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Unbreakable Ties (Ookami & Sumi)

Trent averted her gaze at first, seemingly still a bit reluctant to admit that Chloe really was his sister, if he were allowed he probably would have preferred Chloe to just be happy that he was believing her now, but things weren’t that easy and he’d have to explain himself. A hesitant tone as he spoke, “To be honest I’m not one hundred percent convinced you’re my sister” he admitted slowly, choosing his words carefully as he knew he was treading a fine line. “Whether it be true or not, Chloe… my sister’s been dead to me for the past decade, and being told that she was alive and waiting for me all these years is…. Sort of hard to accept” he continued, his voice wavering along with his confidence. But hearing that man call you Chloe over and over again, having him refer to you as my sister, I wasn’t sure anymore. At first I thought you guys were putting on a play, but it was sort of clear after awhile that he was forcing you into something you didn’t want….. and….I couldn’t stand by and watch when it was possible Chloe was being raped before my very eyes.”

Taking a deep breath, he lifted her up a bit to face him directly, the redhead looking awfully serious, a look which made Chloe think if Chloe made a joke or said something silly he’d probably toss her outside as well. “You heard what that asshole said about a brother and sister loving eachother, it’s sick, twisted, wrong…..” he gritted his teeth, anger flaring in his eyes as he spoke. “I loved my sister, I still do, so I want you to answer me truthfully, you really are Chloe right?” he asked, his voice trembling with anticipation and disbelief. He wanted it to be the truth but finding Chloe alive was nothing short of a miracle, a deceased corpse rising from her coffin and returning to him in perfect condition. She was a bit snappier than Trent imagined her to be, but she looked like Chloe, sounded like her, and said things that made him want to believe. He was only starting to realize now how possible Chloe being alive was, what she said earlier had made sense, and it didn’t take much to knock down the authenticity of his father’s words. All he needed was the time to calm down and think things over, and a valid excuse to cast away his pride. Even if Chloe had walked off and waited for him in the park, he doubted he’d have gone to see her to confirm his doubts. He didn’t know how he could possibly face her again after saying such cruel things to her, and it was easier to just pretend there was no chance of her being Chloe. Though if he saved her, pushed that selfish fake bastard Jared away, and saved Chloe he had less reason to be ashamed, he’d saved her from a horrendous fate after all, and he could talk to her one on one as an equal instead of someone who’d simply hurt her feelings for no good reason.
 
Well, she was grateful enough that he was at least honest, even if that wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. But just like he said, it was probably too much to ask of him to trust her completely after all those years in which he thought she was dead. Now, the funny thing, or rather the unfortunate thing, was that this really was a play. At least half of it, because it was Jared who planned out everything while she was clueless to it. Then again, this was probably the best way. This wouldn't have seemed as real if she knew about it. But she couldn't tell Trent about this. Not now. It would only destroy the little trust he had for her. She had to wait a little bit more, until she was sure he trusted her. Though, she wasn't sure how much more, because she feared that waiting too much would just pull the two apart even more, and as much as she disliked Jared when she was a little kid, right now she felt the worst for being the cause of Trent and Jared separating.

The look in Trent's eyes as he forced her to face him surprised her a little, but what really had her worried was the mentioning of how sick and wrong was this kind of relationship, wondering if he by any chance didn't love her that way and instead found her disgusting. She once again avoided the eye contact, honestly fearing that he might tell her he didn't want her around if she had those kind of feelings for him. And truly, she had her own reasons to believe this, seeing how he suddenly tensed and showed an angered expression. On the other hand, when he spoke again, hearing something similar to an indirect confession, she immediately looked him in the eyes, her cheeks flushed with happiness. She never thought she would long to hear these words from her own brother. Not even after that unusual reality-like dream. But she couldn't help it, and figured that maybe it was simply because once she had a taste of it, she couldn't forget it. She couldn't forget him. Perhaps, if she didn't meet him again, she would have somehow managed to live on without him. But after everything that she seen and felt in the past couple of days... she was sure she couldn't stay away from him. Not for too long anyway. "I am Chloe. And I truly wish you will believe me very soon." she finally murmured, suddenly understanding why his voice was trembling, because she had her own difficulties too. "I don't want to go as far as have some scientific things to prove who I really am. So, I'll wait for the time being, until you really trust me. One hundred percent." she admitted, before she reluctantly tried to push him away again, reminding herself that she still didn't completely belong there.

"But... if you don't trust me enough... maybe it would be a better idea to keep some distance. I... you still have a girlfriend after all. And if by any chance your girlfriend will show up by mistake it would be pretty awkward to suddenly say something like I'm your sister when even you yourself aren't sure about it." she suggested, figuring that even if she wanted him all for herself, just like in their childhood, she couldn't really order him to suddenly push aside everything. She was old enough now to know that it would be selfish to ask something like this. She couldn't just turn his life upside down because of her comeback all of a sudden.
 
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as she went quiet, he considered his options, running various possible actions to take. On one hand he couldn’t be sure even with her outright confession that she really was his sister. He wanted to believe her, and frankly he was at the point where he’d play dumb and go along with it now anyway even if she wasn’t. The “Chloe” before him regardless of whether she was real or not wanted to be his sister, wanted to be ‘His Chloe’ whereas Charlotte would be nothing more than a girlfriend, and possible wife to him. It wouldn’t be hard to play dumb and use Chloe as a substitute sister, but then again he’d feel even worse than he already did if she was real, and either way he was intending to accept her back into his life anyway.

Squeezing her shoulders lightly as she tried to push him away, he closed his eyes to focus his thoughts, taking in a deep breath before speaking. “I’ll be honest Chloe” he started, intentionally using her name to convince not only Chloe but himself that he believed her. “I can only trust you ninety nine percent right now, I know it’s probably inadequate, but it’s the best I can do. I want you to be my sister, but it’s just not that easy coming to terms with you still being alive….” He paused hoping that his words hadn’t upset or disappointed her, though he knew that was a pretty big hope. “Regardless though, I want you to stay with me, I know I probably don’t deserve it after how I’ve treated you today, but I want you to stay by my side as my sister anyway.” His voice a bit more steady as he stated what he wanted from her. Showing uncertainty here would not only be rude but put his trust at risk.

Pausing for a moment he took another deep breath, relieved that he’d managed to get this far without screwing up, the hard part came next . “With that in mind, with the fact that you’re my sister in mind, did you….. did you really mean what you said earlier about me?” he asked, his determination faltering due to his nerves giving up for a moment. He knew how arrogant his question was. A few moments ago he didn’t want to see the girl before him ever again, but the moment he started considering the possibility that she really was Chloe, his entire world turned around. Chloe didn’t even need to ask him to turn his world upside down since the dark gloomy world that he’d reluctantly settled for had already been completely demolished for its base. Countless times he’d wished and mumbled to himself that he’d give the world to see his sister again. To hear her laugh and to feel her small hand in his own. He’d never thought it’d become a reality, but here a girl was, claiming to be his sister. And even better, she was apparently in love with him? He couldn’t fathom why she’d love him after how he’d treated her. In fact he didn’t even know why Charlotte was interested in him either, appearance and status was his biggest guess, but he couldn’t exactly complain seeing as his reasons for dating her were impure as well.

“Tell me to stop, to shut up if I’m taking things too far, but if you meant what you said earlier…. If you really do love me, I wouldn’t mind…. No, I really would like it if we could be more than just brother and sister.” He admitted, ushering Charlotte out of his mind, the stupid woman hadn’t called him in a few weeks anyway, and the last time they’d seen each other was when Trent had seen her flirting with one of his coworkers. He couldn’t touch Chloe now, he didn’t even know if she loved and wanted him that way, but if Chloe wanted to be with him… if Charlotte would become an obstacle in them being together, Trent had no problems cutting her out of his life. Then, and only then would he be able to confess his love for Chloe formally. Right now he was tainted, and the embrace he was holding her in, and refusing to let her out of was the furthest he could take things. He didn’t care about cheating on Charlotte, but he didn’t want Chloe to be ‘that girl’ he cheated with.
 
