Keela

by L. A. Casey

  Alec kneeled before me and took my shaking hands in his.

  “Your brothers appear after that, and they blame me for your death. They accuse me of lettin' you die because I didn't love you. They... attack me then I switch and end up in the centre of Darkness in front of Marco. His hands are covered in blood, and I think he is the one to cover the hallway walls in blood. You brothers hold me down and tell Marco to kill me for not savin' you. I look up and Marco is gone, the shadow figure is there, but it's not just a shadow figure anymore it's me. The terror is me, I shoot myself in the head and then I wake up.”

  I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to Alec's.

  “I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Do you understand me?” Alec asked.

  I nodded my head.

  “Tell me you understand,” he said, his voice firm.

  “I understand,” I whispered.

  He let go of my hands and cupped my face. “We're going to get you help for this. We aren't going to brush it under the carpet. This can be helped.”

  I nodded my head. “Okay,” I whispered.

  Alec sighed and kissed my head. “I wish I knew you were having nightmares, I wouldn't have rushed you into moving in here so quickly.”

  I blinked. “Do you mean that?” I asked.

  Alec furrowed his eyebrows. “That I wouldn't have rushed you?”

  I nodded.

  “Of course I wouldn't have.”

  I opened my mind then and said, “You wouldn't rush me... with anythin' else then would you?”

  “No, I wouldn't,” Alec said, a perplexed expression on his face.

  “Okay,” I said, breathing easier.

  Alec focused his eyes on mine. “What's on your mind? Why are you asking these questions?”

  This was it.

  This was the opportunity to tell Alec my feelings.

  I didn't even hesitate, I looked him in the eye and said, “I don't want to get married.”

  Everything stopped as I waited for Alec's reply.

  My breathing.

  My heartbeat.

  Time.

  “What... what do you mean you don't want to get married?” Alec asked me, his face a few shades paler than usual.

  I shook my head. “I didn't mean not at all, I meant I don't want to get married right now. I want us to slow down.”

  Alec blinked. “You want us to slow down?”

  I nodded my head.

  Alec was silent for a moment then he said, “Okay.”

  I opened my mouth to apologise to him, but when what he said registered with my brain I froze.

  “O-Okay?” I repeated.

  Alec nodded. “Yeah, okay. If you want us to pull back a little that's cool, we have the rest of our lives to get married, have kids, and do a bunch of other things.”

  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

  “I thought you would be upset with me,” I admitted.

  Alec laughed. “Just because I'm ready right now to take my vows and have a handful of mini me's doesn't mean you are, and that's okay.”

  It was?

  “So you don't hate me?” I asked, my eyes filling with tears.

  Alec laughed again. “No. I love you, stupid.”

  I laughed and my heart warmed.

  “I love you too, more than me life. I don't want this to make you feel—”

  “Kitten,” he cut me off. “I know you love me, you don't have to question if I know that. I know.”

  I didn't know what to say.

  I was not expecting this conversation to go like this.

  “I... I just can't believe you aren't angry with me.”

  Alec leaned in and rubbed his nose against mine. “I have you. I have your heart. I'll have everything else with you in time—there is no rush. None.”

  I pressed my forehead to his. “I adore your love for me, I cherish it. I cherish you.”

  Alec smiled. “I know, Kitten.”

  I closed my eyes and just felt our love surround us.

  After a moment Alec asked, “How long has this been bothering you?”

  I thought on it then opened my eyes and said, “Ages.”

  Alec shook his head. “You really need to stop overthinking things. That has to be a woman thing.”

  I surprisingly laughed.

  Alec got up and sat on our new bed and put his arm over my shoulder. “We can go back to the apartment if you want. I realise now that everything I have been doing was overwhelming you, and I want to make it right.”

  God, he was perfect.

  I leaned into him and said, “If you asked me that this mornin' I would have jumped at the chance, but now? Not so much. I'm so relieved after our talk, and being here with you doesn't scare me anymore... it excites me.”

