Chapter 40

“Oh. I can’t believe I totally forgot about him since I didn’t see him in the sitting room when everyone was trying to eat something. Is he alright?” Aria asked immediately, her lust covered face now blanketed with worry and concern.

I nodded my head, “He needed privacy, that’s why he didn’t stay in the sitting room with us and also why no one went to check up on him, because he needed privacy, but I’m going to go check up on him right now and see if he needs help with something.”

“Is he hurt? Was he shot? Auden, is he alright?” Aria pressed on, her hands poking at the warm comforter she was seated on

If he had been shot, it would have been way better than what happened to him, I thought bitterly. Nicolas has gotten shot a handful times so I was a hundred percent he’d have been able to handle it more than what was done to him.

“He was, but he’s recovering now.” I lied to Aria as I made my way out of the room after returning her cute little wave. He didn’t even get shot once, at the gym days ago, he got hit on his head with something and with the way one part of his hair was still tinged with red, I knew the wound was still somehow fresh and in need of cleaning and treatment since he got kidnapped on Thursday and today’s Saturday.

I made my way downstairs and stopped when I met Tristan sitting with his back against the foot of one of the chairs in the sitting room, his right knee was raised up where he rested his elbow on while the second one was laying flat on the floor. The lights in the sitting room were all turned off and only the lights from the fire flicking all the way from the fireplace illuminated his face in the shadows.

“Tris?” I called out softly as I made my way towards him. He lifted his head that was resting on his elbow and glanced at me for a second before returning his gaze back to The dancing flames. I crouched beside him and nudged him with my body.

“What’s the matter?” I inquired softly.

Tristan was obviously troubled and I’m starting to be worried about him. Ever since the day Nicolas got kidnapped and Nicole got shot, he has been acting somehow weird.

“It’s nothing,” He mumbled softly.

It sure doesn’t look like nothing, I thought as I nudged him again.

“Seriously Tris, what’s wrong?”

He racked his fingers through his hair before scrubbing that same hand over his face and finally glancing back at me while I held my breath in anticipation for what he was going to say to me.

“It’s...” He trailed off slowly and glanced away while working his throat on a swallow. I clasped his chin and pulled him back until we were staring into each other’s eyes once again.

“Spit it out, Tris.” I urged but he only wrenched his face away from my hold and glared at me. “It’s nothing, alright? I just have a lot on my plate right now.” He spat out.

“I don’t believe you.” I said to him after a few seconds of just staring at each other.

“Well that’s the truth,” He argued back immediately. I breathed out a sigh, there was no use trying to coax anything from Tristan, if he wasn’t ready to tell you what’s really happening, then it wouldn’t until whenever he feels like, I’ve known it was useless right from when we were growing up together but I just felt like he’d be more eager to share whatever was on his mind since I had a feeling it was related to what happened with Nicolas.

“Is Nicolas asleep?” I asked instead, purposely dropping the topic about why he was sitting in the dark and obviously deep in thoughts before I walked in.

“I checked last when I escorted Nicole upstairs to help her check out her healing wound and make sure she used her drugs. He wasn’t asleep then, but he also didn’t acknowledge my presence even though he was obviously, clearly awake so I left him be... I figured you’d come check up on him again, I’m sure he’d be more responsive to you.” Tristan explained while rubbing his hand on the rug slowly.

Yeap, it wasn’t hidden news that Nicolas liked me more, probably because they all look up to me, or maybe because I’m the oldest in the family and was supposed to automatically keep them all safe. They were all my priority, starting from Nicole all the way to Tristan who was always livid each time he noticed me fussing over him because apparently he was already old enough to take care of himself.

Apparently, Tristan and Nicolas were already old enough to take care of themselves in serious situations but we’d always never be always prepared for unexpected ambushes like what happened to Nicolas days ago at the gym, even though his bodyguard was with him, it still didn’t make a difference. Same with Nicole even though Tristan and the guards were all at home when it happened.

I was a hundred percent glad nothing happened to Tristan the day Nicole got shot, along with Daven. Lord knows I’d have gone crazy assuming that has happened.

I breathed out another long sigh, I need to take care of all our known and unknown enemies which I didn’t know existed until yesterday so my siblings can all be safe enough to go to school and not have this constant fear about getting ambushed or kidnapped or shot at.

“You’d be heading to bed soon, right?” I asked Tristan as I pushed myself until I was standing again and glanced down at him as I waited for an answer.

“I’m not sure, maybe. It’s nice here so I might be here all night. You just go to our brother.” Tristan replied quietly and I resisted the urge to sigh in irritation. Tristan was already old enough to make his own decisions years ago, so I left him to his thoughts as I made my way down the hall towards Nicolas’s room.