Where I Belong - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

As dinner continued, the atmosphere around the table started to feel a little tense. It was then that Eros decided to break the silence.
"So, what, we're just supposed to act like everything's fine now?", Eros said, his voice sharp and laced with frustration. He looked up briefly, meeting my eyes for a moment before looking away again. "Like we're all supposed to accept that she's back, after everything?"
His words hit me hard than I expected. I had to fight the urge to shrink into myself and burst into tears.
The table was silent. Elijah, who had been casually eating, immediately tended up, setting his fork down with a loud clink. "What the hell, Eros?", he snapped.
Eros didn't even look up. He kept his focus on his plate, his voice cold. "You guys can pretend everything's normal, but I'm not about to. She shows up out of nowhere and we're just supposed to be happy about it? It doesn't work that way!"
Zane, who has been quietly eating up until then, set his fork down. "Eros. Enough", he said, his voice low but commanding.
Eros met Zane's eyes briefly, but his expression was as hard as ever. He slammed his fork onto the table with such force it startled everyone, and the sound echoed in the room.
"Yeah, fine. I'm done," he muttered, standing up abruptly. The chair scraped across the floor as he pushed it back, and without a word, he grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
The room was silent for a few moments, the weight of Eros' outburst hanging in the air. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and all I could feel was hurt.
Elijah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry about that. Eros...he's got his own issues. But it doesn't give him the right to talk to you like that."
Theo spoke next, his voice steady. "Don't let him get to you. He's just pissed off for no reason. You've done nothing wrong, don't worry."
Then I noticed Silas. He hadn't said anything during the exchange, but I could see it in his face now. He was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, his jaw clenched as he stared at the door Eros had just stormed out of. There was a flush creeping up his neck, and his eyes were downcast, a deep frustration in his expression.
"Silas?" I whispered.
He looked up at me, but his gaze was filled with regret. "I'm sorry about him," he muttered, his voice quieter than usual. "I know he's...I don't know what's going on with him. But that wasn't fair to you. I should've said something sooner."
"It's not your fault, Silas", I whispered back to him.
Zane gave us both a long, steady look. "You are not responsible for him, Silas," Zane said quietly. "And Olivia, don't let his words get to you. You are as much our family as he is, and we do want you here."
I looked up at them all, grateful for their words, even if they didn't completely erase the horrible sense of me not belonging here.
Halfway through my meal, I set my fork down. I had barely finished half of my plate, but my stomach felt full. I glanced around the table, looking at everyone eating, talking and laughing. Silas was still cracking jokes, making everything feel a little lighter, and Elijah was looking at me with that soft, patient smile. But I couldn't bring myself to eat more.
"I'm...I'm full," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
Silas glanced up, his expression softening. "That's okay," he said with a warm smile. "You don't have to eat all of it. It's here if you're hungry later." He gave me a wink, and I nodded, grateful for his understanding.
Zane, who had been quiet the whole time, looked up from his plate. His eyes, dark and steady, met mine. He didn't say anything at first, just studied me for a second, and then he spoke, his voice calm but commanding.
"Olivia," he said, his tone more serious than it had been before. "When you're done, I'd like you to come to my office. We need to discuss some rules for this house."
I froze, my stomach tightening at the mention of rules. "Okay," I whispered, trying to hide how anxious the mention of rules made me feel.
The meal continued around me, but my attention shifted inward. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of rules Zane had in mind. What would they be like? Would they be like Roger's rules or different? The idea of more rules made me nervous.
Once everyone had finished eating, I excused myself from the table, feeling a twinge of guilt for leaving most of my food behind.
"Zane's office is the last door at the end of the hallway," Elijah informed me once he remembered I was told to go there after dinner ended. I gave him an appreciative nod and got out of my seat.
Silas gave me another smile as I left, but his eyes held something I couldn't quite place. It was the same warmth, but now with an undertone of concern, like he was watching me a little too closely.
I made my way down the hallway, past the large windows until I reached the last door. When I reached Zane's office, I hesitated before knocking.
Before I could second-guess myself, Zane's deep voice called from inside. "Come in."
I opened the door slowly, stepping inside. His office was exactly what I expected: neat and extremely organised. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with thick, leather-bound books, and the desk in the center of the room was made of a dark wood.
Zane was standing by the window, his back to me. He turned as I entered, his eyes locking on mine in a way that made my heart race. There was a calm authority about him, but something about the way he held himself made it clear he wasn't someone to cross.
