Chapter 4

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Carl’s POV

I sighed, dragging Evander out of the room and into the garden. The crisp morning air did little to cool the frustration bubbling inside me. I stopped near the patio and turned to face him, my arms crossed.

“Evan, what are you thinking?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Evander leaned casually against the railing, his expression unbothered as he took out his phone. “What? Can’t I be interested in your sister, Carl?” he said, a smirk playing on his lips.

I clenched my jaw, watching as he casually saved my sister’s number into his contacts. “Evander, you know how protective my parents are of Calista, right? She’s not just someone you can mess around with. If you hurt her, I swear—”

“You’ll punch me in the face?” Evander interrupted, looking up from his phone with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Damn right, I will,” I shot back, my tone firm.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything, his gaze meeting mine. The usual teasing spark in his eyes was gone, replaced by something serious.

“I get it, Carl,” he said quietly, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “You think I don’t care, but I do. I’m not here to mess with her or make her life harder. I like her.”

I blinked, taken aback by his sudden sincerity. “You like her?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, his voice steady. “More than I should, probably. But I’m not going to hurt her. That’s not who I am.”

I studied him for a long moment, trying to gauge whether he was being genuine. Evander might be my best friend, but Calista was my sister, and her happiness came first.

“You better mean that,” I said finally, pointing a finger at him. “Because if you don’t, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Evander chuckled softly, the teasing smirk returning to his face. “Noted. But don’t worry, Carl. I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

He pushed off the railing and patted me on the shoulder as he walked past, leaving me standing there with a mix of unease and reluctant trust.

Great, I thought, running a hand through my hair. Now I have to deal with my best friend falling for my sister.

As I stood there, lost in my thoughts, my sister appeared at the garden door, her voice pulling me back to reality.

“Hey, Carl,” she said, crossing her arms and tilting her head. “Me and Mom are making breakfast. Get inside before you freeze out here.”

I nodded, watching as she turned and walked back into the house, her steps light but purposeful.

Evander, who had been lingering near the edge of the patio, stepped forward as soon as she disappeared inside. “So,” he began, his tone casual but his eyes serious, “where does she work? And where does she stay?”

I frowned at him, crossing my arms. “Why do you want to know that?”

He shrugged, but there was something genuine in his expression. “I’m just curious. You’ve always talked about how brilliant she is, but I never asked for details. Plus, if I’m going to keep running into her, it wouldn’t hurt to know more.”

I narrowed my eyes, not entirely convinced. “She works in the laboratory as a scientist. You know, making experiments and all that.”

His brows lifted slightly, clearly impressed. “Scientist, huh? That tracks. She seems like the type who’s got it all together.”

“Yeah, she does,” I said firmly. “And just so you know, she doesn’t need you complicating things.”

Evander grinned, but it didn’t have his usual mischief. “I’m not trying to complicate her life, Carl. I just want to get to know her better.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “She stays with our parents when she’s not working at the laboratory or busy with her projects. But don’t get any ideas, Evan. I’m still watching you.”

“Got it,” he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. But the way his eyes lingered on the door where Calista had disappeared told me he was far from done.

As we both walked back inside, a twinge of unease lingered in my chest. Evander wasn’t one to back down easily, and somehow, I knew this was just the beginning.

The aroma of freshly cooked eggs and pancakes wafted through the air as we entered the kitchen. My sister and mom were busy at the stove, chatting and moving in sync like they had done this a thousand times. Plates were already set on the table, and the sight of the warm, bustling kitchen should have been comforting—but it wasn’t.

Evander immediately perked up, his eyes darting to Calista as she flipped a pancake with ease. “Smells great in here,” he said, leaning casually against the doorframe.

Calista glanced at him, then back at the pan. “Thanks,” she replied simply, clearly focusing on the task at hand.

I sighed and scanned the room. “Where are Daniel and Gabrielle? And Oliver and Elio?”

Mom spoke up without turning away from her cooking. “Gabrielle left with Daniel a little while ago. Something about needing to talk through some legal matters.”

I raised a brow. “Since when do they hang out one-on-one?”

“Who knows?” Mom said with a shrug. “As for Oliver and Elio, I think they’re helping your dad with something outside.”

“Figures,” I muttered. “They’d rather tackle a tough job than deal with this chaos in here.”

Evander chuckled beside me. “Can’t blame them. This many people under one roof—it’s bound to get interesting.”

Calista gave him a sideways glance, catching his amused tone, but didn’t comment. Instead, she passed me a plate of pancakes. “Here, Carl. Make yourself useful and set these on the table.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said with mock seriousness, taking the plate and heading to the dining area.

Evander, of course, didn’t move. Instead, he leaned a little closer to her, his grin widening. “Need help with anything?”

“No, thanks,” she replied curtly, brushing past him to grab another plate.

I could feel the tension building again, and as I set the pancakes down, I couldn’t help but think, This breakfast is going to be more eventful than I thought.

As I set the pancakes on the table, I caught a snippet of their conversation drifting from the kitchen.

“So, Cal,” Evander’s voice was low and teasing, but there was a genuine curiosity behind it. “When can we meet again?”

“I don’t know,” my sister replied, her tone polite but uncertain.

Evander pressed on, a playful grin evident in his voice. “Come on, you can’t be that busy.”