Of course she would be at least a little bit disappointed knowing that he didn't fully trust her, but she did try to understand him this time and instead be grateful that this time he was serious about her and stopped mocking her. The fact that he somewhat believed she was the real Chloe and he really wanted Chloe to be her made her realize that Jared's efforts weren't in vain. He did make Trent change his view and if it wasn't for him, maybe even now, Trent would still stubbornly deny Chloe's existence without giving the truth another chance. Something did change inside him and honestly, she was thankful for it, especially because now he wanted her as his sister even if he was still doubtful about whether she was his real sister or not. Besides, if she were to stay by his side, he'd start trusting her even more little by little, until he'd finally be able to recognize the truth.

However, the question didn't catch her ready, because she wasn't sure what exactly or which part he was referring to when he asked her if she really meant what she said earlier. It was only when he cleared it up that she found her cheeks getting slightly redder. Now, this seemed unbelievable. Or rather, unreal. Pretending that they didn't know they were siblings just so they could be together without those awkward feelings was one thing, but this situation was something else entirely. This was like admitting their relationship was taboo, yet at the same time not caring about how any other person would view them. Simply going against the laws of the society. But, she couldn't help but admire how much courage he had for being so blunt, when she only admitted her feelings as Jared gave away her secret. "I... do want to be more... than just siblings too." she admitted as well, locking her eyes with him.

It was sort of strange. To suddenly admit what she never thought she would say and be given a chance to be with him not as only brother and sister. But, she couldn't complain about it, because she felt happy for some reason. She was finally back to his side, whether he trusted her completely or not. She did hurt Jared, but she figured that as soon as she could, she would pay him a visit and apologize for her hurtful words and thank him for the help. It seemed like lately she had a habit of saying cruel things and apologizing later on. Then again, she guessed the mean side was something both she and Trent shared as a trait. "Thank you. For finally being serious about this. I almost thought you'd never trust me after today. Though, I guess it wasn't me who managed this." she mumbled, before she pondered on whether she should say the truth about Jared or not. However, the fear won again and she decided that it was too risky to say it now. She still had to win his trust back. "Well... I should probably get going. It's getting late anyway, and father should probably be back home by now. I'll somehow sneak out tomorrow when he's away, since he'll probably be a bit more drastic after suddenly running away all of a sudden." she added with a little nervous chuckle. As much as she thought of the chance of staying at his place, she figured that it would probably be too much to expect all that. He didn't trust her that much yet. Besides, the prospect of suddenly having Charlotte show up in an unexpected visit gave her a headache, and she still needed a bath after those days she spent outside without taking even one shower.
 
Seeing the disappointment in Chloe’s eyes as he admitted that he couldn’t completely trust her on her word, he nearly wished he could take what he said back and tell her he did believe her without a doubt even if it was a lie. It wasn’t easy being told that something that had plagued you daily for a decade had all of a sudden become a lie, it was like being told by a group of peers that the sky wasn’t actually blue but red, and that he’d simply misunderstood his teacher back in elementary school, and he’d been using the wrong color the whole time without knowing any better. In Chloe’s case it wasn’t a group of people, but several traits of her. Chloe definitely had a larger vocabulary now, and spoke in a tone unimaginable from the docile Chloe he remembered, the closest thing to her emotional behavior earlier being when she was whining about something, he supposed it couldn’t be helped seeing as he’d seldom given her a chance to be upset at anything, and while she might have been upset at times, she’d never been openly hostile, at least not when Trent was around. She was right. Even if a smartly dressed doctor walked up to him now with the results of a blood test, that little niggling feeling wouldn’t go away, and the only way for him to trust her completely was for them to spend time together. To catch up on all the years they’d missed.

It was strange how the human body reacted when it came to confessing things like love. He already knew what Chloe’s response would be. He’d openly punished her earlier by making her go through what that sick perverted ex-best friend had done to her, but deep in his mind he had to keep questioning himself if he’d heard her right? If she hadn’t changed her mind? If it had just been an act to push Jared away? His heart racing, he was even holding his breath in anticipation as he waited for the fateful words that could either make or break his plan for the future, her words shaping how he’d see, or at least try and see her for the remainder of his life. He loved Chloe with all his heart, but if she wasn’t happy with him being more than a brother, he could settle with being her dependable brother again…. As long as she spent more time with him than any potential boyfriend…. And she never slept with them….. and… okay that was probably asking a bit much, but he did respect her thoughts and wishes. He would have kept pondering the matter, but Jared’s ugly head kept rearing its head in his mind, and Trent wanted to forget Jared existed completely, in his mind there was no doubt that Jared had wanted Chloe sexually, thinking back to the past there had been times when he thought he’d seen Jared looking at Chloe in a strange way…. Or maybe that was his imagination and bias view now affecting his memories? Either way he was a bit upset that his best friend had turned out being a freak, but the joy of having Chloe back easily eclipsed the loss.

Placing a finger gently on Chloe’s lips, he hushed her up. Looking apologetically down at her as he shook his head. “You shouldn’t be thanking me Chloe, I should be apologizing to you over and over again for not recognizing you immediately, acceptance isn’t something you should have had to earn” he grimaced, wishing he could go back in time and beat himself up for saying such cruel things.
He shook his head again as Chloe suggested she should get going, words that Trent hadn’t even considered. The reality of the situation hadn’t really sunk in yet, but while his anger was mainly directed at Jared right now, hatred for his father was quickly building up inside him. “As if I’m going to let you go back to that asshole” he growled, a familiar possessive look in his eyes as he spoke. “If you really want to go back I won’t stop you, but…. I’d rather you stayed over tonight…. You said you’d spent a few nights out so I’m guessing he already knows about you leaving home, and I don’t want to risk losing you again.” He stated trying to soften his voice as he knew how intimidating he was coming off as.

“Please Chloe…. I want you to stay with me” he pleaded, his brows lowering as he leaned forward placing his forehead against Chloe’s. Bright blue eyes staring into each other’s blue. Charlotte didn’t have the keys to his new place, and as long as no one opened the door, the four walls of the room were strictly the space of him and Chloe.
 
Chloe still felt pretty guilty. Jared had sacrificed his friendship for her to be happy, while he... he didn't get anything, but instead lost even his best friend. She wasn't sure how long would she be able to keep her mouth shut about it, but she doubted she would be able to stand this horrible guilt eating up her soul little by little. Even now, the sad green eyes of Jared flashed before her very eyes tugging at her heart. While she didn't love Jared that way, she was aware he was probably one of the best friends one could have, and now she regretted that she was so stupid as to really believe the act he put up. In the end, she was the same clueless girl, unable to really see behind the appearances. And what hurt the most was the fact that Trent most likely believed his best friend betrayed him. All because of how selfish she was.

Her attention was averted back to the red head as she felt his finger on her lips, eyes glancing up at him. If only he knew the real situation... But she couldn't put on that face right now, or he'd just ask her what's wrong and she would feel the urge to tell the truth. A mistake which would probably cost her a lot. Trying to push aside those disappointing thoughts, she felt a little better to know that he actually apologized for not recognizing her. The way he said it almost made it feel like he completely trusted her, and that soother her in its own way. On the other hand, the sudden mention of their father, whom he easily called an 'asshole', surprised her. Maybe she wasn't in her right mind, but seeing the possessive look in his eyes stirred her heart in an unimaginable way, almost as if she was assured that Trent would soon acknowledge her as his sister. Maybe even sooner than she expected. Besides, the mere thought that he was once again caring to her, almost urged her to let out some tears of happiness.

But, possessive or not, staying over at his place was all of a sudden much more embarrassing than she thought. Then again, given that now they both knew each other's identity, this was slightly different. Or was it just her imagination? Either way, she once again had her cheeks redden as he pleaded and stuck his forehead to hers, eyes locked on hers. Of course she couldn't reject him. She barely managed to stay a day without him by her side. Now, she was more eager than ever to be able to snuggle at her brother's chest, to be showered with love, even if it was a mere brotherly love. Unaware of it, she was slowly reverting to the child-like Chloe who craved his attention, the only difference being that now she was grown up and she probably craved much more than his attention. "Alright." she mumbled as an answer, her lips curving into a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him out of need, before she awkwardly moved back reminding herself that she probably didn't smell that nice. "Sorry. Almost forgot that I didn't have a bath since I left the house." she admitted, a little bit ashamed, averting her eyes.
 
