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Iris
Not much has changed.
Eight years is a long period, but I still remember the house like the back of my palm. I love Aunt Gaby and Aunt Tam's place because of how it screams family.
Even though both are well off, financially, they wanted to settle in a family house in a good neighborhood, especially after they adopted Alexa. One closer to them can find elements of both of them in it.
Aunt Tam's daring and fun nature in the artistic and warm neutral colors across the house walls with paintings in each room. The simple, clean, minimalistic, and space-saving furniture and sleek counters come from Aunt Gaby. But now, the place is filled with toys and blanketsâwhich I think is after they adopted the twins.
Grandpa always loved their chemistry from the start. He wanted to see them grow as a family but... he couldn't.
"The cupcakes will be done soon," Aunt Gaby says, springing me back to the place.
Instead of talking to me, Alex has been blabbering to Noah as they, along with the twins, are in the living room. I know Noah is good with kids but I never thought Alex will be so welcoming to him.
I am with my aunts in the kitchen, and I am waiting for the cupcakes Aunt Gaby promised me.
I am a hungry and greedy person, sue me.
"Iris?" Aunt Tam leans on my shoulder as she looks at me with a smug expression. "You got yourself a man."
I look away as Aunt Gaby leans forward on the dinner table, interested. "I want to hear this too."
"We are taking it slow," I say to them.
"And what is slow?" Aunt Gaby asks me, raising her eyebrow. "Almost kissing near the porch?"
"You saw that?" I ask her, wide-eyed.
"Who do you think sent Alex at the crucial moment?" I gape at Aunt Tam. "He was really frustrated." She laughs, before telling me, "You know, I was rooting for that boy Tom and you. He has so cute curly red hair."
"Uh, no. He is like a brother to me," I tell her, making a face. "Last time you were in States was three years ago and I think you should have seen how active Tom was." I cringe, remembering all the time Tom stayed at Colt's place, after all, parties.
"Ah, well, I have changed my ship to Noah and you." Aunt Tam, now, wiggles her eyebrows. "So, Noahâ"
"âand you are not sleeping together, am I right?" Aunt Gaby leans back, asking me.
"No," I answer, honestly. "We haven't even like slept beside each other."
Aunt Gaby nods. "Nevertheless, Noah and you are sleeping in different rooms." Just then, the oven timer ends and Aunt Gaby gets up. "I am still watching him."
"Aw, Aunt, don't be so hard on him. He's a softie," I say, ironically.
Taking out the hot cupcakes, she looks at me, confused. "Really? He didn't seemâ"
"It was sarcastic, Gabriella," Aunt Tam tells her, dryly. I nod, smiling. Frustrated, she looks away and mumbles about how sarcasm should be a crime while Aunt Tam can't stop laughing.
Damn, I missed this so much.
"Ah, Iris." Aunt Tam holds me in her arm's length. "You've grown so beautifully."
"You have to say that because I am your niece."
"Yeah, but it is truth."
I shake my head, laughing a bit. I feel my heart-tugging, suddenly, and I look towards the kitchen door to see Noah lingering near it, looking at us. He looks so lost and innocent that all I want to do is laugh and wrap him in a blanket.
"You know what, Aunts?" I turn towards them and they look at me. "I will freshen up and come back, yeah?"
Aunt Gaby's eyes shift to Noah, before resting on me. "Come fast. We are going to have some dinner soon."
"Okay."
"And Ardwick has kept your bags in your rooms," Aunt Tam says, referring to the house butler who always appears when needed.
"You know your room?" She asks me as I go towards Noah.
I nod. "Second-floor first room, near the stairs. I remember."
"Oh, the one besides yours is Noah's." With that, she winks at me and mouths, 'Have fun.'
"Um... okay." I turn towards Noah, fast. "I will show the house, come on."
"Mum! Will and James are infuriating!" A scream goes throughout the house and two loud cries next.
I give Noah a look as he is really amused. "I really hope you had nothing to do with that."
