"So Sarah mind telling me what you were doing with Jason the other day?" I asked with a smirk making her choke on her coffee.
"Me? With Jason? When?"
She thinks she's going to fool me like that.
"Your brother told me. Come on tell me" I pouted.
"Fine" She groaned. I instantly smiled sweetly crossed my legs and sipped on my freddoccino.
"I'm all ears" I said excitedly.
"I-It's nothing, I was just going home and I bumped on him and spilled my coffee on my shirt so he offered to go out and buy me another coffee" She finished with a red tint on her cheeks. "I kept saying it was okay but he insisted" She murmured.
I kept staring at her emotionless as she was staring at the floor playing with her fingers.
"You like him!" I startled her.
"No!" She insisted
"You like him, even a little" I smiled and winked at her.
"He is charming-"
"I knew it, I knew it!" I clapped full of excitement and bounced on my seat.
"He is charming but it will never happen" She glared at me and then took a sip of her coffee.
"Yeah okay, we'll see about that"
Suddenly I got a notification on my phone and picked it up to see what it was. It was actually a text from an unknown number.
I missed you.
It wasn't Alexander since I knew for a fact he didn't have a new number and I had his number saved. I frowned and typed a reply.
Wrong number. I typed and put it back brushing it off, but I heard another ring as soon as I put it down.
Oh I know very well whose number this is, Aria sweetie.
My heart skipped a beat as I began to panic. What if it was my brother? I wouldn't be able to take it.
"Aria what is it?" Sarah asked concerned.
"I-" before I could answer I heard another ring.
Tell anyone about this and you might not see someone really important to you again.
I instantly gulped and felt my life crumble.
Why? Why now that I was fixing everything?
"Nothing it's just Alexander, he'll come home really late so I won't be able to see him at all" I managed to give her a weak smile.
"You two are so cute I swear" She giggled and took a sip of her coffee.
The moment she dropped me off at home I took my phone out and called Uncle Rob.
"Well hello there, long time no see cupcake" His cheerful tone didn't manage to cheer me up this time.
"Hi Uncle Rob, how are you?" I asked trying to come off as normal and not ready to have a panic attack. "Nothing suspicious right?"
"No Aria, I would tell you if there was anything" He said getting serious. "Anything wrong?"
"No, everything's okay" I assured him.
Lies.
"Good to know you're living the life you've always wanted to live Aria. My little girl is all grown up now" He sighed.
"Don't worry Uncle Rob I'll always be your little girl" I smiled sadly.
After we talked about a few more things as I tried not to panic anymore we ended the call.
I held the phone in my hands staring blankly at the wall in front of me. I felt my eyes well up and my lips forming a pout.
And for once after a long time I let out everything as I felt the hot tears running down my cheeks. I sobbed loudly as my breath had started to become really hard and uneven. I kept inhaling faster and faster which ended up making me dizzy.
I kept crying and crying till I couldn't anymore and then I just sat there weak with a few hiccups leaving my mouth and having small-five second breakdowns from time to time.
I had gone completely quiet when the door opened.
"I'm home my baby" His large firm appeared in front of me in seconds. "What's wrong with my princess?" He asked his face changing to serious as he kneeled down to my level.
"Nothing" I gave him a weak smile.
How could he make me feel so safe just with his presence?
"I see" He hummed his hand cupping the side of my face as his blue gaze dropped to my lips. "How can I make my princess feel better?" He rasped sensually making me squeeze my thighs together while playing with my fingers.
"I'm okay really"
"Don't lie to me my baby" He cooed before leaning in slowly and putting his soft lips on mine.
And for a sweet moment I forgot everything. Forgot about the texts forgot about my brother. Forgot about my parents or my terrible past. Forgot about all the things I had seen.
All the things that a child shouldn't see.
How did he always manage to make me think it was only him and I? How could he make me forget?
He pulled back from the sweet kiss and looked at me in the eyes. I thought I saw determination in his eyes for some reason.
"Aria I-" before he could finish we heard a knock on the door.
"Open the door grandma!" We heard Jason shout while knocking on the door continually. Alexander groaned and got up to open the door.
"What do you want you little shit?"
"Oh Aria look who I found" Jason Said and pushed Sarah in the apartment. I could see Sarah's awkwardness.
