Stellam Matutinam

Introductions

"Okay so we're going to stop off at mine for a minute." she explains after an amusing topic shared between the three of us about memes and feel the car come to a halt behind a Subaru Impreza and BMW Gran Coup both different tones of blue, my thoughts on Luca are put on hold for now in favour of seeing how Nessa's parents will take to me as well as who else could possibly be here.

"That's fine did you want me to wait in the car?" I ask as she prepares herself to step out of the car, my heart in my throat the closer it gets for me to finally meet her parents.

"Nah you can come in, I want you to meet my parents anyway. Not just that Josh is coming as well." she beams whilst Josh steps out of the car and starts heading up the tan concrete driveway, that feeling of being watched again landing on me the second I'm out in the open and I'm back to having to think extra hard on what I need to say.

Either there really is someone following me or I'm already slipping back to my psychosis...

Not saying much further on the matter and not bothering to ask who else is here I follow behind them on the familiar path I took last time coming here. I'm quickly invited into the cool house as a bead of sweat trickles down the middle of my throat and continuing down between my breasts.

Happy I haven't sweat too much of my makeup off, the voices of who I assume are her parents and the mysterious guests eventually makes its way to the opened front door we're all being ushered into.

The lounge seems to be empty, leaving the kitchen being the source of laughter as Nessa and Josh lead the way to the said room, only to be instantly greeted by what sound like her parents voices mixed with two more yet all unknown to me.

"There you are, where's that friend you've been telling me about? And did you get me that cream from the chemist I needed?" I hear a woman announce as I slowly make my way past the five seater bronze couch I recall drinking on my first time here.

"Oh she's here she's just taking her time." Nessa chuckles when I make it to the entrance of the kitchen and step onto the tiles to ease my worried mind on dirtying up their off-white carpet.

"Yeah I did and here she is as well as the cream, Nessa this is my Mum Bodhi and my Dad Declan. Over there are Josh's parents Aisha and Bronson." Nessa adds then introduces me around the room as she passes a tube of some cream to her Mum, my stare locking on with each person that's named and feel my anxiety heighten on each new face that passes my vision.

At least I know now who the extra car in the driveway belongs to but what do you expect from me, when I'm in a room full of people related to someone I don't know if I want to establish a relationship with of some kind, not to mention I'm peaking right now so everything just feels super awkward and suspect they know that I'm more than just a friend to their daughter.

Now you can see why my anxiety is through the roof. Not knowing what others have to say really f***s with me in situations like these for I wish I knew what was said behind my back. Or if anything was said at all.

"Hey everyone." I wave meekly to the smiling sea of faces around me, the group returning my greeting before Nessa's taking the heavy spot light off of me by starting up a new conversation, Josh doing the same with his parents only his is quieter and more serious looking.

Peering back at Bodhi who's back talking to her daughter while I pull my attention away from Josh and what's going on with him, I glance between Bodhi and her daughter Nessa a few times and wonder where the Dad's features come in considering Nessa looks exactly like her Mum only younger.

Like they have that same weird coloured hair where it mixes between it being jet black or a deep chestnut, thick as all hell though Bodhi's is cut a few inches past her shoulders and twisted in light curls on the end, her skin tone maybe a few shades lighter in the difference between them but other than that Bodhi and Nessa are spitting images of one another.

It doesn't take me long to notice they're all dressed up for something by glancing once at Bodhi's burgundy and white checked pencil skirt stopping halfway up her toned thighs, matching burgundy long sleeve turtle neck only without the white checkers on it tucked in the skirt to give off the impression it's a dress, and stark white ankle high boots accompanied by a bone snapping heel on them.

Even her makeup is nicely done to the extent where she doesn't appear like she's wearing any, the only dead giveaway being the mascara and blush.

Though I will admit I don't feel so underdressed standing next to Nessa and Josh for they seemed to have dressed as casual as me today, I still doubt however they'll not be able to get away with it for long since the occasion looks semi-family important. But I could be wrong, only Nessa would've mention something about it.

"So Lilith, how do you like the town so far? I hear you start your new job at Felicity's café tomorrow, you excited about that?" Declan questions after gaining my attention then beckons me to come forward a bit more so he's able to hear my meek voice over the buzzing conversations happening around us.

