Patchwork

After another rather eventful night, she had slept in until midday. Well, she had kinda needed it badly after all the bad nights that she had had the last week. And she had come to the realization that the time for self-pity was over. The wedding was soon and she would not be some crybaby about it. She would not let them get to her. But she also recognized that she had some talking to do with one particular person. She had thought about it for a while know, still curled up in the sheets of her bed. Yes, she was still mad at him, but it all had been one big misunderstanding. Alex was fine, Luca was fine-ish. Not everything had went to hell. She could still patch things up. And she would have to do it behind her father's back, which she hated even more. But this web that she had spun for herself was complicated. Stil; she would manage. She would have to.

So, first things first: her brother. Maybel got out of bed and got dressed quickly. When she walked over to Luca's chambers, she still had no idea what she would say. She was proud. And she still thought Luca should have handled the whole situation differently. But maybe, maybe he had been punished enough. She bit the fingernail of her thumb as she stood in front of his door. Was he even in here? She suspected so, with that ugly gash on his chest that their father stitched back together. Then eventually she knocked on his door. ‘‘Luca?’’ she softly called. ‘‘It's me. Can I come in?’’

Luca opened the door himself. Maybel looked up at him, feeling suddenly really really small. She really had done him a bit dirty. But he did had it coming. And also, she had been a bitch. Ugh, it was just so complicated. Maybel just simply smiled and glanced once over her shoulder before she walked in. She had been a bit cautious since the whole past events, and then to read it in a pamphlet just days later. ‘‘Thank you,’’ she said when she slipped in the room.

And then. She stood in the middle of the grand room, not knowing what her plan was at this point. Maybel did not know if she should sit, or just.. start talking. And she had not decided yet what she could say. Was Luca even worth trusting enough, after what had happened? Or if this was able to be fixed still? Or that she had messed up so badly, that her brother would rather throw her out of the window at this point. ‘‘Shouldn't you be resting?’’ she asked him when she turned around. Oh, wait, bad start. This was her usual tone that expected no talk-back. So she tensed her jaw for a second before she looked back at him again. ‘‘I mean- how's your-’’ She gestured vaguely at her own chest to indicate the wound at his. ‘‘-you know?’’

Did she still think he deserved it? She had been so angry at him, for he had ruined everything. And she desperately wanted to blame anyone but herself. But as she had time to think and think and think, she was also to blame. But seeing Alexander again had somewhat bridled her anger. He was fine, everything was okay, it was just.. blown out of proportion. And now the only one who was truly suffering was her brother. And it sucked.

Luca went to sit down at his piano. She had forgotten he played. There was so much she did not know of him. It was like they both had seperate lives, living in the same house, and sometimes their paths crossed. Like they were not family. It was not far from the truth, because she always saw where Luca's place was. Maybel was lucky and she would not apologize for being so. But she could apologize for when she was a bitch.

Maybel stayed put in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do with her hands, so she just held her own fingers in front of her body, feeling very awkward. And as Luca called their father by his first name, her first reflex was to correct him. "You can call him dad", she could here herself say it. But after yesterday, to witness how their father had treated him while he was out. Calling him stupid, an idiot, she could kind off imagine why Luca would refrain from using the word "dad". Maybel did an awkward shuffle and looked at the ground. “Yeah... right,” she murmured. And then more silence.

Luckily she would not have to start this conversation, as Luca was the one to pull the thorn out of her side. An apology, that was all she had wanted to hear a few days ago. But now it had almost lost it's value, because why..? She could laugh and cry at the same time as she looked at him. “I don't want us to be like this too,” she said in a wobbly voice. Then she started to laugh, because all the tension just fell of her shoulders with those words and relief flooded over her. “I'm sorry too. I messed up, badly.” She shook her head, somehow still chuckling. It was not funny, was it? She went over to him, sitting next to him on his little bench, just space enough for the two of them. “Thank you for not sending dad.” The laughter was now gone from her voice and she just looked at him with a grateful smile. He could have uttered those words before passing out yesterday. But no, he wanted to go with her. To help? Or maybe punish Alex himself. Anyway, everything was better than dad straight up murdering him.

