Family Ties and Crossed Lines

Aidan's POV:

"Hey lil' bro, you missed me?"

I swear, I've never had the urge to slam the door harder in my life. She's been here for less than a minute, and already, I'm drained. I didn't bother answering her dumb question I just turned around and walked back inside, leaving her standing there.

"Where are your manners, little boy?" she shot back, the 'little boy' part dripping with condescension.

"I left them back home," I snapped without thinking. Her eyes widened, surprised, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "What, big sis? You thought I couldn't talk?" I added, my voice sharp.

For once, she shut up. Smart move.

Five minutes later, she's still silent eyes scanning the apartment, judging, calculating. Jay's hiding in his room, smart man, didn't want to deal with her either.

"So… you're not living alone, huh?" she finally said. So, that's why she's been scanning looking for clues.

"I live with Jay. And it's none of your business. Just tell me why you're here." I tried my best to stay polite, but my patience was thinner than air.

"Jay? Your childhood best friend? Thought you two weren't in touch anymore," she said, trying to drag this into small talk.

"Why… are… you… here, Dianna?" I repeated, this time sharper.

Jay's POV:

I could hear every word from my room. They weren't even trying to lower their voices. The tension between them was so thick, it felt like it'd burst through the walls any second.

Aidan had been stressing about this visit for days, wondering why she suddenly wanted to see him. Now she's here, dancing around the reason. Until finally…

"It's about Mom."

The moment she said that, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Whatever this is, it's not good. And knowing Dianna, it's definitely not genuine.

Aidan's POV:

Mom? My heart jumped, but I kept my face blank. "And what about her?"

I cared. I did. But Dianna doesn't get to see that.

"She's… acting like you don't exist," she started, her voice low and manipulative. "Telling everyone she doesn't have a son… but she wants to meet you soon. Pretend everything's fine."

What? I frowned, confused.

"She just wants your signature on some papers," Dianna added casually.

Something about this reeked. If Mom needed me that badly, why not just ask Dad?

"And why are you telling me this?" I asked.

She smiled weakly. "Because… I feel guilty for what I did."

I hummed, playing along, thanking her like the 'good brother' I'm supposed to be. But I wasn't buying it. Not one bit. Dianna thinks I'm still that naïve kid she used to manipulate. Wrong.

After another few minutes of her pretending to care, she finally left throwing in a fake warning about staying careful around Mom.

The second she stepped out, I called Dad and told him everything. He was shocked said Mom's been trying to figure out how to fix things with me, not trap me. She misses me.

Now that I know the truth, I've got my own plan. Dianna's going to regret ever thinking she could play me.

Jay's POV:

That girl has to be insane. Who does that to their own brother? It's evil. I'm proud of Aidan for seeing right through her lies. If he hadn't, he might've lost his shot to fix things with his mom.

After our little meeting about Dianna, Aidan and I went our separate ways he had a lecture, and I had work. On the bus, we barely talked, but I could tell he was planning something.

At the café, I ran into Jacob. He looked better, thankfully. We caught up for a bit before I headed to the back to start my shift.

The day dragged on, and right after work, I had practice. Jacob walked with me since he had another job nearby.

"I don't want to pry, but… do you live alone?" I asked him in a careful tone.

He glanced at me, caught off guard, but nodded. "Yeah. I left home. Couldn't solve things with my family."

It surprised me, and I was quick to apologize I felt like maybe i stepped a line. "I didn't mean to bring it up. Sorry, man."

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Honestly, maybe one day I'll tell you the whole story. Might help to get it off my chest."

I nodded, and we walked in silence.

At practice, the coach gave me the rundown on my next opponent tough guy. But I was ready. I threw myself into training, determined to win.

Sissel's POV:

After school, I went grocery shopping. Just as I was checking out, I saw Jay pass by the window he wasn't alone, but I couldn't see who was with him. Must be heading to practice, I remembered Aidan saying it was around here.

And now here I am… standing outside the practice hall like an idiot. For the past five minutes, I've been debating whether to go in or just head home.

"Can I help you, young lady?" a voice startled me, pulling me back to reality.

Panic. Pure panic. "Oh! Um… my friend's practicing here. I just wanted to say hi."

Really, Sissel? That's the best you've got?

"Oh, Jay? He's your friend? Come in then."

Great. Just great. This is officially the most awkward moment of my life.

4o