Trent did feel like he was overdoing it a little, but the positive thing about being stubborn was that it worked both ways. He’d be lying if he said he was completely convinced, but now that he’d decided that he’d accept Chloe as his sister, he didn’t want to hold back or bring up the possibility that she wasn’t. The best way to convince himself was to not only try to believe but act as if she really was his sister, and it wasn’t really acting if it came as naturally as it seemed to do. Seeing her sparkling blue eyes, he was sort of confused now as to why he hadn’t believed her in the first place. Nevermind the fact there were hundreds, even thousands of people within the city with blue eyes that couldn’t be differentiated by even the most observant of people. It had taken him awhile, but he could feel his bond with Chloe quickly resurrecting itself from its dust covered place in his mind. The only other things occurring in his mind being the urge to place his lips against hers and climb over the boundaries that existed.

“Hey! careful” he laughed, rocking backwards as she wrapped her hands around his neck, the feeling of her hands sending nostalgic images through his mind. It was so tempting to push forward and kiss her then and there, but he couldn’t allow himself to do it, not yet at least anyway. “Keep in mind that I do love you Chloe, tempt me too much and I might lose control and do something we’ll both regret” he smirked, placing a hand on her head and stroking his hand through her long dark hair. “I’m pretty sure you already know, but I’m dating another woman at the moment, I don’t really love her… but I owe it to her to at least not cheat on her.”

Not wanting to upset Chloe he let out another laugh, patting her head the same way he used to. “I’ll go see her first thing tomorrow morning to break it off, after that I’m free to be yours again.”

He seemed in pretty good spirits until she mentioned taking a bath, his smile immediately turning into an ugly scowl as if he suddenly remembered something disgusting. His hands travelling down her face and to her neck before tracing the spot Jared had kissed. “Sorry my fault, should have let you wash up the moment that thing left” he growled, his eyes sparking with hatred, the flames only dying down after he took a few deep breaths. “I’ll get the tub filled right away” he muttered, averting Chloe’s eyes and gently setting aside before jumping off the bed and hurrying to the bathroom, the sound of water filling the tub immediately sounding as Trent shuffled around out of sight. It was clear from the way he acted that he wasn’t disgusted by Chloe being touched by another man, but more pissed off with Jared, as well as himself for letting things escalate that far. The spark of hatred he’d shown had been pretty fierce, enough to convince even the most optimistic of people that had the cause of his hatred been around, he’d probably murder them in the most gruesome way imaginable.
 
It felt so nice finally hear his laugh. After all those cruel words they threw at each other, finally being able to see Trent smile at her was like a miracle. She was happy to have her brother back. Even if the red head just had to ruin the brother and sister moment with something that only caused her to get redder once again. In spite of that, she wasn't sure how much she'd regret it. After all, now that she had acknowledged her own feelings, she doubted she would be able to shut off her own embarrassing desires. Especially after she had a taste of what a relationship with her brother would be like. If she had to be honest, she wasn't sure sure even now if that was a dream or it was real, but as real as his touches felt at that time, it almost felt like it wasn't just something her imagination came up with. And on a second thought, she never even thought that her brother would love her this way. Not even one moment did she expect this. She always figured that Trent's devotion was simply because they were siblings, because he felt it was his duty to take care of her after their mother died and finally, because of how often she pestered him to play with her and stay with her until she would fall asleep at night.

At the mentioning of his current girlfriend, she barely refrained from frowning, in a similar fashion to when she first heard Jared talking with Trent about how he spent too much time with her. Then again, she had to consider Charlotte's feelings too. What if she loved Trent just as much as she did? Wouldn't it break her heart? Not that she cared to that extent as to feel guilty in this case, but she figured that being this ignorant was a little bit too cruel. Even so, she didn't complain as he said he was going to break up with her the next morning. She was aware she was probably a bit too much lately, but the thought that she had to share him with another woman was more than annoying. It was... actually infuriating. And besides, who was she to order him to not do that? If that was what he decided, than she would respect his decision. Thus, she only kept her mouth shut and nodded a little, trying to seem a little bit like she was sorry for the poor woman.

All of a sudden Trent scowled, making her think that maybe he was disgusted with how filthy she was at the moment. Somewhat self-conscious, she was about to move a little farther away, until she felt his hands moving down along her neckline. It took her a couple of moments to understand what he was really scowling about. And when he suddenly called Jared a 'thing', she felt the urge to explain everything. She couldn't let him do this to Jared when he didn't do anything wrong, but instead helped both of them. "Actually..." she mumbled before he noticed the hatred in his eyes, fearing that he might throw her away if he found any reason in her explaining to think that she wasn't his real sister. He wasn't completely sure that she was the real Chloe, and she was scared of the prospect that he might stop trusting her at the smallest suspicious thing. But she had to explain it sooner or later. She promised herself she would not be a coward again, but here she was hesitating about it. Without even giving her the chance to say something, he left to fill the tub, at which the brunette frowned frustrated at how undecided she was, biting her lip. She shook her head and got up from the bed. Jared did everything to help her out and sacrificed his friendship, and she couldn't even explain such thing just because she was a coward?

"Trent...?" she called out as she followed him and peaked inside the bathroom. As much as she wanted to be courageous about it, she couldn't help but still be a little bit scared. "If... Would you hear me out if I told you... something about... Jared?" she questioned in a slightly lower voice, almost ready to hide away if he suddenly got mad.
 
Trent moved awfully quickly the moment he entered the bathroom, his hands moving quickly as he filled the tub and prepared the room as he still hadn’t gotten around to making things presentable, things like shampoo and soap still in the plastic bag along with the receipt. Everything was pretty much new as he’d spent a small fortune on setting up his new life. He’d wanted to start life anew after moving here, forgetting the slum like apartment and the years of mourning that plagued him at his old place, he hadn’t thought that starting life anew would mean he’d find Chloe again, but it was more than a welcome surprise. A surprise so welcome that he’d gladly give up his new found luxury if it meant he could stay by his sister’s side. Fortunately for him he didn’t have to choose one or the other as it seemed the world had suddenly turned to favor him. His mood slightly recovering as he pulled out a bottle with the words ‘Apple fragrance’ written in bold green letters. Something his mother had bought for him, and he’d bought for Chloe. He’d been very much conscious of how a grown man like himself buying a kids bubble bath was a bit creepy, but he couldn’t forfeit the memories, and he figured it’d help soothe his own conscience.

He had the real Chloe by his side now, so clinging on to such childish memories wasn’t necessary, but he’d already bought the bottle and while Chloe might be insulted by him treating her like a child, he figured there wasn’t a better way to use the bubble creating liquid. A small smile creeping onto his face as he wondered if Chloe would remember it, he didn’t know how much Chloe had thought of him over the years, and it was unlikely she remembered as much as Trent did seeing as she was only seven when they’d split up. But he couldn’t really complain if she had forgotten as he himself had tried to refuse to believe her. He himself had forgotten the invisible bond that tied them together and marked them as brother and sister.

Unfortunately though his improving mood was once again shattered as Chloe made an appearance, or rather, he’d been happy to hear her call his name, but the happiness had been turned a hundred and eighty degree’s when she mentioned the name of the man he wanted to talk about least right now. “Don’t!” he shouted, snarling as his fingers dug into the side of the tub. His face was hidden from where Chloe was standing but it didn’t take a genius to guess what sort of face he was making. “I’m happy to talk about anything but that man” he growled, his words only seeming to make him angrier. He was pissed at Jared for touching ‘his Chloe’ and to be honest that was the main reason he was pissed off, but he couldn’t forgive Jared for betraying him. Part of him was even wondering if there’d ever been a friendship between them. What if Jared had only pretended to be his friend to get to Chloe? The possibilities were endless, and he simply wasn’t ready to talk about them right now.

“Anything else, I’m sorry Chloe but I don’t want to think about him at all right now” he stated, trying to calm himself, letting out a long shuddering breath. “Please don’t upset me anymore than I already am” he added, turning to face her slowly. He was smiling warmly, but his eyes still flickered with unrelenting hatred. Clearly indicating that his smile was forced. “Anyway, the bath should be ready in a moment, I’m guessing you haven’t got a change of clothes, so you’ll have to settle for one of mine I guess, something big and baggy, or do you want to give my old clothes a go?” he asked, in a nearly sing song tone. Trying to force the hostility out of his own actions.
 
