and in the room locked up inside me

 "Is this going to mess up your Valentine's day?" Liv wanted to know as she kept her voice quiet in Bren's kitchen while Mario was showing Sammie her room, and Rico was tagging along to fill her in on school and working part-time at the grocery store.

"What do you think we'd possibly be doing?" Bren practically laughed. "We have no plans."

"But..but you're engaged."

"And we live together." Bren shrugged.

"I dunno, are you sure you're even a bride-to-be?" Liv looked at her seriously. Bren gave her a look that she better not say anything else.

"Sammie isn't exactly what I expected," Bren did admit. "I'm not sure if I thought she would be Mario's twin or what. I mean, they are just half-brother and sister. I don't know what I would do if I found out something like that. Especially now."

Liv felt as if Bren might be talking to herself while she was making coffee.

"Did..did something happen?" Liv winced. Bren didn't have any family.

"No." Bren laughed but Liv knew her mind was elsewhere. 

"I'm not gonna lie, but Rico is acting a little weird about this whole thing," Liv told Bren. "I mean, he keeps going on..if I were her brother stuff." Liv shook her head. "I've never seen this side of him. I mean, he has a little brother and sister at his mom's and he never talks about them."

"Well, it must be a little awkward," Bren looked back at Liv with a bit of fat bottom lip as if she'd be confused too. "Maybe he feels left out. I mean, he's Mario's brother. She's Mario's sister and really, that's their only connection."

"I bet we don't do anything for Valentine's day," Liv mentioned there was a Valentine's dance going on right now at the high school.

"It's too cold to go dancing. Especially, in a crowded room. Seriously, it's better to be here than there." She went on getting out every cookie she owned. 

"I guess so. Maybe we can go to Mona's again." Liv could hardly keep the excitement to herself.