"Yes I'm very excited I mean the town is lovely, full of nice people but at first I was sceptical only because I've never been in a place such as this let along full of awesome people. Not to mention your daughter making the transition into this place easy for me, it felt like I was starting a new school all over again." I confess with Declan's curious emerald stare never leaving my flickering eyes as I try to keep eye contact but to no avail. I suck at doing it and I think he knows I'm not confident because his smile is widening.

"That's good I'm glad my daughter is able to help, she's good like that. They say she gets her looks from her mother and generosity from m-"

"Oh bullshit and you know it!" Bodhi steps in with a nudge to her husband's arm, Declan rolling his eyes though I don't miss the subtle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Nessa observing highly amused by what's going on much to my distaste of being her parent's subject.

"She doesn't like to admit it, but I do." he whispers from behind his hand and earns a small chuckle in response, something I didn't know I'd find myself doing in the presence of these people for on first glance they appear to be the type to judge the f**k out of my music as well as my clothing style.

Only the more I stand in their presence the more it doesn't seem like that at all, if anything they've been nothing but nice to me the second I walked in through the door, only the intense energy that has me fumbling over my words and hands left clammy continues to engulf the one of hatred.

I just wish my anxiety didn't exist. It's never been this bad before.

He is right Nessa does have his smile though including his personality, maybe his fair skin being the reason why Nessa's Olive complexion isn't as dark as her Mum's but he does have a nice bronze hue to his hair.

Styled almost the same as Luca's with it cut extremely close to the sides and back of his head, the major difference is Declan has more of a fringe than Luca and it's semi-gelled to the side in a comb over manner, a thick beard trimmed neatly and hanging half an inch down from his chin in length.

Underneath his collard wine red suit shirt that hugs his strongly built chest I don't miss the edge of his chest tattoo creeping up his throat, my eyes slowly following his covered arms to the backs of his blank hands.

Wondering if the chest piece is all he has I also ponder on whether if this family all get tattooed together. I mean granted the Mum hasn't got any but still, I think her Dad is where Nessa gets the love for tattoos from and believe he has more than a chest piece.

In a pair of shiny arse suit shoes the same colour as his black dress pants I wonder if it's a funeral they're going to, only they don't seem morbid enough for that so I guess they could be having a drink up at Nessa's place and I'm here to witness the start of it all.

"Guys leave her alone, it's awkward enough she's gotta watch all you old people dr-"

"Hey!"

"Wait a minute!"

"Excuse me Miss Janessa!"

"HA!" the parents shout in unison over Nessa who's grinning smugly at the reaction she's just gotten.

"She's a smartarse but that's from her father, anyway Lilly darling did you move here by yourself or with family members?" Nessa's Aunty Aisha pipes up over the laughter and now music from the eighties era blasting on one of the phones, the four adults all seated on the alabaster kitchen bench space as well as leaning against it and refilling their wine glasses, my eyes almost losing themselves in the honey walls that surround me with those bright stark cupboards breaking up the colour's richness.

Not wanting to appear too out of it for the MD is really liking the colour of the kitchen walls right now, I focus back on Aisha and can't deny that she's as gorgeous as Bodhi. Which only makes me confirm that they're sisters since their appearances are almost too similar including the skin tone, though Aisha has more of a curve in her eyebrows and her hair tone matches exactly with her mocha eyes.

"Only I since I wanted to see what living alone was like." I answer as simply as possible but without sounding too rude by adding a subtle grin on the end, Aisha's inquisitive look turning into one of understanding though her smile never falters.

Dressed in a tweed jacket with the front undone to show off her jet black singlet tucked into a pair of cream dress pants tight around the waist, and pair of glossy closed toe heels to match her singlet, I'm quick to glance back up at Aisha's hair twisted up nicely into a bun to show off her shaped shoulders and picture myself trying to twist mine into the way she has hers but even find my imagination getting stuck.

"I totally understand I mean Josh is already out of home as well as my nieces Nia and Lissa. Poor Nessa had to move back because of all the renovating they have to do since Bodhi wants to sell the house. But Nessa I guess isn't so sad about it, she gets a better home after the house is renovated, sold and the one Nessa's looking at moving into next is good to go. It a whole process but I'm sure it will all end soon." Aisha explains with a sigh sounding in the back of her throat and large muddy brown eyes giving me a look as if to say she's over it on their behalf.

