I could.

"Yeah," I smile a tight-lipped smile. "I'm just waiting for it to get a bit less hot. You know, not wanting to burn my mouth and all."

Micah dismisses that with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, babe, it's just the right temperature. Try it," he encourages me. I scowl at my plate while Aiden leans closer. "Aaron. If you don't eat, you don't want to know what will happen next."

I roll my eyes and lift both my hands. "Guys! I am trying to eat, alright? Don't worry about me, I'll just wait until these two are done."

Seb smirks. "Needy much?" Aiden and Ada both stare at each other, waiting for each other to drop my hand. Neither does.

I sigh in misery. "Seriously?" Both glance at my before going back to glaring at one another. I shrug and drop both their hands. A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.

They both frown unhappily, but I ignore them and start eating. Micah winks at me. "So—" "Shut the fuck up," Aiden interrupts him, which leads to a surprised Micah. Irritation coaxes his words.

Sebastian rolls his eyes. "Anyway, Aaron, I have a question and have been wai—" "God, Sebastian, your mouth should only be used for a dick and not words," Ada grumbles.

My whole faces shifts as I cough, trying to hide my escaped chuckle. Both the grumpies slap my back, sending my almost with my face right in my plate.

"You can ask your question, I'll listen to you," I crack a smile. Seb huffs in Ada's direction, then turns to me. "You mentioned missing your sister, Nina, yes?"

I almost choke on my food, but raise a hand to him when I see Aiden heading to slap my back again. "I'm fine," I croak, not wanting to need a new spine. Goddamn, that man is strong.

So I nod at Seb, curious but also slightly dreading what he means. He nods too, averting his eyes to his plate. "Would you want to see her again sometime?"

I bite my lip, not knowing what I should say. "Yeah. M-maybe," I mutter, starting to frown. Why is he acting that guilty?

"And if I said you could, how long would you wait? A day? Or a month?" he keeps asking. I frown, not wanting to know where to this leads. "Um- I wouldn't say tomorrow, but maybe a few weeks? You know I need time to prepare my mind for such things, and I haven't seen her in four years, so . . ."

He nods in thought. I almost don't dare to ask, but know I have to. "Why? What are you planning, Seb?" He frowns and gives a little shrug. "Nothing, I was just wondering. Maybe we could go to Michigan sometime."

I flinch harshly. "No! No, no, no. We're not going to Michigan, ever. Michigan sucks! Michigan is . . . um—mean! Yes! No one is—" "Aaron, I get it," Seb whispers. "It was a stupid proposal, and I totally agree. I just forgot about your dad for a second."

Oh, if only I could. "So you don't mean anything by meeting Nina?"

He shuts up. I narrow my eyes at him. "Seb, I need to know what's this about. Please. I don't like being left out of things, and certainly not when it's about my sister."

He focuses on his plate, playing with his food. I turn my gaze to Micah, Ada, Aiden, but none of them seem to know what this is about. My gut starts to turn. God, no.

Aiden squeezes my waist, his way of telling me to breathe. I blow out a breath, but despite that, I'm anxious.

I flinch when the doorbell rings. No no no. This can't be what I think it is, right?

Micah stands up, but not before sending Seb a harsh look. "If this is who I think it is, I'm never forgiving you."

Seb's wide eyes meet mine. "I swear this is—" "Oh, shut up," Ada grunts, taking my hand in hers.

She looks me in the eyes. Hers calm but concerned, mine wide and panicked. "Say the word and you won't have to see her. We'll send both her and Sebastian far away, okay?"

I glance at the door, but see no one. "I-I—Not yet, please, give me some time." It sounds like a sob leaving my mouth, and I only realize now I'm on the brink of breaking down.

When Micah comes back way sooner than I'd expected, I flinch again. "N-no," I whisper to Ada, who shields me from sight.

That is, until I hear Micah tell Seb, "You're fucking lucky it was just your sister, bastard."