Chapter One

It was Thursday night, when Lianne's brother came home late at night, drunk and wobbly. Gerrard was accompanying him.

Julio might be Lianne's step-brother, but she always hated being with him. Her mother insisted that they live together after she and Julio's father moved to Mexico. She was still hurt when her mother Lana decided this without consulting her.

Lianne never wanted her mom to remarry, but it had been seventeen years since her father died from cancer, and she guessed it was time for her mother to move on. However, it had been months since she last contacted her. It seemed to her that she had been left behind and forgotten.

"Sorry about this, Lianne." Gerrard pleaded as he led Julio to the sofa, "t'was me who invited him. Just a celebration with some friends, nothing special."

Lianne just shrugged her shoulder, still focusing on her art project.

Gerrard liked Lianne ever since he met her, but the lady was never approachable. Not even to her brother.

As if he was waiting for an answer, he then said, "I'll be leaving then."

As soon as Gerrard left, Lianne rested her tired eyes and her back, placing the brush on the table. All she wanted to do was drift away somewhere. She had a lot on her mind.

"Sorry." Julio raggedly whispered.

Realizing that he was awake, she continued to refocus on her painting.

"Have you eaten?", he slowly came closer to her, stretching his back. "You haven't I guess."

"Aren't you drunk?"

Silence took over. It was awkward. At least that's what it felt.

"So what is it this time?", he asked, ignoring her and referring to the project. "Is it a landscape? uhh, a mountain? You are good."

Another menacing silence.

"Just go upstairs, go to your room, and just— sleep!"

He snickered and petted her head.

"Don't fuckin' touch me!"

Julio shook his hand as he zigzaggedly approached the stairs.

Although her actions and speeches were too obvious she hated him, Julio believed that it was just in the beginning. He was used to taking care of his little sisters back then, but Lianne was way different. Maybe because it was his father's third marriage that he felt unconnected towards her. It had been seven months now since they lived together, and they were still struggling to get into a conversation. Or was it just him? If it was his twin sisters in elementary, it would have been easy. Moreover, he just couldn't take his mind off of her when he saw her breast the other day. It was just a side-boob for chrissake, he thought. Two years without girlfriend was taking its toll.