Calista sighed, and I could picture her pausing mid-task, perhaps giving him one of her trademark are-you-serious looks. “Evander,” she said honestly, “I have a busy life. Okay? I’m not always free to hang out. My time is tied up between work, my projects, and, well… talking to my coworkers.”

There was a moment of silence, likely from Evander trying to come up with something witty to say. “Co-workers, huh?” he finally said, his tone light. “Any of them as interesting as me?”

I stifled a laugh as I placed the cutlery on the table. Typical Evander, always trying to charm his way into things.

“Interesting doesn’t always mean good,” Calista shot back, her voice carrying a hint of dry humour.

“Ouch,” Evander said, though he didn’t sound offended in the slightest. “Guess I’ll have to work harder to make the cut, then.”

I peeked back into the kitchen to see my sister rolling her eyes as she grabbed another stack of pancakes. Despite her dismissive tone, I could tell she wasn’t entirely annoyed—it was more like she didn’t know how to handle his persistent attention.

“Evander,” I called out, stepping into the room, “how about you work harder at setting the table instead of distracting my sister?”

He turned to me with a smirk. “Ah, Carl, always the protective big brother.”

“Damn right,” I replied, nudging him toward the dining area. “Now move. Breakfast’s almost ready.”

As he walked past, I noticed Calista glancing after him, her expression a mix of exasperation and something else she’d never admit. Whatever Evander was up to, it was clear he wasn’t giving up anytime soon.

“Evan,” my sister called out, her voice calm yet carrying an unusual weight.

Both Evander and I turned to her simultaneously, curiosity evident in our expressions. She was standing by the counter, her hands paused mid-motion, her gaze steady as she spoke.

“You’re like the sun,” she began, her tone thoughtful, “walking through the fire.”

Evander blinked, clearly caught off guard. “You mean it?” he asked, his voice softer now, as if unsure whether to take her words seriously or not.

Calista nodded, her eyes unwavering. “Yes, I mean it. You have this way of carrying yourself—confident, bold—but sometimes I wonder if you forget how much fire surrounds you.”

For a moment, silence hung in the air, the usual lighthearted banter replaced by something more profound. Even I didn’t know what to say. Calista rarely spoke in metaphors, so when she did, you knew it mattered.

Evander took a step closer, his usual grin replaced by a contemplative expression. “And what about you?” he asked, his voice steady. “Are you the one who watches the fire… or the one who walks through it too?”

Calista hesitated, her lips parting as if to answer, but then she turned back to the stove, resuming her task. “That depends,” she said softly, almost to herself.

Evander didn’t press her further. Instead, he lingered for a moment, as though committing the moment to memory, before finally stepping back.

“Well,” he said lightly, though his tone still carried a hint of seriousness, “you’re not wrong. But I like to think the fire’s worth it sometimes.”

Calista didn’t respond, but the faint curve of her lips suggested she’d heard him loud and clear.

I cleared my throat, breaking the moment. “Alright, poetically charged or not, can we finish breakfast before it gets cold?”

Evander laughed, the tension lifting slightly as he gave me a playful shove. “Relax, Carl. Just soaking in the morning wisdom.”

As we all moved to set the table, I couldn’t help but wonder what my sister truly meant. It wasn’t like her to let someone like Evander catch her off guard, and yet… here we were.

As Mom finished up in the kitchen, she wiped her hands on a towel and walked over to me. Her smile was warm, but the question that followed sent my face into flames.

“Carl,” she began casually, as though this was the perfect time for her inquiry, “when are you going to get a girlfriend?”

I froze, mid-bite, the pancake in my mouth suddenly feeling like the size of a brick. Around the table, all eyes were on me, and I could feel the tension in the room shift into something… gleeful.

Before I could even begin to form a response, my sister burst into laughter. She clutched her sides, leaning back in her chair as tears welled up in her eyes. “Oh my God, Mom!” she managed to gasp between fits of laughter. “You really just went there, huh?”

The rest of the group tried to stifle their grins, but it was clear they were enjoying the spectacle. Evander, of course, was the worst offender. He leaned back, his arms crossed, and smirked at me. “Yeah, Carl,” he teased. “When are you going to introduce us to this mysterious girlfriend of yours?”

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “Can we not do this right now?”

But Mom wasn’t done. “I’m just saying,” she continued, her tone innocent but her expression far too amused. “You’re not getting any younger, and I’d love to meet someone special before, you know-”

“Mom!” I exclaimed, cutting her off before she could finish whatever embarrassing sentiment she was about to share.

Calista, still recovering from her laughing fit, wiped at her eyes. “Carl, you should’ve seen your face. Priceless.”

“You’re not helping, Cal,” I muttered, shooting her a glare.

Evander, unable to resist, added fuel to the fire. “Hey, maybe you could take pointers from your sister. She seems to have plenty of admirers.”

Calista’s laughter stopped abruptly, and she turned to Evander with a raised brow. “Oh, don’t even start,” she warned.

The table erupted into chuckles, and I took the momentary distraction to change the subject. “So, uh, who’s ready for seconds?”

It wasn’t the smoothest transition, but it worked. For now. But I knew this wasn’t the last time Mom—or anyone else—would bring it up. And judging by Evander’s amused grin, he wasn’t about to let me live it down anytime soon.

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