The Twin Brothers

Liana woke up. She stretches her arms while yawning-the clock telling it to her already 9 in the morning. Hunger woke her up, her tummy grumbling for food. That’s when she remembers, she doesn’t have dinner yesterday night.

“It’s gonna be awkward for me to go out.” She sits up and brings her knees to her chest. “I know I mess up and disobeyed them but…”

‘Can you please not put any burden on us!?’

Enzo’s words keep repeating inside her head. Meanwhile, Leo just stands there agreeing to what his brother says. Their words hurt her. Did she a burden to them? This whole time? How stupid she is not to realize it. Liana knocks her head and sighs. “I should have known. You are so stupid, Darliana.” Tears form in her eyes ready to fall.

“Princess, breakfast is ready.” The guard knocked on her door.

She immediately wipes her face. “C–Coming!!” She gets up and slips on her fluffy bunny slipper. Before she gets out, she took a deep breath and let it out.

Enzo and Leo eat their breakfast, nervously waiting for the girl to go downstairs. They couldn’t stop scolding themselves for scolding her right away like that. When they heard footsteps, they lifted their gaze. The kitchen door opens, head slowly pokes out. Somehow, it makes the twins almost laugh due to the cuteness act.

“Little one,” Leo called. She flinches. It hurt them seeing her flinches because of them.

Their princess slowly came out with her head down. She shuffles towards her seat and sits. Leo cooks her favorite breakfast, an English muffin with cream and strawberry. He just hopes she likes it.

“Good morning, baby.” Enzo spokes.

“G–Good m–mor–morning.” She quietly answers. Her shaky hands grip the utensils and start eating.

This site makes them want to kill themselves. They did a great process and she got comfortable. Her stuttering was almost gone and she finally easy to communicate with them. Now, they mess it up.

“Liana, we… we want to say sorry for yesterday.” Enzo sincerely apologized but that was not enough for her. “We didn’t mean to snap out at you. We just… s–seeing you sneak out alone and people following you make us worried till death.” He explains.

She didn’t respond but nodded. “Little one. Talk to us… please.” Leo pleaded voice came out. Never saw two dangerous twins begging toward one little girl.

“I–It’s fine.” She mumbles.

‘Don’t be a burden to us.’

Burden

BurdenNôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

To them

Her grips on her utensils become tight. Tears start to form and are ready to fall any second. Without saying anything, she stood up with her breakfast and turns around. Her action makes the twin shocked.

“Liana?” Enzo called.

“I–I hope… you g–guys can… um…. s–send me t–to my p–parents house tonight.” Liana hesitated to ask since she was afraid to be a burden. “I–If that… okay.” She continues before walking upstairs to her room.

Leo slams his spoon down. “Fuck!!” He pushes his hair back.

“She back to her old self. And it all because of us.” Enzo sighs, putting his face in his hands.

“This wouldn’t happen if you don’t snap at her.” His brother blames him.

“Excuse me?” Enzo turns to him. A few guards who standing there knowing they will fight. “It’s my fault? It’s ONLY my fault!? How about you then? You didn’t even stop me from yelling and scolding her!!” He pushes his shoulder.

“You no need me to stop you, Lorenzo!! You should have known what you do!! It is not that I will be your 24 hours guidance!! You are not a child!!” Leo stood up so do Enzo. “Great. Now I’m the only fault here. If it’s my fault why the time I scold her you just stand there like a stupid fucking statue!?” Enzo asks.

Leo keeps quiet. They glared at each other. “Just admit that we both… lose ourselves that time. You can’t blame people to make you feel better.” Enzo pokes his shoulder.

His brother slaps his hand harshly. “At least, I know what to do.”

“If you know then why you don’t stop me?” Enzo arches his eyebrows. “You say that as if Darliana is good with you.”

“She most comfortable with me than you, bastard.”

“Now we make a competition who better with Darliana? What the fuck are you on?” He frowns.

“She better off without you.” When Leo says that, Enzo punches his face. The guards stiff there, shocked to see the unexpected situation. The twin keeps punching each other. Leo locks his hand and hit his face with the gun.

When they finally pull from each other, they pull out their gun and pointed at each other. Leo wipes his bleeding lips. “I’m not hesitant to kill you if Darliana runs away from us because of you.”

“And I’m not hesitating to shoot your fucking head if you don’t stop talking about it.” Enzo glares at him.

The kitchen door opens, and Adam and Felix walk in, shocked to see the sight. They turn to the guards and they also have the same reaction. “Enzo, Leo. What the fuck are you guys doing?” Adam starts.

The twins keep quiet. “Look, I don’t know what you guys fighting for but I know because of Darliana. A little birdie told me. Right now, it is not the right time to fight.” Felix spokes.