Chloe was startled and almost flinched at the sudden shout, easily noticing that he was mad just as she expected. However, she somehow hoped he would at least give her a chance to talk about Jared. Then again, with how angry she was, she didn't have the guts to say anything else, even if the guilt tugged at her heart and almost urged her to be straightforward in spite of everything. Deciding that she should wait a little bit more, she pushed aside the matter for later, eyes inadvertently looking down at the floor as if to avoid any awkward eye contact. Honestly, she had no idea how to bring up that subject later on without having him burst out in anger and doing something which would make her regret ever talking about Jared. But what if they met by accident and things would get violent? She would not be able to forgive herself if Trent and Jared would end up arguing until they would end up fighting. The only one real friend of Trent's, and she just managed to push him away. It may have been a funny thing if they were children again, and she would be so mean as to drive away every little friend of Trent's just to have him all for herself, but it was something else now. She had ruined a friendship worth more than ten years.

Well, maybe she could talk to him later on about this. If he didn't want to think about him right now, then she could try her chances tomorrow, perhaps. Raising her glance from the floor, up to his face, she saw the forced smile and inadvertently nodded just to stop seeing that . "Sorry... I didn't mean to..." she apologized, before he mentioned that she didn't have a change of clothes. Well, she would have some spare clothes if he didn't make her lose those bags at the estate agency, but she couldn't really ruin his mood again. So, instead, she just thought things over. "As much as I'd love to wear your old pajamas, I think I'll pass. I bet they have some childish pattern anyway." she teased, before she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her, spotting a bottle which seemed awfully familiar, though, it took her a few moments to realize where she'd seen it before. As young as she was when she used this last time, it was a surprise that she remembered it. A small nostalgic smile showed up on her face, picking it up. A second later, however, she started laughing at the circumstances. "Geez... still using this thing even after all these years? I thought it stopped existing some years ago. Nevertheless, imagining you buying this at this age is pretty hilarious." she admitted all of a sudden forgetting about her worries and instead feeling sorry for him, figuring that he felt lonely all those years they were apart. Raising up on her tiptoes, she tried her best to reach his head, ruffling his red hair. "Holding on to these little things from the past even after mom died and you thought I was dead... Are you stupid?" she questioned, but without any ill intentions. Shaking her head, she gave a little sigh and decided to change the subject. "You used to buy this thing when we were small. Never understood why you kept buying the same thing all the time. I actually thought you liked the apple fragrance at some point." she pointed out as she rubbed her chin.
 
Trent’s face immediately lit up a bright red when she started laughing, already knowing what she was laughing at as she picked up the bottle. He didn’t even have the chance to explain himself before she began mocking him calling him stupid, normally he’d probably have been annoyed, but the only emotion that stirred within him now was embarrassment. It wasn’t something he purchased often, in fact he’d only chanced upon it once in the last ten years, but telling Chloe that now would probably seem like a cheap lie to save face, and while he didn’t enjoy being embarrassed, it was a relief to hear Chloe’s laugh again. The change of topic more than welcome, he snatched the bottle out of Chloe’s hand and set it aside. “Shut up!” he scowled the deep scarlet of his face making his expression seem less fierce. His eyes were wavering from side to side, uncertain what to focus on but intent on not making eye contact with Chloe right now. “When you’ve got nothing to live for, you sort of tend to stick to the past, brooding over what could have been” he grumbled, turning the tap off, and getting up. Straightening out his hair which had been messed up a bit by their childish exchange.

“Plus, it’s not like you’ve got any right to laugh at me for being childish, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize it earlier, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that bear somewhere before” he teased glancing over towards the bed where the bear had been discarded. A brief image of Jared and him standing infront of the toy store flashing through his mind, he quickly shook it away, trying to ignore how deeply embedded Jared was into his childhood. They weren’t friends anymore, and Trent could never forgive Jared for trying to force Chloe into something against her will. The mere thought of Chloe being with someone else was unbearable, so seeing her abused like that against her will warranted unconditional hatred. His hatred so intense, even if he was told the truth, there was no guarantee that he’d forgive Jared. Trent refused to even think about it, but just as his stubbornness had indirectly caused Jared’s actions, his stubbornness would once again get in the way if Chloe were to try and convince Trent as to why Jared had acted the way he did. Furthermore it didn’t help at all that Jared actually did hold affectionate feelings for Chloe, and that in itself was probably something the possessive Trent wouldn’t approve of.

If Chloe were to think back she’d probably realize that Jared had probably planned this as early as the moment they’d left his house. It had been odd how he’d initially been shy and reluctance to accept he held any feelings for her, only to change a few moments later to confess he did have feelings for her. Whether he was trying to organize his feelings and prepare for the worst, or trying to convince Chloe to change the target of her love to him she’d probably never know without facing him again. But if this had been what he meant by doing ‘anything’ then he’d at least stayed true to his promise that Chloe wouldn’t be forced to do anything which would betray Trent. The person who’d done the betraying was Jared, and the person who’d gotten upset over it was Trent. Chloe was unharmed and untainted by the whole ordeal. Though Jared either hadn’t considered the possibility Chloe would see through his actions, or he figured she wouldn’t care enough to feel indebted or guilty over the act.

“Chloe?” Trent asked a bit worried, peering into her eyes as she’d gone quiet. Apparently she’d been lost in thought for a moment or two and caused Trent to be a bit worried. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, as much as I’d love to wash you up like I used to, something tells me I’d lose control of myself and end up messing up the water.” He smirked, his cheeks still a bit flushed. “Anything you need, just let me know.”
 
Chloe couldn't help but snicker as Trent got redder from the embarrassment, unable to shut her mouth even as he told her to. She wasn't sure whether to laugh at how she caught this side of him or at how red he was. It was sort of comical and adorable to see him being embarrassed and even avoiding eye contact just because of what she pointed out. Though, her grin faded a little at his grumbles, obviously disliking what he said. While she was grateful for being his everything, she didn't want him to think that he was living for nothing in case she died. It was an ugly thought, and on a second thought, he did seem to be very pessimistic about life. She couldn't say she was much more optimistic, but she simply disliked the feeling that he would probably give up his life if she ever were to die sooner than him and he'd fall into depression. For this thing, she would have to talk to him. Because whether he liked it or not, she wouldn't accept the idea that her brother would be this weak. Even if it showed how much he loved her.

Either way, she herself found her cheeks getting redder as he reminded her of the teddy bear she carried around. "That-...! Well..." she mumbled incoherently, trying to make up an excuse or a smart reason for carrying it with her, but she couldn't find anything, only ending up stuttering something he would most likely not understand. If she had to be honest, the plush toy was even a much more embarrassing thing in her case, given that even at this age, she used to sleep with the teddy in her arms. Though, she probably did have some reasons for it. Somewhere deep in her conscious, she probably found the plush toy as a replacement for the fact that Trent wasn't there anymore after he left. While at first this was its sole purpose, in time she started to forget it, and just slept with it just because she was used to it. The teddy bear ended up being an item that made her feel at peace, because it was a gift from her dear brother.

Shaking away her thoughts as she heard Trent's voice, she then nodded as he instructed that he'd be outside. Now, there she had a deja-vu feeling. This scene was sort of familiar. She surely understood what he meant. The 'last time' she took a bath and he actually helped her wash up, ended up with both of them making love so passionately that even the neighbors heard it. Then again, she couldn't be so sure it wasn't just a dream. However, before leaving, she suddenly remembered she had something she wanted to tell him earlier. Thus, she grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him from stepping outside the bathroom. "Don't ever say that again." she said, the expression she made showing she was somewhat annoyed. "Even if I'd die... that doesn't mean you don't have anything to live for. Even mom would be angry to hear that from you. She didn't give this life to you to just mope around in case you lost her and even me. No matter how hard it is, there will always be something to live for. And if there's not, you have to find it." she scolded, reaching out to pinch his cheek. "Where's the reliable brother I knew?" she questioned, before she finally gave a smile.
 
