‹ Prequel: Crowded Room
Sequel: Heaven Can Wait ›
Thinking of Winter
Zeth/Jace
I stared at Paulie for a long, long time. His eyes started to well up with tears when I didn't answer right away. Taking in a shaking breath, I said, "How about this? We start new? Get to really know each other."
I watched as Paulie blinked away the tears, and then stare up at the ceiling for a long moment. When he finally looked at me, I bit my lip. "I'd like that. If things don't work out, we can remain best friends." I let out a sigh, kissing his fingers.
"That sounds good," I said, looking at him with a relieved expression.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you two for the time being. Whether you like it or not," Liam said, crossing his arms. "I can't stand the thought of losing either of you. Aside from Jace, you two are the only family I have left."
"We're not going anywhere, Emerson," Paulie said, smiling at him. I nodded in agreement and smiled as well.
Time Elapse
Jace came in later that night, hugging Paulie carefully and the kissing Liam. He looked at me and noticed the stitches in my lip. My eyes welled up we continued to look at each other. "Jace," I said, my voice extremely shaky.
"Zeth," he replied, slowly making his way towards me. He lightly touched the line of stitches and flinched when I let out a slight gasp. "I didn't think I did it that hard," he said, closing his eyes and leaning against the bed.
"So much for backbone," I joked, causing him to look at me with an angered glare. "Look, I'm sorry. It's my turn to say I've screwed up. Why can't we be who we were back when mom and dad were still with us? I miss that."
"So do I," he whispered. "So do I."
Jace
I looked into the dark brown eyes of my brother, bags under his eyes, pain in the depths of his eyes. "We were tighter than anything. Then everything fell apart within five years. Now it's like we're nothing but acquaintances who happen to hang out a lot," he said, hooking our pinkies.
"I want to go back," I whispered, biting my lip so I wouldn't cry. "Back to where there were just the four of us."
"There is four of us. You, me, Liam, and Paulie," Zeth said, causing me to look around. I met the gazes of all three of them. "We're complete again, Jace," he whispered, causing me to look at him.
"Not completely," I said, a gleam in my eyes. The three of them gave me similar looks of apprehension. I just grinned and walked out of the room.
Time Elapse -- Month and a Half
Paulie was finally out of the hospital, but still needed to be kept watched over. Liam and Zeth took turns as I was currently looking talking with Mr. Adachi. "You found an exact one?" I asked, getting over-excited.
"I have. I will be over with it shortly," he said, a smile in his voice. Squealing, I heard him laugh a little bit.
"Great! I'll see you soon, Mr. Adachi." Hanging up, I jumped around the house in excitement. The others watched me with looks of worry until I finally calmed down.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" I called, running down the stairs and over to the front door. Opening it, I came face to face with a Irish Setter puppy.
"Meet Isabella," Adachi said, carefully handing me the nine week old puppy. I giggled as she licked my face excitedly, my smile never dimming when she stopped.
"I can't thank you enough, Mr. Adachi. What can I do to ever repay you?" I asked, looking at the man who has helped us out quite a bit with a look of admiration.
"Just keep the club running strong," he replied before departing. Smiling at his back, I closed the door and walked into the living room where everyone was watching the TV.
"Guys, I want you to meet Isabella," I said, causing three pairs of eyes to look at me.
"Irish Setter?" Zeth said, jumping up immediately and running over to me. "She's gorgeous."
"We weren't complete without her. I was trying to find a black one, like Vixon was, but all Adachi could find was the reddish brown one. I thought that it was better than nothing."
"Vixon was a great dog, always knew how to cheer us up," Zeth said. The others came over and took turns holding Isabella, letting her lick their faces. Our little family was now complete. For now.
I watched as Paulie blinked away the tears, and then stare up at the ceiling for a long moment. When he finally looked at me, I bit my lip. "I'd like that. If things don't work out, we can remain best friends." I let out a sigh, kissing his fingers.
"That sounds good," I said, looking at him with a relieved expression.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you two for the time being. Whether you like it or not," Liam said, crossing his arms. "I can't stand the thought of losing either of you. Aside from Jace, you two are the only family I have left."
"We're not going anywhere, Emerson," Paulie said, smiling at him. I nodded in agreement and smiled as well.
Time Elapse
Jace came in later that night, hugging Paulie carefully and the kissing Liam. He looked at me and noticed the stitches in my lip. My eyes welled up we continued to look at each other. "Jace," I said, my voice extremely shaky.
"Zeth," he replied, slowly making his way towards me. He lightly touched the line of stitches and flinched when I let out a slight gasp. "I didn't think I did it that hard," he said, closing his eyes and leaning against the bed.
"So much for backbone," I joked, causing him to look at me with an angered glare. "Look, I'm sorry. It's my turn to say I've screwed up. Why can't we be who we were back when mom and dad were still with us? I miss that."
"So do I," he whispered. "So do I."
Jace
I looked into the dark brown eyes of my brother, bags under his eyes, pain in the depths of his eyes. "We were tighter than anything. Then everything fell apart within five years. Now it's like we're nothing but acquaintances who happen to hang out a lot," he said, hooking our pinkies.
"I want to go back," I whispered, biting my lip so I wouldn't cry. "Back to where there were just the four of us."
"There is four of us. You, me, Liam, and Paulie," Zeth said, causing me to look around. I met the gazes of all three of them. "We're complete again, Jace," he whispered, causing me to look at him.
"Not completely," I said, a gleam in my eyes. The three of them gave me similar looks of apprehension. I just grinned and walked out of the room.
Time Elapse -- Month and a Half
Paulie was finally out of the hospital, but still needed to be kept watched over. Liam and Zeth took turns as I was currently looking talking with Mr. Adachi. "You found an exact one?" I asked, getting over-excited.
"I have. I will be over with it shortly," he said, a smile in his voice. Squealing, I heard him laugh a little bit.
"Great! I'll see you soon, Mr. Adachi." Hanging up, I jumped around the house in excitement. The others watched me with looks of worry until I finally calmed down.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" I called, running down the stairs and over to the front door. Opening it, I came face to face with a Irish Setter puppy.
"Meet Isabella," Adachi said, carefully handing me the nine week old puppy. I giggled as she licked my face excitedly, my smile never dimming when she stopped.
"I can't thank you enough, Mr. Adachi. What can I do to ever repay you?" I asked, looking at the man who has helped us out quite a bit with a look of admiration.
"Just keep the club running strong," he replied before departing. Smiling at his back, I closed the door and walked into the living room where everyone was watching the TV.
"Guys, I want you to meet Isabella," I said, causing three pairs of eyes to look at me.
"Irish Setter?" Zeth said, jumping up immediately and running over to me. "She's gorgeous."
"We weren't complete without her. I was trying to find a black one, like Vixon was, but all Adachi could find was the reddish brown one. I thought that it was better than nothing."
"Vixon was a great dog, always knew how to cheer us up," Zeth said. The others came over and took turns holding Isabella, letting her lick their faces. Our little family was now complete. For now.