Chapter 2

                     ~~SELENA~~

I gasped as I watched Cyrus roll up his sleeves, ready to tackle the dishes.

  "Thank you, Cyrus," my mom said, and Cyrus's smile lit up the room. Mom shot me a knowing look before exiting the kitchen, leaving just the two of us.

I nervously fidgeted, not sure what to do with myself now that it was just me and Cyrus.

  "Uh, do you need some help?" I offered, my eyes fixed on the plates rather than his face.

"No," he replied, his voice barely audible his focus on the task at hand as he began washing the dishes.

I couldn't help but admire him as he worked, every movement seeming effortlessly graceful. Was everything he did somehow sexy? Even washing dishes?

Oh, crap! What was I supposed to do now? He barely even talks, and I didn't want to embarrass myself. But standing there in awkward silence wasn't an option either.

Feeling a bit deflated, I tried again, determined not to let the silence swallow me whole.

  "So, uh, do you like... music?" I asked, grasping at straws for conversation.But Cyrus remained silent, his response limited to the rhythmic clinking of plates as he washed them. 

Did he hear me or he just chooses to not answer me at all. Oh, I think he didn't hear me. Oh...lord. I am so embarrassed right now.

  It was like talking to a brick wall. Realizing that my attempts at conversation were futile, I resigned myself to silence, awkwardly fidgeting as Cyrus continued with his task. It was going to be a long evening.

As I retreated to my room, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions consumed me. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease regarding Cyrus. Did he not notice me, or worse, did he actively avoid me?

But then logic intervened. Of course, he noticed me. I'm Ezra's sister, a constant presence in their lives. He must see me every day, right?

I collapsed onto my bed, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. Despite my attempts to distract myself, my mind stubbornly returned to Cyrus, his image overshadowing everything else.

Sure, I've had relationships with other guys, albeit discreetly, without my brothers' knowledge. I'm no stranger to romantic entanglements.

Yet, Cyrus remained an enigma. Rarely seen with other girls, the sight of him with someone else on my first day of college felt like a stab to the heart, each beat echoing with pain.

I've harbored this crush on him since I was six, for crying out loud. Age difference be damned; he was cute, and I found myself gravitating towards any opportunity to catch a glimpse of him. And my brothers? They've always been fiercely protective, shielding me from harm and heartache.

But now, as I lay in my room, All I thought about was the day Cyrus would actually talk to me.

As I stood up from my bed, a sense of resignation washed over me. Maybe Cyrus was simply into girls his own age. After all, he's 22 and in his last year of college. It made sense, but it didn't make the sting of rejection any less painful.

At least there was a silver lining—I'd be attending the same school as him. Perhaps being in closer proximity would provide an opportunity to get to know him better.

Shaking off my thoughts, I sluggishly pulled on my clothes before heading straight to the bathroom. A cool bath sounded like just the remedy I needed after the awkward encounter in the kitchen.

~~

My dad always insisted that we stay in our family home, even though my brothers were in college. He believed in the importance of family and wanted us to have our own space only after completing our education.

Fortunately, my brothers agreed with his decision, knowing they would eventually have their chance for privacy once they finished college. In the meantime, they made the most of our family home, enjoying the comfort and familiarity it provided.

One morning, as I got ready for school, which was just a short 30-minute drive away, I could feel the anticipation of the day ahead. I had an early morning class and needed to leave promptly to make it on time.

Breakfast was already prepared when I entered the kitchen, and I spotted Anya sitting alone at the dining area, already digging into her meal.

"Good morning," I greeted her, walking over to take a seat beside her.

"Nothing is good about this morning," she complained, dropping her spoon in frustration.

"Why's that?" I asked, chuckling at her dramatics.

"School. Who invented that trap?" she grumbled, frustration evident on her face.

"Horace Mann did," I replied, and she gasped in mock horror.

"How dare him," she exclaimed, making me laugh before I began to eat my breakfast.

My smile widened when my dad walked into the dining area.

"Dad," I said, standing up to hug him. I hadn't seen him yesterday, so I assumed he must have come home late.

"Princess," he greeted me warmly, kissing my forehead affectionately.

Secretly, I knew I was my dad's favorite, but I couldn't let Anya catch on to that.

"Hi, Dad," Anya chimed in, hugging him too. He returned the gesture with a gentle head kiss.

"How is school?" he asked, taking a seat beside me.

"It's okay," I replied, grateful for his interest in my daily life.

"No boys, hm?" Dad asked, casting a knowing glance in my direction.

"No, no," I replied with a smile, recalling the day my brothers discovered I was dating a guy when I was just fifteen. They were furious and wasted no time in paying him a visit to deliver a stern warning. To this day, that guy has my number blocked, and I still wonder what exactly my brothers said to him.

