I was about to be murdered.

"Nope. Not happening."

"Oh, c'mon! Would you relax a little?" I huffed as Roman paced agitatedly around the room.

He turned around and looked me in the eye – more like death stared to be honest. "Relax?! You're telling me to relax?!"

I rolled my eyes, "You're acting like the world is ending."

"It is!" and they said I was over dramatic.

I sighed and sipped on my latte we got from the drive-thru on the way here, crossing my legs as I sat on the edge of the bed. I could understand Roman's worries but he had to have known this day would come.

The day his little sister went on her first date.

You see, my plan worked perfectly and Lukas did ask Skye to the art show. Hallelujah! And so now, we were in her hospital room, helping her get ready... well, I was helping her get ready. Roman was still having an existential crisis with an adamance that Skye wasn't going.

I received tons of text messages and phone calls from Skye about first dates and what exactly she was supposed to wear or do, and so I decided to go round and help her in person and I would have done it without Roman if he wasn't so annoyingly persistent that he would drive me there.

He knew something was up, I was an idiot to think he wouldn't, and so breaking the news last minute was the best possible option to stop him from ruining this.

"I can't believe you did this behind my back. Behind my fucking back!" he ranted onto me as I sipped my drink.

I would say this was an argument but it wasn't, it was merely my boyfriend having a meltdown as I waited for Skye to finish getting ready in the bathroom.

"You would have tried to stop it if I didn't." I calmly replied.

"That's besides the point! You are meddling." He pointed an accusing finger and I simply rolled my eyes in response.

"Whatever you say." I sang, completely unbothered.

"You're going to ruin her life!" he exclaimed. Now that was a reach. Thankfully for his sake, I found it humorous.

A scoffed left my lips as I replied, "By setting her up on a date with the boy she's been crushing on? Oh, the shock horror!"

"You're not funny."

"And you're not very rational but I guess we can't have everything now, can we?"

He huffed once more in aggravation and slumped down in the armchair. Was it wrong that is was sort of amusing?

We waited in silence some more until Skye called my name from the bathroom.

"Sienna? Can you help me with my hair?"

With that, I got up and made my way to the bathroom, Roman refusing to look at me.

I silently laughed to myself before opening the door and seeing Skye in her fluffy dressing gown with a curling iron in her hand. "My mom always used to curl my hair so I was wondering if...?" she held it out to me and I smiled.

I sectioned her hair and started curling, "You know," I began as I looked at her in the mirror, "I can teach you to do this if you want."

She smiled up at me, "Thanks, I guess I should start learning to do a lot of things before I leave."

That got me wondering, I hadn't fully talked to Skye too much about Germany. I wondered how she was feeling. "How d'you feel about it? Going to Germany?"

She gave out a little sigh before saying, "Nervous... but I know it's the right decision. I need to do this."

"How d'you feel about your family?" I held one of her curls in my hand to let it cool down before letting it go and watching it bounce up.

She took a while to respond. "... I don't know... I guess they've spent so long helping me when I wasn't interested, but now... now I want to help myself and I know it's something I have to do. Not them."

Skye was the most mature fifteen-year-old I had ever met, yet, then again, she had been through so much for so long. However, in these past months she had changed, not just for her family but for herself. She wanted to live and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure she would. That in itself meant so much. She didn't just want to remain alive – she wanted to live.

"I know it might not mean much coming from me," I spoke, "But I'm so proud of you, Skye." I finished curling her last lock of hair.

Slowly, she turned around and faced me, "It does mean a lot coming from you." She looked down at her hands with fingernails she had painted light blue. "I... I-I've never had a sister, but," she chuckled light and looked up, "Now I have you."

A smile lit up on my face. She considered me a sister. And I knew in that moment that I'd always be there for Skye, no matter what.

"You will always have me." I told her as she turned to look back in the mirror. I rested my hands on her arms and placed my chin on her shoulder, looking at her in the mirror before I whispered, "No matter what."

After helping Skye with her hair and showing her how to apply her mascara and blot her lipstick, I left the bathroom for her to get changed.

Roman was staring at me with the evil eyes.

"Don't give me that look." I scoffed.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He muttered in a grumpy reply. Oh, so now he had attitude.

"If you don't wipe that look off your face by the time your sister comes, I'll –"

"You'll what?" he raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Try me and you'll find out." I shot back and he went quiet. "Exactly." I hummed to myself as I nervously waited for Skye.

It was only a few more minutes of waiting before the bathroom lock unclicked and the door opened to reveal Skye anxiously walking out.

She was beautiful, everything about her glowed as she nervously flattened down the skirt of her dress. No longer was she this unwell, hospital girl but just a genuine girl. A girl who was ready to live her life and enjoy it to every last second. She radiated with excitement and energy. She was just Skye... just Skye.

"How do I look?" she hesitantly questioned; I could feel the nerves running through her.

Roman was still looking at her, almost too shocked to answer.

"Amazing!" I exclaimed and rushed up to her before she could notice her brother's lack of words. "You look insanely pretty, Skye. Lukas's breath is going to be taken away!"

She giggled at the comment before her eyes apprehensively travelled to Roman who still hadn't spoken.

"Rome?" her voice turned quiet.

It took Roman a few seconds to find the words to reply, "I... you um... you look nice." And he still had trouble finding them.

"Thanks." Skye nodded but I could tell she wanted a more enthusiastic reaction.

I decided to change the topic, "Lukas will be here any minute, so I've put your purse together." I dragged her over to the bed, "There's your phone, portable charger, spare lip-gloss, mints, and your wallet, I put an extra ten dollars as a just-in-case."

