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    Chapter 0615


    Nina


    After I had some tea and toast for breakfast, Enzo was busy with preparing for his uing phone calls and my mother was nowhere to be found, so I decided to take a walk around the mansion grounds in search of the perfect stone or flower for the uing Moon Goddess Festival.


    As I headed outside, I found myself chuckling at my current actions. I had never been a superstitious or remotely religious person, so the idea of leaving an offering for a goddess felt silly.


    But, at the same time, my entire world had been thrown topsy-turvy in the past year; I had not only discovered that the supernatural did indeed exist, but I had discovered that I, too, was supernatural.


    So, who was I to judge when it came to seemingly silly superstitions? Maybe the Moon Goddess was real, and maybe she would bless my unborn baby.


    Or, maybe it would just be a nice gesture to get in touch with my roots and ease some of my worries surrounding my pregnancy.


    The morning sun bathed everything in a golden hue, casting long shadows that danced across the courtyard. The air was crisp and filled with the scent of blooming flowers, making it a perfect day for a stroll. I stepped outside into the cool air and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of pine and soil.


    As I wandered among the well-tended gardens, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of serenity wash over me.


    The past few days had been filled with turmoil, and the thought of participating in the festival provided a wee distraction. I wanted everything to be perfect for our unborn child, even if it meant indulging in a bit of superstition.


    However, I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn''t notice the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.


    But the loud m of a car door and a string of colorful curses caught my attention. Curiosity piqued, I followed the sound and soon spotted Tyler emerging from his car with an expression of frustration etched on his face.


    "God dammit!" he cursed, kicking a stone on the driveway. "Fucking... shit!"


    I approached him with a yful scolding tone. "Tyler, do you really have to use such colorfulnguage?" I chided him, trying to keep a straight face.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    He looked up in surprise, his anger momentarily forgotten. "Nina?" he said, his voice softening. "I didn''t expect to see you here."


    I shrugged, shing him a wry smile. "I told you I wasing back," I replied, not wanting to get into the circumstances surrounding my return while he was gone yesterday. "But seriously, what''s got you so worked up? I thought you were visiting with your girlfriend."


    Tyler let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping.


    "She''s the thing that''s got me all worked up, actually," he admitted, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Angie and I had a massive fight, and now it feels like we might break up."


    I couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. Young love could be so tumultuous.


    I remembered how it had felt as though the world was ending on more than one asion over a boy; like when Justin had cheated on me. I had thought that the entire universe was caving in, and yet, the sun still rose the next day.


    "Aw, Ty," I said softly. "I''m sorry to hear that. Do you wanna talk about it?"


    Tyler nodded, his expression a mixture of sadness and frustration. We made our way over to a nearby bench and sat down. He put his head in his hands, staring down at the gravel beneath our feet as he spoke.


    "I thought she really liked me," he said, his voice muffled by his hands. "But it turns out that she''s been hanging out with this other guy... David."


    "Oh, god," I said under my breath. "Hanging out, or more than hanging out?"


    Tyler let out a huff of annoyance. "I don''t know," he admitted. "All I know is she''s been talking to him constantly, and whenever I bring it up, she brushes me off. And today, I saw her messages while she was texting him. I think ... I think she sent him a nude."


    A gasp nearly escaped my lips, and I had to cover my mouth to keep myself from overreacting. "What did you do?" I asked.


    He shrugged. "I just asked what she was texting him about. I only saw it over her shoulder, and I didn''t mean to, really. It was just an ident." He sighed, then leaned back, running his hand through his hair. "Anyway, she freaked out and said I was being a ''controlling weirdo. We had a huge fight and I stormed out."


    As he spoke, I couldn''t help but feel bad for him. I knew what it was like to be cheated on. I reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze; it was funny, how little his hands used to bepared to mine.


    But he was a young man now and in good health, no longer a sickly little boy. He was taller and bigger than me, and he even had a little facial hair growing on his chin. I couldn''t believe it.


    "Look, Tyler," I said gently, "I know how you feel. Being cheated on is no joke."


    He looked up at me, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "Do you think I should break up with her?"


    I sighed, not wanting to push him one way or the other because ultimately, making one''s own decisions was part of the growing process.


    "I think you should... do what feels right for you at this moment," I replied. "And that''s what matters most. Whether you decide to work things out with Angie or move on, it''s all part of growing up."


    Tyler sighed, clearly not satisfied with my response. "Gee. Thanks."


    I chuckled, feeling a rush of sisterly affection for him. "Look, Ty, I can''t tell you what to do," I said. "And besides, even if I told you to break up with her, you''d probably just want to do the opposite because I''m your big sister and nothing I say really matters."


    Tylerughed in response and shook his head. "Nah," he said. "You''ve got it all together, Nina. I always care about what you say."


    His words warmed my heart, but I knew it wasn''t true. Truthfully, I didn''t have anything ''together. I was still floating through each day just trying to keep my head above water.


    *Come on," I said, standing. "Let''s go grab some ice cream. It''s a good way to mend a broken heart, or at least temporarily distract it."


    Tyler''s face lit up with a genuine smile, and for a moment, it felt like the weight of his troubles had lifted. "Ice cream sounds perfect," he said, falling into step beside me.


    As we walked away from the garden and toward the mansion, I wrapped my arm around my brother''s shoulders and ruffled his hair, eliciting a groan from him. But we bothughed, and in that moment, my heart swelled with affection for him.


    And it was a reminder that, despite the hardship, there were always those who I shared not only blood, but a history with. And that meant everything.