Capítulo 28: Settling In
With relief washing over the group at her words, the tension everyone had been feeling dissipated. Rose wasn't surprised. Aunt Betty might seem grumpy and a little rough around the edges, but she had a good heart and would never leave someone in the lurch. In this sense, she was the complete opposite of her brother. While Mr. Kepler seemed friendly and approachable at first, when push came to shove, he would only look out for himself.
Rose shook her head, trying to rid herself of those dark memories resurfacing. No need to dwell on that and become unnecessarily gloomy. Things wouldn't repeat themselves in this life.
Aunt Betty stood up, her demeanor softening as she surveyed the weary faces around her. "Well, I reckon we should get you all settled in. There's plenty of room upstairs, though you might need to double up. Robert, you and Judith can take your old room. As for the rest of you, we'll figure something out."
She led them up the creaking staircase, pointing out bedrooms and the single bathroom they'd have to share. The house smelled of old wood and lavender, a comforting scent that seemed at odds with the tension of their situation.
"I suggest you girls share a room," she said, gesturing for Heather and Rose to enter the room on her left. "You boys can take this one. Might be a bit cramped with the three of you, but you'll have to make do."
"No problem, ma'am," Ethan politely responded.
"Yes, no problem at all!" Luke echoed, clearly thrilled to spend time with his idol Ethan.
Noticing the youth's excitement, Ethan could only shake his head helplessly. It seemed he wouldn't get much quiet time with that boy around.
Rose wasn't happy about sharing a room with Heather, but she had no choice in the matter. She decided to keep a low profile and avoid interacting with her as much as possible. With Ethan around, Heather would have fewer chances to cause trouble. Besides, if she tried anything, Rose was no longer the naive girl she once was.
Entering their room, Rose unpacked her meager belongings, relishing the prospect of sleeping in a bed tonight. After the long journey, her body ached, yearning for the myriad sleeping positions a bed offered compared to the cramped confines of a car.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Heather sorting through her own belongings.
"How are you holding up, Rose?" Heather asked, not looking up from sorting her things, her voice laced with feigned concern.
Rose felt goosebumps at her tone. "Quite alright," she replied curtly but politely.
"You must be pretty shaken up by your experience in the realm. I can't even imagine how horrible it must have been. Thankfully, Luke was able to save you."
Rose rolled her eyes. If Luke hadn't forcefully dragged her along, there wouldn't have been a need for saving in the first place. But she didn't want to start an argument.
"Mhm," she hummed, hoping Heather would take the hint that she wasn't keen on talking.
But of course, she didn't.
Heather turned around, stepping closer to Rose, who looked up, wary of the other girl's intentions.
"You're safe now," Heather said, laying a hand on Rose's shoulder in a gesture of false reassurance. "Here at the farm, there shouldn't be any portals appearing, and even if they do, we have Luke to protect us." Though only half a year older than Rose, Heather like to portray herself as the good older sister, taking care of the younger more rebellious one.
Rose summoned all her patience to resist pushing Heather's hand away.
As expected, Heather was employing the same old manipulative tactics she had used in their previous life. By making Rose feel indebted to their family, she had coerced her into doing menial tasks or taking the blame when things went wrong. With Rose being the "luggage" they had supposedly taken along out of goodwill and were providing for, Heather implied that she had to repay them in any way she could.
"I am not afraid," Rose replied with a reassuring smile. "With my brother at my side, there is nothing for me to be afraid of."
Heather's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face before she quickly masked it with a forced smile. "Of course," she said, her tone overly sweet. "I'm sure Ethan will keep you safe. Just remember, we're all in this together now."
Before she could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Luke poked his head in, his eyes bright with excitement. "Hey, Aunt Betty says dinner's almost ready. She wants us all downstairs."
"We're coming," Heather replied sweetly, immediately following her brother. She seemed somewhat irked that her words to Rose hadn't fallen on fertile ground.
Rose followed along, chuckling to herself. Having lived two lifetimes, Heather's childish tactics were no match for her. Even in her previous life, Rose probably wouldn't have suffered as much under Heather's influence if she hadn't been so shocked and terrified by her first realm experience and the uncertainty of her brother's whereabouts.
Having faced and overcome one of her traumatic experiences from her past life, Rose felt a sense of calm wash over her.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Lyris_Nova
Lyris_Nova So happy that my story is added to more and more collections, thus I'll upload additional chapters today! :D
Enjoy!
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