“We have work to do. We have to find Damien before he plans something on peanut. Are you guys going to fight at this time!? Stop being childish!” Adam scolds them. “Think about her before fight. Don’t regret it if you guys don’t have much time left.” He continues.

They huff and put their gun down. “Any update?” Enzo asks.

“Nothing about Damien but Rosie Thaver yes. Not much helping anyway. We already check Liana’s foster mother’s orphanage.” Felix said before sitting. “They said… there’s no new kid since they bought in Darliana. She’s the last one before Jerry’s family adopt her.”

“But Rosie is an orphanage. Which orphanage she is if she’s not in this city?” Enzo sighs.

“Are you sure there’s nothing–I mean… zero hints about her?” Leo asks.

“We surely yes.” They nod.

____________________________

Liana fixes her dress and her hair ribbon clip. She sitting on her make-up desk, still thinking about those twins. As she was in her deep thought, someone knocks on the door.

“C–Come in!!” The door opens and reveals Adam.

“Hello, my sweet little peanut!!” He grins. Liana giggles at his silly act. “Are you ready? I already prepared the car.” Adam leans in the doorway. His statement makes her turn to him.

“Didn’t… Ennia and Lili s–send me tonight?” She asks.

“Oh yeah about that…” Adam ruing his neck. “They kinda… have something to do and can’t send you. Besides, they have dinner with their own family. Yeah. Kinda.” He awkwardly grins. He lied. He doesn’t want to tell Liana about their fight about her.

But Liana thought differently. She thought the twins might think she was a burden. “Oh. Is that s–so.” She sighs and stood up, grabbing her bag. “I’m r–ready!!”

Adam can see the sadness in her eyes. He doesn’t want to talk about it since this girl is sensitive and will ruin her make-up. It’s not the right time anyway. “Do you want a piggy to ride back?” He turns around.

“Didn’t I’m too… o–old for this?” She titled her head.

“Pfft!! Age didn’t matter. Even 80 years old people can have a piggy ride back.” Adam jokes. The girl giggles and climb on his back. “Let’s go to the car!!” He runs with a giggling baby behind.

The car ride to her house was silent. Adam keep glancing at her and saw her looking outside the window. Her little hands gripping her dress. He already hears what happened, the scene where Enzo and Leo snap at her. As much as he wants to punch those two, he can’t. They’re the boss.

“You look so beautiful, peanut.” Adam starts.

“T–Thank you.” She smiles.

“You look so down today. Is there anything you want to share?” He asks even knowing why.

Liana looks down at her lap, fiddling with her fingers. “D–Do you think I’m just a burden?” She looks at him with the doe eyes.

Hearing that question makes Adam sigh in sad. He parks his car in front of her house and pulls the break before looking at her. “Listen. Enzo and Leo are just… stressed. Seeing you sneaks out on your own, scaring them. You have to understand–no. Not only you but both of you. Enzo, Leo, and you. You guys have to understand each other.” He pats her head. “You never a burden to them. They are willing to die for you if that makes you happy and alive. Even if you shot them, they forgave you. Don’t you see the love they held for you?”

She sees it. They handle her very well. They never complain any single thing about her and yet, they are happy to be with her. Without any words, she gave one last smile and gets out.

Adam sighs. “I just don’t understand why they haven’t been together yet. That was so confusing.” He starts to drive away.

Liana found the light is not turned on. She frowns and notices the silence. Even from the outside, she can see the dark inside. Didn’t they say, they will have dinner at home?

“Mum!! Dad!! Ivan!! Jes!!” She knocks on the door. There are no answers. So, she decides to open it and it unlocks. “Mum? Dad?” There’s only dark inside making her frown.

Her hand tried to find the light switch. Soon, she clicks it open, her eyes wide open.

Enzo closes the door and ignores Leo who standing beside him. They walk towards their parent’s house with sense in the air. None of them have talked with each other yet. He opens the door, “Mum?”

“My sons!!” She pulls them for a hug. “Thank goodness you guys came!! If not… I will slice your dick and shoves it in your–” Before she could finish Hower talked.

“Honey, that’s enough. They came, see?” He sighs.

“Just saying.” She grins and walks to the kitchen.

“Are you sure that’s our mother?” Leo asks.

“Sometimes, I ask myself the same question. Is that even my wife?” He chuckles. “Lets’ go. Before your mother did what she say just now”

They took a seat and lately their mother took a seat. The parents notice something about the twins. They look like hating the fact they sitting beside each other. And also, they seem like stressing over something.

Shelly put scooped some spaghetti for her husband’s spokes, “Are you both okay? Because we can feel dark gloom vibe in the air.” She jokes but stops when her husband nudges her side. “Oh well, I’m just being honest.” She shrugs her shoulder.

