Date = 13 April Place = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center) POV - Aria “Hey, Alejandro, go get your dad. We’re gonna need him,” Jackson says and Alejandro runs back up the stairs. Ilkay is now silently walking next to Mel, who’s being pushed to the gynecology department on floor 3. “Doctor Burden, come to room 351 immediately for an emergency … doctor Burden come to room 351!” Someone calls over the hospital intercom but it seems far away. My knees tremble and I stumble over my feet, my brain whirling; eyes burning. Unexpectedly, Sport picks me up from the ground, bridal style, as if I weigh nothing … and he carries me to room 351. Am I crying? I wipe my face with the back of my hand. I hate Brian! No … I despise him. I slam my fists into the robot’s chest. Slap!! Hate him! Slap!! Hate him! Slap!! Hate him! “Aria … what you doing?” Enrique’s playful gaze is centimeters from my face. I didn’t fully comprehend that I was even hitting him, nor that I’m snuggled in his arms. I turn
Date = 13 April Place = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center) POV – Enrique “So why exactly did I need to come all the way here if Mel is fine?” Logan complains with a huge yawn. Understandable … he just got off a 5-hour flight only an hour or so ago. I stuff one of the cardboard carriers holding four cups of cappuccino into his hands, another one I hand over to Jackson, while I take the single cup of hot chocolate and an additional coffee. Jackson and I came to get some refreshments while we were waiting for our youngest brother to arrive … or I guess our youngest half-brother. I wonder how he will take the news. We walk to the elevators. “Cause you need to hear some other shit about yourself,” Jackson answers him before I can. Logan squints sternly. If you think about insensitive … my twin is right there at the top. Sometimes I wonder if he was born that way or formed into this hardcore person due to circumstances… the same way I turned into someone else … actually we all changed I
Date = 13 April Place = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center) POV – Enrique “Since everybody is here now, let’s get this party going,” Alejandro gestures for us to go inside. Damion puts a protective arm around Logan’s shoulder and I’m genuinely relieved that he’s here for my brother’s sake – he might need someone to talk to. Everybody takes a cup and finds a spot to settle down. I give my sister her hot chocolate, a small smile creeping over my face as I notice her enlightened countenance when Damion takes her in his arms, positioning his body behind her on the bed so she sits between his legs against his chest. He protectively puts his hand over her small bump. I miss a breath when the realization hits me solidly in the stomach - I want that. With Aria. Aria is sitting on the small bench next to Haley, so I go stand behind her and place a hand on her shoulder. The fact that she stops trembling at my touch doesn’t go unnoticed. Could it be that she’s affected the same way I am? Can
Date = 13 AprilPlace = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center)POV – AriaTrust.If you look it up in a dictionary it will probably read something like a firm belief in the reliability of someone. A single word that’s difficult to achieve in either case – whether earning it or giving it. And once it’s lost, it’s probably the hardest thing to get back.Trust. But why is it so hard for me to trust Enrique?But I know the answer. It’s not really about trusting him, it’s about my own feelings. Feelings I’m not supposed to have.I lean against the wall just outside the entrance to the cafeteria, taking deep breaths to attempt to restrain my composure before going inside to buy some coffee. Coffee I don’t really need.Once again I stare at the news Brian made me aware of … photos of Enrique’s arms around Amanda … her head leaning romantically against his shoulder with a big smile. Photos that are shattering Twitter since Amanda posted them with the caption ‘a great morning after a beutifull nig
Date = 13 AprilPlace = San Francisco (Black Dragon Club)POV - Enrique“Two drafts,” I order some beer for Damion and myself as I watch my brothers downing what must be the seventh or possibly the eighth glass … this time it appears to be bourbon. The guy behind the counter gives me an awkward nod, lowering his eyes while turning his back on us to pour our drinks. He looks nervous. Maybe he recognized me or Damion … it’s not uncommon for people to react strangely in our presence. It’s one of the aspects of my job I don’t like. But you get used to it over time.A man in a suit joins him and they have a short whispered conversation before he turns around and hands us our drinks. We sit down at the table with the boys that are on a serious get-drunk mission. I would actually not mind getting wasted myself, but tonight I’m a lookout … it’s one of our unspoken bro-rules: only one guy in three is allowed to get officially black-out drunk at a time.While the others can have fun, they must
Date = 13 AprilPlace = San Francisco (Grimm house) (UCSF Medical center)POV – Aria‘So I walk into the dead of night, where my monsters like to hide, chaos feels so good inside, no more’I open one eye to see where the music is coming from. Mel lifts her head slowly from my shoulder. I start to focus and realize it’s her ringtone.‘I lost, I lost, I lost control again. Always do the same and I’m to blame I lost control again.’She wipes her eyes while her other hand taps on the table, searching for her ringing phone. I survey my surroundings, for a moment not sure where I am, but then I remember we’re bundled together in Damion’s old bed in his old bedroom at his parents’ place.“Hello,” Mel answers in a husky sleepy voice. We must have fallen asleep during the last movie we were watching. Some cliche romantic Hallmark movie about an undercover prince.“Hello,” I’ve learned that Mel always takes a few minutes to wake up, so I take the phone from her ear, earning myself a droopy smil
Date = 14 AprilPlace = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center)POV - Enrique“I’m so glad you guys are okay.” Thalia leans her head against my shoulder, her arm hooked through mine. I found her in the reception area. We walk a few steps in silence and then she burbs out a little giggle. “I still can’t believe you were almost raped … eh … is it the correct term for men … I mean … guess it is,” she chuckles again, “but that’s like such a contradiction … the biggest playboys in the book getting sexually harassed against their will.” Her laughter echos down the hall and she holds her tummy with her free hand. “Can you imagine the headlines?”“Why are you here again?” I ask sarcastically, teasing her.“Ug, and here I was thinking that you’d be glad to see me, Sport,” she pats my arm.“Do you even know what that means?” I’m hoping Aria told her. But no such luck. Thalia pouts her lip and shakes her head. Seems like everybody calls me that, but no one has a clue what it means … except for my lo
Date = 15 AprilPlace = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center)POV - Enrique“Hurry, doofus,” my sister scolds me, “the pink ones must go in the middle.”“They’re all fucking pink,” I mumble back staring at the huge bunch of pink balloons I’m trying to tie to the end of the bed.“No, no, no, these ones are rose, those are salmon, that’s flamingo, and Logan got the fuchsia and watermelon ones.” I look over her head at my brother. He motions by circling his finger against his temple. He shares my opinion … she’s fucking crazy. However, I’m not going to be the one to tell my very hormonal sister that I think she lost it. Mel can be scary under normal circumstances … now she’s even worse. I think she shares some of Jackson’s multifunctional genes.She holds out some more balloons. “See, these ones are pink and they must go in the middle.”“I’ve got the cake,” Aria bursts through the door, and sets the pastel purple triple layer on the table in the corner. Around the tower on the top tier are