Her brother did not seem to see the fun in the whole situation. She waved it away with a hand. She was acting a bit silly. But he had every right to be mad at her, and she at him. She was just glad it did not have to become a screaming match. They both admitted they had been in the wrong and time to move on, I guess? Maybel did manage to compose herself when she sat down next to him, smiling contently as he wrapped his arm around her. It almost seemed to easy. ‘‘Yeah, we suck,’’ she joked. ‘‘And I am still mad at you,’’ she said sharply at him as she looked up at him. ‘‘But well, I guess I can forgive,’’ she spoke as she softly nudged her shoulder against him.

The mood started to shift a bit more darker when they started to talk about their father. Again she felt her body physically cringe when he called him Matthew. Nobody called him that, except maybe their uncle of something. It was "dad" or "Mister Winter", or any variation of that. But she bit her tongue again as what he had said about him was very true. She nodded. ‘‘Yeah, I suppose,’’ she agreed softly. And for what? Because he thought Alexander had put a smudge on her honor or something? Pfft, if only he knew. But no, that was the only thing she could not tell him, because she would make it so, so much worse. Luca then asked about him, and Maybel could not help but have that sunny smile on her face. ‘‘Hm-m, he is fine,’’ she told him as neutral as possible, and without telling too much. A big sigh then rolled over her lips as he told her what he really thought. ‘‘I know, I know,’’ she said, slightly annoyed. She then looked back at him. ‘‘And I appreciate you looking out for me. But Alexander is a decent man,’’ she said with a small smile. ‘‘And I was just... scared. You did not listen to me, I thought you really might- just, well- Let's forget about all that.’’

Luca was really too good for his own good. He should not be beating himself down so much. But then again, he was still so young, she would almost forget it sometimes. And while she was trying to be a bit lighthearted so they could move on, he was taking it so seriously. She studied him for a while. He was really sorry. It was a bit of a fucked up situation and she had to make them forget all about it. ‘‘Yes, of course,’’ she said resolutely. ‘‘I am no monster, or some villain,’’ she told him. Everybody would sort itself out if they would just give it time. She would just have to stay out of Alexander's way for a while. They would not forget her name, but the name Preston was not that juicy. Lay down low for a while and they would be alright. What felt as the end of the world yesterday, she could be much more optimistic now. Maybe it was because of last night.

She was happy they left their father for what he was. It was the one thing they would never see eye to eye about. He was her hero. But she had to admit, yesterday he had been a bit scary. But Luca had been too. Maybe she just had to accept that her family was quick to anger, all three of them. She had been gloating when Luca was scared. She was just as much a daughter of her father as he was his son. But talking about Alex was somehow even worse. ‘‘Well, it is all a big misunderstanding. But he is smart, and kind, and considerate. And he's my friend.’’ Well, both the men in her life really had the picture of some pig in their minds now. But when she saw Luca so beaten down, she laid a hand on his upper arm. It had been scary, how she could yell and hit him, but it was like speaking to a wall as he choked Alex. She would not mention that he had pushed her away as well. It was like kicking somebody while he was down, and she had done enough of that already. So she said what she tought he wanted to hear. ‘‘I understand, really. It has happened now and we'll just forget about it.’’ And when he asked about his door, she giggled again. What a worry. ‘‘I don't know,’’ she said with a smile. ‘‘We'll see when we get there.’’

It meant a lot. Well, she had been awful, hadn't she? She would not admit what she had been thinking about him the past days. Although, at that moment she had called him every dirty name in the book. He probably got the point. She shrugged slightly at the notion. ‘‘Only if you can forgive me too. I have been horrible as well.’’ And then he spoke about the pamphlet and she let out at dramatic groan as she held her head in her hands. ‘‘Yes, it's terrible,’’ she said. ‘‘That's why I can't be seen with him anymore. I ruined that too,’’ she sighed. ‘‘How did they find out anyway? If anyone asks, deny everything,’’ she perked up and pointed a finger at him. ‘‘It will blow over soon, but with the wedding coming and all..’’ Maybel threw her head back and sighed. It would be fucking awful. Lord knows how they would survive that night.

