Charlie closed the study door behind him and his calm presence filling the room like it always did.
He never raised his voice, never pushed too hard, but when he looked at me now, I knew he'd come with purpose.
"It's about Ellie," he said simply.
That words hit me harder than I expected, and my grip tightened around the edge of the desk. "What about her?" I asked.
Charlie's looked at my face, and his gaze didn't waver.
"I can see you're drawing lines that you can't seem to follow yourself, big brother. Everyone in this house can see and can sense it, Tristan. You're very protective of her in a way that goes beyond Sophia's friendship."
My jaw clenched. "So what, Charlie? You know she doesn't belong in this world. You know that as much as I do. What else do you want me to say?" I raged at Charlie's word.
"Damn you, Tristan. She belongs to wherever she wanted to," Charlie replied evenly. "It's never up to you, brother, and whether you'll admit it or not, you want her here as much as everyone else does."
Silence stretched between us, heavy and sharp. Charlie wasn't accusing, and he never did, but his words carried the weight of truth that I didn't want to face.
Before I could respond, the study door creaked open again.
The I heard voice asking, "What are you guys doing here? Am I interrupting something?" It's Sophia's voice rang out, light but curious. She stepped inside with her bag still in hand, her gaze flicking between us.
Sophia's is back.
Charlie's expression softened, but he didn't back down. "You are back and actually, you're just in time as well because this may concerns you, too."
Her brows furrowed. "Me?"
I straightened, schooling my features into something unreadable. "There's nothing you need to worry about, Sophia."
But Sophia's eyes narrowed. "Is this about Ellie? I was about to ask you why Ellie is here. Not that I'm complaining but I was shocked to see her here when I wasn't around. Knowing her, she would not be here if I wasn't around. Is there anything you want to tell me, big brother? You've always know how protective I am towards Ellie, and if there is something serious happening, I should know about it." She set her bag aside and crossed her arms, her tone sharpening.
Charlie gave me a pointed look as if daring me to deny it again. Then I heard Charlie said, "She's caught between two worlds, Sophia, and our big brother here is making it harder for her."
The air shifted. Sophia's focus swung back to me with her eyes searching and sharp with protective fire. "What is Charlie talking about, big brother? Did you say anything to Ellie?"
I stayed silent, and my mind was racing. Every instinct told me to shut this down, to keep her in the dark, but Sophia's gaze was unrelenting. Her stance is fierce in a way that reminded me so much of mother.
For the first time in years, I found myself at a loss.
Sophia's voice lowered, steady but firm. " I would like to remind you again, big brother. Ellie is not just any guest in this house. I have declared that she's family to me, and if you are planning to hurt her, then you'll need to be answering to me, big brother."