"They are... kids," He states, shrugging, going forward without me as I try to understand the meaning of his statement.
"Where are you going, you littleâ"
"Little?" He turns to me, seriously. "I can as fuck prove I am anything but."
I groan, smacking my hand on my head.
What am I going to do with this guy?
***
I flop down on the bed, feeling like home, just in normal sweatpants and an oversized shirt and hair sprawling around my head. After a long exhausting tour of the house for Noah where I just talked on and on about every memory of my place and he commented on some otherwise just laughed with his arm around me, every time.
I look around my plain white room, full of quotes and pictures posted on the wall opposite the bed, and I laugh. Within sixteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds, I have made it so messy that Aunt Gaby is going to have heartache.
The best thing about my room is it screams out dark academia, reminding me of all the movies and series I have seen on the theme. All of the furniture is of color brown, except the dressing table which has tinges of light brown in it. The bookcase is filled with old editions of the storybooks I have read and music cassettes labeled for specific moodâthe labels are written in so bad handwriting of mine that I am embarrassed but hey, I was really creative, then.
My thoughts break when my room's door bursts open and Alex flops down, next to me.
"Let's convince my Mothers to play poker but with real money," She tells me and turns to me. "They always play with fake money. Can you believe that?"
"Yes," I tell her, sitting straight. "Your mothers don't want to give you any more money than you are getting as your monthly pocket money."
She gasps as I walk towards the mirror. "That's rude," She tells me. "That...that is like a scrooge."
"Scrooge?" I give her a look. "No, Alex. Someone who saves money and spends it wisely is not a scrooge. They are not... spendthrift either. Both are extremes and the word should be in between them."
"But..." She looks away, fidgeting with her hands. "Mother works well and Mum is a homemaker but she writes things and both get paid for it."
"They earn, Alex," I tell her. "They work for money."
She looks at me, excited. "I can work for money."
"Uh-huh?" I narrow my eyes, trying to figure out what is in her mind.
"Uh-huh." She grins. "I am going to start a lemonade company."
I blink, processing her words over and over again."Lemonade company?"
"Actually, no." Alex starts pacing around the room. "I can teach my dumb siblings how not to be dumb and get paid for it from Mother and Mum."
"James and William are just a year old." I point. "They can't form a whole sentence."
"So, you agree they are dumb."
"I didn'tâ"
I groan when she interrupts me. "But they can say words!"
"They say boo, ninety-five percent of the time."
"The probability of them saying is actually ninety-three-point four-five percent. We just need to get out the rest of the percentage."
"Alright, genius." I sigh, knowing I can't argue anymore when her math instincts get out. "What's the plan?"
"Oh, that I thought you would decide," She tells me, shrugging. "Anyhoo, I like your friend."
"You do?" I pick the threads on my sweatshirt as Alex gives me a disbelief expression.
"Yaaaham!" She nods. "He is so wonderful! He taught me words like fuâ"
"He did what?" Now is my turn to look at her in disbelief.
"Oops." She puts her hand on her mouth. "It was supposed to be a secret." She squeaks and goes out of the room.
I glare at the thick wall that separates his room and mine.
I can't believe him. Heâhe taught my baby sisterâ
"Hey."
"Think of the devil." I turn to Noah, crossing my arms.
He is leaning on the door frame, looking at me. He has changed into a black sweater and black pants, making me roll my eyes, but something strikes my mind when I look at him again.
"Bella." His velvety voice with a slight rasp brings my eyes to his amber ones which are full of amusement. "Done staring?"
I hold up a hand.
"Wait," I whisper, walking towards him. His eyes widen when I am just a few inches away from his body.
"Whaâwhat are you doing, Bella?" He breathes out.
Without replying to him, cautiously, I trace his jaw with my finger and his breath hitches as soon as I touch him. As my finger slide on his neck, he shivers and tilts his head, giving me more access. I look up at him as he has closed his eyes and pursing his lips tightly. Taking this as my moment, I tug him down to me by the neck of his sweater and he opens his eyes, surprised.