  Alec squeezed me. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded my head.

  “I'm so sure I'm practically deodorant,” I teased.

  Alec laughed and kissed my head.

  I remained next to him for a few minutes until a knock rapped on the bedroom door.

  “Come in,” I called out.

  The door opened and Nico's head popped around the door. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  Alec and I nodded.

  “Great.” He smiled, then dropped it. “Alec, we need you to come and help us with something.”

  I wondered what 'something' was, and so did Alec.

  “Can't you just—”

  “Alec,” Nico cut him off, and gave him a stern look.

  The look was code for something.

  “Sure. I'll help,” Alec said then turned to me. “You're okay, right?”

  I nodded my head.

  After getting everything off my chest and clearing the air I was so okay.

  Alec left our room with Nico, and I went in search of the girls. I called out to them, and found them in the sitting room, with glasses in their hands. Bronagh was in the middle of cracking open a bottle of wine.

  “Don't drink until we're back!” Nico's voice shouted then the front door slammed shut.

  Bronagh ignored him and poured wine into the glasses extended to her.

  “Where are they goin'?” I asked the girls.

  They all shrugged. “No clue,” Branna said. “You doin' okay?”

  I nodded my head. “Much better.”

  Bronagh howled, “Park your arse and grab a glass, we're havin' a housewarmin' party even if it's just the four of us.”

  “You mean five of us,” a voice from behind us said.

  I jumped and turned around. “Alannah,” I breathed. “You frightened me.”

  Alannah Ryan, Bronagh's best friend, and my friend, grinned. “Nico let me in as he and the brothers were goin' out.”

  Bronagh whooped and poured Alannah a glass of wine.

  I looked between the girls and shook my head.

  This wasn't going to end well.

  The girls were hiding from me.

  I couldn't find the bitches anywhere.

  I was resorting to looking in every room of my house to fucking find them. I was about to pass by mine and Alec's bedroom when I heard giggling. I opened the door and followed the giggling to the bathroom.

  “What are you four doin' in here?” I asked as I entered the gigantic bathroom of my master bedroom.

  Four heads quickly looked in my direction, three of the gazes were hazy and clouded with alcohol and one was clear and teasing. Alannah raised her hands in front of her chest and chuckled. “Don't look at me, this was their idea.”

  Uh-oh.

  Branna, Aideen, and Bronagh having ideas when sober usually ended in disaster, drunken ideas would surely be worse.

  “What was their idea?” I asked and placed my hands on my hips.

  I stared the three eejits down hoping to be somewhat intimidating, but when they burst into a fit of giggles I knew my threatening glare was little more than a slap on the wrist to them.

  I switched my gaze to Alannah and softened it. “What did they do?”
/>
  “Somethin' stupid,” Alannah chuckled and shook her head.

  Bronagh shoved her. “You took one too, so shut it.”

  Alannah balked at her. “You forced me. You literally pulled my trousers and knickers down!”

  That statement sent the three musketeers into another fit of laughter.

  “Have you ever heard of waxin'?” Aideen asked, then fell into the bathtub as she burst into uncontrollable laughter. Bronagh and Branna were wheezing from laughing so hard.

  I wanted to laugh simply because they were laughing, but I had to keep my no-bullshit expression on my face to get to the bottom of what the hell they did.

  Alannah angrily folded her arms across her chest and glared at Aideen. “It's winter time, who gets a wax during this season? Give me a break!”

  I looked between all the faces before me and felt the beginnings of a headache form in the base of my skull.

  “What the hell went on in here?” I asked. “You forced Alannah to get semi naked with you all, to what? Jump her bones?”

  Bronagh put her hand in the air like she was a student in primary school, and I was the teacher waiting to give her permission to speak.

  I couldn't help but grin as I said, “Yeah, Bee, what is it?”