"Take a seat, Olivia," he said, gesturing to a chair across from his desk.
I sat down carefully, folding my hands in my lap. I couldn't help but feel nervous, like there was something he expected from me that I wasn't quite prepared for.
Zane studied me for a moment before speaking. "I know this is all a lot for you. I understand that you might be feeling overwhelmed, especially with how things were before." His gaze was intense. "You don't have to talk about it, but I want you to know something – this house is different. The rules here are meant to protect you, not control you."
I nodded, unsure what else to say. I had learned the hard way that rules, no matter how they were phrased, always came with consequences.
Zane seemed to sense my hesitation. He sat down on the chair in front of me, his desk separating us. "You are part of this family, Olivia. You're not a guest, and you're not a burden. But you need to understand how we function here."
He leaned forward slightly, his expression serious. "There will be no more hiding your hunger. No more pretending you're fine when you're not. If you need something – anything – you ask. And if you ever feel unsafe, you tell me. We're not like them, Olivia."
His words hit me harder than I expected. The weight of them settled deep in my chest, and for a moment, I just sat there, trying to process what he was saying.
Zane's eyes softened just slightly, "Understood?"
"Yes," I whispered.
I sat quietly, absorbing Zane's words, though they seemed to swirl around in my head, still processing the weight of what he had said.
Zane's gaze was steady, never wavering, as if he could read my thoughts. I didn't like how exposed I felt, how every little flicker of doubt or fear seemed to shine through. I wanted to appear strong, or at least like I had it together, but I didn't.
His voice broke through my thoughts. "Olivia." It wasn't harsh or demanding, just firm enough to pull my attention back. "I know this is hard. It's new. And we're not going to be perfect at it right away, and that's okay."
I nodded again, my hands tightly gripping the edge of the chair. "I just..." I hesitated, unsure how to put my emotions into words. "I don't know how to...trust this, yet."
Zane didn't rush to fill the silence. He simply looked at me, giving me time to figure out if I was ready to speak more.
"I know," he said quietly. "That's why I'm giving you the space to figure it out. But I'm telling you this now, Olivia – you're not alone. You won't be alone, not here." His eyes locked onto mine. "And you never have to go through anything alone again."
The sincerity in his voice almost made me want to break down right there. It was like a weight had been lifted just by him acknowledging the fear and uncertainty that had been eating at me. For so long, I had been invisible, a shadow, a non-person. It felt like no one cared about what I needed, what I wanted, or even what I was going through.
But it felt different here.
Zane sat patiently, waiting for me to process what he had said. "There are certain rules in this house. Like I said, they're not about control, but respect. We respect each other's space, each other's time. And we look out for each other. That includes you, Olivia. If you need help with anything, whether it's school, chores, or just talking, don't hesitate. Ask."
The words felt foreign, but they were also reassuring in a way I couldn't ignore. Zane wasn't asking for anything in return, not right now.
"We can discuss when you want to start school later on once you've settled in. I'll have the boys take you shopping or you can order whatever you may want online," he said, to which I nodded in agreement to.
"One more thing," Zane said, his voice softening just slightly. "The other brothers might seem intense at times, but we all look out for each other here. No one is going to hurt you, Olivia. And if anyone crosses a line, whether it's with you or anyone else in this house, I'll deal with it. I want you to know that. There's no room for that here."
I swallowed hard, feeling a strange warmth spread in my chest. I wanted to believe him, more than I could say. I wanted to feel safe.
"Okay," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Zane nodded, seemingly satisfied with my response. "Good. We all have our own ways of doing things, and we'll figure out how to make this work. I'll let you get some rest tonight. We'll talk more later if you want. And if you need anything before then, just ask."
As he stood up, I realised how much taller he was compared to me. It wasn't just his height, it was the weight of his presence, the authority he commanded even without trying.
I stood as well, suddenly feeling small in this large room. "Thank you," I said, feeling like the words were too simple, too small for everything I was feeling.
Zane didn't respond immediately, just gave a slight nod before turning to leave. "We'll figure it out, Olivia," he said, his back to me as he walked to the door. "We're family. We'll make sure you're alright."
As he left, I sat there for a moment, alone in his office. The silence felt heavy but not oppressive, like a space I could occupy without fear of being crushed.
Eventually, I stood and walked out, finding my way back to the hallway. The house was still unfamiliar, its silence louder now that I was alone with my thoughts. But there was something different about this silence, something less threatening. Maybe Zane's words were starting to sink in.
I wasn't alone anymore.