But then she had done it. She had admitted too much and she looked at him caught expression in her eyes. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. But as he promised that he would not tell dad, she pouted her lips as she thought. ‘‘Okay. I'll really kill you if you snitch,’’ she warned him. She placed her hands in her lap and looked a bit guilty. Because this whole fiasco was partly hers to blame. ‘‘Okay, maybe it was not him making advances on me, but rather the other way around.’’ She had to work against the stupid smile on her face. So she raised a hand to her face to hide the smile. ‘‘It's what I do and I got carried away. That's all. But nothing happened, truly.’’ One silly kiss counted as nothing, right?

Maybel bit her lip as he told her she could not forget that. As would her father not forget that Alex had cut him badly. And then came the big question, what to do? Defeated she let her hands fall in her lap again. ‘‘I dunno,’’ she told him, honestly. Because in every other situation she would have thrived to be a bit like her father. Cold, cunning, intimidating. She would have loved the responsibility. But now? She would have to come up with a whole different story. ‘‘Dad probably wants us to scare him. "Not to mess with the Winters" kind of way. But I think he already got that message.’’ Alex, in fact, did not. But that was her little secret.

Maybel had said it a kind of joking way. You know, the "forgive you if you forgive me" kind of way. But as he told her that he thought she would always have his back, that hurt. Maybel looked away immeadiatly and felt a blush creep up her face as she felt the shame. Was it really like that? That she was his only ally in this house? She started to twirl around a lock of hair around her finger, not knowing what to say. She had really let him down, didn't she? But she had to do what she had done! Because... well. No, it was wrong. Somebody had to take the fall and she had picked Luca because that was easiest.

Maybel turned even redder as he started to tease her. If only Luca knew that she had already seen him. ‘‘Stop it,’’ she said with a pouty grin at him. She scoffed and roller her eyes. Yes, Alex was nice, but she was not in love or something like that. Don't be ridiculous. And when she mentioned the wedding, she started to laugh at his reaction. ‘‘Yeah.. I'm not really looking forward to it as well. But I'll come and find you and we'll survive it together. And bet your ass I will be looking better then our new step-mother,’’ she promised fiercely. Yes, she had just decided that the day she would be in public after her little escapade in the gossip, she would  have to be flawless.

And then she just started to tell about Alexander. It really sucked, because Luca had beat up a man because of her stupid advances, which she should not do, but she always did, because... well she could? And men were always allowed to do whatever they wanted, but as soon as she did it, everybody seemed to lose their minds. Maybe it was mean to play with somebody as good as Alexander. But he was really a friend, and she liked him. And when Luca asked if she wanted something to happen, she shrugged. ‘‘I guess. But he does not want to "rush"-’’ she said with an eye roll, admitting even more. It was wise, but Maybel loved just to get carried away in the moment, live life the fast way. But then Luca asked about marriage and she looked at him with wide eyes. Not that fast. ‘‘Woah, hold your horses, mister,’’ she said with a chuckle. ‘‘I hope I still have a few years before marriage.’’

She did not like this at all. She hated to go behind the back of her father. Maybel fiddled with her hair again as Luca started to begin to lay the foundation of a plan. Or rather, commenting that they should come up with something that would be believeable. So she would have to lie to her father even more. Goddammit, telling the truth started to get more tempting. ‘‘Okay,’’ she agreed. ‘‘We just.. go over. I tell what Alex what is going on and that he should just avoid dad. And then I'll tell dad we handled it.’’ Then she would have to do the lying. Daddy would believe her, right. ‘‘I'll tell him you been a big tough guy,’’ she said, prodding her borther in the side.

