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Author's Chapter Notes:

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I was dreading tonight. It was going to be a full house and I had this jittery feeling in the pit of my stomach; like something was bound to go wrong. Sue me, I’m in a bit of a negative mood. I’ve been at my parents house since the demolition and I haven’t been able to see much of Alex. Plus, Nick and I still aren’t speaking and Brian wont budge on talking about his drama. On the upside, Kevin and Gabby accepted our invitations and they are our fake dates for the night.

I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. My mother was in the kitchen with her long blonde hair in a bun and her apron tight around her waist. She seemed so content and happy cooking and cleaning, something I just couldn’t understand. My father came up from behind and planted a kiss on her neck. I couldn’t help but smile, so many years together and they still looked so in love.

What was the formula to keeping love alive? I’d have to ask my parents, and if they dared to say anything pertaining to sex, I would shoot myself.

There were a bunch of butterflies in my stomach as I got dressed, by the time I finished Brian and Howie were in the living room having coffee with the my parents and their wives, while the kids were running a muck.

They all stared at me as I slowly made way towards them, my ribs were still killing me and I was just sore everywhere.

“What?”

“Nothing” My dad answered.

With that said, they all turned back to their conversations, except for Howie. He seemed to know my reasons for wearing a dress.

I scowled.

“Hey aunt Soph! We are glad you are ok!” DJ gave me one of his bear hugs and all the rest of the kids joined in. OUCH!

“Thanks you guys!” I squeezed them all back. Then headed directly towards the cute little newborn. I carefully took her in my arms and instantly smiled at her tiny almond eyes, that were already observing me. Unknowingly I made up some baby talk and swayed her back and forth.

A couple of minutes later the bell rang and I raced the kids, as fast as a baby in arms would let me, to open the door. We all crashed into the wooden frame and fumbled to be the first to open. We were in a fit of giggles as the door flew open and in stepped Alex, Gabby and Kevin. My face flushed and I smiled nervously.

“Hey you guys come on in.” Bastos looked amazing, welts, bruises and all. “How are you feeling?” I asked as I gave her a quick embrace.

She smiled gracefully, “I’m doing much better. They gave me pain pills…and a couple of weeks off.”

“That’s great! Well come on in you guys…everyone is in the living room.” Alex passed me and discretely smacked my ass, which didn’t help much with the face flushing.

“How’s the rib?” Kevin asked me, but his eyes were on Gabby’s backside. “Man she’s amazing.”

“You are supposed to be my date, remember! You can’t disappoint my parents so early into the dinner.”

Kevin wasn’t even looking at me, he was in a trance and I was about to smack him the hell out of it. “I can’t help it. I’m in love.” I rolled my eyes and carefully pushed the baby into his arms. It worked he was instantly mesmerized by the itty bitty girl.

I thought we might sit and make small talk with everyone, but dad was pretty ready to get dinner served. He had everyone in the dinning room trying to find a seat. Howie took Heidi from Kevin and placed her back into the car seat, where she looked all snuggled up.

Kevin quickly bumped me out of my seat and sat next to Bastos, leaving me no choice but to sit next to Alex. Not that it was a bad thing, but I was nervous enough I didn’t need him making me feel worse.

Dad was sitting to the side, looking like the king of the castle, thankfully opposite of us. Mom was across from him, Howie and Leigh were together and so was Leighanne and Brian. I was between Kevin and Alex and the kids were at their table. Everyone was talking over each other, except for me, I was just observing fiddling with my napkin.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah…I’m…uh…” I turned and found Alex’s brown eyes assessing me. He was too close for comfort and I could see my dad’s eyes boring through us. Lately, he always watched when Alex was around me.

“Fuck the old man…he is glaring at me.” Alex muttered.

I jumped when I felt the warmth of his hand on my knee. “What are you doing?” I mumbled trying to discretely remove his hand from my thigh, but instead he moved it up my inner thigh and under my dress.

“So how are you and Kevin doing Sophia.” My dad’s voice snapped me to attention.

“Huh?”

“I thought Kevin was your date tonight?” My dad was doing his interrogative talking now.

Howie and Brian both spoke at the same time and then Howie repeated himself. “Dad can we pick on Sophia and her date AFTER dinner. We are hungry.”

My dad huffed and started by serving himself and passing the food down. That funny feeling in my stomach was back and full force, not only because I had a feeling my dad had something to get off his chest, but because Alex had his hand rammed down my skirt and he was doing something that was making me see a bit of stars.

“Holy crap!” I blurted feeling the blissful feeling rising. All eyes fell on me and I flushed instantly. “I’m sorry…I…” I turned to look at Alex, who was in a fit of snickers. I wanted to smile, but I thought my brothers would catch on. So I stuck to the serious look and tone. “I’m sorry I hit my knee.”

The front door swung open and in waltzed Nick and Lauren. He wasn’t looking too great, it was like every time I saw him he was fading. They took a seat next to Howie and quickly served themselves. The conversation had moved onto Officer Laurence Martin, who’d been caught red-handed with an underage prostitute while on duty. So somehow the subject at the table was about cheating. Had anyone cheated before? Why would someone cheat? I didn’t say much, because I had the ugly side of the cheating story. I’d been cheated on and they were both sitting at the same table with me. What the hell?