“Lorenzo. Leonardo. Is there something wrong?” Hower asked his sons.

“Something wrong? My other stupid twin is wrong here.” Enzo harshly spokes.

“Hey. Language.” Shelly scolds him. He just rolls his eyes and eating. “Okay. What’s going on here? These the good reasons why we should have family dinner once in a while.” She continues.

“There’s someone targeting Darliana to threaten us.” Enzo spokes.

“Oh my. How is Darliana? Is that the reason why she lived in the blackhouse?” She asks.

“Yes. She’s fine with this. Until we found out she sneak out without no one knowing. I got furious and accidentally say something that make her hurt. That’s the story.” He explains.

“That doesn’t explain why you two fought.” The father arches his eyebrows.

“This guy over here thinks it’s a good idea to blame me for making Liana hurt while he’s there agreed to everything I said that time!!” He throws his hands in the air.

“Leo?” Shelly call her other son.

“At least I don’t snap at her as you did. You should think before talking.” Leo finally speaks. “I didn’t blame you just to make myself feel better.” He glares at him.

“And you think Liana better be with you? That was bullshit.” Enzo pokes his shoulder harshly.

“Better than be with your stupid anger issues.” He snaps back.

“We’re a twin. That doesn’t mean you don’t have anger issues. What do you think Liana wants you? Huh!?” Enzo yells.

“Yes, we’re a twin. That doesn’t mean e both have something the same. And Liana will never hurt if she is with me.” When he says that, Enzo grabs his collar.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!!” Their father slams the table. They pull from each other, glaring at their food. ” I know you guys are not on good terms. But, there’s someone out there waiting for the right time to take Liana away from you guys.” He continues.

“Now, can you tell us, why those people threatened you guys?” Shelly asks.

“They want to have Thaver’s clan since we’re the ones handling it until we found his daughter,” Enzo answers, playing with his spaghetti.

Thaver?

“Hold on. You guys handle this task?” Their father asks.

“Yes. Why?”

“Don’t you know Thaver family is close with us?” He asks again.

“We know. That’s why we trying our best to find his daughter.” Enzo frowns.

Hower looks at his wife earning the same expression from her. The twin notice something is wrong. “Mum and dad are close with them. Have you guys seen their daughter or something that can help us?” Enzo asks.

“We… Well, I did.” Their mother answers earning a shocked expression. “That time, his wife call us, telling a good news about their newborn daughter. But that time, I and your father have to go outstation for awhile. So, we kinda hurry.”

“When we arrive, we told them we’re in hurry. The newborn is in her own crib. While we were busy talking, I saw his wife pick her up and bring it to us. It is such a beautiful baby. Only that the last time we met them. Then, we got news about them, got killed. No news about their daughter because only their body is found.” Shelly finishes explaining.

“If you saw it… is there something that can help us to find Rosie Thaver?” He asks again. The mother keeps quiet.

“We’re sorry, son. But, we really don’t have time to chat that time.” Hower answers.

The twin’s sigh. They thought, that since their parents were the only ones who got to see their daughter, they might have a chance to find Rosie. That’s when their mother snaps her finger.

“I just remember something.” She claps her hands.

“What, mum?” Leo asks.

“I did see something on that baby body. There’s something like… uh… like a birthmark.” She states.

“Birthmark? Where?” Enzo asks.

“As far as I remember, it’s on her left between her chest and collarbone.”

Between her chest and collarbone? Leo felt something familiar with it. He tries to remember.

‘Just Leo was about to bring her to the bathtub, something caught his eyes. It was a small scar between her collarbone and breast on the left. He frowns, ‘Little one. What is this?’ He asks, gently tracing the scar.

‘My stepmother said it was my birthmark. It’s cute right?’ Liana grins.

‘It is, little one.’ He smiles and feels relief that it is not from someone hitting her. If it is yes, that person wouldn’t live long.

When that scene appeared inside his head, he gasp. It catches everyone’s attention and worried since Leo has a shocked expression. “Sweetie, are you okay? Did you chocking yourself?” Shelly asks.

Everything makes sense. That’s what Damien tries to tell them. Kill two birds with one stone. That means, he already found out about it before them. And now, Darliana is alone with her family. Where everything is unsafe.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Enzo smacks his shoulder.

“We… We have to go find Darliana. Now, En.” He stood up.

“Wait, what? Why?” Enzo asks.

Leo didn’t answer but walked out. His twin tries to catch him up. “Leo, what’s wrong with you!? Darliana at her family house.” Still, no answers. It pisses him off. “LEONARDO!!!”

“DARLIANA IS THE ROSIE THAVER!!”