| 12 |

~ Lance Astor ~

Caleb and I watch one movie after the other. After watching Red Calls, we were too pumped up to stop watching so we rewatched the other movies in the series.

Eventually, I feel a heavy weight on my bicep and look down to see Caleb's head resting on my arm. I look back and see that Banks is asleep too.

Shit. What time is it?

I look at my watch and it's 1:04 AM.

Fuck. I overstayed. They must've been tired as shit and I forgot to leave, too invested in watching movies.

I nudge Caleb a bit, tapping his head.

He shuffles and then groans. "Fuck school, Banks." He mumbles under his breath. "Let's remain broke forever."

"Caleb," I whisper. "Go to bed."

I can't leave him on the floor even though there's a carpet underneath.

His eyes crack open and he blinks at me. "Who...the fuck are you?"

"Ouch." I smile, before standing up and pulling him along with me. "Let's head to bed, big guy."

He stands up sluggishly, rubbing his eyes. "If you're here to steal money then let me help. I need to find money too."

I let him lead me to the only bedroom in sight and make sure he gets safely to bed without somehow hurting himself.

"Hey. Where does Banks sleep?" I ask.

"On the couch." He mumbles, already dozing off. A few seconds later, his soft snores reach my ears.

I shut the door before walking back towards the couch. My eyes fall on Banks and something inside me softens at the sight of her. She's curled up on her side, her phone hanging loose from one hand. Dark hair fans one side of her face and I gently reach forward to brush it away. She stirs but remains sleeping, curling her hand before loosening it again.

For a moment, I stand back and watch her. The way she breathes softly and gently. The way her forehead relaxes without any creases. The way she looks so frail and serene.

A sudden urge crosses me to gather her in my arms and hold her. How would she feel against me? What would make her want to be in my arms?

Realizing I'm staring too much, I walk towards the kitchen and feel glad when I see the unwashed dishes. Good. I want to do something in return for the dinner she made.

Rolling up the sleeves of my shirt, I pick up the sponge and start washing. I can't cook but at least I can clean.

Halfway through my task, a soft groan reaches my ears. I look back to see Banks stirring, rubbing her eyes while she sits up. Her eyebrows furrow when she follows the sound of the running tap. For a moment, surprise flashes across her face when she notices me, then realization floods in.

She rubs her eyes again, glancing at the clock. "You didn't have to do that."

"I ate your dinner, so I wash your dishes. I'm almost done anyways." Hanging the last plate to dry, I wipe my hands before walking over to her.

She scoots to the edge of the couch to make space for me.

At least I'm not being kicked out. I sit down and stare at her.

She runs her hands through her dark hair, getting the thick strands to settle down.

"Where's Caleb?" She asks, clearing her throat to get the sleepiness out of her voice.

"On his bed."

"Was he in a good mood?"

"He was asking for money."

"Definitely in a good mood then." She rubs her eyes again, taking in a steady breath.

"I'm sorry for overstaying. I got carried away with the movies."

She waves her hand. "It's alright. At least that got Caleb in a better mood."

A smile comes on my face as I tilt my head. "You really care about him, don't you?"

"He's my only family." She replies.

"But there are still people who care so little."

"That doesn't mean I'm doing something grand." She grumbles. "I'm doing my job. I don't need praising for doing things that are my responsibility."

I shrug. "True."

She lets out a big heavy sigh. "I hate seeing him like that. It makes me feel as if I'm doing something wrong."

"What do you mean?"

She stares ahead, squeezing her fingers as if contemplating whether to open up to me or not. My chest swells when she opens her mouth.

"I already told you I had shitty parents. They were the worst to me. I tried keeping Caleb away from them as much as I could, and when they neglected him, I tried filling in the role. I've always tried caring for Caleb as a parent. I've always tried being everything to him; an older sister, a mom, a dad. When I see him upset or hurt..." She bites her lip, going silent for a whole minute. "Whenever I see him down it just jabs me that I can't be everything to him no matter how hard I try. Which sucks because I don't want him to feel the way I did when I had no one to guard me."

She then sucks in a breath, an onslaught of emotions crossing her features. It's there one second on her face, making her look like the most worrisome person in the world, and in the next second, her face goes back to normal as if I've imagined it all.

The need to place a comforting hand on her arm crosses me but I know better than that to touch her without any warning. Instead, I lean forward, making sure she can see my face.

"I'm sure Caleb appreciates what you do for him."

"He never shows it." She mutters.

"Trust me. I've never seen a boy so close to his sibling. I mean I was pretty close to my sister too, but Caleb literally sticks to you. He's always by your side no matter where you are and who you're talking to."

She furrows her eyebrows in thought.

"He'll appreciate you one day. Just you wait." I assure her.

She nods, taking in a breath. "Sorry for ranting to you."

"It's alright. My therapy costs a date on Friday by the way."

Her lips twitch. "It's a pretty demanding cost."

I hold up my chin. "I offer the best therapeutic sessions. So yes, Miss Woods, it's going to be pretty demanding."

