Gripping the steering wheel, she tried to focus on the road ahead of her rather than the millions of other countless thoughts running through her head. Why had she agreed to do something as ridiculous as this?

She was going to have to face both her mother and her father which was something she hadn't ever planned on doing. That itself was already a dreadful nightmare but to make it worse, she was going to have dinner with them. Tonight.

Although confrontation was her strong suit, it didn't apply to family matters. She'd prefer it if they'd just never speak to her again and let all of them happily live out their own lives; separated.

If she'd thought hard enough, maybe she'd even be able to remember the last time they ate dinner together. Maybe it was before her father got arrested.

She briefly glanced down at her hands, her knuckles beginning to sting. Her knuckles were turning white and it wasn't because of the death grip she had on the steering wheel but because of the icy wind repeatedly beating down on her hands. It was just above freezing but she still had rolled down all her windows to give her a chance to breathe and clear her head. If she had the money, she personally would've bought a convertible.

Glancing back up, she immediately slammed the brakes, realizing that she had almost ran the red light. She let out a groan of frustration, tightening her grip on the steering wheel even more if that was even possible.

Anybody who'd ever ridden in her car knew she had road rage but it was a pretty common thing. Plenty of people had road rage. Or that's what she told herself to make herself feel better about having the shortest fuse of the family.

Her personality was easily inherited from her father. In fact, she was a replica of her father except she was of the opposite sex. The same shade of light blond—almost platinum—hair, same gray-blue eyes, same hot-tempered yet sharp personality.

But she'd already made her peace with the fact.

She let out a slow exhale, biting down into her lower lip. She hadn't even realized that she'd already made it into the neighborhood. She paused at the stop sign, glancing down the road towards the house as her heart rate began to pick up. There was still a chance for her to turn right back around back to Elio's to get her stuff and forget any of this ever happened.

But this situation was unavoidable. They'd keep bothering her until she finally did what they wanted her to do, no matter how much she didn't want to. Because her family was persistent. At least her mother and her sister were. Her father clearly couldn't give a fuck less.

Letting out a sigh, she turned onto the road and drove down before pulling up into the parking lot of the house. Without waiting for another second, she took her keys out of the ignition and hopped out of the car, shutting the door before her and walking towards the house. Her stomach churned which each step she took but she chose to ignore it. She walked up the driveway, slowly making her way up to the front door.

Despite the freezing weather, she felt as if she was burning up. Her body was a much higher temperature than what it normally was but she just blamed it on the nerves. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she was about to knock on the door when the door swung open before she got the chance.

"Thea! You made it!" Her mother exclaimed happily. She was waiting for her.

Thea forced a smile before her mother let her in. As soon as she stepped in, her eyes immediately landed on her father, sitting on the living room couch almost as if he belonged there.

It wasn't that big of a deal but the sight ignited a new fury inside of her. She grumbled silently underneath her breath. This was going to be a long night.

...

"I've done everything you've asked." Thea fumed. "I've even dated that asshole of a man like you asked me to!"

"All you ever do is complain. I've never once heard a grateful word come out of your mouth." Her mother hissed out. "You were single and so was Ashton. Plus, you haven't properly dated since..." She paused for a moment, trying to think of a time but nothing came to mind.

"Since, never." Thea finished her mother's sentence. It was the truth. The closest thing she had to a relationship was meaningless hookups and flings which she ended before they could become more than that. There was no underlying reason for that. That was just the way she was and she'd prefer it if it'd stay that way rather than her mother meddling with her personal affairs.

"Exactly. Everything I do is to help you. If anything you should be thanking me." Her mother almost sounded proud.

"Do you even hear a word I say? The only reason I dated Ashton was to please you. Nothing more." Thea shot back, pushing her plate further away from her as the rest of her family ate.

"Ashton was a perfectly fine man. If you weren't so ignorant, you would've realized that."

"You say that like your choice in men was all that great." Thea pointed out, muttering underneath her breath but her words were heard by everybody at the table. Even though she didn't directly state it, they all knew who her words were directed towards.

Her mother scoffed. "How much longer are you gonna hold a grudge? It's been ten years."

Of course, she was defending him.

"Oh, please. You invited this man back into our homes like he didn't beat us all our lives." Thea expressed her opinion bluntly, half expecting her mother to begin yelling at her in defense of her father but surprisingly, she remained calm.

Her father sat on the other side of the table, silent, knowing he had nothing to contribute to the table. He never had much to say. After all, actions spoke louder than words.

This time Hannah chimed in. "I really do wish you'd get over it, Thea. He wants to make peace with us so let him. It's been ten long fucking years, which is way too long to be still holding a grudge." Her voice was dripping with venom.

Thea swallowed the lump in her throat, narrowing her eyes. "What exactly have you done for this family, Han? If I recall correctly, as soon as our father was arrested, you went on a drug binge so don't tell me how long I should be holding a fucking grudge."

