Chapter 27.

LIAM.
Lunch with Ella's sister was partly cool. I mean, it's more than obvious that she's an obnoxious human being but she isn't exactly the empty head that I thought she was.
As much as I hate comparing two different people, I must say that both girls are nothing alike at all.
Elle, for starters, is basically only interested in things that involve making loads of money and being the center of attention whilst doing it and she isn't exactly passionate about anything she does. When I tried talking to her as a fellow fashion company director, she basically shut me off and said that she never talked about her work outside work, except when necessary because it bored her to death.
Ella, on the other hand, loved talking about her work. It's one of the many things that made me instantly attracted to her. There's so much passion in her voice whenever she talked about being a designer and whenever she talked about how she'd love for her outfits to one day walk on the biggest runways in the industry. That passion is something Elle completely lacked.
"Do you need a ride home? Cause I see you didn't drive here," I asked Elle politely, after I paid for our lunch.
"You don't have to, though, I can take a cab from here," she said and Lord knows, I'm thankful she refused.
"Okay, that's fine by me. Well then, I guess I'll see you around. Take care of yourself, miss." With that, I get inside my car and I drive off not bothering to hear a reply of any sort from her.
At this point in my life, I can't afford to have any rumors about us going around which is why I'm thankful she refused my offer.
****
Something is off with Gabriella and I can feel it.
She finally showed up yesterday after I had literally begged to see her and she looked like she was going through a lot at the moment but she refused to tell me anything.
I know she and I are not exactly official yet since I'm not one to just jump into relationships anymore and I want to ask her out officially when all this drama with my mother comes to an end but I care about Gabriella a lot, I have real feelings for her and it actually hurts to think that she doesn't trust me enough to share her problems with me.
I've tried finding out from her closest friends Martha and Fabian but they both claim not to know anything and that made me worry even more.
"Liam?" Cassie's familiar voice called out and I swiftly turned towards her, wondering how she got into my place and why in the world she'd show up here unannounced.
Cassie happens to be one of my younger siblings and she's also the fourth child of the family. She also happens to be the most notorious one although technically, both she and Jessie are both notorious but Cassie here takes the crown.
She isn't exactly your idea of a typical young girl. She's a twenty four year old tomboy and also a proud lesbian, who describes herself as a free spirit who has no interest in slaving away her life just because she's an adult.
Personally, I think she's just lucky to be born into a wealthy family cause I can't imagine a person with her mentality surviving in this cruel world.
"How did you get in?" I asked confusedly.
"Your door lock passcode is as predictable as your brother. Does that answer your question?" she replied.
"Not exactly but I'll put in mind to have it changed," I replied and she chuckled softly before heading towards where I sat and engulfed me in a crushing bear hug.
"It's so good to see you, big brother." She said softly before letting go of me and pecking my forehead like she was dealing with a child.
"It's good to see you too Cassie but I must ask, what are you doing here? This visit is very unlike you." I said to her and she frowned.
"What do you mean by that bro? Why am I paying a visit to your place so unlike me? Can't a sister just wish to visit her big brother?" She retorted but I gave her the knowing look since I wasn't buying that act.
"What's up with you Cassie? We both know you're not the type to just show up unannounced except when you need something. So, what do you want? Is it money?" I asked and she scowled.
"I receive a pretty steady allowance from our mother Liam so trust me, I don't need any money from you," she replied, obviously offended by my reasoning.
"Okay lil sis, I apologize for assuming wrongly and jumping into conclusions. Now can you tell me exactly what it is that you want? I have a lot on my mind right now and I need to get some shut eye so I can think clearly," I said to her and she sighs.
"I know you think I'm a bother but you don't have to make it so obvious," she hissed and I frowned.
"No Cassie, don't do that. At least, not today cause I'm in absolutely no mood to explain myself a thousand times to you. I already told you I'm stressed out and I have a lot on my mind but if you don't believe me then that's on you. Just tell me why you're here already." I reply to her snappily and when she realizes that I'm in no mood to joke around, she starts talking.
"Okay fine, I apologize for disturbing you but it's about Jessie," she drawled.
"What about Jessie?" I asked.
