It was already past midnight when four of them noticed the time.
They were talking about some random stuff outdoors, near the small fire pit in Kyra's backyard and didn't notice how the time had passed.
"Why don't you both stay for the night?" Kyra offered to Jennifer and Oliver who are preparing to leave.
When Anthony heard his sister, he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. His sister indeed became brave enough to ask her boyfriend to stay for night.
Oliver would have gladly agreed to her request and truth to be told, he has come here to accompany her tonight. But who would have thought that Kyra's brother would show up?
"I am fine with it, Ky." Jennifer said.
Kyra turned to look at her brother who gave her a disapproving look. He doesn't want Oliver to stay.
Kyra blinked her eyes and gave him a puppy look. That alone was enough for her brother to cave in to her request. Sometimes he regrets pampering her this much. Everyone of them became habituated to giving her what she wants.
"Fine. But he will sleep in the guest room and Jennifer will share the room with you." Anthony said. Like this Oliver won't be able to sneak into his sister's room at night.
Kyra could only sigh inside. Her brother is really something!
"That is how the arrangement will always be." Kyra lied. If not for her brother, she would have preferred to sleep in the warmth and comfort of Oliver's embrace.
"Always? This is the last time your boyfriend is allowed to crash in here. There will be no next time." Anthony said.
Kyra could only nod her head.
If only her brother was in love, he would have understood how tough it is to stay apart.
'I must devise my plan asap. He seriously needs to fall in love.' Kyra thought inside.
"I will be across the guest room. And, I might stay awake for some more time." Anthony said, implying that he will be watching Oliver.
Oliver could only chuckle and walk towards the guest room. He has stayed in this room for a handful of times and he really hoped that this would be the last time. Kyra's room would be more preferable.
"How do you know that Kyra is talking about this room?" Anthony asked Oliver.
"Just now you mentioned that my room is across yours. I have seen you enter this room when you went to freshen up." Oliver quickly came up with an excuse.
As it made sense, Anthony nodded his head and walked into his room. However, he didn't close the door immediately and waited for Oliver to go into his room before closing his door.
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"I don't have any objections if you want to spend the night with Oliver. I can manage to sneak Oliver inside." Jennifer offered after Kyra freshened up and changed her dress to a night suite.
She passed a new set of night suites to Jennifer and asked, "How are you going to manage that?"
"I will distract your brother." Jennifer offered.
"How?" Kyra asked.
"Maybe this suit is not suitable. Should I give you something sexy and hot to wear?" Kyra teased her friend.
"YOU!" Jennifer shouted and throwed a pillow at Kyra, making Kyra laugh.
Dodging it with ease, Kyra looked at her friend, "Then, how do you plan to 'distract' my brother?" she asked, insisting on the word, 'distract'.
"You dirty minded! Do you think it is the only way to distract someone?" Jennifer said.
"An effective method, tho." Kyra said.
"Leave about that and tell me why you have 'hot and sexy' night lingeries with you?" she asked, emphasizing the words 'hot and sexy'.
"Don't tell me you prepared them beforehand to seduce Oliver!" Jennifer exclaimed.
"God! Have you done that already? Maybe you were thinking to do it tonight and couldn't do so because I and Anthony have interfered." she added while she continued to dodge Kyra's pillow attack.
"I didn't do that nor I have a plan to do it." Kyra said.
"Not yet." Jennifer added.
"Yes…yes. Not yet." Kyra agreed.
After having their little banter, Kyra and Jennifer lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling.
"We used to spend nights like these in your house, remember? They were good times." Jennifer said.
"The only genuine relationship I made at that time was you." Kyra said, smiling at her friend.
Jennifer smiled too.
She started to suspect yoKyra's biological mother and that Roberts family after the night outs she and Kyra had in Roberts mansion. They were controlling Kyra so meticulously that Kyra never realized that.
They used to refuse to send Kyra to Jennifer's home for spending a girls night there. In fact, they used to not send her anywhere alone.
Anyway, that's in the past. Jennifer didn't want to ruin the mood by reminding those.
"We both got our day off granted for tomorrow. Any plans?" Jennifer asked.
As they have worked hard the last month and didn't use the day off. So, they have applied for it.
"No specific plans. I initially planned to work on my paintings. But I finished the work this afternoon."
"So, I have thought of going to the company and finishing some work but Lisa redirected my work to herself." Kyra said.
"I know that you are busy. But, you are free tomorrow right?" Jennifer asked.
Kyra nodded her head while she yawned.
"Let's go on a shopping spree." Jennifer said.
"What do you want to buy?" Kyra asked as she covered both of them with a blanket."
"Nothing in particular. I have always wanted to go shopping with you but that step sister of yours used to tag along everytime we went." Jennifer said.
"Let's do that then." Kyra said.
Next morning.
Anthony is the first one to wake up.
The first thing he did was to check if Oliver was in his room. The door was closed from inside so Anthony couldn't do anything but wait for someone to wake up.
Freshening up, he was about to hit the gym on the first floor but by the time he entered the gym room, Kyra was already there, doing treadmill.
"Morning." he wished her as he sat down to lift weights.
"Morning, bro." Kyra greeted her brother with a bright smile.
"I believe that you stayed in your room last night." Anthony said.
Kyra rolled her eyes and stopped the treadmill to turn to look at him.
"I was so tired that I slept the very next minute I went to bed. Have a little faith in your sister, bro." Kyra said.
"You fell in love. Anyone who is in love can't be trusted with the words." Anthony said.
Kyra chuckled and continued her workout.
"I will be going back tomorrow." Anthony said after some time.
"Tomorrow? Jennifer said that you would be staying for a week." Kyra asked.
"Something came up. I have to go." her brother replied.
Kyra didn't ask much. Her brother is busy after all.
"I will come back in three days. Don't get too excited that I am leaving." he added.
Kyra rolled her eyes.
"Why will I be excited that you are leaving? I have a boyfriend but that doesn't mean I will neglect my brothers." Kyra said.
—--------
"How is your treatment going on?" Jennifer asked Anthony while she drove. She was waiting to ask this from yesterday, but she didn't get a proper time to do it.
"It's going well. According to my doctor, medication would be enough. He is confident that he can. I won't be needing any surgery," Anthony said.
A few months back, he found out that he has a tumor in his brain. It is in its early stage so surgery won't be necessary. It started with migraine and he neglected it assuming that it is his stressful job that's giving him headaches.
He fainted in the elevator once and Jennifer happened to be in the elevator at that time. She helped him to his house and insisted on having a check up but he didn't take her words seriously.
However, Jennifer didn't leave it there. She forced him to come with her to the hospital and when she did some tests, this tumor came into light.
This is what for which he owes her.
"You should tell your family you know." Jennifer said.
Except her and his doctor in Australia, no one knows about this tumor.
He didn't want to worry his family.
"I am recovering. If everything goes well, I will be back to normal in a few months. I don't see any use in worrying them with this." he told her.
"Stubborn like always." Jennifer muttered.
"Take care of yourself then. Don't overwork and have proper sleep. Take your medication properly." Jennifer gave a lecture.
Anthony chuckled.
"Don't nag. I will listen to you okay." he promised her.
"I don't believe you! I used to remind you and sometimes, I had to personally visit you to remind you to take medication. Now, I am not there to remind you. How can I not worry?" Jennifer said, concern evident in her voice.
Anthony looked at her and smiled.
These are the times when he feels very attracted to her.