013| caught

ARABELLA ARMANI

Me, Sarah, and Carter stumbled up the driveway, our laughter barely contained as we tried to quiet each other down.

The night had been a whirlwind of dancing, drinks, and carefree fun, and now, the challenge was getting inside without waking up Alessio.

"Shhh, we have to be quiet," I whispered, giggling as she fumbled with her keys at the front door.

"You're the one making all the noise!" Sarah teased, swaying slightly and clinging to Carter for balance.

"I'm perfectly quiet," Carter said, dramatically pressing a finger to his lips, which only made us all laugh harder.

Finally, I managed to unlock the door, and we tiptoed inside, doing their best to suppress their giggles. The house was dark and quiet, and they moved as stealthily as their tipsy state would allow.

"Okay, up the stairs," I whispered, leading the way Sarah and Carter followed, struggling to contain their laughter. We had almost made it when the living room light flicked on, and there stood Alessio, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

"Trying to sneak in, are we?" he asked, his voice low but firm.

The trio froze, caught like kids breaking curfew.

I felt her heart race, a mix of embarrassment and surprise. "Alessio! We were just—uh, we didn't want to wake you."

Alessio's eyes flicked to Carter, who still had an arm around Sarah for balance. There was a flicker of something in his expression something like jealousy—but he quickly masked it. "Looks like you had quite the night."

"Yeah, it was fun," I admitted, trying to gauge his reaction. "We didn't mean to wake you."

Alessio sighed, his gaze softening slightly as he took in their disheveled, slightly drunken state. "Let's get you all upstairs before you wake the whole neighborhood."

He stepped forward, gently guiding Sarah, who leaned heavily on Carter, toward the stairs. I followed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Alessio's quiet presence was both comforting and intimidating, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for getting caught.

Once we reached my room, Alessio helped Sarah and Carter settle onto the couch, grabbing a blanket to throw over them. Carter mumbled a sleepy "Thanks," before drifting off, Sarah already snuggled up beside him.

Alessio turned to me, his expression softening further. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, my voice quiet. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about all this."

He gave a small smile, brushing a stray hair from my face. "It's okay. Just glad you're home safe."

For a moment, we stood there in silence, the weight of the night settling around them. I felt a surge of gratitude for Alessio, for always being there when i needed him, even if he didn't say much.

"Get some rest," he said gently, stepping back toward the door. "We'll talk in the morning."

"Thanks, Alessio," I whispered, watching as he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

I collapsed onto her bed, the events of the night catching up with me.

Despite the embarrassment of getting caught, i couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort knowing Alessio was there, quietly watching over me.

And i she drifted off to sleep, i couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was more to his protectiveness than he was letting on.

~next morning~

ai groaned as i opened my eyes, the soft light filtering through my curtains feeling like a spotlight directly on my pounding head. I blinked slowly, trying to piece together the events of the night before.

Besides me, Sarah and Carter were sprawled on the couch, both looking equally miserable.

"Ugh, my head," Sarah mumbled, her voice hoarse. "Why did we think that many shots was a good idea?"

Carter groaned in agreement, shielding his eyes with his arm. "I regret everything."

I managed a weak laugh, pushing herself up in bed. "We definitely overdid it."

Just then, Alessio's voice drifted from the hallway as be poked her head into the room. "Morning, party animals, There's Tylenol and ibuprofen in my bathroom drawer if you need it."

"Bless you," I muttered, sliding out of bed and heading for the bathroom. I returned with the medicine, handing out the pills as Sarah and Carter sat up, groaning about their splitting headaches.

"I feel like my brain is trying to escape my skull," Sarah said, swallowing the pills with a grimace.

Carter nodded, rubbing his temples. "We definitely shouldn't have gotten that drunk. My head is killing me."

I chuckled softly, my own head throbbing but feeling slightly better with the promise of relief. "At least we had fun, right?"

Sarah gave a weak smile. "Yeah, but next time, maybe we pace ourselves a little better.

A soft knock at the door interrupted their groaning, and Alessio's voice followed. "Hey, I made you all some breakfast. There's toast, eggs, waffles, crepes,fruits coffee, orange and some more medicine on the table with water just in case you need some strong ibuprofen."

I opened the door fully, peeking out to see Alessio standing there, looking as composed as ever. I couldn't help but smile, touched by his thoughtfulness.

"Thanks, Alessio. You didn't have to do that."

He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Figured you'd need it. Come down whenever you're ready."

As he walked away, I turned back to Sarah and Carter, who both looked at her with knowing grins.

"He's a lifesaver," Sarah said, standing up and stretching. "I don't think I could've moved without some food and more water."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "You sure he's just being a good friend, Lila? He seems pretty invested."

I felt her cheeks heat up but rolled her eyes. "Don't start he's just being nice plus he's my dad's best friend ."

"Sure, sure," Sarah teased, giving her a wink. "Let's go eat before my head explodes."

All three of us made our way downstairs, the smell of freshly made breakfast filling the air. We found Alessio sitting at the kitchen table, a spread of toast, scrambled eggs, and glasses of water laid out neatly. He looked up as they entered, his expression softening.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

"Getting there," I replied, sitting down and grabbing a piece of toast. "Thanks for this. You're a lifesaver."

Carter and Sarah echoed her sentiments, digging into the food with grateful smiles. Their grogginess slowly easing with each bite and sip of water. Despite the hangovers, the mood was filled with warmth and laughter, a testament to the strong bonds of friendship and perhaps something more that surrounded them.

As we sat there, enjoying the quiet morning and each other's company, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude.

No matter how chaotic things got, i knew i could count on the people around me.