III

"A!"

Ella almost destroyed the door to save Esther from nothing. She asked her to go in first because she has to buy some supplies that she forgot to do while they were on way home. She is just meters away when Esther screamed upon entering their unit.

"Police!"

"Hey, noisy!"

"Esther, calm down. He is my brother," she says before Esther can even tap her phone.

"Ha?" Esther looks at her seriously before turning her look to Liam then, vise versa. When she finds the resemblance, she raises her right hand with the peace sign of her fingers. "Wasn't expecting you have a brother. Sorry." Too easy to tame.

"Of course, haven't told you yet. His name is Liam and," she looks at Liam who is looking at them boredly, "this is Esther. I hope you two get along well." Then, she smiles. "He's gonna stay here if that wouldn't be a burden for you?" She asks Esther. She neither expected this one, but this is better than having also the twins with her. That will be a total disaster. At least, Liam is quite a quiet person and not such a nimble and naughty one. Don't add his being pervert mode.

"He's your brother. That'll never be a burden," Esther said, uneasy. She somewhat see somebody's resemblance too with this man. She can't just figure out. May be an artist? He is a good looking and well-built man. "Welcome here," she smiled. He looked like a cold-typed guy. Well, just like Ella.

"Thanks. By the way, no need to buy groceries," Liam said eyes on nowhere. Ella's eyes twinkled upon what she heard. Does that mean, she can save more now? Oh, how she really love this brother of hers, but then, she remembered his kind of taste.

"Veggies?" She has to confirm.

"Good for your health."

She slapped her forehead, mentally. She can't do it literally. It would hurt. Esther looked at her amused. She knew how she hated eating vegetables especially, raw one and now, here is Liam.

"I hate you," she cursed Liam.

"Thank you," he said, half smirking then, threw himself on the sofa. She said nothing and went straight to her room. Esther followed stopping her from closing the door.

"You haven't told me about your brother."

"You didn't ask." She noticed Esther's ear to ear smile. "And what's with that?"

"I've got a feeling that I'm gonna like him," Esther answered and blushed. She rolled her eyes. There is no way her brother could return that feeling and she is certain about it.

"You aren't now? Beware to fall for a jerk because I'm not gonna support you. Okay?"

"Jerk?" Esther looked surprised and not believing her. Liam seemed to be a caring brother and gentle.

She nodded. "Don't trust boys and don't always listen to your girly instinct. It's all about affection if you know what I mean."

"He's your brother.."

"I'm not highly into blood," she said with a shrugged. She value the things she said, not. Esther maked face to mock her before she left. She threw her bag on the bed and went to take a quick shower.

If Liam will be living now with her and the twins will also be around wherever she is, what else could they do just to check her twenty-four seven? Aren't they aware of such feeling like caged? She knew, they wouldn't go easy with her especially that they knew where she has chosen to study. She looked on the floor where water from the shower fell. Her eyes were in disgust. She may looked cheerful and smiling to them, but it is not really what she felt. The way they looked at her conveyed something like she was doing a crime. They might not tell her, but she already knew how to read them even there would be no letters to see or to hear. She has lived her life to fit in the kind of life they were born into.

"Why a place like this?"

If she would be another girl, she will stumble, definitely upon hearing someone in your room while you're going out from a shower and especially, it is a guy.

"Why not your place?" Liam added strolling around her small room.

"It's always your choice if you don't feel like it here," she answered him, honestly.

"You made it here so, may be I would." He threw himself on her bed like he owns it. "Hey," he called her when she was about to get her hair dryer. When she looked, he pointed something in his ear then, drew a circle on the air. She got it and nodded. "Why have company here?"

"It happened and none of your business," she answered him and got the hair dryer. Before she turned it on, she made a quick sign language. Liam answered it by pointing on the ceiling. She laughed, silently and started drying her hair.

"As always."

"You jerk!" Just after a few seconds of working on her hair, her eyes were on the thing that darted on the wall then, quickly to Liam who was laughing after what he did. That was fast and the knife was pretty shinning beside her eyes when she avoided it coming. Who on earth has in right mind to do such? She was been drying her hair for goodness sake! Where did he even get that?

"Pretty fast, Ella," he teases her.

"Jerk!" She puts the dryer on the table and walks towards where the knife is and pulled it. "Living here has two rules." Liam looks surprised and she got his attention, completely. Of course, the word 'rule' is a big thing for them.

"Why there should be?" He complained, fast even she has not started yet.

"No loitering," she raises the knife while saying this, "so, you better start by cleaning this mess," she pointed on the wall were the knife has left a deep creak. "No pet is allowed and the character itself."

"What pet?" Liam got up from the bed and sat on it.

"Don't you know those with itchy scales?"

"Crocodile!"

"Have you seen any that could scratch their body?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Mm.. Not yet, but I'm gonna find one." He will never want it to loss. She threw his knife to his direction. "You trying to kill me, man?" Liam said, surprised at what she did. He caught and stopped the knife with both his palms.

"Firstly, I'm too pretty to be a man. Secondly, I'm just giving back your toy. It was messing around and didn't think that could kill." That was more sarcastic.

"Your essay isn't complete. You won't pass the exam." There goes the Mr. Perfect student.

"Then, get away from my bed and lastly, leave my room!"

Liam laughed. "It's really a pleasure that I'm gonna staying with our little sister."

"No one is asking for that pleasure. Leave or you wanted to watch me get dressed?" Yes, she is used of drying first her hair before getting dressed, but now that she got a brother in the house, she has to change that habit of hers.

"That's insane." He got up from the bed, completely, surrendering his two hands with the knife on the other one.

"It's incest and you're insane," she tried to correct him. She never been insane and hope will ever.

He got out from her room, finally and even locked the door. She hoped, he would not forget to clean up his mess. She didn't want Esther buzzing around when she might see it. She sighed then, scratched her nape. Seemed like her peaceful life will only last for seconds now.