Luca really was the best brother she did probably not deserve. The way he was way too kind, saying sorry because he told her the truth. She had told him before that she had been slacking. And she had done it again. No, even worse, she had turned against him. But he had to understand why she did what she had done? And sure, she could forgive him because at the end of the day, she could fix all of this. And starting with Luca, which was turning the right way. So when he told her sorry and that she was trying, she scoffed softly. ‘‘I'll try harder,’’ she promised him.

And Luca was certainly trying to get on her nerves. She pushed her shoulder back against him. ‘‘Shut up,’’ she warned him again. He acted like she was about to tie the knot already. Not that Alexander would be there, probably not. If he was wise and liked his head on his shoulders. But he had that endearing kind of stupid about him that would not surprise her if he would be there. But Luca continued with some.. heartfelt apologie? Promise? So she looked at him closely and she gave him an earnest nod. ‘‘Thank you, Luca,’’ she said softly. She still was not happy for him just blatantly attacking Alex but well... men were stupid.

Luca still could not drop the teasing subject of her maybe standing a bit to close to Alex. ‘‘Yes, you better believe me,’’ she said with a quasi-angry expression on her face. ‘‘Drop it already, okay?’’ And she knew he never would. Her business with boys was truly her own. But he could not help but laughing at her, and she rolled her eyes again. She crossed her arms and listened to him talk about his fate and that of future husband. Again, something that was not completely fair, but Luca was a man and would carry on the Winter name. They had talked about this already and she knew how mad he was about it. But she would be sure to check out the girl he would have to marry, or in his words: "vetted". ‘‘Well then it would take longer than a few years,’’ she mused back at him. ‘‘Because the poor bastards will all end up on the floor.’’ Yes, he deserved  that after that stupid grin on his face.

Maybel rolled her eyes one last time as he ask her if she was sure. ‘‘Yes, of course I'm sure,’’ she told him. ‘‘Trust me.’’ She looked straight back at him. She could make this problem go away. Father believed her always. She would just have to tell him she was over it and he would probably never waste a thought about it ever again. And when Luca started to offer to take the fall, she shook her head vigerously. ‘‘Nobody is going to fall for this. And he is not my boyfriend.’’ She whacked him around head for that. And when he told her to "get this done", she nodded and got back up from the piano stool. ‘‘Let's try and act like grown-ups for once,’’ she said when she turned back to him and extended her hand to him.

Maybel was used to having a little brother at this point. She had only learned later in life that there was a difference between them: their mothers. And it was a big difference in the way they were born, but she had learned that even later still. And she might never understand that concept, what the difference would be between true love and a marriage of convenience. Her father had always promised her to pick her own future husband, to find true love, to be whatever she wanted to be. But what about her duty, maybe she would be happiest to find someone more suitable to her needs rather than what the heart desired. But she at least knew that- well, what her and her little brother had build over the years was no different than what full siblings had. They were both Matthew's child and that was what they had known for the greatest part of their lives. No woman, true or step-mother would come between that. Right? They had promised that just now. They would have each other's back. And she would try to not get a boy between that either, if she would even have the chance with two attack dogs at the ready.

But what she would not do was "shut up". She rolled her eyes and shoved him again. Again he proved to be her annoying little brother. And her mouth fell open even wider when he started to colorfully explain the fate of every suitor she would ever have. She wanted to argue against him, but she just turned her head way defeated. ‘‘As long as they are not my doors, walls and windows. I am quite fond of them,’’ she joked back at him. Maybel picked her nails for a moment longer, before deciding that they had to move on. Not before smacking him in the head, of course. ‘‘I'm still older than you,’’ she shot back at him. ‘‘And much wiser,’’ she groaned while pulling him up. Even with her standing up and him sitting down, she was barely taller than him. And when he was on his feet, she truly was a gremlin beside him. She sighed and nodded her head. ‘‘I know, I know,’’ she replied. ‘‘Stop the flattery, alright. How are you feeling?’’ she asked, nodding at the wounds she had seen real up close a day ago.