Laughing and agreeing Aisha and I share a little more small talk before her husband Bronson joins in by standing next to his wife who's currently seated on the kitchen bench beside Bodhi, only to lean his bulky frame against the bench behind him and cross his arms as well as ankles in unison, his piercing crystal blue pools land from me to his wife then their child Josh before coming back to me as a warm smile settles on his face.

Appearing to me as an older and more filled out in the muscle department version of Josh though Josh shares his mother's eyes and skin tone, the man's head is clean shaven with a light copper beard dusting neatly around his mouth and jaw, his semi-tanned arms of course heavily tattooed and stopping at the wrists.

Clad in suit slacks and suit shoes much like his brother in law Declan's, the only difference between their outfits is Bronson's wearing a short sleeved collared button up shirt the same pitch black colour as his pants instead of a long sleeved red one.

"So you're the new girl my nieces have been going on about, as you can see we're a very close family, not much goes by us. In saying that I hear you're from the next town over, I don't blame you for moving this town has a reputation for having the best jobs available since they're always going here. My sister in law Felicity is great to work for, otherwise my three nieces wouldn't be working for her. Anyway I hear you're staying at Willow's Reso-"

"Oh come on babe don't freak the poor girl out! She knows we're a close fam-"

"Yes and she will also know that I found out through Felicity after Nessa went and picked her up." he intervenes with a semi-smug expression and c****d eyebrow as if to state he knows what he's talking about.

Man if they know this much about me, how much more information about me has Nessa or her cousins told them? Do they know about Nessa and I getting really close at the pub, or was she kind enough to leave that out?

Not knowing if it's a good thing to be involved with a family this close in each other's s**t, I brush it off considering I am new and I was bound to come up in a conversation, but knowing that they all know about me is a little unnerving.

"Come on let's go to my room." Nessa murmurs behind me to my left, my head whipping around to give her a smile and nod whilst she's giving her parents a look as if to say "let her go".

"Well it was lovely meeting you guys, I'll see you la-"

"Nessa honey haven't you told her yet?" Bodhi frowns and instantly I'm freaking out about what she could be on about.

What hasn't Nessa told me, have they found out something about me I've tried keeping hidden from them? Am I busted and they're currently waiting for the Police to come and grab me as we speak?

"Oh yeah I was planning on telling her when we went grocery shopping for tonight's party, but we're having a family gathering here tonight and was wondering if you wanted to tag along?" she asks as everyone's attention lands on me and I'm back in the spotlight, a place I'm not comfortable being in yet here I am with that same hostile energy filling the room as air itself.

At least it wasn't my worst fear coming true, they still don't know about my escape though I really should start watching the news soon before it's too late, it's just I can't bring myself to do so for it honestly sends the fear of God through me.

"Ah sure I mean if I'm not intruding on anything, you did say it was a family th-"

"Not even, I wouldn't have invited and my Mum wouldn't have brought it up. Now come on let's go to my room. Thanks again Ma for letting Lil come, I know it's a big thing letting her in on this gathering." Nessa explains with a cute smile tugging the corner of her lips and gentle blush heating her cheeks, her Mum beaming as she awes at her daughter before getting down from her position on the kitchen bench to give her daughter a tight hug.

"Thank you so much, I'm just sorry I'm really awkward about it, I don't get invited to many family gatherings." I lie for I've never been invited to anything of the sort, not even Maddy or Fran's gatherings. I fear they thought I'd have a mental breakdown during one of them because the s**t I was going through back at home, but I don't blame them for I was f*****g unstable.

It's not like they were bad friends or anything, I guess everyone just has their limit and I reached mine with both of them very fast as s**t as that sounds.

"Don't even mention it Lilly honey, we'd be more than happy to let a sweet girl like you in on this for we also want to know more about you! I've never seen my daughter so happy, you must be a really good friend to my daughter and the others for they suggested they bring a plus one this year. It gets boring for them only because it's just them hanging out at the end of the night, so knowing they can bring a friend they trust into a family gathering such as ours means a lot to us. It's practically welcoming in a new member of the family." Bodhi goes on with a nonchalant flap of her wrist to assure me my presence at this family gathering will not affect it whatsoever, not missing how much her eyes lit up about them wanting to know more about me.

