"Suzanna stop fidgetting." She is getting on my last nerve. She's been fidgeting for thirty minutes in front of the mirror. The time for the dinner has arrived and apparently we had to dress semi formal. Suzanna did not want to go back home so she got ready here. I gave her one of my dresses. I must say she looks glorious. The dress is black and ends mid-thigh, it is covered in lace with long lace sleeves allowing some skin to show and matched with black heals. Her make-up is done simple and her hair is in a side sweep. I must say my clothes looks good on her.

"Azora, are you sure you don't have anything else less... "She tries pulling down the dress. "revealing?" I stopped counting the amount of times that she has been asking me this.

"Suzanna you look amazing and stop pulling the dress down! You are going to stretch it. I know you are nervous, but relax we are all going to be there with and for you. Who knows maybe you will even enjoy the night." Where is Keven? He is going to make us all late. Suzanna and Keven are driving together while my parents and I are driving in my car. Even I am starting to get nervous.

"I'm here! We can leave now!" Thank goodness Keven is here now he can take care of Suzanna, she is working on my nerves. Just as she left I glanced in the mirror. I'm also wearing a black dress, but there is no lace. It has an off the shoulders long sleeve and comes a bit higher up than the one Suzanna is wearing. I pared the dress with red heals and red lipstick. My hair is slightly curled and hangs naturally allowing my blue and purple highlights to be seen.

