Page 5 of Castle

I felt a little nervous when I first entered the room, afraid that I might trip over my own feet and make a complete fool of myself in front of these people. Thankfully, as we entered, Devin kept his hand on my back and I felt a little better knowing he was by my side.

All the eyes in the room zeroed in on me like I was the newest species that they couldn’t wait to dissect. And if that wasn’t enough, I kept worrying about what the family would think of me. I didn’t come from wealth; rather quite the contrary and looking at my outfit, it was obvious I didn’t belong here.

Devin pulled out a chair for me and I settled down, thanking him. Dayana sat on my left side, and she gave me a welcoming smile. I couldn’t believe how strikingly similar she looked with Devin; it was like looking at a female equivalent of him. She was beautiful, with honey blonde hair, sparkling emerald eyes, and dimples that would have any man worship the ground she walked on. Her style screamed at levels of sophistication.

She was a goddess on earth, literally.

“I’m Dayana. I’m sure Devin told you about me.” She said sweetly.

“Yes, he did.”

“Let me introduce you to the rest of us. The grumpy young man sitting directly opposite you is Theodore, but he prefers Theo. He thinks Theodore is kinda old-fashioned and makes him sound like a grandpa.”

“Speak for yourself, Vixen!” Theo grumbled.

“Language, Theo! That’s not the way to talk to your older sister.” Devin scolded in his older brother’s tone.

“Whatever.” Theo retorted.

He seemed like a typical bratty seventeen-year-old kid. He’d lost his parents at a very young age, and that must have been hard. I could completely relate to him because I was the same when I was his age.

Just like his older brother and sister, he was also gifted with their good-looks. I bet a lot of girls in his high school swooned when he walked by, and speaking of I wondered if he played any sport. For a teen, he was built like a bull and probably ate like one too.

“What the hell are you staring at?!”

It took a while for me to realize Theo was talking to me. My face went hot. “N-Nothing,” I stuttered, “I’m sorry.”

“N-Nothing…s-s-sorry.” Theodore imitated me.

“Theodore, I expect you to respect those who are older than you. That isnotthe way to talk to Millie. Apologize to her right now.”

“Make me!” he threw his napkin onto the plate and pushed it harshly off the table.

It went crashing down and shattered on the floor. Maids scurried forward to clean the mess.

“And I don’t fucking care about dinner. I’m going to order pizza, anyway.” He climbed to his feet, snagged up a sandwich from the tray and stormed out of the room.

It felt like I nearly survived a hurricane. That kid needed to learn some manners, and fast. I take back what I said about him being a bratty teenager. More like Satan’s spawn. Heck,Damien ThornfromThe Omentrilogy was even polite.

“I’m sorry on his behalf, Millie,” Devin sighed.

“He’s seventeen, but still going through that puberty phase, you know,” Dayana interjected. “Teenagers are scary.”

“It’s okay, really.”

"Theo hasn't been the same since our parents passed away," Dayana said, and a heavy silence filled the dinner table.

“I’m sorry to hear about them. My parents died when I was little, so I don’t remember them much, but I can still feel the loss. I can only imagine what you’re going through.”

“Thanks.” Dayana murmured, giving my hand a little squeeze.

We began with dinner then. I looked at the full plate of meal on the table before me. They served starters in the beginning, some fancy shrimp dish with avocado and cucumber, and deviled eggs, which were followed by duck slices in cherry sauce which was absolutely delicious.

I gobbled the food like I was a death-row inmate and this was my last meal. I even licked the cherry sauce off the plate. So much for pretending to be a lady. From the corner of my eye, I noticed how Devin regarded me with interest. The corners of his mouth twitched upward.

Between chewing and taking quick bites, I choked on my wine.

Dayana laughed, “Slow down. The food won’t disappear.”

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