"So, the thing is, I went out a couple of nights ago with some of my friends, who I must add, happen to be just like me and yeah, we were over at the club, having fun and suddenly, I spot someone throwing up all over the place and it seemed the person had way too much to drink. Since I'm not exactly the kindest human on earth, I decided against helping her and I went on minding my business."
"Later on, I walk into the bathroom to wash my face so I can start heading home and you won't believe who I ran into!" She exclaimed dramatically and I could not help but shake my head.
"Was it Jessie?" I asked boredly.
"You bet it was!" She replied and I could not help the scowl that clouded my face.
"Just a reminder Cassie, Jessie is twenty two years old which means, she has just as much right as you have to be out clubbing. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying I agree with you two young ladies going around and partying however you like but I can't control your actions and you can't control Jessie's either so there's absolutely no point in you coming all the way to my place to report something you could have easily told me over the phone." I replied to her calmly, trying as much as possible not to sound in any way offensive.
Cassie, no matter how much she tries to seem all tough and grown up, is a very sensitive person and the littlest things you say to her can trigger a burst of emotions from her.
"The fact that she was out clubbing isn't my point here Liam. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," she hissed and I rolled my eyes.
"Just tell me straightforwardly why Jessie being in a club stresses you out so much." I replied to her.
"It's cause that stupid child is on drugs bro!" She exclaimed dramatically and I deadpanned.
"Wait, what do you mean by drugs? What kind of drugs are we talking about here?" I asked slowly, hoping she didn't mean it the way it sounded.
"We're talking about the white stuff bro. Remember I said I saw some girl throwing up all over the place? Well, that girl turned out to be my own sister Liam and you need to have seen for yourself just how high she was that night. She could barely recognise me, Liam, that's just how out of it she was." She explained and I immediately felt weak.
Jessie is on drugs? Cocaine for that matter? Since when did she start? She seems completely normal to me though but now that I think about it, she has been spending quite a lot of money lately and the only reason I'm aware of this is because she's making use of my credit card.
"What happened next? What did she tell you?" I asked.
"I tried snapping her out of it but she was already completely out of it so I had to literally drag her out of the club since she was refusing to leave, I drove her to my place and I put her to sleep. I was confused on what to do first so I just went through her things and bro, you need to see what I found," she said and immediately brought out her phone to show me a picture.
My eyes grow two times wider when I see pictures of the cocaine and weed Cassie had supposedly found.
"All of this belonged to her?" I asked.
"She didn't want to admit it at first but eventually she did and yes, they belong to her. According to her, she's going through a lot and those drugs help her calm down. I didn't even know what to tell her cause I was so surprised and shocked that Jessie of all people would be doing drugs and she begged me not to tell you but I have to let you know."
"I also called Tyler and explained to him briefly and he asked me to tell you that he would be traveling back to New York in a day or two." She explained and a tired sigh escaped my lips.
"Is Corey also aware?" I asked.
"Not yet. I was hoping you or Tyler would tell him. You know how overprotective and how much of a hothead he can be. I don't want him lashing out at Jessie and I also don't want mom to find out about this. She has been looking for the perfect excuse to put Jessie away and this situation fits her agenda perfectly." She told me and I nodded in understanding.
Mom can most definitely not know about this. If she finds out, Jessie may have to spend the next few years locked up and I know she might end up needing rehab if her addiction is serious but I'd rather mom wasn't even aware.
"Don't let Jessie know we know anything yet. We'll just have to wait until Tyler gets back and we'll figure things out from there." I told her and she nodded briefly before abruptly getting up from where she was seated.
"Leaving already?" I asked.
"Isn't that what you wanted a few minutes ago?" She retorted.
"I still want that actually. I have way too much to think about and you just happened to add more to my list of things to think about." I said to her and she giggled.
"In this family Liam, we can never not have a lot on our minds. I'm even starting to think it's a curse." She joked and I chuckled before getting up and briefly hugging her.
"Get home safely sweetie and make sure you call me when you're back home." I tell her and she nods quickly before walking out of my room and I hear the front door close before I fall back on my bed and let out a heavy sigh.
Now I have to think about my mom's silly idea, Gabriella's weird attitude and now Jessie's drug problem all at the same time. Isn't that just great!