The Gardens Part II

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At the entrance of the botanical gardens Jai takes his card out of his pocket and places it on the counter.

I look at him. "You don't need to pay for us. I can do that."

He shakes his head. "No, I want to do this. I want to show your brother that I'm not a bad guy and that he shouldn't believe everything he reads. Most of the things are fabricated bull made up by people that want some extra cash in there greedy hands." Jai looks around. "For all we know there's some reporters hanging around this place. You'll be in the papers with me. They're going to dig into your past."

"I don't really care." I tell him. "It's not like they're going to find anything interesting about my family, except my parents were murdered in a home invasion and I was left with my two younger siblings to care for." I whisper in his ear. "It's not like anyone's going to find the proposal right?"

He nods. "I made sure that no one except the lawyer, you and I know the existence of it."

"Chloe, can we take a photo in front of the statue together?"

I smile. "Sure," I give Jai my phone. "Can you take a picture of us?"

Jai takes the phone from me and he takes the picture of my family.

A woman walks over with her husband. She asks. "Can I take a family photo for you?"

Jai nods. He gives her my phone and he walks over to me. He wraps his arm around my waist and smiles as the woman takes our picture. He walks over to her and takes the phone from her.

She looks over. "You've got such a beautiful family." She says to Jai.

Jai smiles. "Thanks, I'm a lucky guy to have them."

Nate looks at me. "Is he kidding."

I cover my brothers mouth. "Nate, stop trying to cause problems. There's no need to."

He pulls my hand off his mouth. "I think I'm going to go to school. It looks like you've got everything under control with this guy. When he leaves you don't come crying to me. I will stand away from you and tell you "I told you so."

I shake my head. "What's wrong with you, Nate?"

He yells. "You! Since, Aleysa got sick again you've forgotten about me. You spend all your time at the bar and at the hospital. You haven't even come to one of my games. Mom and Dad made time for me. You don't."

I look away from him.

He's not wrong. I've been ignoring him. I thought he was happy with living with his best friend and his family.

"Nate, are happy staying at your friends house?"

He shakes his head. "I want my family back. I miss being with Aleysa and you. We're a family."

I didn't know he was feeling this way. He never told me.

"I'm sorry, Nate." I run by hand through my hair. "I didn't know you felt like this. How about I go to your next game. Tell me when and where it is and I'll be there in 'My brothers a Quarterback' t-shirt."

He laughs. "I don't want to see you in that. That would be as bad as seeing Mom wearing my number on a tank top when she came to my games."

I smile. "I wish I was there to see more of your games over the years, but I had to work.""

Nate touches my arm. "I know, Chloe. You had your own life to live. I was proud that my big sister was doing well for herself."

I didn't do that well for myself. I just managed to have enough money to buy food for a week.

Jai turns towards me. "I think you're taking on too much now. I want to give you some time with your siblings too." Jai looks at Nate. "I didn't know that she was neglecting you. If I did I would have gone a different way with giving her a job."

Nate looks at him. "Did you give her a job just because she told you about my sister?"

Jai looks at him. "I didn't know about Aleysa being sick until after I returned from New York."

That's where he was for two weeks.

"Chloe demanded to see me and when the bar manager refused, she tried a different way to get my attention. She held a lighter up to one of the fire sprinklers. When I saw what she was doing I told the bar manager to send ear to my office. She wouldn't have left until she got a job and that's one of the things that I like about Chloe. She's determined."

Aleysa looks at us. "Can we go somewhere else it's getting hot."

I walk over to her and push her towards the fountain.

"It's so pretty." Aleysa gushes. "These are the things I'm going to miss."

I stop pushing her and lean in front of her. "You're not going to die, Aleysa. I'm not going to let that happen."

She shakes her head. "You weren't around the first time I got it. It took its toll on Mom and Dad. They were sad all the time." She places her hand on my face. "I can see it's taking its toll on you. You would be better off if I wasn't alive."

"Aleysa Knight. I don't ever want to hear those words out of your mouth again. You need to promise me that you're going to fight it."

She remains quiet. "I'm not going to promise that to you. It might be a lie and I don't want to leave you with that hanging over our heads. I will try to fight my hardest. Is that alright with you?"

I hug her. "Alright,"

Nate and Jai are sitting on a table talking.

Aleysa looks at Nate. "I told him not to believe everything you read in magazines, but he wanted to think the worst of Jai without getting to know him. I hope today will show him that Jai is a good guy and he's someone that we need in our life."

I smile. "Thank you, Aleysa, for giving him a chance."

She touches my arm. "I haven't seen you smile much since you moved back home. When you talked about Jai I could tell you like him."

I push Aleysa over to the guys and I sit next to them. "What are you two talking about?"

Nate looks at me. "You. I told him if he hurts you that I'll make sure he regrets it. He was perfectly fine with my threat and he also promised to go with you to my game."

"I want to go too." Aleysa says.

I look at her. "I'll talk to your doctor and see if we can get you out for the night."

The clouds above us are turning dark and I look at my siblings. "We should go before the storm hits."

I take Aleysa to the car.

At the car it decides to start raining. I put Aleysa in the car and she tries to strap herself in. She looks at me. "I can't do it."

It starts pouring as I buckle her up. I walk to the front passenger seat and sit next to Jai.

He pulls out of the parking lot of the Botanical Garden and then heads to the hospital.

Jai pulls the car into the undercover area of the hospital.

I step out of the car and help Aleysa into the wheelchair. I start shivering from my soaked clothes.

Aleysa looks at me. "You should go home and have a hot shower. Stay home tonight. Nate and you need to spend time together."

I smile. "Thanks. I might just do that."

A nurse takes Aleysa away and I walk back to Jai's car. "Can you take me home?"

"Sure,"

Nate looks at me. "I'm going to take the car. Do you want me to come home tonight?"

"Yes, we're having dinner and we need to talk. Actually, leave the car here and we'll get Jai to drive us to the car tomorrow."

Jai smiles. "Are you using me for my car?" He jokes.

"And other things." I wink.

Nate shakes his head. "I don't want to watch you flirt. It's as bad as Mom."

I laugh.

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