Slowly, torturing him, I trail my lips over his soft jawline and I feel his breath fan near my ears. Just when my lips reach the point his neck meets the head, I bite him.
Yes, I bite him.
I push him away. I flip my hair, deliberately, so that it hits him on his face as I go out of my room and towards the stairs.
"That was for teaching Alex curse words," I tell him, pleased with myself. "See you at dinner."
"Bella, come here! I fucking swearâ"
I run downstairs.
***
Noah is pissed.
He is so pissed that the whole time during dinner, he glares at me whenever our eyes meet. I want to laugh so badly but I don't as a clear message passes to me from himâ 'I am not letting this go, Bella'
I should have been intimidated by it but I know better.
Unfortunately for him and fortunately for my sanity, Alex tugs me towards the living room to watch a movie. When I look at him, he turns towards Aunt Tam and asking if he can help with the dishes.
I almost walk towards him to ask if he has any fever or just call Adi to tell him that his best friend has changedâI can actually imagine him tweeting 'bro you have changedâbro Noah's doing dishes.'
It would be quite a hit in the school circle.
"Ugh. I hate this movie." Alex groans and I laugh, shaking my head. Both of us are sprawled on different couches as we are watching 'The Little Mermaid'.
"This is such an idiotic movieâshe can't just lose her voiceâugh! Can't we see a horror instead?"
"No." I waggle my finger, in front of her. "This is your punishment to not listen to me."
"No." Alex groans, loudly. Then, she looks at me with big eyes. "You alright?"
"Yeah, I am okay," I tell her, honestly. "Why do you ask?"
She sits up, pouting a bit. "I thought you would come alone but then, you called and told Mum and Mother that you might have someone with you... so I...fiâfigâwhat the word, oh yaâfigured that something might have happened."
I raise an eyebrow at her. That's all it took her to conclude?
I smile at her, ruffling her hair, as she tries to swat away my hand. "Just grown-up stuff."
"I am a grown-up!"
"For your age," I tell her, laughing.
"That's what Noah said too," She grumbles as Aunt Tam enters the room with a smile.
"Alex, you have early practice tomorrow. You need to sleep and you..." Aunt Tam keeps her hands on her hips, looking at me. "How in seven worlds are you not tired and sleepy?"
I shrug. "It is very normal for me."
"So..." Alex starts to say, grinning. "We can watch another movie?"
"No." Aunt Tam rolls her eyes. "Both of you, sleep. We have a lot of things planned for tomorrow."
I get up, stretching myself when Alex whines. "Mum, can Iry and Noah take me to practice tomorrow instead of Mother?"
I am surprised because practices are something really important to Alexa. She only allows Aunt Gaby to take her.
A while ago Aunt had a meeting to attend and couldn't take her and Aunt Tam had to but Alex didn't go at all. She was grumpy the whole day but never complained once about Aunt Gaby's meeting or her lost practice.
"Why, Alexa?" Aunt Gaby asks, smiling at her, as she enters the room. "Forgotten all about me after Iry came?"
Alex sighs, dramatically. "No, Mother. You can take a break tomorrow."
"Fine with me," Aunt Tam says, nudging Aunt Gaby with a sly smile.
Aunt Gaby chuckles, nodding. "Fine with me, too."
"Yay!" Alexa says, happily, as she runs towards her room.
Both of the Aunts turn to me with a look and say, "Go sleep"
"Butâ"
"Zip it. You need sleep," Aunt Tam tells me, pushing me towards the stairs. "Go to your room, now," She says as I start walking towards my room. "And get sleep notâ"
"Alright. I am going," I say, running upwards, interrupting her. "Good night!"
Just when I am about to enter my room, I stop and look at Noah's room door. Then, I look at my room and towards the staircase, and again, towards my room.
I really, really want to enter his room.
I mean it is less than a foot away from mine and if I hear anyone coming, I can go back to my room in just seconds, act like I was sleeping the whole time.
But I just really, really, really want to go to him.