She shakes her head at me.

"What's her name? Your sister's."

"Olive," I reply.

She nods.

I want to capture the peaceful look on her face right now and commit it to memory, but, there's this persistent, annoying thing called life, so I check my watch, releasing an unhappy sound.

"I better get going."

"Right." She tucks her hair behind her ear, standing up with me.

She walks me to the door, holding it open while I slip on my shoes. After standing up to my full height, I look at her again.

She's leaning against the door while holding it with one hand, peering at me through her dark lashes. Her lips look full and firm, and the urge to feel them has my hands stiffening. Before I do something that'll get me another punch to my nose, I lower my eyes and nod.

"Thanks for having me. Goodnight, Banks."

"Goodnight." Her voice is low and breathy, making my hands twitch with the need to touch her.

I jerk myself away, pressing the button to the elevator and getting inside. The sound of the door closing reaches my ears and I release a breath through my mouth, falling back against the elevator wall.

Is this what girls mean when they say boy-obsessed? I don't even know what I'm feeling.

Getting inside the car, I take a moment to check my phone first. There are a couple of messages from the group chat.

ONES WITH SEXY ABS...EXCEPT CASTLE.

Theo came up with the group chat name and none of us had the time or care to change it, so it's remained like that for months. 

Theo - Where are you?

Theo - The tables aren't gonna clean themselves, you know?

Theo - ARE YOU IGNORING ME? You know I have attachment issues, right?

Castle - You have a lot more concerning issues than that

Xander - Agreed

Theo - Fuck you both. I need someone to defend me

Theo - LANCEEEEE. LANCEY PANCEYYY WHERE ARE YOUUUU???

Castle - You know just because you're yelling in the chat, doesn't mean you have to actually yell out loud?

Xander - Yeah, shut the fuck up.

Theo - My head already has a lot of thoughts. I need to let the loud ones out.

Castle - *eye roll emoji*

Xander - *eye roll emoji*

Theo - LANCEEEEEEE

Theo - LANCEEEEEEEEEEEE

Theo - LANCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Castle - Wanna beat him up?

Theo - Beat who up?

Xander - I'm in

Theo - Wait, what are you guys talking about?

The next message is ten minutes later.

Theo - I just got assaulted. I hate you, Lance. You left me alone with these fuckers and look what they did to me. I'm never forgiving you for betraying me like this. I thought we were bros for life. I can't believe I got assaulted and humiliated like that by my own brother and Mom-Bitch. Whatever. Hope you live a peaceful, merry life. I don't need you anymore. I'm going to have to learn to live without you. Bye :(

A wide grin spreads across my face as I roll my eyes and text.

Lance: I was with Banks watching movies and having dinner. I just left, so I'll see you guys tomorrow morning

Three dots appear indicating that someone's typing.

Theo - Oh okay. You're forgiven. Xan-Xan bought me ice cream

Xander - You begged me to

Theo - I never beg

Castle - Sureeee

My eyes widen when I see Castle's name.

He's up this late at night? Usually, he's the one who falls asleep the earliest or normally shuts off his phone after going home.

Theo - You're awake??? What are you doing here?

Lance - Exactly my question!!

Theo - Yeah, aren't you supposed to be sleeping or making babies with mommy?

Castle - Stop calling her that *annoyed face emoji*

Castle - I kept my phone on because I was curious to see why Lance disappeared.

Theo - AWWWWW. CASTLE WAS WORRIED ABOUT LANCE!

Lance - Awww, thanks man. I appreciate it.

Castle - *eye roll emoji* Shut up

Xander - If you start getting sappy Castle then I'm gonna have to go find another normal friend.

Theo - Meannnnnn

Lance - So meannnn

Castle - Don't worry, I'm normal as ever. Considering the idiots I'm surrounded with.

Lance - Okay I'm driving now

Saying our goodbyes and goodnights, I pull out the curb and drive towards home. 

It takes me a good twenty minutes before I'm parking in the garage and getting out. Feeling tired, I rub my eyes, passing through the giant doorway of my house.

One of the housekeepers nods her head, "Good evening, Lance."

I give her a nod. "Hey."

"Your father is waiting for you at the dining hall."

My brows furrow. "He's still awake?"

"He wanted to talk to you."

"Oh fuck." I mumble. "Did I do something?"

She keeps a blank face when she speaks. "As of currently, I have no idea."

I rub my jaw, before nodding. "Thank you. I'll meet him."

Changing my route, I head towards the dining hall instead. Tall walls hung with expensive and unique paintings and art flow by in my peripheral vision. Mom is such an art nerd, she greedily inhales any art piece she finds that "resonates" with her.

I push open the doors of the dining hall, walking in to see my father sitting at the head. There's a furrow between his eyebrows that's always there whenever he's working. His assistant, Feng, sits adjacent to him with his tablet, rattling off number after number. An array of papers spread out in front of them on the table.

"I thought you didn't do business at the dining table," I say, as I take a seat opposite Feng, who barely acknowledges me. He's grumpy like that.