  “Can you tell Dominic what you think happened? He will be so hot for me, thinkin' that I was strippin' Lana that he will overlook me drinkin' this early.”

  I snorted. “Don't use me to soften up your lad, they all told you wait until they got back before crackin' open the wine. You three can deal with those impendin' arguments on your own.”

  Aideen put her up hand next and that move did make me laugh because she was in fact the educator out of the five of us.

  “What is it, Ado?” I asked.

  “I'm not in a relationship with any of the brothers so they can't say shite to me,” she said proudly from her spot in the bathtub.

  Branna rolled her eyes. “Please, you and Kane argue most out of the lot of us. You two are practically in a relationship, but don't kiss, have sex, or do anythin' intimate... you're in an enemyship.”

  Aideen seethed in silence while we all chuckled at Branna's very correct observation.

  Alannah grunted to me, “Can you get back to you givin' out to them for forcing me to—”

  “We didn't force you, you wanted to do it for fun too. I could see it in your freckled face!” Bronagh cut Alannah off and laughed with her sister.

  I raised my hands to my temples and rubbed. “What the hell did the four of you do?”

  Things were eerily silent for a moment until Aideen cracked it with a giggle. “We took pregnancy tests.”

  I blinked my eyes and stared at her.

  “You took pregnancy tests?” I repeated.

  “Yes,” Bronagh giggled. “Just for fun.”

  I continued to blink and stare as I silently judged my group of friends.

  They were such morons.

  “Okay, so you took pregnancy tests... you better have thrown them in the bin and washed the counter down—if I find piss anywhere in here I'm stickin' your noses in it,” I warned.

  Bronagh gasped. “Like a dog?”

  “Exactly.” I grinned. “Just like a dog.”

  Bronagh widened her eyes and it made Branna laugh. “Would you relax, we cleaned up and we'll wipe down the counter again when we're done with the tests.”

  That piqued my interest.

  “You mean you aren't already done with them?” I asked.

  Branna shook her head. “We're waitin' for—”

  Someone's phone let out a shrill sound cutting Branna off and causing her, and the other girls to grin.

  “We were waitin' for that alarm,” she finished.

  I rolled my eyes. “Well, go on then. Look and then throw them in the bin.”

  All four of the girls remained still.

  “Oh, shite. I can't do it,” Bronagh said as her complexion suddenly paled.

  “I can't either,” the other three morons mumbled in unison.

  I threw my hands up in the air. “Why did you take them if you're too afraid to see the results?”

  Bronagh wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “Because it dawned on me that I could be pregnant. Me and Dominic have been tryin' for months.”

  I stared at her. “So why can't you look?”

  “Because it's terrifyin'!” she replied.

  “Oh, for the love of God,” I grumbled and pushed them out of the way. “I'll bloody do it.”

  I stumbled forward, but when Alannah didn't move aside right away it caused me to fall into the counter. I caught myself and wasn't hurt, but my forearm sent the pregnancy tests into the sink.

  “Shite,” I said and quickly gathered them.

  I wasn't worried about them being tampered, they all had the caps on the end where you urinate. I just had no clue which stick was whose because they were all the same brand of pregnancy test.

  “Now we don't know which test is which!” Aideen groaned and got out of my bathtub.

  Alannah snorted. “One will definitely be negative, I can't remember the last time I had sex.”

  Bronagh grinned. “I do, it was six months ago and you said your one night stand was way better than... What's the insult you dubbed him with? Was it Snowflake?”

  “Bronagh!” Alannah gasped. “We're not discussin' him!”

  Him?

  “Who is him? Who is Snowflake?” I asked.

  Alannah glared at Bronagh. “Don't,” she warned.

  Bronagh ignored Alannah and looked to me as she said, “Damien.”

  I remained quiet for a second then said, “Damien Slater?”

  Bronagh nodded her head then hissed when Alannah thumped her in the arm.

  Branna and Aideen giggled as Bronagh grumbled and rubbed her arm.