Usually that would instantly send me into panic mode but right now all I'm feeling is calmness in their question asking as well as warmth I'm feeling from the family around me right now, a family I wish I had.

Nonetheless being invited to a family gathering for the first time in my life is certainly exciting yet also nerve wrecking for it could end in so many ways. I'm just hoping it ends with me going home with a smile on my face and not on my way back to Sunshine Cove.

"Now that you put it that way, it sounds like a pretty serious thing-"

"No not serious my dear it is honestly the best thing that could possibly happen to you. We are a tightly knit together family due to preference of our own and you Lilith dear have an energy which we feel is the exact same as ours. The family and I wish for you to join us in this gathering tonight, get to know the others that reside in this town and who also share the same bloodline as us. But no pressure, it is all up to you." Aisha explains gently in unison with the tips of her fingers running around the rim of her wine glass.

You don't say I got that memo the minute everyone started passing information about me all around to other members the minute I started hanging with them. Like I never knew my friendship with their son and daughters would be so highly talked about, but then again I've never had a family so this could be normal to everyone else who's had a close family.

"Well my family and I were never really close, so this will be a bit nerving for me." I confess after letting memories of Ray, Dian and Erica flick past as quick as they started.

"Excellent! Trust me tonight you will thoroughly enjoy yourself." Declan joins in with an even larger smile on his lips the more they talk me into it, something I find quite adorable for he appears to me as someone who's desperate to share his knowledge to a happier life with others that would appreciate it.

"And I love you, now go and do whatever it is you need to do but be quick about it. The shops won't be open all night and we really need that list." Bodhi states whilst taking my attention now away from Declan and Aisha to now observe Josh disappearing from the kitchen, the adults soon returning to their conversation about something I'm not really paying attention to right now as their family gathering they're inviting me out to tonight is now pushed to the back of my thoughts for later.

"Okay ma and thanks Dad for that I'll fill her more in on it later, come on Lil let's go before Josh starts trashing my room." she subtly laughs until we're doing just that, the both of us discovering Josh laid out casually on her bed flicking through something on his phone, his head popping up from the rim of his phone upon our arrival with a small grin tugging the corners of his mouth.

"So I f****d with your clothes." he states casually whilst throwing his eyes in the direction of her closed wardrobe, her eyes rolling as she walks over to inspect it hasn't been touched since she last f****d around in it.

"You're so full of s**t! Now that I've got the list we can go to the shops, sorry Lil for dragging you here and kinda putting you on the spot in there. I'm also sorry for not telling you about how outspoken my family can be at times, but I didn't wanna scare you away thinking we were weird cunts if that makes sense? Like if I had the list then this wasted trip wouldn't have had to happen. But I'm glad it did happen because you've now met mine and Josh's parents. All that's left to meet now is my Uncle Adam who is Aunty Felicity's husband as well as the rest of the family members that are gonna show up tonight. Don't freak out they'll love you, now let's go Josh or I'm leaving you behind!" Nessa calls in the process of swiping up a piece of paper from her side table closest to the door before she's heading for the door again.

"That's alright Nessa I honestly wouldn't have picked you guys to be so pulled back from the rest of the town since you guys own pretty much half of it." I chuckle with Nessa covering her face and letting a groan sound in the back of her throat.

"I know I'm sorry if that put you off me a bit, I wasn't saying that to flaunt my s**t, I was legit stating my family are f*****g everywhere." she explains nonchalantly with a flap of her wrist and gentle blush heating her cheeks the further she explains herself.

"Nessa it's fine, I knew you weren't getting at that at all. I just thought a gathering would have had more than just family members." I point out as we continue to exit her bedroom, Nessa only laughing before she's shouting out a goodbye to her parents and Josh is making his way out the front door.

"Well we have you now." she shoots back whilst a seductive smirk makes its way across her lips and bringing me back to last night at the pub.

Returning her comment with a giggle though I don't miss the nervousness creeping into the back of my throat we jump back in the car and turn the tunes back on, Josh and Nessa instantly dive in to what shops they need to hit first while I sit in the passenger's seat waiting calmly for Nessa to tell me what to do.

It doesn't take long for my head to start rushing with scenarios of how I think tonight might go down and for some reason, I'm thinking more on how the rest of Nessa's family is going to take to me.

Call me crazy but I think I'm starting to get the hang of this thing called a new life...