I haven't seen him ever since he offered to do the dishes and I really hope my Aunts haven't kicked him out because of something he said. I mean I know he wouldn't say anything bad or anything offended until the other person has.
He would probably hold his tongue if that happened...right?
"Are you going to just stand here or just enter the damn room?" I ask myself as I look back at his room door. "Oh, darn it up."
I walk over to the door and open it, not even surprised that Stupid hasn't even locked it. Just as I enter, I hear the shower running in the bathroom and my eyes widen.
Shit.
I eye the bathroom door, realizing he's taking a shower, and my hormones go crazy. I don't know what comes over me but I almost go and knock on itâalmost as my rationality comes back and I spring back from it.
Sighing, I climb into the bed and sit so that my back leaning against the headboard.
A relationship is like a whole city but unlike it, a relationship is not planned. It is supposed to be scary and spontaneous with no pre-installed destination at first. You take ground and just start working on it because you want to work for it not because you need to.
I have been in one relationshipâit didn't end well. But with Noah... It is like I am in mid-air of a lift and someone has to catch me. There are a lot of people who can but only one does and that's him.
I put my hands over my face, groaning. Ugh, I am so whipped.
I am about to get my phone out of my shorts' pocket when it buzzes. I unlock my phone and not surprisingly, the messages are from a familiar number.
Alyssa
10:43 pm
IRIS COOPER
IRIS
COOPER
Iris
10:44 pm
I am busy.
bye.
Alyssa
10:44 pm
No, you are not.
ANYWAY
I got kind of curious
Iris
10:45 pm
Aly, you know we don't have sword training areas
I mean if there were, we would have taken that instead of karate
Alyssa
10:45 pm
Lmao, I wish tho...
10:46 pm
you messed up my mind. DO NOT REPLY UNTIL I SAY SO.
so tom and I were watching beauty and the beast cuz why tf not.
that got me wondering how belle and bella are pretty much similar names.
10:47 pm
guess what, kid? Noah has been calling you *BELLA* for all this while.
SO CUTE
also now reply
Iris
10:47 pm
...what do you mean?
Alyssa
10:48 pm
UGH. WHY SO OBLIVIOUS?
THERE IS SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE INTERNET. GO AND SEARCH.
What? Quickly, I search for the meaning of the name andâ
I just freeze looking at the meaning. No wonder the movie was called The Beauty and The Beast but that also meansâOh my god. All this time, Noah has been calling me this and I call him what? 'Stupid'?
"Bella?"
I cover myself with the comforter, immediately hearing him and that name.
He starts, "What are youâ"
"Go away."
There is a slight pause before he replies in amusement, "Isn't your room next door, Bella?"
I groan and put my face into the pillow, falling sideways. This is it. This is how I think I should die, too flustered all because of this man.
"Bella?" The bed dips on my side as he sits beside me. I know his arms have caged me, so I don't have any chance to run away like a big fat idiot.
He murmurs, concerned, "What's wrong?"
I reply, "You didn't tell me."
He pauses. "Tell you what?"
Tired of his obliviousness, I pull down the comforter and turn towards him. He looks between my eyes, confused.
He says, "Bella, what happened?"
I am pretty sure I get redder which he notices as a small smile starts to form on his lips. So, he says, again but in a low voice, "Bella."
Groaning, I push him away and hide my face. "You are doing this on purpose."
I hear him chuckling. "You figured out what Bella means."
I peep at him. "Alyssa did but she didn't tell the meaningâjust to search it."
"Of course, she did." He rolls his eyes. I sit up and he lets me, putting some space between us.
"Why?" I ask him, genuinely. His expression softens, understanding what I mean.
"Because Bella means beautiful in Italian..." He tells me, slowly. He leans forward and tucks my hair around my ear with a small smile.
When he meets my eyes, he says, "And you are the only woman I find beautiful."
Did you feel that? Did you?
My heart just literally skipped a beat.