"Yet I'm perfectly sober now," Hannah replied, calmly. It was a mere five words but it fed to the rage inside of Thea like coal to a fire. She didn't know what it was, maybe it was spite or even jealousy, but she wanted nothing more than to slap her across the face.

"You think you're some kind of saint, don't you?" Thea lowered her voice, gritting her words through her teeth.

Hannah laughed, almost mocking her. "Don't get all riled up, Thea. You've done just as much for this family as I have."

"You've done zero to nothing." Thea snapped back.

"I don't think you've done all that much either." Hannah shot back.

"I haven't done all that much?" Thea snorted, ridiculing her sister. She'd done everything she could manage to support her family yet her sister was claiming the exact opposite. And that made her all the angrier. "I was 16 working two jobs just to put food on the table!"

Hannah shook her head, continuing to pick away at her baked potato. Their father merely raised his brows almost as if to say; typical Thea. Still can't control her anger.

Thea gritted her teeth. Although no words were expressed, their mere expressions were aggravating. To hell with them all.

Their mother frowned, upset at Thea's sudden outbreak. She had never liked any shouting or screaming. "Oh, don't act all high and mighty. We've all done things to contribute to this family." Her mother dismissed her as if she was still just a teenager going through mood swings.

"Oh yeah, because while I was busy juggling school and work, you were a real good contribution when you drank our teenage years away." Thea scoffed. She swore she saw a ghost of a smirk on her father's lips. Her mother narrowed her eyes, the irritation clear in her eyes but she managed to keep her composure.

This time Hannah spoke up. "We've all recovered except you, Thea. You're still holding that stupid grudge and you're still wasting away at the bar every weekend."

Thea scowled, not the least bit surprised. Even when they were kids, Hannah was never on her side. "And what about you? You forget about all of us for a year and now you've suddenly found God?" Thea mocked.

"I found God and a loving husband. What have you found?"

Her sister's words sounded unreal to her. This was a completely different woman sitting across from the table. This was a devoted Christian, not her sister. Her sister would've laughed at any mention of religion.

"Oh, come on. No one has ever even seen this so-called Jerry. For all we know, you could've made him up."

"It's Larry. And this baby here," Hannah pointed to her stomach, gesturing to her baby bump. "Should be all the proof you need."

"Who's to say you didn't get knocked up one night and stirred up this elaborate lie?"

"You're so doubtful of me. It's almost as if you're jealous."

Thea snorted. The day she would be jealous of her sister would be the day hell freezes over and pigs fly. "Why would I be jealous? If I wanted to be pregnant, all I have to do is pick up some guy at the bar." And get him to pump a load inside of me, she wanted to say but that wasn't PG-13 enough for the family table.

Hannah opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the slam of her mother's hand on the table. The whole room fell silent and all of their heads turned her way.

"Enough!" Her mother let out, the annoyance and anger in her voice clear. Thea raised her eyebrows before turning back to her food, eating again as her mother continued to express her anger. "This family dinner was so we could connect! Not listen to you guys bicker on and on!"

Connect. Thea snorted. Her mother had expected sunshine and rainbows at this family dinner but that clearly wasn't the case. It was obvious how this dinner was going to end and she wasn't sure why anybody even bothered. But Thea couldn't deny she played a lead role in her mother's outburst.

Her mother fell silent and a thick blanket of discomfort and uneasiness draped over the room. They finally all began to eat their meal in silence, exactly like they had all Thea's childhood. And that was exactly how she preferred it. Despite the grumbling in her stomach, Thea picked at her food. Although her stomach said otherwise, she had lost her appetite. Maybe it had been all the arguing or simply because of her father's presence but she couldn't bring herself to eat anything on her plate.

Her mother cleared her throat, acquiring the attention of everyone at the table except Thea. She continued to pick at her food, unamused, waiting for whatever she had to say.

"I'm dying."

It may have only been a mere two words but the mood of the room immediately changed. Thea paused, her head slowly turned towards her mother who was sitting at the other end of the table.

"What?" She uttered out. She was the first to speak despite the uncomfortable stuffy new atmosphere that had settled in the room. Her mother was silent, only grimly nodding. "What do you mean you're dying?" Thea repeated, her voice firmer now. While she looked at her mother with incredulity and shock, Hannah and her father's expression remained as it was, grim yet emotionless at the same time. They knew.

"Dementia." Was her mother's short reply.

She felt her throat closing up, her mind slowly wrapping around her mother's words. "Dementia? Since when? Have you been showing any symptoms? If anything you should have at least a solid five years left." Thea insisted but her voice was already cracking. It didn't matter how many times she insisted or even lied to herself that she hated her mother, she still was her mother.

"The doctors say it's accelerating faster than normal. I may seem fine now but who knows," Her mother shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Maybe a month from now I'd forget who any of you guys are." She then continued to eat her food.

