Chapter 6: Annoying Stepbrothers

"What are you talking about?" She does her best to play dumb, her eyes are everywhere except on her sister, she was so focused on the task in front of her,

"Carol, where's the necklace I gifted you?" Ava drips the brush to hear her explanation, from the look on her sister's face she could sense tension, "are you tired of wearing it?" Her voice is shaking a bit, and Carol knew what they meant,

"No!! No it's not like that at all!! It's...." She tries to explain but she didn't want to tell Ava she misplaced it,

"You always wear it everyday, why didn't you wear it today?" Her black orbs dug into her soul and she bites her lips in retaliation.

This was going to sting.....a lot.

"Ava.....I lost it at the mall, I don't know how but when we were Riding back home it was gone!! I suspect those men we bumped into were actually pick pockets and they swiped the necklace off my neck. You know I would never miss a day without it....but I misplaced it." That was it; off her chest.

Ava blinks twice, " okay."

"Okay?!" She didn't believe she could be so chill with it, it cost a lot of money and it only increased in value with age, "aren't you mad or something?"

"No, why would I be?" She goes back to her painting, "you lose things all the time and I was actually surprised when you didn't lose it until now." She grins like a fool, " besides I made a spare that day, it was meant to be mine but I decided to get a tattoo sooooo." She smiles caustically at her sister before staining her nose with paint, "you can have that one."

"Just like that? No!! You're going to do something to me as punishment!" She hugs her body which makes Ava Bellow in laughter,

"I could always do something with you if only you approve...." She lets out a low groan and that creeps the fuck our of Carol. She laughs once more, "it's so nice when I tease you, it always makes me happy." She finishes up the rest of the work and they drop the paint, "so what's for dinner?" She yawns heavily, "I'm in the mood for something light."

"Cheesy and light, nachos?" She offer and it just a smile on Ava's face,

"You always know what I want before I even say it." She wipes the invisible tear from her eyes, and that was the signal for Carol to order some nachos.

Everywhere is a mess, books littered the whole surroundings and his reading table as well, the lamp was still left on but he had already dozed off on the pile of books. His cheek rested on an open book, on exactly page 156, he seemed to be reading something on the way the human mind functions. But the fatigue must have gotten the best of him.

His eyes were closed in slumber and his breathing was very rhythmic, he seemed to be at peace but his right hand was folded tightly; he seemed to be holding on to something precious, something delicate.

The gentle snores are the only sounds in his private study area, until his cell rings and it rings loud. He jolts up to see who the caller was,

"Crystal...." He says the name and he picks, immediately letting out a yawn to announce to his caller that he was previously sleeping, "what's up Crystal? How did the shoot go?" She rubs his black mane, hair blacker than night.

His inks rapidly to get the sleep out of his eyes but he was still indeed very sleepy,

"Hey baby, I'm sorry I would be a little late so I was thinking maybe we should have dinner at home instead, hmm?" She is in front of her mirror while her stylists did her hair and her make up.

"Uh sure that's not a problem," he took a look at the time, " what would you like to eat?" He yawns again, " how about some rump roast? Just how you like it?" He smiles a little as she giggles over the phone.

"That would be wonderful, can't wait to be home." She blows him a kiss before hanging up. He yawns again, he is so exhausted but he manages to push himself off his chair and head straight to the kitchen.

He opens his packed freezer, the exact opposite of what his friend had, and he brings out a large portion of meat before dumping it on the slab in front of him, he takes off his shirt to reveal a chiseled body; he was lean but he was built.

He grabs the apron instead and a knife and some veggies and garnishes, he's about to begin until he remembered he left his phone in the reading office. He travels all the way there again and he grabs his phone with his left hand; it was then he realized his right hand was holding onto something.

He slowly opens it, his green orbs peering to see what he refused to let go off. It was a necklace and it had its inscription; Carva. Then he remembered, it dropped from the Noirette he bumped into when he was going to the mall.

Lucas squinted his eyes but some part of him didn't want to let go of it, so he wore it instead; it was a very awkward thing for him to do, especially since he wasn't into all these things but he felt it was the right thing to do; well, to his mind.

And whatever his mind wants he lets it be.

Snatching his phone from the desk he goes back to the kitchen and takes it off airplane mode; an effective tactic for blocking out all distraction. He slams his cooking playlist on and begins making dinner.

Lucas is a 32 year old bachelor that held a master's in psychology, his green orbs were just like the fresh blooming grass of spring, his body was a rigid wall; not bulky but it was intimidating enough and not to forget also enticing. His black hair was darker than night and he was of nice height, a 6'3 to be precise.

But he was rather distant and how he was able to score someone like Crystal he still couldn't understand. What even happened that day? They met, he made her laugh and they became friends....then they became more.

It was still a surprise he was able to get a girlfriend because he had no idea how to approach people. He smiles a little at the thought of her, how she would enjoy the dinner he's making for her. He just hoped she made it back in time before he decided to eat everything. Both he and his girlfriend shared similar taste, and also similar dislikes.

He couldn't have been happier.

He chuckles a little at his thought; he shakes a little to his playlist, he wasn't exactly the one to dance either but he was a man who values his solitude. He grooves a little until it is interrupted by his ringing tone; it was a special ringing tone.

A call from his brother.

He groaned loudly before looking at his screen once more; he really didn't want to pick it and he had no idea why his brother was even Calling him at a time like this. They barely spoke so he guessed he just needed to leech something from him as usual, when all he wanted was to think about the dinner he's preparing for his girlfriend.