Once I got downstairs everyone was waiting. Keven had dark jeans on with a blue button up shirt and his hair is left messy. Dad has something similar on but his shirt is a light brown. My mom went full out with color, she's wearing black dress pants and a dress-shirt that is full of colors, putting rainbows to shame.

~~~~~~

Fifteen minutes later and we pull up in front of Suzanna's parents' house. My eyes nearly bulged out of my eyes. It's a two story house that looks like it should belong in Italy or in a magazine. I never knew they were this rich. As we got out I realized that there are a lot of cars.

"I thought this is a family dinner?" This is not a family dinner, there are more than ten cars outside.

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that my mom's family dinners usually mean a small crowd of family and  friends. She likes throwing dinner parties and uses anything as an excuse." I sigh and follow them inside wishing she would have told me earlier, but there is nothing I can do about that now.

"Suzanna you made it!" I'm guessing the woman that is headed to Suzanna with open arms is her mom with her dad following behind.

"Hi mom. Mom, dad this is Keven's sister Azora. Azora this is my mother Tracy and my father Sebastian." Apparently my parents have already met her parents so I was the only one needing an introduction. Both her parents had blonde hair and for their age they looked very young.

"Come, your brothers have been aching to see you dear." At her mother's words I could feel Suzanna grabbing my hand and squeezing it, I returned a squeeze to reassure her before letting her hand go. We entered the living room and once again it looks like it belongs in a magazine with all the plush furnishing. There was a fairly large chandelier hanging from the roof, which was higher then normal, giving a luxurious and modern feel to the room.

As my eyes travels through the room admiring the beauty of it, my eye caught someone that stood by the fire place. My heart sped up and I frantically looked around me searching for an outcome, a way to escape before he notices me. Usually when he is around is buddy isn't too far away and him I don't want to see at all. But as usually it is my luck to be unlucky,  we were headed straight to him. Please tell me I'm dreaming! Keven quickly glanced at me silently begging me to keep calm and not to blow this. I knew my eyes were wild and even Suzanna picked up something was wrong, I just gave her a small smile to say I'm fine but she wasn't convinced. Before she could ask me someone spoke and I froze in place.

"Hey look who it is! It's our little sister!" Wait what!? He is her brother!? Shock was written all over my face and I tried hiding it as best I could.

Suzanna gives a little lough and hugged her brother never realizing that her brother and I have locked eyes unable to look away from one another. She suddenly went visibly stiff as her other brother, I think this is the eldest one, came to give her a hug. Even a blind person can see the awkwardness between them.

"Azora, Keven this is my brothers. The eldest" she points to the one she just hugged. "Mason" He gave as a small nod. "And my older brother who happens to me the middle child" She points at the guy I wished wasn't her brother and before she could say his name it just slipped out of my mouth as a whisper but loud enough for our group to hear. "TJ" I breathed still unable to break eye contact with him.

He gave me a little wave "Hallo Azora, it's been a long time."

"You know each other?" Suzanna looks confused. He probably never mentioned me because I never met his family and he most definitely never told me that he has siblings.

"Yea, actually I know all the members of the Steal family. Nice to see you again Roza, Roger." He nods his head in my parent's direction acknowledging them.

"How do you know one another?" Why can' she just drop it for now? Before I could answer TJ answered fist "We have a mutual friend." I couldn't help myself I just had to scoff at that and "had a mutual friend" slipped out of my mouth. Halfway through my sentence Keven elbowed me in the ribs to shut me up, but it was too late everyone looked at question faces towards TJ and I.

Before Suzanna could ask more questions my mom started to make conversation trying to divert everyone's attention from the tension hanging thickly in the air. I can't help but look over my shoulder making sure it is safe and that the last person I don't want to see is not here. This is why I was so afraid to come visit my parents. Now I'm the one fidgeting. I sigh inwardly standing with a fake smile on my face trying to avoid looking at TJ and concentrating on the conversation but to no avail. I can't believe he is Suzanna's brother and by the looks on Keven's face he did not have a clue, I hope for his sake he did not have a clue and did not lei to me by not telling me. Finally, dinner rolled around and I was put next to Suzanna with one of her Aunts on the other side of me. I kept feeling TJ's eyes on me and its starting to drive me insane.

"What happened between you and TJ? Anyone with eyes can see something is up." Ug dam you Suzanna! Why can't she just drop the subject. I thought by now she would have put the peaces together since she knows my story.

"I knew him before I left five years ago, we had a mutual friend." I can hear the secret pleading in my voice. The pleading for her to stop asking questions.

She rolls her eyes at me "You know you can just ask me to stop questioning you right? I can clearly see you are uncomfortable."

"You don't look so comfy yourself you know." I sigh happy to change the subject. "I'm sorry it's just ... I'm on edge." I can't help but look over my shoulder again.

"Yea I can see that, clearly something has you spooked and I'm betting it is a someone and not a something and by someone I mean TJ." She's prodding again.

"Suzanna!" I whisper shout at her which clearly wasn't soft enough because now half of the table is looking at me. I clear my throat speaking even softer than before "Please I am begging you just drop it, its not your brother but the shadow that usually is with him that I don't want to see. I have enough stress tonight don't add to it. I know this is a distraction for you but find something else."

"Fine." She rolls her eyes at me and starts talking to Keven.

The food and drinks was delicious and I wasn't nearly enjoying it as much as I should have, but by the time dinner was done and everyone got up from the table to continue mingling somewhere else I shot out of my char straight to the back door needing space and privacy. For a second my breath was taken away by the back yard. The grass was green and soft and the urge to just lay down it was extremely strong, there was a fountain in the middle of the yard with a pool to my right. I went and sat down close to the fountain enjoying the sound of the water. It reminds me of the ocean back home and somehow I found comfort in that.

"You can relax" I practically jumped so high at the sound of TJ's voice I could have ended up in the fountain.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I scold at him with my hand over my heart trying to calm it again.

"I'm sorry I forgot how easily you can get a fright." He sits down next to me and continues "He's not here you know, so you can relax." He chuckled a bit maybe because he could actually see me visibly relaxing. I sigh in relief, but my curiosity is sparked.

"Why? You two were always inseparable. You even had that bromance (a close but nonsexual relationship between two men for those that don't know) thing of yours going on."

"Don't worry we still are, but he couldn't make it in time for the dinner and before you ask yes, he will be coming in a couple of days and no, he does not know you are here. I did not know either." I scowl at him for answering my questions before I could even ask them, he knows I hate that.

TJ is his best bud. They are always together causing trouble and mischiev somewhere so it doesn't surprise me that they are still best buds. What does surprise me is that they aren't here together and that TJ hasn't told him that I'm here yet.

"So why haven't you told him yet?"

"Because that is something between the two of you" He points at me "and I am staying out of it." He points back at himself just to make sure I get his point.

Silence fell between us, it is strange seeing him after all this time and even after five years the silence between us aren't uncomfortable, seeing him here made me realize how much i have missed him, he was my best friend too after all. I don't know how many minutes have passed by. I was struggling with myself wanting to know how he is doing but on the other hand I just want to run away.

"Azora? Are you okay?" TJ pulled me from my thoughts and I have realized that I closed my eyes while I was in deep thought. Concern was written all over his face and I could not help but smile sadly at him, he was always so caring and protective over me. It's no use in lying to him.

"No" my voice was barely audible. I'm starting to panic ... badly. "for how long will ..." I couldn't finish my sentence but luckily TJ caught on. "He'll probably stay a day, two at the most ... Look Azora, I just want you to know that even though I'm still friends with him doesn't mean that I approved what he did to you." All the energy seemed to have drained out of me as his word sunk in, I just nodded in response.

I got up to leave deciding I have had enough for one night. I just want to curl up into a ball on my bed and go to sleep.

"Where are you going?" His question barely left his lips when I lost my balance and almost fell but luckily for me TJ has always had good reflexes and caught me just in time.

"Thanks." I was out of breath from the fright I got and silence stretched between us a couple of seconds, still in his arms the way he caught me. I stood up slowly untangling myself from him. "I'm going to go back to my parents' house. I think I've had enough for one night" My voice sounded hollow and dull. I tried walking again but got dizzy as nausea swept over me. TJ got up hastily and but his arm around my waist steadying me.

"I'll take you home." I just nodded numbly and allowed him to guide me to his car. Once I got in he left to tell my parents. As I waited for him I took in my surroundings. Realizing I'm in some fancy sports car I could not help to smile. He always had a thing for fast cars and his dream was to own a sports car of his own, I guess it came true.

Once he got back I was already half asleep in the passenger seat feeling my eyelids slowly getting heavier and heavier.

"Do you still remember the way?" I asked sleepily, stifling a yawn.

"How could I forget crazy cat?" I just smiled at his old nickname for me. When we first met he was certain that I was crazy for dating his best friend and soon realized that I was crazy for more then that reason, hence the nickname.

~~~~~~

"Okay we're here. You need to get up now Azora." I sigh looking up at TJ not really want to get up, but I knew I had to. So I got up and grabbed the house keys from him before he could walk me to the door.

"Azora?" I stopped at his side of the car and looked at him through his open window. He hands me a card with his handwriting on it. "This is my number, call or text me if you need someone to talk to. I promise this will only stay between the two of us." I hesitantly looked at the card deciding to take it.

"Good night TJ. Thanks for the lift."

"No problem crazy cat. Take care of yourself. I hope I'll hear from you soon." And with that he drove away.

***Note from author***

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This is what Suzanna's dress looked like

And this is what Azora's dress looked like