"Sienna, you didn't have to –"

"I wanted to. Besides! It's not every day you have your first day." Skye's cheeks went a little pink which made me chuckle.

"Why would she need mints?" Roman piped up and my stomach dropped. Dear God, not now.

I needed to say something fast, "It's a 'just because' thing. Who doesn't need mints, right?" he wasn't buying it.

"She doesn't need mints. What? You send my sister off with some random guy and then give her mints like she's going to –"

"Rome, please don't ruin this." Skye begged and Roman stilled.

He looked at her silently for a minute, no clear expression striking out on his face, "I'm not going to ruin –"

"Yes, you are. You want to. I've waiting for this day for a really long time and I'm really happy right now and I know you're going to try and ruin it."

Roman seemed lost for words once more. "Skye, I'm not going to –"

"Yes, you are!"

"You're being dramatic."

"And you wouldn't even be acting this way if I wasn't sick!"

"I would because you're still my little sister!" Roman finally burst and Skye went quiet. Roman let out a long sigh and ran a hand over his hair, "You're my little sister, Skye." He calmed his tone. "I am always going to be this way no matter what because you're my little sister and, in my eyes, you are always going to deserve the best and I am always going to make you believe that you deserve the best, so no guy can ever match up to that from the way I look at it unless he can give you all the seven wonders of the world. You deserve everything, Skye, and I want to make sure you are protected from the bad with all I can."

Roman and Skye's relationship had been through so many ups and downs, yet in this moment all it meant was truth. He was her older brother and wanted nothing but the best for her, even though his version of the best was practically impossible, it showed that he cared. He wanted her safe and he wanted her thriving. And for once it wasn't because of how sick she was or the trauma of her past, it was because she was his sister.

Just his little sister.

And without a moment to spare, Skye walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his torso.

Roman took a minute to respond and I remembered him telling me how hard it was to hug Skye without feeling all the bone. Without feeling how sick his little sister was. However, his eyes softened as he looked down and he wrapped his arms around her too, encaging her because she was so tiny but it was protective. It was a moment where the past had seemed to wither away and they were just a family who cared.

"Thank you." Skye whispered as she pulled away, "Thank you."

Skye now wanted to live, and it was time her family saw that in her. Not just the fact she was alive but the fact that she was life and she was a life that was going to live.

   "I trust you... but if he breaks your heart, I'll break his face." He replied and I couldn't help but let out a little laugh. What else would you except?

A knock at the door caught all our attention, "That's Lukas." Skye announced anxiously.

I nodded and let her smooth down her dress and nervously fix her hair before she went to open the door.

My hand grabbed Roman's as I walked to his side. "You're doing good, you know. No matter how difficult it seems, you're being exactly who she needs."

He craned his head down to look at me and offered a soft smile before pulling me in front of him and wrapping his arms around my waist.

Lukas was at the door in a navy-blue suit, holding a bouquet of wild flowers. "Hey." He smiled, he didn't seem as nervous as Skye but he was still nervous.

"Hey." Skye replied back, blushing.

Lukas held out the bouquet, "These are for you."

Skye took them, "Thanks! They're beautiful."

I forgot how awkward the first date tension was but it was adorable nonetheless and Lukas seemed to be a great boy.

"You look beautiful, are you ready to go?"

Skye looked back at me, her cheeks now blushing bright red. I gave her an encouraging nod and smile, "Yep! I'm ready." She took her purse as Lukas held out his hand for her to take. She did and they both walked out the door just after she turned back and gave me an excited expression with a tiny squeal, making me chuckle.

"Remember, curfew is 10pm, Skye!" Roman suddenly called out as the door was about to shut.

"I know!" Skye shouted back.

Once they were gone, I turned around in Roman's arms to look at him. "She's lucky to have you." I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"What if he hurts her? What's going to happen if I'm not there?" his eyes suddenly flashed with worry.

"He won't." I assured. "And even if, one of the nurses is chaperoning from a distance for her health and Skye can fend for herself. She's not as fragile as what you think she is."

"I know." He sighed, "But I can't help it."

"I know." I nodded understandingly, "But you're doing great so far."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and cupped the side of my face with one hand, gently caressing my cheek with his thumb. "That's because I have you. You've done so much, Sienna, not just for me but for Skye – my whole family. I don't think I can thank you enough."

"You're my boyfriend." I rested my hand on top of his. "Remaining that was is enough."

He frowned, furrowing his eyebrows, "I don't think I can do that."

What? "What?"

It was only then that he softly chuckled, "Because I'd one day like to be your husband."

With that, my eyes widened. Husband. Oh... my... God.

"Too soon?" he then frightenedly asked. I never once used to think about the future because all it meant for me was misery. I never saw anything good. I saw being stuck in the same town with a rich husband who only wanted me for sex, there was no love, not even a career on my shoulders. And yet I believed that was the way things were supposed to be.

Although, now... now I saw a future and it was full of all the love and happiness I could imagine. It was far away but it was there and I wanted it.

"No." I shook my head and leaned into him. "Not soon enough."

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❤︎ hello lovelies! I am alive! It's been a while but lots and lots of things have been happening in my life, some things i have shared, others i will not. University is a huge change and a struggle but i am adapting, growing and having fun! Thank you to those amazing readers who were patient and supportive, to those who weren't, please learn your manners and acknowledge the fact that i am a person with a life that doesn't revolve around Wattpad. Being rude and inconsiderate will not get me to update faster. Thank you...next :)

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