Unfortunately the phone cuts after it rings and rings with no one to answer it, he smiles like the devil he is before going back to his rump roast. It's not up to five minutes when his phone begins to sing to his ears again; the same tune he really wished he didn't have to hear.

He groans once more and this time he picks it to answer him and forget about it,

"What is it Elias? You never called me and now you're calling me so urgently?" He tries to sound playful but he knew that he and his brother never really shared any relationship...they were step siblings so he had expected that anyway. Just like what the movies and books depicted but he still knew that there were families who weren't as dysfunctional as his.

"It's the case, I'm losing it. I don't know how she always does it but I'm starting to feel she bribes the judge to get favor." He spews nonsense and Lucas is far from surprised, he rolls his eyes dramatically and waits for him to finish his rant as he knew he was just beginning, "she's making me lose a lot of money and....fuck!! Are you even listening to me?!" He barks at his younger brother and Lucas could've sworn he felt his door hit his face from the phone.

"Look Eli, why don't you do something instead hmm?" He proposed and his brother's attention is stolen, but he knew what he was going to say next wasn't going to be received well,

"why don't you just leave her the fuck alone?!" Lucas is tired of having to hear the same story of her! He never talked about anyone else or anything but his ex wife and how he was going to make her pay after she stole everything from him.

"That's easy for you to say because you're still a bachelor, she took everything away from me!! Everything! You're supposed to be supportive at least!" He barks back and it made Lucas scoff, he couldn't stand and listen to his gibberish, Crystal was coming very soon and he needed to make sure everything was set.

So he put his phone on speaker to hear his brother's bullshit as he worked his way around the meat, setting the whole table as he argued the issue of his ex sister in law and how she ruined his life.

He knew his brother was hurting but it's been so long and he had advised him numerous times to just stop. Just stop. There's no use trying to catch a runaway cat, he couldn't count the number of times he had told his brother to pick up the pieces of his life and get himself back together but all he had to say was that 'if he can't live a happy life then he wouldn't let her or the kids rest.'

And since then he is bent on spending every bit of money and time he has to get them into trouble with the law which Lucas saw as childish. It still baffled him how his lawyer still paid any attention to him; probably it was because Elias was paying stupid money to pin a woman for something she didn't do.

And it was also a miracle how he wasn't even in jail himself with all the false accusations; he was just lucky that she decided not to kill his ungrateful ass.

Eventually they drop the call and he is already done with dinner, now he has to look really good for his model girlfriend....he even felt the need to do it today but he wasn't so sure. He waves the blush off his face and journeys to his room to have a cold shower and a change of clothes.

He skips on a shirt and leaves a few buttons undone with some black pants, he puts on lavender perfume which was Crystal's favorite and he waits for her to come home so he could seduce her and probably even do a whole lot more than seducing.

He laughs to himself before his phone rings, and he instantly smiles at the sound of the ringtone. He goes for his phone and picks it within hesitation, knowing who the caller was.

"How you doing? You busy tonight?" The caller asks in a rather chill voice, " something tells me you're up to something no good. Since you're not studying them what could you be doing?" The deep baritone made him laugh like a highschool teenage girl,

"I'm waiting for Crystal, she's coming home tonight and what are you doing? You're meant to be sleeping like a pregnant woman as usual." He rolls his eyes which earned him a chuckles from him friend,

"You're too much Lucas, well I wanted to talk about Andy, he called me to rant about his—"

"His ex wife and broken marriage and how he's going to make her pay for everything she stole from him?" Lucas reads like an open book, and his friend dramatically wipes an invisible tear from his eye,

"You know me so well." The share a laugh, "I literally told him to leave me the fuck alone cause I can not be concerned about what he does with his life." Haider snorts before turning the TV off, slowly moving to his bedroom.

"Elias ranted to be a lot before we actually cut the call but I told him the same thing too." Lucas rolled his eyes once more, it was his favorite gesture when he came across unreasonable people. And Haider knew he did his famous eye roll.

Haider and Lucas shared the same life story; single, successful, coupled with family issues. They both had step Brothers that were highly unreasonable, maybe that's what made them click so fast. They've been friends since childhood after they realized their situation was similar so they paired up to achieve their dreams together; to become one of the most known lecturers in the whole of the state.

Haider majored in statistics while Lucas in psychology, Lucas was although wealthy since his dad had a business he ran but he had no interest in those things whatsoever. And because of the affluence of his father, he decided to pick another wife for himself which caused the dysfunctional family. Now he doesn't even want to have anything to do with his father or his company.

He just wanted to sort out his mother and make her happy And Haider was no different but his father had been unfaithful to his mother with a Hispanic woman and they birthed the demon he called Andy; his brother. So he wanted to prove them wrong by becoming someone in life cause they always said he would remain poor.

So that's where the young men found themselves up till today. They're basically the same person, the only difference is that Lucas is reserved but managed to score himself a girlfriend while Haider is bubbly but very single. His apartment was always dry.

They talked on the phone for hours and Lucas was beginning to think that Crystal wouldn't make it, but he didn't mind since he had his brother's company.

"Did you solve that question a student asked? Looks like someone is trying to disgrace your psychological prowess." Haider teases which makes Lucas scoff,

"Oh please, I'm a professor, I wouldn't be taken down so easily by a simple question." He boasts but even Haider Knew that the question had him shook,

"You know how the students can be, always trying to act smart." He laughs heartily until Lucas hears a knock on his door, that's strange, he wasn't expecting anyone. He strides casually to the door, his shirt was fully undone as he was thinking of heading to bed.

He swings the door open to be frozen by a gaze, his eyes dilate and a small smile Grace's his features. Haider wondered why his brother suddenly froze and wasn't replying him anymore,

"Lucas?"