Chapter 2

2.

The next morning, I walked into the Fosters' house and saw Vivienne making breakfast while Quinn brewed coffee.

They both looked up at the sound of the door.

Their eyes were filled with nothing but mockery when they saw it was me.

Quinn, always the blunt one, didn't hide her disdain.

"Oh, look who decided to show up. I thought you were so tough, trying to threaten us by running away. Why are you back?"

"By the way, Jasper is staying in your old room now. You can go ahead and move your stuff into the small storage closet under the stairs."

That closet was where the cleaning lady used to keep her supplies.

I looked at Vivienne, hoping to see some spark of protest, thinking Quinn had gone too far.

Instead, she just looked worried about Jasper.

"I'm worried Silas staying here will make Jasper uncomfortable. Maybe it's better if he just goes back to his own house for good."

Quinn nodded aggressively.

"He's not even part of this family. He's just been leaching off us. But Jasper is different. He's sensitive. I don't want him feeling awkward because Silas is lurking around."

It was hard to believe these were the same girls who clung to my sleeves at my mother's funeral.

Back then, they begged me to move in, promising they would take care of me forever.

Now, I was just a leech who didn't know when to leave.

I couldn't wrap my head around how human hearts could change so fast.

Before I could say a word, Quinn grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the door.

"Get out of here before Jasper wakes up. I don't want him seeing your face and getting depressed."

Vivienne's voice followed me as the door slammed.

"Change the keypad code too. We don't want him sneaking back in whenever he wants."

I didn't even get a chance to tell them I just came to get my passport and ID.

I took a deep breath, went to the government office, and reported my documents as lost so I could get temporary replacements.

Then, I called a real estate agent.

I decided to sell the house my parents left me.

It hurt to let go of the memories, but I knew I was never coming back to this city.

After that, I went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for a decent meal.

I had always been sickly, and the Foster sisters used to take turns cooking for me.

They used to say outside food was poison and they couldn't stand to see me get sick.

I remembered posting a status once about craving a specific spicy peanut satay burger.

The next day, Vivienne presented me with a gourmet, homemade version.

I noticed small cuts and burns on her hands and asked what happened.

She tried to hide her hands behind her back, acting like it was nothing.

"I just got a little messy in the kitchen trying to get the recipe right for you."

I felt so much guilt and love for her in that moment.

"I was just craving it, Vivienne. You didn't have to go through all that trouble. I could have just ordered takeout."

She frowned and told me she would never let me eat low-quality food as long as she was around.

Quinn was the same, staying up all night once to learn how to bake my favorite cake from scratch.

Back then, their mother used to joke that it was a shame polygamy was illegal, or I could have married both her daughters.

Now, all of that felt like a fever dream from another life.

But it didn't matter anymore. I was leaving tomorrow.

When I unlocked my front door, I was shocked to see the sisters and Jasper sitting comfortably in my living room.

I cursed myself for not changing the entry code the moment I got home.