Saving the Villain

"Wow… if there's a dad of the year, I'd really give it to your dad." Luke turned to Cosette while munching the snack he took after dinner. "Can I stay over here tonight?"

Cosette narrowed her eyes, facing Luke squarely. Her father, Conrad, prepared them some snacks before calling them over for dinner. But after dinner, they have to return to the living area to resume their review.

"Luke, tell me you don't really want to go home, right?" Cosette propped her side against the coffee table, fixing her eyes on Luke. "Why? Because your brother comes over?"

Luke frowned before he sighed deeply, propping his arms against the edge of the table.

"I don't know what sort of idea he is up to now," he admitted, glancing at Remo at the same table as them. Remo was solving a math problem as an exercise to recall what he learned from Maxen. "I mean, can you believe it?"

He looked back at Cosette. "My brother thinks he is a prince. He might not be as vocal as I am, but he is someone who wouldn't stay in such a cramped place. Yet, he even slept over at my place!"

"He probably misses you."

"Miss my ass! If he misses me, he could just drop by and press all the buttons he could!" argued Luke. "He didn't need to sleep over and give me a scare!"

"Is that the reason you proposed the idea to review in our house?"

"I don't want to see his ass once I come home." Luke crossed his arms under his chest, frowning. "He's just weird."

Cosette assessed Luke and cocked her head to the side. "You call his showing his affection to his brother weird?"

"I know my brother, alright? He wouldn't do something unusual unless he has a motive."

"Why do you always see the worse thing about your brother?" she asked out of plain curiosity. "I mean, sure, Asher might not be perfect. He also has bad decisions and, to be truthful, his ways can be sometimes too extreme. However, he is still your brother. He probably cares about you more than you think."

"I didn't say he doesn't. All I'm saying is, whenever he is acting unusual, problems would arise." Luke shrugged. "I'm not being judgmental, but I just don't want to be involved in anything about my family."

Cosette's lips parted, but she ended up pressing them into a thin line. A shallow breath slipped past her nostrils, staring at Luke for a moment.

"Do you hate your family?" she asked, which Luke answered with a quick, "no."

"Then why are you saying you don't want to get involved with them?" was her follow-up question. "For me, your family already gave you the freedom you sought. Aside from their initial invitations for you to come home, they didn't force you to return home. Your dad has also been giving donations in the school for you."

"You don't know our Quinn family, Cozie." Luke lowered his eyes to the book before him, arms on the edge of the table. "Except my dad, everyone in our family was people who don't care about bonds or familial affairs. The Quinn family cares more about their reputation — you know, they were like some sort of traditional royal family. They like those types of drama."

Another deep exhale escaped his nose, thinking about the Quinn family. Luke never misspoke about his family ever, but living independently and seeing the world not just from the side of comfort, Luke learned many things he knew he wouldn't learn if he was in the Quinn mansion.

"If not for my dad, they would've disowned me back then. Worse. They would sabotage everything I would do the moment I stepped out of the house just to prove to me that I could never do something without their help." Luke set his attention back on her. "I only realized that when I started living on my own."

"But Asher won't do that to you."

"I know, but I can't trust him just yet."

"And why is that?"

"I just can't." Luke shook his head. His mood dwindled at the thought of his big brother. "I don't know, but I feel like…"

He glanced back at Cosette, watching her raise her brows while patiently waiting for the rest of his sentence. Luke bit his tongue.

"I feel like he's different." His answer was vague, but what he truly wanted to tell her was that Luke felt like Asher gave off this unsettling aura. Even when Asher was smiling the same, there was just a chill crawling up Luke's spine.

It was as though Asher would harm him. That was what Luke truly felt, but he chose not to tell her. It was very unnecessary to make Cosette worry. Knowing what sort of worry-wart she was, she would think about it instead of focusing on their upcoming test.

Cosette studied Luke's face, biting her tongue as she held his gaze for a moment.

"Your brother invited me to attend his graduation," she confessed. "I was thinking of going… with you and Max."

"What?"

"Your brother is graduating high school, Luke. I assumed he invited me because he wants me to take you," she explained, assuming a more positive reason for Asher's invitation. "It's a big event in his life, Luke."

"Do you want to go?"

"I do…" Cosette paused, staring into his eyes. "... but a part of me still hesitates."

If being kind was Cosette's only job, she wouldn't mind being kind and spreading it to the people she knew. Her previous life was pure tragic. She didn't want all of them to live and die in misery, and that included Asher. However, she knew Luke was more than one could think of. Even though Luke kept his answer vague, Cosette knew there was another deeper reason.

The reason she felt torn.

Luke was a dear friend to her, but she felt utter guilt for refusing Asher's invitation.

'Saving everyone… and trying is surely exhausting,' she mentally whispered, sighing, but telling herself she still have time to think about it.

******

Meanwhile, in Luke's apartment, Asher stood in front of the front door. His eyes were fixed on the note glued on the door, saying; "the person who lives here isn't here."

"This is like an invitation for burglary," he whispered, shaking his head before he turned around. A deep exhale slipped past his lips, walked to the railing, and propped his arms against it. "I guess it's his way of saying he doesn't want me in here… he is really a Quinn. Cutting someone off is just so easy for them."

***

A/N:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I wish you all the best! You guys are the best <3 Looking forward to a great 2023 with you all <3