Kevin and Bastos were fitting right in with the family, they were deep into the conversation with everyone. Sharing their opinions and laughing. They were kinda cute together. Then out of the blue Leighanne stood up, threw her napkin on the table and blurted what was on her mind.

“Brian I know you are cheating on me!” She squealed and sat back down.

The whole table went silent and Brian turned three shades of red. “What?”

“Brian is this true?” My dad’s voice was strong. Man he sure did take this whole father role a bit too far, sometimes.

Brian’s head snapped to attention and he shook his head. “Of course not dad. I don’t know what your talking about Leighanne. I have a lot on my plate…and I would have appreciated you talking to me about something like this, in the privacy of our own home.”

Lieghanne giggled like a crazy person, “Oh stop! Stop acting like we are a perfect family. Your children don’t even see you and we don’t even have sex.”

That was a low blow for Brian, he was squirming in his chair and I gave him credit for still sitting in his seat and not running off; like I would have. “Jesus!”

Alex busted out laughing and Brian pointed a sturdy finger at him. “You don’t get me started!” It didn’t phase Alex, but it made me uneasy.

“Say whatever is on your mind brother!” Alex snapped.

Lauren stood up now and looked around the table, tears glistened in her eyes and her face was full of sorrow. “I’m sorry Nick, but I have too.”

He grabbed her arm, “Don’t even---”

“Nick is sick!! He has a heart condition and if we don’t help him…” she broke into a sob. “…he’s going to die!”

My mother slowly placed her napkin on the table and covered her mouth. “Please tell me this is a joke, Nick. This is all a stupid joke…this fighting and confessing things at the table.”

Everyone was just looking at each other. My heart had crawled out of my chest and flopped onto the table. A knot grew deep in my throat and I felt like breaking down to cry. How could he not tell me such a thing? I thought we were close. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and I just said it.

“You are a jerk…how could you not tell me that. You said it was because you cheated on Lauren with Melony?!?” I felt my eyes go wide and my hand wrapped around my mouth. I’d blown it. I was gonna pay for that outburst.

Lauren spun around to look at Nick, her face was covered in pain. “Is that true?” Her words were a whisper.

I bit my lip waiting for Nick’s response. He turned to glare at me and shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry Lauren…It was---”

She was up and storming out of the house before he could finish his sentence. I looked at him pleadingly and kept apologizing, but that didn’t work. It was my turn.

“I told you that in secrecy. We all tell you things in secrecy, because Sophia is the baby who listens and understands each and everyone of us. The one that wont rat us out no matter how fucking bad our secret is. Right?!?”

“I’m sorry Nick!” I was starting to ease up a little. Thinking his whole rant was over. I mean, he wouldn’t do that to me.

Would he?

“Yet, Sophia Anabelle Thompson has the biggest secret out of all of us…” Howie tried to interrupt, but he just raised his hand to shut him up. “she’s had it for years. Dad…mom…your sweet little girl has maintained a pretty sexual relationship with her adoptive brother for the longest time. Right Alex?”

Alex jumped up and reached over the table, ready to beat the crap out of Nick. But my dad slammed a fist onto the table and stood up to Nick. “How dare you talk about your sister like that.” I thought that was the end of that, but he turned to look at Alex and I. I couldn’t look him in the eyes. “Is it true Sophia? Out of all the men in the world you picked someone that is a brother to you…besides that he has nothing to offer you.”

“Dad…I…I can explain. It’s all just…” this was my chance to make things right. To let him know how I felt about Alex, to put Alex first before my fear of our secret being leaked and even though it was out in the open. I wanted to deny it.

Alex looked just as pained as Lauren, he adjusted himself and grinned. “It’s all a bunch of bullshit. Sophia is smarter than that to mess with someone like me, old man. This asshole is hallucinating…I think he needs some medication for that fucked up heart.”

I stood up and tried grabbing him by the arm. “Alex wait!” HE yanked himself out of my grip and stormed out of the house and towards his car. I followed at a slower pace. “I’m sorry…I freaked out.”

“I’m sorry too. I love you Sophia, no matter what the old man says…I fucking love you. It’s just a shame that you don’t feel the same way. I get it.” He hopped into this car, slammed the door and sped off; leaving only a cloud of dust.

Brian, Howie and Nick were waiting for me at the door. “Are you alright?” Brian asked patting me on the shoulder.

“He’ll come around.” Howie added.

Nick ran a hand through his hair and kicked dirt. “So much for dinner…”

My anger rose as I heard his squeaky girly voice. I let out a high pitched scream, forgot about how fragile he was at the time and lunged at him. “YOU ARE A JERK! I HATE YOU!”

“You started by telling Lauren about me cheating…I don’t even remember saying that. I would never cheat on Lauren, especially with Melony. So you deserved that…”

Brian and Howie were holding me back, while I kicked and swung my arms at him. I was too tired to continue, the guys wouldn’t let me touch him anyway. I stopped and the guys let me go. The knot in my throat was about to explode and I didn’t want it to be in front of them.

“Give me your keys!” I held my hand out and waited for Howie to drop his keys in my hand. “Please.” He did as I asked and hesitantly put them in my hand. I began to walk away and spun around. “I’m sorry Nick. I know you guys always tell me your secrets…and usually…I keep them. But I panicked…because…I don’t want to believe that you might die.” I hopped into the car.

“Soph…Sophia.” I could hear Nick calling me. My floodgates had opened and I wasn’t going to let them all see me like this. I had to get lost.