Trent was surprised as his shirt was grabbed, a look of bewilderment on his face as he turned around to look quizzically at Chloe. To be honest he was a bit hopeful that her words would refute his implications of what would happen. As wrong as it was, and as resolute as he was about not doing anything to Chloe until he could slam the last nail into the coffin with Charlotte, there was no debating that his emotions to be with Chloe were higher than ever after hearing her confession and having his feelings towards her accepted. Even in his own fantasies things never went this far as his vision of Chloe in ‘this world’ had been strongly clouded by the thought of her being dead. Death would always interfere before anything got overly sexual, and the furthest he’d gotten within his imagination was a forgiving kiss on the forehead that he never thought he’d deserve.

That unfortunately wasn’t what Chloe had to say, and her words seemed to have a negative affect on his temperament. Chloe didn’t know what it was like to lose everything one held close to them. Trent had gone through ten years of his life with nothing to live for, and despite searching and struggling as she told him to, the best he could find was a successful career and a woman he couldn’t even firmly state he loved. His job might have seemed like a success to others but to Trent it hadn’t meant much at all, money was useless it was spent, and no matter how much he spent, it didn’t mean anything if he didn’t have anyone to share it with. Charlotte enjoyed being pampered with gifts, but a hundred dollar bill was just a slip of paper to Trent, and the smile he brought to Charlotte’s face wasn’t worth much either. To be perfectly honest he’d felt more moved when he’d helped out a random boy who had been on the verge of turning to theft to relieve his starvation. Trent wasn’t usually that hospitable, but his charity then had been on a whim, and in the ten long years he’d been wondering around by himself, it’d only occurred once.

“What’s the point of living then Chloe?” he asked calmly, turning to face her. His eyes neither kind or hostile, they sort of resembled the look Jared had worn when he’d jumped on top of Chloe. “Something to live for? Tell me then what you live for then Chloe.” He asked, not really expecting an answer, his question was essentially asking her what the meaning of life was, and he wouldn’t be settling for some vague generic response. “Mother died, father might as well have never existed, I was convinced you were gone too. I had a few friends but even they abandoned me to move on with their own happy little lives. One of the few guys that stuck around ended up being nothing more than a sleaze, and no matter what I do I can’t find any joy in life” he continued, his words flowing out like a broken tap. “If by live on you mean sleeping, eating and working, I suppose I’ll continue living, I survived the last ten years, what’s another few decades? I’ll grow old and die all alone if that’s the atonement you won’t me to make for outliving you, but don’t assume that finding something to live for is as easy as you make it sound. It’s possible to distract oneself with petty hobbies and relationships, but your existence isn’t something I can shrug off and find a replacement for Chloe, as ashamed as I am to admit it, I tried, and it didn’t work.” Pausing he stared Chloe in the eye, thinking for a moment before turning the question on her. “How about you? If I die tomorrow and your father doesn’t accept you back, what would you live for? How long do you think you’d be able to endure living without an objective? ”
 
Chloe frowned slightly as she noticed the sudden change in his eyes, at this point resembling Jared. As much as she tried to change Trent's point of view, in the end, she found herself speechless at his questions. If she had to be honest, she didn't have many reasons to live for either. Her only reason to go on was Trent obviously. Aside from that... even she herself wasn't sure what reason she had to live on after Trent left. It was only now that she was realizing this, but until she found out about Trent's whereabouts once again, she simply went on with her daily life as if it was something normal. Or maybe, somewhere inside her mind, she waited for something to happen. Something to change her life, like an event. And before she knew it, she bumped into Jared and from there on, she found out about what Trent was doing and where he lived. At least, 'in this life' anyway. Seeing how she didn't have a good answer for that question of his, she tried to look elsewhere to avoid any eye contact.

On the other hand, when he brought up Jared's situation, he just gave her the answer. He did have reasons to live on. And he did have a good one. Jared deserved Trent's attention for his efforts and for all the time he stood by Trent's side. Even so, he kept saying things that made her feel sort of sorry for bringing up the subject. Not that she wanted to back down now. Her heart skipped a beat as he even asked what she'd live for if he died, eyes flicking up to him. "I... I don't know..." she admitted, obviously a little bit defeated. However, now that he did mention Jared, as risky as it was, maybe it was the time she explained what was going on. "I don't have any friends... So... I don't know what I'd live for... But, you do have one." she pointed out, trying to gather her courage to say it. "Actually, that's what I was trying to explain earlier... And I know you'll get mad at me, but please listen to me and then you can come to a conclusion." she pleaded.

Now here was the hard part. If Trent would misunderstand, she'd end up casted aside once again. But, she figured that sooner or later she would still have to clear this up. "If it wasn't for Jared I probably wouldn't be here right now. I had no idea where you were until a year ago, when I bumped into him. He encouraged me to go after you even after I was too much of a coward to do that. When I saw you with another woman I thought I'd just be a nuisance to you so I cowered again. And even when he figured out that I had feelings for you, he still encouraged me to go for it. I told him to at least follow me today, because I knew that if I showed up alone again you would probably kick me out the moment you saw me, after what happened in the morning. I told him to let me talk with you and avoid stepping in, because I wanted to make you trust me without anybody's help. What happened after that, though... I wasn't prepared for that either. Honestly, I'm never able to trust people, aside from you, obviously. So, when Jared actually threatened to rape me I actually believed it. But, when he left, didn't you notice there was something wrong with him?" she pointed out, barely taking a break from talking. "From what I heard, he's been by your side all these years. Don't you think it would be pretty weird to suddenly turn on you? He must have done that act on purpose. He probably knew that you wouldn't act unless I was threatened to be raped. And he probably knew that my plan to make you trust me was a failure." she added.

"Think about it... if he really wanted it, he could have simply never help me out to find you if he really wanted me for himself. And, the way he always looked back at you when he was 'about to rape me', what if he was actually waiting for your reaction?" Chloe suddenly felt like a lawyer, though, she did expect Trent to snap at her any moment. He was her brother after all. "As much as I want to be your entire world... I don't want to take away your friend. Especially because he'd go to the extent of casting himself out of your life to make you happy. So, please... don't hate him for doing this for you." she pleaded, hand clutching at his shirt.
 
It took Trent a moment to realize he’d been tricked into bringing up Jared into the topic, and as Chloe launched herself at the topic and latched onto it, explaining her thoughts and theories, Trent was torn between ignoring her and moving away, and yelling at her to close her mouth. He didn’t want to hear anything regarding Jared right now, and he’d been pretty sure he’d made that clear, but apparently Chloe hadn’t gotten the hint and wanted to bring the topic up way too early. It took him a considerable amount of effort not to lash out at Chloe verbally. His temper flaring as she continued to defend Jared and make it look as it Trent had been responsible for making Jared go as far as he had. He knew that wasn’t what Chloe was trying to get at, but it didn’t matter either way since that’s how it felt to him, and having her defending Jared, a man Trent considered his enemy now wasn’t something he could say he was fine with.

His voice hardened as he looked down at her with blank eyes, his voice awfully cold and distant as he seemed to think things over, eventually opening his mouth to ask her a simple question. “So?”
Her words seemingly hadn’t moved him at all, on the contrary he sort of seemed to distance himself from Chloe as well, the warmth of his eyes suddenly turning cold with a mixture of jealousy and contempt. He’d expressly told her that he didn’t want to talk about it, but if she was insistent on bringing it up he’d tell her his thoughts, and in turn damn any chance of Jared repairing his friendship. “So what? You’re saying I should forgive him for trying to rape you right infront of me?” he asked, looking down at her with cold beady eyes. His harsh tone lashing her in the face it wasn’t even clear anymore whether he was pissed off at Jared, or if he was taking out his anger on Chloe. “What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t intervened then?” he asked giving her time to think about it. Judging from the way Jared had acted it was clear now that he’d been putting on a show to rile Trent up, but if asked whether it had purely been an act, Trent couldn’t say for sure that Jared hadn’t at least been partially serious.

“While I suppose I should be grateful for him bringing you to me, I have to also question his intentions for taking so long. According to what you just said he’d known about you for a whole year, yet he hadn’t said a single word to me about it. If you didn’t want to see me I’d understand, but the least he could have done is tell me you were alive. In fact if he’d asked me to go see you I probably could have found you again a lot sooner” he grimaced, thinking that Jared had intentionally avoided bringing Trent to Chloe so that Jared himself could spend time with her.