"Hi" She said quietly.
"Sarah here told me that you told her that Alexander told you that he wasn't going to be here"
I'm confused.
"But I said that he didn't have work today so we came here to check" He finished with a smile. Alexander raised an eyebrow at me suspiciously while closing the door and then stood in front of me crossing his arms.
"I never told you that" He said.
"I'm sorry I probably mistakened it for another time" I said quickly.
"So since we're here why not have lunch together?" Jason suggested.
"Gab-" Jason interrupted him with a nervous laugh and a dangerous glare. "Jason why don't you take Sarah out and have a date?"
I saw Sarah shift around and blush as she looked down.
"That's a great idea and now that I think of it, why don't we go on a double date?" He suggested. I saw Sarah basically begging me with her eyes to agree.
"I'd like that, pwease Alex" I pouted and clapped in excitement.
"Whatever princess wants, princess gets" He softly smiled.
"It's settled then" Jason said cheerfully.
----------
"So are you guys together?" I asked smirking.
"That's a secret" Jason said looking at Sarah.
Alexander looked as if he wanted to disappear. He was being grumpy and looked annoyed. I grabbed his hand under the table and saw his features light up instantly.
"Oh my God I can't believe this, I forgot to take my phone with me" Sarah whined. "My mom said she would call, she'll freak if I don't answer"
"It's okay you can have mine" Jason said offering his phone.
"I don't remember her number" She pouted. "Aria, you have her number saved can I borrow your phone?" She asked.
"Of course, I said without a second thought and handed it to her.
"Thank you so much" She took it and walked away to go talk to her mom.
"So Aria you're a little down lately, what's up?" Jason asked.
"Nothing I'm just not in the mood"
"I thought I fixed that" Alexander whispered in my ear with his deep voice only for me to hear.
God his voice is as deep as the ocean.
"I-you did" I stuttered and looked into his eyes.
We saw Sarah coming back with a smile on her face.
"Thanks again Ari" She said and handed me my phone.
For some reason I saw Jason and Sarah exchange grins as if they were secretly communicating.
These two have such great chemistry.
"I've noticed your friend is very smart Aria" Jason said not taking his eyes off of her. "Very smart"
After we finished our food and talked for a while Alexander couldn't take it anymore and said we should go home.
"Alex, can I have a word with you?" Jason said as we were walking away.
"What do you want?" Alex groaned and turned around.
"It's important" Jason said with a serious look on his face. I had never seen him that serious before. Alexander and Jason walked away so that we can't hear them.
"What's wrong?" I asked Sarah.
"I don't know I guess it's something between them, don't worry" She assured me.
I saw Alexander and Jason walking towards us, Alex didn't look as calm as before.
What did he tell him?
"Come on Aria let's go" He said and put his hand on my waist.
I sat on the car as he was driving looking out the window. Alex looked on edge. His knuckles were white from holding the wheel so tightly and his jaw was clenched. His eyes didn't leave the road as he looked lost in his thoughts.
I wanted to reach out and touch his arm, maybe comfort him, but I was scared he might yell at me so I stopped myself from doing it.
The moment we got home he went into his room and shut the door.
Why did he have to act like this? What did Jason tell him?
Those were the questions that kept popping up in my mind until I couldn't take it anymore. I knocked on his bedroom door determined to find out why he was acting like that.
"What?" He asked sharply. I opened the door hesitantly to find the room completely dark and him sitting on the edge of his bed resting his elbows on his knees and his head on his palms.
"Alexander, what's wrong?" I asked taking hesitant steps closer to him till I was right in front of him. I kneeled down and touched his soft hair.
"Aria, do you trust me?" He asked shocking me.
"Yes" I felt guilt wash over me as I knew I was lying to him about things. Things I didn't want anyone to know.
"I notice you've been a little off today. Why?"
"Nothing, just tired from studying and working" I quickly made up an excuse.
"Are you sure? If there's something tell me now" He demanded. He seemed as if he knew, but he couldn't know.
Right?
"Tell me and I'll fix it. I would destroy anyone to fix you. Even myself" He insisted.
Suddenly my phone rang saving me from this torture of lying to him. I picked it up quickly without looking who's calling.
"Hello"
"I missed hearing your voice little sis"