Thea glanced towards Hannah and then her father who was also busy eating their food, not the least bit shocked at the news. They couldn't have even bothered to pretend.

"How long have you known?" Thea gritted out, growing upset. She found it upsetting how all of them knew and had all collectively decided to keep this away from her.

"Couple months now."

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me?" Her voice was 8 octaves higher, finding herself growing angrier by the second.

"You were busy. You have your own life." Her mother brushed her off like it was nothing. Thea could feel her body temperature rise.

"Are you fucking serious?" She was enraged. What upset her the most wasn't that her mother had kept her disease from her but the excuse she had just provided her. "Busy? I've always checked up on you and called you; whether you answer or not is your problem. Yet me being busy is the best excuse you can give me?"

"Don't be so dramatic. I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

Thea let out a shaky breath, unable to control her emotions any longer. "I'm leaving." She announced, grabbing her things before she said something she would come to regret. This was the reason why she hated dealing with family issues.

All three of them looked up. Hannah looked like she wanted to say something but instead, she dropped her gaze back down on her food, continuing to eat.

Without another word, Thea left.

...

It was late. Staring at the ceiling with a blank expression, Elio laid wide awake. Each minute that went by felt longer than the last as a singular thought kept him awake.

He glanced over at the digital clock on his nightstand, realizing that midnight was approaching faster than he anticipated. Normally at this time, he would already be fast asleep except something was keeping him awake. Or rather someone.

The blonde seductress staying in his home has still yet made it home and although it sounded pathetic, he felt distraught. He had so many other things to worry about yet his mind stayed fixated on her.

When her sister had shown up after they had gotten back from the mall today, he was shocked. The main reason was that he had no clue she even had siblings. Granted, there wasn't much he knew about her at all, despite the fact that they were living together. But to be fair, she didn't know much about him either.

Why did he care so much about her? It was a question he had been asking himself for a while and he couldn't seem to quite figure out why.

Maybe he was just pussy deprived. His cock was so deprived of the female touch he found himself waiting for her to come home like he was a lovesick newlywed husband waiting for his wife. Fuck, he needed to get laid.

The last time he had his dick balls deep inside a girl was quite some time ago. But months had already passed and fucking his own hand was getting lame quick. The palm of his hand and his imagination could only do so much before sexual frustration took over. Admittedly porn was also an option but the girls online couldn't even so much as give him an erection.

The way Thea teased him only added to his frustration. Even the most innocent acts had him taking a cold shower. He wasn't sure how much more he would take before he snapped. It took every bit of his willpower to not throw her onto the nearest surface and fuck her until she was cumming so hard around his cock she passed out.

His ears perked up when he heard the unlocking of his front door, which only meant one thing: she was home.

Almost on instinct, he got out of bed, grabbing the nearest shirt to put on. Even though he could've easily just walked out shirtless, he wasn't trying to seduce her despite how badly his dick said otherwise.

He knew she was attracted to him despite how fervently she tried to deny it. The way her eyes lingered on him for too long or how she would blush whenever he looked over at her was proof of that. She wasn't a shy girl. She was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted yet her pride stood in the way of what they both wanted.

As he walked out of the room, the lights to the hallway turned on to reveal her. She glanced at him, her expression weary but slightly shocked. Shocked he was still up at this hour.

She looked rough. There was no other way to put it. Eyes sunken in, hair tousled. But yet she had never looked more desirable. Even in her worst state, he couldn't help but admire her. Her exhausted eyes slowly trailed up from the floor and met his.

For a split second, her eyes faltered and he swore he could see through her facade. See her pain, her anger, her suffering, and everything she'd been through. Her eyes quickly hardened and she clenched her jaw.

"You're up late." She muttered out quietly to herself. He merely nodded, not sure how to respond and also not sure why he even left his room in the first place.

Dropping her gaze back down to the ground, she brushed past him, walking into the bathroom. He heard the door close from behind him but he remained planted to his spot.

It was clear she had unresolved problems with her family. The last time she came back from her mom's she ended up getting wasted on his alcohol. And she had given him a blow. He had to admit, it was one hell of a blowjob but she was wasted and maybe he shouldn't have let her.

Yes, he did sexually crave her but her body wasn't the only part of her he craved. He had feelings for her and it wasn't just some petty flirting anymore. His dirty jokes, his sexual innuendos, and his innocent teasing weren't so innocent anymore.

He trudged back into his room, hearing the sink turn on. He wanted to comfort her, make her feel better, anything to take the weight off her shoulders.

Some mornings he found himself daydreaming in bed with her by his side, her body pressed against his, talking about their lives. His hands entwined in her hair and her hands pressed against his chest as he looked down on her. Nothing sexual. Just pure morning bliss.

He groaned, covering his face in his hand. God, he was so whipped for her.