“Either way, I don’t care if what his intentions were, I expected better from someone who’d stayed by my side all these years, and he let me down. Whatever he was planning or trying to do doesn’t matter anymore anyway since our friendship is over, what he did was inexcusable, and I never want to see him again. Nor do I want to talk about what he did. Even if you’re right and he did put on an act for our sake, what you’re saying is that he knew the consequences and went ahead with them anyway. If this was what he wanted, then he’ll get exactly that.”

Rubbing his temples, he glared at Chloe before frowning. “Enough about him, get yourself cleaned up and then rest up, I’ll see you tomorrow” he stated bluntly, turning around and closing the bathroom door in Chloe’s face as a clear sign of rejection. His mood now sour enough, he quickly grabbed his wallet, leaving the room immediately after, hearing the auto-locking door click shut before making his way down the hallway towards the elevator. No longer in the mood to stick around and play the part of a loving brother.
 
Well, maybe she should have kept her mouth closed indeed, seeing how she only screwed it up even more now. He was once again turning cold towards her, something she didn't quite miss. And to make things worse, she just pointed out more mistakes for Jared inadvertently. She could obviously see he was getting angrier with every second, and before she knew it, he was saying some things which she couldn't reply to with any other smart thing. Now she was speechless for real, trying to think of something but in vain. The sudden glare she got from him gave her shivers, but when he told her to clean up and rest, only to then tell her he'd see her tomorrow, she was surprised. And it wasn't one of those good surprises. Seeing her tomorrow? "What do you mean by seeing me tomorrow?" she questioned, and quickly opened the door of the bathroom to see where he was going, leaving aside the fact that he just closed the door in her face just a few moments ago, a clear look of disappointment on her face.

And then she heard the door click, as if it was locked, causing Chloe to frown slightly, obviously disappointed with how she just ruined the good mood and even drove him away. She stood there, looking at the door from the entrance for a while, somehow wishing he would come back, but gave up on it, returning to the bathroom to clean herself. As good as it felt to finally be able to warm herself up in the water that filled the tub, she couldn't really be comfortable. In fact, she didn't take long to wash herself and as soon as she was finished with the bath, she emptied the tub and then moved to find some clothes of Trent's. She couldn't just stay around naked anyway. Once she rummaged through the boxes laying around and the drawers, she found a baggy white shirt and a pair of shorts which she somehow managed to tie in such way that they wouldn't fall off her hips.

It was weird and uncomfortable to be in an empty house which wasn't hers. And sleeping by herself was even harder. Especially because there were some thoughts haunting her. What if he went over to Charlotte's place because he got mad on her? Where else would he sleep, after all? And what if he didn't intend to break up with Charlotte in the end because of their argument? Curling up under the blankets, Chloe shut her eyes tight, keeping the plush toy in her arms as if to replace Trent who wasn't there. Once again, she expected another hell of a night. Even if she wasn't outside, she had other worries in mind now, and she hoped that he wasn't so upset with her to the point where he'd go that woman's place. She couldn't bear it. Thus, it was only after a good couple of hours, that the brunette managed to fall asleep, mostly because she needed to make up for the lack of rest in the last couple of days. Everything she could do now, was wait until the next day.
 
Trent spent a good hour or two walking around aimlessly outside, his lonesome footsteps echoing through the dark empty streets, the only sign of life being the stray animal rummaging through bins, and maybe a vehicle carrying a late shift worker ever now and again. It wasn’t the first time Trent had opted to take a walk after dark, strangely enough it often soothed his nerves and was an ideal way to calm himself down whenever he got into an argument with Charlotte. He contemplated dropping by her place a few times but repeatedly shook the thought out of his head. He had no intentions of betraying Chloe and choosing Charlotte, and the only reason he was considering seeing her was to convey the breakup as soon as possible. But Charlotte would probably get the wrong idea if he turned up this late, and that was assuming she was even awake.

Eventually he decided to go back to his apartment, sighing heavily as he entered the reception where the lights had been dimmed, and the reception desk left empty. Every hour or so a security guard would walk past, glancing at him curiously before walking off to go patrol the other floors, but besides that there was no sign of anyone coming or going. Or at least visibly anyway. Several times Trent thought he could see small movements in the dark, too small to be a human, yet too big to be an animal, he’d tried to grasp the identity of the shadows several times, but no matter how hard he stared, it ended up being nothing more than a trick of the light. Trent had never been one to cower at the thought of monsters lurking in the dark, but he couldn’t help the strange eerie feeling he was getting from the place and eventually decided to head back to his room to check if Chloe was still there. He hadn’t seen her come down, but there was always the chance that she’d foolishly left the place while he’d been wandering and the possibility of Chloe disappearing all of a sudden seemed strangely real and possible.

His worries were unfounded, and after making sure she was safely tucked underneath the sheets he returned to his desk, slouching in his seat and watching Chloe from across the room as she slept relatively peacefully, at first everything seemed peaceful enough, but before long he was getting that strange feeling again. An eerie spine tingling sensation that made him think there was someone else in the room besides Chloe and himself. He knew how silly the idea was, but after checking the room thoroughly and making sure the door was locked, he tried convincing himself that it was his nerves trying to adapt to the new room. Eventually the sun began to shine through the window, yet Trent hadn’t managed to fall asleep for a single second, dark circles of fatigue forming under his eyes, it was almost as if something was preventing him from falling asleep. The darkness reaching out not only to him but towards Chloe as well. He knew it was nothing, but the cold chilly feeling was impossible to shake, and once the sun was well and truly above the horizon, Trent made his way towards the coffee machine turning it on and watching the machine steamed as it made a quiet gurgling sound. Looking over at Chloe wondering what to say to her when she woke up. His coffee was nearly done when she finally began to stir awake. Quietly he made his way beside her, sitting on the edge of the bed as he placed a hand over her shoulder, trying to seem as cheerful as he could to hide his tired mind. “Morning Chloe, Coffee, milk, or orange juice?” he asked, acting as if nothing had happened the previous night.
 
In the end, Chloe managed to get some rest and as she finally woke up in the morning, she was surprised to see Trent. As if, for a couple of moments, she forgot about the yesterday's events. Then again, how else would she be sleeping in a comfortable bed if it wasn't for Trent to finally give her a chance at proving that she was his sister. Rubbing her eyes first, she tried to wake up for real and give an answer to his questions. For some reason, he seemed to ignore what happened the other night, but she still couldn't shake the worries that bugged her before she fell asleep. "Orange juice." she mumbled, before she sat up on the bed, to see him better, the look on her face showing that she had something she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry... for last night." she said with an apologetic look, figuring that she should have shut up about Jared when he told her not to bring up that subject again. But what really bugged her was where he went off the other night. As much as she trusted Trent that he wouldn't betray her, she couldn't be so sure given that he didn't completely trust her yet. "Where... where did you go last night?" she questioned, some sort of jealousy reflecting in her eyes at the thought that he might have went to Charlotte. However, as she looked him in the eyes she noticed how tired he looked. "Did you stay up all night?" she inquired, seeing how he had some evident black circles under his eyes. Maybe he was that upset to the point where he couldn't sleep? "I'm sorry, if I knew it would bother you to this extent, I wouldn't have said those thing last night." she apologized again, placing her hand on his as she locked eyes with him.
 
Nodding his head as he took her order, he made his way over to the fridge, pulling out a carton of orange juice and making his way over to the cupboard, drumming his finger over a few glasses before picking out the one he thought looked the most clean, they were all cleaned of course, but after noticing a slight smudge on the first one he’d placed his finger on he couldn’t help but be a bit cautious. He knew Chloe wasn’t the type of person to complain about something so small, but their relationship after last night had been a bit unstable and he wanted to make and keep things as good as they could possibly be.

Pouring three quarters of the glass full he was about to head over to Chloe when he heard her apologize, her words bringing back an issue he’d rather forget, on the bright side she hadn’t explicitly brought up Jared again, and to be completely honest with himself, he was sort of flattered to hear the hint of jealousy in her voice, and the glint in her eyes as she asked him where he’d been last night. Handing her the glass and placing his hand on her messy her he ruffled it up even more before sitting on the bed by her side. Smirking mockingly before sighing. “You know, you really have a knack for ruining the mood and bringing up things I’m trying to ignore” he joked, glancing at the clock which indicated a bit after nine.