  “You had a thing with Damien?” I asked Alannah.

  She groaned. “It was one night years ago, it is not a big deal. Seriously. We were kids.”

  Bronagh gave Alannah a knowing look. “You're lyin' through your teeth and you know it.”

  Alannah sighed, but remained silent.

  I was shocked.

  “You shagged Damien?” I asked.

  Things were silent for a moment then everyone burst into laughter, including Alannah.

  “Dude, nice one. Damien is fit!” Aideen said then high-fived Alannah who was shaking her head.

  “Hey!” Bronagh frowned.

  Aideen rolled her eyes. “I said Damien, not Dominic.”

  Bronagh deadpanned, “They're identical twins.”

  “Can't be, they have different hair colour,” Aideen said, waving Bronagh off.

  Bronagh shook her head. “I said that too, but they both informed me it didn't mean anythin'. Even with the different hair colour they have matching DNA—they're identical twins. It's very rare for twins to have different eye colour or hair colour because their DNA is a blueprint match, but Dominic and Damien are that very small percentile of identical twins with different hair colour. Argue against it all you want, but that's how it is.”

  Aideen was silent for a moment. “Okay... but I still think Damien is hotter. Sorry, not sorry.”

  I laughed. “You never met him—neither of us have. How can you think he is hotter than Dominic? That lad is ripped.”

  “Girls, that's me fella you're both—”

  “Because I'm around Dominic so much that I think of him as a kid brother. He is the same age as Gavin after all.”

  I pinched the bridged of my nose. “Damien is the same age too... We just discussed them being identical twins meaning they're possibly minutes apart in age.”

  Aideen snorted. “Yeah, but Damien could be a boy toy that I could—”

  “I beg you not to finish that sentence!” Branna suddenly cut Aideen off and heaved.

  I laughed and looked at Aideen. “I'm tellin' Kane you want to shag his little brother.”

  “I'm gonna be sick,” Bronagh mumbled.

 
Aideen grinned. “Make sure I'm present when you do.”

  “You're twisted,” I stated, but smirked.

  “You speak the truth,” Aideen replied, not fazed by my insult.

  Alannah held her hands up in the air. “Can we get off the Damien topic, please?”

  “You mean the Snowflake topic?”

  Bronagh cracked up laughing. “I love that insult, so much better than Fuckface.”

  I chuckled and looked at Alannah.

  She didn't look angry.

  She looked sad.

  I momentarily wondered what that was about.

  “Sure, we can get of the topic,” I murmured then looked down to my hands.

  I flicked through the pregnancy tests. “Negative, negative, negative, nega—Wait, what?”

  “What?” the four girls shouted in unison.

  I stared down at the pregnancy test in my right hand with wide eyes. “This one is positive.”

  All of the girls gasped.

  “Fuck off!” Aideen snapped.

  “You're messin!” Bronagh accused.

  “I'll cry if you're playin',” Branna whispered.

  “It's not mine,” Alannah stated.

  I looked up from the positive pregnancy test then lifted it in the air and flipped it around so each girl could clearly see the visible pink plus sign.

  “I'm dead serious, it's positive.”

  “Omigod!” the girls cried.

  I was shaking.

  One of the girls was pregnant... but which one?

  “Why didn't you mark the bloody tests so you knew which one was whose?” I snapped.

  “Because we weren't expectin' you, aka he-woman, to crash into the counter and knock them all into the bloody sink!” Aideen bellowed back.

  I felt like I was about to throw up.

  “So one of you is pregnant, but we don't know who?” I asked.

  Bronagh had tears in her eyes. “Dominic and me are tryin' and Ryder and Branna don't use protection and she came off birth control last month so it could be either of us. Alannah had sex six months ago so it's not her... Aideen, what about you?”

  Aideen was pale. “Could be. I had unprotected sex a good few weeks ago with a one night stand.”

  Oh, for Christ sakes.