"You're eighteen now, you can actually have a boyfriend," Dad remarked, though I knew he was just saying it for the sake of conversation. The truth was, my dad would never allow me to have a boyfriend.

"No thanks," I said, shaking my head.

"But I do have a boyfriend," Anya piped up suddenly, capturing our attention. Just then, Mom entered the dining area.

"Probably just a play date," Dad teased.

"No. We kissed," Anya announced proudly, causing Mom's gaze to snap towards her.

"Good morning," I greeted Mom, trying to divert attention away from Anya's revelation.

"How was your night?" Mom inquired, seamlessly picking up on the change of subject.

"Great," I replied, eager to move on from the topic of boyfriends.

"Back to what you were saying, who is he?" Dad turned his attention back to Anya, clearly intrigued.

"Don't tell me you want to traumatize that poor kid," Mom chuckled, earning a playful eye roll from Dad.

"Where are the boys?" Dad asked Mom, shifting the focus away from Anya's love life.

"Still in bed," Mom replied, and Dad nodded in understanding.

"What's the guy's name?" Dad directed his question at Anya, indicating that she would now have to spill the beans about her mystery boyfriend.

"Who will take her to her class?" Dad asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Dad, I can drive," I reminded him, trying to jog his memory about the car he had gifted me on my last birthday.

"Oh, yeah. Totally forgot about that," he said with a chuckle, his face breaking into a sheepish grin.

Mom settled beside me at the table as the maid arrived, placing her food before her. She began to eat, but my attention was drawn to the hickeys adorning her neck. Oh, Lord.

It was both strange and amusing to realize that my parents still had an active sex life. Suppressing a smile, I turned my gaze away, silently amused by the thought.

"I have to go," I announced, rising from my chair and moving to kiss my mom's cheeks and then my dad's. However, Anya intercepted me before I could reach her.

"No," she protested, sidestepping my affectionate advances.

"Don't miss me too much," I teased, offering her a smile.

"I wouldn't even try," she replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that made me chuckle.

"Be careful," Mom advised, her tone tinged with concern.

"If any guy comes close to you, hit him where it hurts the most," Dad added, injecting a touch of humor into the parting advice. I nodded in acknowledgment, chuckling at his words, before making my way out of the house.

Arriving at my car, I unlocked it and climbed inside, ready to embark on the day's adventures.

I maneuvered through the familiar streets, the hum of the engine and the rhythmic beat of my favorite song filling the car. As I pulled into the school parking lot, I couldn't help but notice the clusters of students milling about, their laughter and chatter a sharp contrast to the quiet solitude of my morning drive.

Navigating my way through the bustling hallways, I made my way to my first class. It wasn't long before I settled into my seat, surrounded by faces I recognized but didn't necessarily know. You see, I've always been somewhat of a loner, content in my own company but often feeling the pang of isolation in a sea of acquaintances.

It's not that I don't want friends; it's just that most people seem to want to befriend me for all the wrong reasons. They see my brothers, handsome and popular, and assume that being my friend will somehow grant them access to a better social circle And also get to date them. It's a frustrating reality that I've grown accustomed to, but one that still stings nonetheless.

As the morning class dragged on, I found myself counting down the minutes The professor announced that the class has ended. With a sigh of relief, I gathered my belongings and made my way to the school cafeteria, hunger gnawing at my stomach.

Standing in line, I surveyed the array of food laid out before me, trying to decide what to eat. The cafeteria was abuzz with activity, students chatting animatedly as they waited to be served. I couldn't help but feel like an outsider, a lone figure amidst a sea of camaraderie.

Finally, it was my turn to order, and I quickly selected a sandwich and a bottle of water before making my way to an empty table in the corner. As I sat down to eat, I couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness that seemed to hang in the air around me.

As I took a bite of my sandwich, I reminded myself that being alone didn't necessarily mean being lonely. Sometimes I sat with my brothers, but they rarely ate here. Still, I found solace in the cafeteria, particularly because the school food wasn't actually bad.

My eyes roamed around the room until they landed on the person I always loved seeing: Cyrus.

Instantly, my face flushed red at the sight of him standing alone. If only we talked more, I would have mustered the courage to approach him. People often mistook him for one of my brothers because of his close relationship with them.

Turning back to my sandwich, I took a bite and washed it down with water. When I glanced back to where Cyrus had been standing, he was gone. Where the hell was he???

  Suddenly, a familiar cologne filled the air, and I instinctively turned to see Cyrus seated beside me.

What the hell!!! Was This some sort of dream or what.

Wait!!! What!!!!!!.

TBC