“As for where I was? Well I was down in the lobby for the first few hours” he lied, well, actually it wasn’t really a lie, but he figured he didn’t need to tell her he’d been walking around aimlessly on the streets as it’d only sound stupid and make him seem more suspicious. “After that I was over there watching you drool on my bedsheets” he teased, jerking his head to indicate his table. “Been awhile since I’ve stayed up all night, but I’d say seeing you looking so vulnerable was worth it, you have no idea how many times I was tempted to slip in beside you and pull a prank” he lied. Playfulness couldn’t have been any further from his mind than last night, but he figured a more relaxed casual approach was better to show Chloe he wasn’t upset at her.

“Why do you ask? Did you think I’d go crawling to some other woman over a little fight?” he asked leaning in closer to Chloe so their shoulders touched. A confident cocky smile on his face and he peered into her eyes actually managing to feel a bit playful now, he was still tired but the jealousy she’d shown had been more than enough to put him in a good mood despite her referral to last night.
 
Chloe took the glass of juice from his hand, and was about to take a sip, if he didn't suddenly mess up her hair even more than it already was. Frowning slightly, she quickly patted down the rebellious strands of hair and then ran her fingers through the black long locks, looking to her side instead of keeping the eye contact as he mentioned that she had the tendency of ruining the mood. But, it wasn't on purpose, and for all she knew, Jared was an important friend of Trent's and someone who really deserved something better. At least, that's what she thought in her mind. She couldn't be one hundred percent positive that Jared was totally innocent, but she figured that not anyone would have acted like he did the other day, just to make someone else happy instead of himself.

Averting her eyes back to him, she was relieved to know he didn't go to that woman and neither did he go somewhere else. Then again, maybe she was a bit too joyful about this fact given how her frown faded instantly, her expression being replaced with one that showed she was grateful. However, as soon as he talked again, saying something about watching her drool on his bedsheets, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She was sure that she didn't have that kind of habit, though, she barely refrained from looking back to the pillow to check if she really did that. She was pretty tired last night, so there were still some high chances of having slept in a rather not-so-lady-like manner given how comfortable was the bed. "I d-didn't drool, you liar!" she quickly accused him, before she shut her mouth again, unable to say something back at his next words, and instead the pink shade of her face turning into a redder one. On the other hand, she would have lied if she said she didn't expect sleeping in the same bed as him the previous night. As wrong as it sounded, she kind of felt the need to sleep curled up to his chest, just like the times she would nag him to sleep with her, when they were kids.

But, her dreamy thoughts were disrupted by the red head's new way of teasing her. Taking advantage of how she seemed to be jealous. "Of course not!" she quickly said in response, though the blush that never seemed to fade away gave away what she really thought, and the way she avoided looking him in the eye made it all the more clear that he guessed it right. And to make things worse, she couldn't think of a better reason for her question. "W-well, you still didn't break up with Charlotte... so, I thought you might have gone to her place. And... If you suddenly went back to her, it would have been harder to break it off. I... I was just worried that you might complicate things!" she then came up with something which resembled a logical explanation. Though, it was more like she tried to mask away how much she despised the fact that he already had a girlfriend. "Therefore, don't show me that smug smile!" she scolded him, taking a sip of her juice as to make herself look busy and probably to hide the redness of her face.
 
Trent had been completely convinced less than a day ago that he would never see his little sister again, yet here she was cutely sipping at a glass of orange juice as if she’d been here by his side the whole time. He still couldn’t believe she was still alive, and it had been part of the reason he couldn’t fall asleep. Several times he’d walked over to her side, leaning over the bedside to peer into her face to make sure that she really was Chloe. He’d already lost her once, and the possibility of losing her a second time seemed more than likely to happen over something as trivial as him falling asleep. Trent wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to tell Chloe, but after last night he was more worried about losing her than he was about her being a fake. For as long as he believed her, she was happy, and in turn that kept him happy, so doubting her seemed like the most stupidest thing he could contemplate at this stage.

At first he hadn’t intended to tease her too much, as much as he wanted to move past the awkward barrier between them, the last thing he wanted to do was upset Chloe so much that she’d leave his side of her own accord. It didn’t mean he was going to tolerate her trying to talk about things he’d expressly asked to be left untouched, but he didn’t see the point in making her upset intentionally. Unfortunately such logic was torn to shreds as Chloe began acting cute again, her outright refusal to believe she’d been drooling feeling awfully nostalgic. He could remember them talking it over once every few days as children. Baby Chloe who’d drool, Trent who’d mumble the most embarrassing things while asleep, their mother who had a habit of sleep walking, and their father who’d snore so loudly that the neighbors would complain….. it was almost strange to think of the four of them as family, infact Trent couldn’t even remember the last time the word ‘family’ had even crossed his mind.

Such playfulness had to be put aside as Trent slowly eased her into the topic of Charlotte, his smile faltering as he placed a hand over her shoulder and slowly pulled her head against his chest. Careful to not be too rough as to make Chloe spill her drink, the smug smile being wiped off his face as per Chloe’s request. “I’ll go see Charlotte in a bit…. Alone” he stated bluntly, emphasizing the last bit to tell Chloe she wasn’t welcome to accompany him. Trent had nothing to hide from Chloe, but there was no telling how Charlotte would react to the news of him breaking up with her, and having his new ‘girl’ by his side would not only be unnecessarily humiliating for Charlotte but pretty rude on Trent’s part. Things might have been different if Charlotte and Chloe had been friends or something and they owed it to Charlotte to explain everything, but the two had never even met. “I’m not stupid enough to screw things up, and while I feel bad for saying this, Charlotte can’t ever hope to compare to you” he whispered assuringly, his hand holding her head gently in place. He couldn’t shove away his new found hobby completely though and decided to finish with a slight tease. “I doubt she’d be able to do anything to convince me otherwise…. But I can’t say for certain that there absolutely nothing she can do….. though…. If you’ll let me kiss you I can guarantee I’ll look at you, and only you for the rest of my life…. Up to you Chloe.”
 
Despite of the yesterday's events, the situation seemed to have turned into something completely different and unexpected. If the previous day she was worried that she might not be able to talk to Trent and explain things out, now she felt like she has been by Trent's side for forever. Even with the years they spent apart from each other, it seemed like this didn't ruin their relationship, but in fact, it seemed to have progressed into something which made them even closer than before. Well, she wasn't sure if that was it, but she surely hoped it was like that. After a decade in which she felt like her life was duller and duller with every day that passed, Chloe was more than glad to have Trent's affection back now. As much as she didn't want to admit it, what he said the other night did have some truth in it, and that was the fact that she didn't really have something to live for. Instead, her whole revolved around her older brother. Maybe she wasn't exactly the same as Trent, because after he left, even if she didn't fall into depression, even when she found herself pretty much lonely, she didn't do anything to find a friend. She even attempted to forget Trent, figuring that she might not be able to see him again and it would only hurt to remember him. Before she knew it, living like a mindless puppet seemed the perfect description for Chloe.

Either way, now they were back together, in spite of the weird circumstances in which they finally accepted each other again. And of course, there were still some things to be done first. While she didn't mind being so close to him and almost hearing his heartbeat, Chloe did notice the mood changed as soon as his smile started to fade, meaning that he was back to his serious side. And even if she did request that he'd erase that smug smile, she didn't want to hear that. Seeing that woman... alone. She didn't like the idea of leaving him alone with Charlotte, wherever they would be at the moment they would discuss. Thus, needless to say, she frowned and barely refrained from pouting. Though, she did understand the reasons for that. After all, it would be weird to do the breaking up, with another girl by his side as if mocking Charlotte. Nevertheless, her ugly thoughts were replaced by a feeling of happiness and contentedness, obviously flattered by his words. If she had to be honest, this very moment was a blissful one, feeling the warmth of his body, as well as his inner warmth reflected in his tone.

But, like any other moment, he had to sneak in another idea of his, causing her to blush slightly and shake her head with a little sigh. "You have a knack for saying things like these whenever you're supposed to be serious." she pointed out, remembering how he even attempted to flirt with her when they bumped into each other the other day. "But... I guess that a kiss won't hurt." she added, as she tried to hide away any sign that would show she actually wanted that kiss more than he'd imagine it.
 