Dad looks at me as I roll the sleeves of my shirt up my elbows, loosening my tie, and making myself comfortable.

"We have matters to discuss that are important." He flicks up an eyebrow. "Where were you?"

"Banks let me inside her apartment."

Both Dad and Feng release collective sighs of weariness.

"What? I wasn't going to pass on a chance like that." I give a one-shoulder shrug.

Dad rubs his eyebrows while Feng shakes his head, looking down at me through his flat nose.

"Your son is being infected."

"He's not being infected, Feng," Dad says.

"He's been showing signs of an infection."

"Liking someone is not an infection." I defend.

"It is. When you start liking someone, that person starts plaguing your mind. You're always thinking about them even though you don't want to. You start doing silly things to impress them even though it's absolutely stupid. And God, don't even get me started when people have feelings." Feng pushes up his frameless glasses up his nose with a distasteful look.

Dad and I share a small helpless smile.

"You're very creative, Feng," I say.

"Because I haven't been infected yet."

"I don't know if Lance is being infected or not. I do know that he's been lagging a lot for the past two weeks—"

"Signs of the infection," Feng whispers.

"—but, he also showed how he can cover up everything just fine, so there's that to consider too." Dad gives Feng a pointed look. "Life happens and we have no way of deciphering what happens next. We don't know who we're gonna meet in future. So long as Lance has the capability of bouncing back into work and smoothing things out, that accounts for everything."

My back straightens in joy at Dad's words.

He's a very compassionate man outside of work. I met some of his business partners and none of them are like him. They're cold, calculating and absolute jerks. While Dad shows his ruthlessness during work too, he never crosses lines or snaps at anyone who doesn't deserve it.

He's a perfect copy of me, except he has dark hair with streaks of gray.

"What did you want me for?" I ask, placing my forearms on the table, leaning forward.

"Right." Dad sighs, scratching his temple before peering at a sheet of paper in front of him. "We have events to attend the following week. One of them is for the new marriage app that we're funding. The event requires you to bring a date to make it seem convenient for other investors."

"So I have to bring Banks?" I perk up.

He shrugs. "Your wish. I'm taking my wife, so I'm good."

"I need to come up with negotiations and a whole plan for her to say yes."

"Girls are a piece of work, I'll agree on that." Feng nods rapidly, pushing up his glasses.

"It's not that. Banks is a really stubborn one." And she's so closed off. It always seems as if she's hiding behind something. A wall, or a shadow, that's keeping her from being free.

Her first response to every one of my gestures or words is to defend herself. Either she crosses her arms as a shield in front of her, or she gives me that frown.

"Girls are, impressively, very stubborn too." Feng nods. "Have you ever argued with two of them? I have and they started crying. Oh my God."

I bite my lip to stop myself from smiling while Dad rolls his eyes.

"Feng, please." Dad gives him a tired look.

"One of them got so defensive, she attacked my entire family tree." A scowl appears on his face.

"You need to work on your communication skills." I point my finger at him.

"I have. One of my most exemplary business skills is effective speaking."

"I didn't mean like that. I meant talking to people in general." 

"Why? Are they going to get us business deals? Profits? Income?"

"Why do you even try, Lance? You know Feng is a robot." Dad says.

"I assure you, sir, I have perfect muscles and bones joined by tendons and ligaments, functioning through my neurons."

I groan while Dad gives an 'I give up' look.

"Anyways." He points a finger at me. "The marriage event. Get a date. I don't care who as long as she, or he, is real."

I nod. "I'll try convincing Banks."

He sits back, running a hand through his hair. "I want to see this Banks person."

"I don't have a picture." Yet.

"No. I meant I want to see her in person. I want to know who captured your attention this much." He taps his fingers on the table. "You know what? Call her over for dinner sometime. As a payment for making you dinner tonight."

"You're bringing the disease into the house?" Feng gasps.

"Banks is not a disease." I narrow my eyes at him before looking back at Dad. "I'll bring her."

"Sir, please reconsider your decision. Your wife is already the biggest disease in your life—"

Dad turns a steel glare towards Feng that has even me dropping my smile. "Call my wife a disease again and you're done." His tone is authoritative, firm and threatening.

"But she's infected you." Feng mumbles.

Dad's glare sharpens before Feng drops his gaze and nods. "Sorry, Sir."

"Where is mom, anyways?" I cross my arms behind my head, leaning back into the chair. Fuck, I'm so tired.

"She's already asleep."

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

He nods.

"I'm gonna head to bed too then." A yawn escapes my lips.

Saying my goodnights to Dad and Feng, I make my way towards the grand spiral staircase that leads to my room.

First order of business tomorrow, convince Banks.

Because there's no way I can think of any other woman when she's there, roaming free in my mind.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Do you guys prefer short chapters or long chapters? What's a good word count of a chapter for you all?

Also, my exams finally got done so I'm gonna try updating 2-3 chapters every single day! How are ya'll summer breaks going??

Words: 3,000

Date of publishing: 21st June 2024