It wasn’t at all surprising to see Chloe disappointed when he mentioned he wanted to see Charlotte alone. But she seemed to at least understand why it was necessary, saving Trent the effort of explaining to her that his intentions weren’t to be sneaky or betray her trust. She seemed to know it was necessary, but that didn’t mean it was any easier to accept, and to be frank, the kiss had been just as much a pledge to Chloe as much as it was for his own enjoyment. Or maybe he was just trying to make up a good excuse to kiss Chloe? Either way he wasn’t sure how Chloe would react, part of him felt as if he were being too forward with his approach. The Chloe he knew was a shy quiet girl, and Trent was under the impression that girls like that would prefer to slow subtle hints before their lips were drawn to each other naturally. But Trent wasn’t willing to wait that long, he’d suffered ten years without her, so he was entitled to rush things a bit to catch up on lost time right?

Smirking at her point, he shrugged his shoulders as if to say he couldn’t help it. It was who he was, and he wasn’t used to being all dull and serious. Never mind how it just felt strange being serious in front of Chloe. Being serious was something he usually did when he was upset, which meant it seldom happened unless it absolutely had to. He wasn’t upset right now, but he wasn’t all too happy with the thought of visiting Charlotte, and he didn’t like telling Chloe that she had to sit around idly and trust him regarding the break up. It was so much better, more fun, and more relaxing to sit with Chloe here and joke around about things that had a hint of truth to them.

Letting Chloe pull her head back a little, Trent’s hand slid through her long black hair, pulling it over Chloe’s shoulder as he caressed her cheek. Looking down affectionately at her before leaning in, intending to press his lips against hers. He’d sort of expected Chloe to be afraid or nervous, but the look in her eyes were needy and accepting, it made Trent nervous to think Chloe had experienced kissing with someone other than himself, but what really made him stop was his own words, his own promise that he wouldn’t use Chloe as ‘that girl he cheated with.’

Reluctantly, he moved his lips away from Chloe’s, instead pecking her gently on the forehead, figuring that he’d be allowed to do this much with their current sibling relationship. “What? Didn’t expect a kiss on the lips or anything did you?” he teased, dragging himself away from Chloe, and getting off the bed to get dressed. “Don’t get me wrong Chloe, I wanted to, you have no idea how much I wanted to” he chuckled, laughing at his own desperation. “But I’m dirty and tainted right now, let me go wash it off and then I’m all yours, okay?” he asked, unbuttoning his shirt as he made his way over towards the shower room. He’d meant ‘dirty’ to refer to his relationship with Charlotte, but now that he thought about it, a morning shower would probably help clear his mind, and he probably smelled seeing as he hadn’t showered last night.

“Plus, I want to taste Chloe on our first kiss, as much as I love orange juice it can’t compare to you”.
 
Chloe's heartbeat changed its pace as one of his hands ran through her long locks and the other gently caressed her cheek. While she didn't look like it, she did feel a little bit nervous, but not enough to overcome the craving of even one little kiss. Besides, it wasn't like the first time she was kissing him, right? Or maybe it was. Well, she wasn't sure anymore what was real and what was not, but either way, she didn't feel nervous about being completely clueless to what's like to kiss somebody. If there was one thing she would be nervous for, was the fact that Trent probably had many other girlfriends before, and most likely, had much more... experience. Even at a mere thing like a kiss. However, just as she thought he would kiss her, she felt his lips on her forehead, instead of her own lips, causing the brunette to frown slightly in disappointment. Not that she could complain, because as soon as she was about to glare at him for tricking her, he took her by surprise with his teasing, at which she obviously turned a crimson red out of sheer embarrassment.

Even so, the fact that he soon got up, leaving her there, obviously disappointed and somewhat upset with him for making fun of her, didn't sit well with Chloe. Then again, she couldn't really say anything as he explained that she had to wait until he would break up with Charlotte. He was right, even if it bothered her. Still, that didn't explain the reason why he had to start undressing on his way towards the bathroom. Once again, this seemed so familiar. But of course, he just had to add another one of those famous flirty lines of his. Picking up one of the pillows beside her with her free hand, she aimed for his head, trying her best to avoid spilling the juice in the other hand. "Don't just start undressing even though you didn't reach the bathroom! Pervert." she scolded and shook her head before she took a sip of her orange juice.

Leaving the stupid little fights, Chloe still felt a little bit worried about the fact that he would go alone to meet Charlotte. What if Charlotte would not want to break up with him? What if she was like one of those fangirls actually? A slight frown appeared on her face once again at the thoughts gathering in her mind. Suddenly turning to see him just as he was about to enter the bathroom, she decided to say something. "Wait a minute! Charlotte and you... were you really... close?" she questioned, before she realized it didn't sound like it was meant to. Instead it just sounded like she was just being jealous again. Not that she wasn't, but that wasn't the point now. "I mean... what if she won't accept the break up? Or what if she'll kick up a fuss? Or even worse, she'll seek some way to have her revenge and wait for you behind the corner to kill you just as you return from work or anything similar!" she pointed out, suddenly remembering those kind of movies with serial killers. Despite of how stupid and unbelievable it seemed, after the last events she went through, Chloe felt like anything could happen. Thus, it was no wonder she could imagine different bad scenarios instead of dreaming about good things.
 
Trent hadn’t expected Chloe to retaliate at all, and her aim had been surprisingly good, hitting a bullseyes against the back of his head and sending him stumbling forward more out of surprise than impact. He scowled at her with mock irritation, turning around and exposing his bare stomach and abs as he leaned over to pick up the pillow. “Just you wait, I’ll make you pay for that later” he threatened, licking his lips lewdly as his eyes trailed over Chloe. He was just messing around with her, but he wasn’t used to joking around anymore, and his ‘joke’ might have come off as more intimidating than he intended. Trent had been just as upset as Chloe about the kiss. He’d concluded it as a taunt and a tease, but he’d honestly intended to kiss her fully on the lips until the very last moment when he chickened out. His mind instinctively reacting the inbuilt morals that yelled at him how taboo it was for him to kiss his sister in the way he’d wanted to.

Throwing the pillow back on the bed from across the room, he grinned slyly shrugging off his shirt completely and exposing his bare toned chest, and muscular abs. Flexing his body a bit as he curled his shirt into the ball and threw it at Chloe’s face. “Stop being so picky, it’s not like it’s your first time seeing me naked” he smirked, referring to how they’d bathed together years and years ago. He hadn’t thought about privacy or manner in ages, seeing as how he’d lived alone for all these years, Trent had sort of grown accustomed to shedding clothes whenever and wherever he felt like while he was at home. And he wasn’t exactly ashamed to show off his body seeing as how he’d posed nearly in the nude for several magazine shots. He wasn’t going to pose for Chloe and show off though, he didn’t even know what Chloe thought of his figure since he’d heard a few times that certain girls were grossed out by defined muscles, and preferred a smooth flat belly. He couldn’t worry himself about that now though, and was about to swiftly walk into the bathroom and close the door when Chloe asked him something he hadn’t expected.

His first impulse was to tell her not to worry. Their relationship had ended the moment Trent had decided to end it as far as he was concerned, and he didn’t think Chloe would bother to ask about the woman who was outgoing, just as Chloe was coming back into his life. Reluctantly he frowned and nodded his head slightly, “I guess you could say we were close, second closest person after Ja-“ he stopped, scowling at himself before shaking his head and continuing. “We’ve been together for just over a year, but things were going downhill anyway, nothing for you to worry yourself over” he assured her. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, never actually done this whole break up thing before, but all I need to do is tell her it’s over, and leave right?” he asked simply, seemingly thinking that things would be that simple. Chloe’s comments about Charlotte being some sort of psychopath was waved away casually, not even considered by the red head as he laughed. “Too many horror movies Chloe, surprised that man let you watch anything like that… she might yell at me a bit and get upset… a bit, but that’s my business” he concluded. Not realizing how his final words seemed to push Chloe away and build a barrier between them to indicate his relationship with Charlotte wasn’t something that Chloe had any say in. His words however hadn't been intentional, and while it didn't show, he'd said that to assure her she needn't be concerned, not to reject her.
 
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