He leans forward and kisses my forehead. With that action, I feel water droplets fall on my face. I push him away, realizing he just...came out of the shower.
My mouth dries up at the sight of him.
Noah is in just grey sweatpants. His torso is on display under the low light of the lamp beside his bed. I have seen him half-naked a few times now, but it always takes my breath away.
His chocolate hair is wet and darker, styled back except some teasers are dangling upon his face. Being just some inches away from him, I can smell the lemony scent, courtesy of the shampoo.
But the sight that is surprising for me is Noah clean-shaven.
Within the days, I have known himâhe never shaves and even if he does, never does it so well as small stubble around his jaw grows back in roughly two days.
"Bella?" My eyes shift to his own as he raises his eyebrows at me. "You are staring."
I run a hand through my hair. "Not that I mind but I was just thinking why did you clean shave?"
He touches his jaw, looking away from me. "It was kind of messy."
"Have you met me?" I say, dryly, rolling my eyes. "You look good, anyway," I say, smiling.
"But you look beautiful every-fucking-day." Noah pulls me towards his chest by my waist. I accept the hug, wrapping my arms around his neck, as I shake my head.
"Why do you say that when I am just wearing everything oversized?" I ask him, almost laughing at the ridiculous statement.
He replies nothing for seven seconds until, saying, "Because I know. Because I want to say and I will."
I shake my head, again, pulling away from him. I look up at him and say, "I need to change."
And then, comes the obnoxious smirk. He asks, "Is that why you came into my room?"
"No. IâI just came because...I wanted to make sure you weren't kicked out," I say which isn't a lie.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," He says, giving me a look.
"You're welcome."
He laughs, leaning back on the bed. "Go on, choose anything from my bag."
I get up from bed and walk towards his suitcase which is stacked into the wardrobe. I take his brown sweater and black boxers without searching for much longer and go towards the bathroom, much to Noah's grimace.
"You can change here," He calls out.
"I am not going to give you a strip show," I say to him, poking into the room from the bathroom.
When I come out with my clothes and wearing his, I almost jump out of my skin, seeing Noah leaning against the wall. I realize he is waiting for me.
"Fuck." His breath catches when he looks at me. As his eyes sweep from my toes to my eyes, his Adam's apple bobs. He clears his throat, and I can see how badly he wants to comment on something snarky or... dirty but he holds back.
"Give me your clothes," He says, holding out his hands. Without any objection, I do and he gives me my phone. "There are some missed calls from Colt. I thought you already had called him?"
Climbing into bed, I reply to him, "I just called Mom and Dad after we reached and messaged ColtâI figured he was sleeping." When I unlock my phone, I gasp. "Holy shit, who called me fifty-nine times and who evenâOf courseâAditya."
As I put the comforter to my chin and message Colt about today, Noah comes into the comforter, telling me, "That's nothing to the hundred and four missed calls and sixty voicemails the guy has left me."
"Oh my god." I laugh, looking at him, before keeping the phone on the bedside table. "I can bet you didn't pick up once."
"I don't want to be interrogated like last time." He shrugs. "Want me to turn off the light?"
It is weird yet so comforting that we are so cool with each other as if we have done this a million times already. There's no awkwardness, just spontaneity and I like it.
I nod at his answer, snuggling more into the pillow. As he turns to shut off the light, the strong muscles on his arms flex slowly and torturously as he reaches towards the night lamp. Holy mama.
I don't look away even when the lights are off and Noah, finally, turns towards me. Just for a small moment, our eyes connect.
He is just so close to me that even in the dim light from the streets, I can see his chiseled features. His olive skin is as smooth as silk, shining a bit, and smells strongly of after-shave which I am starting to like a bitâjust a bit, for now.
His eyes shining clearly as a small amount of light falls on them. The amber reminds me of the sky during the sunrise. Or, like the golden sand of the beach.
Noah asks meâalmost nervously, "Can we cuddle?"
I smile and nod. When he scoots closer to me, I don't know why but I let out a little laugh at which he smiles.
He pulls me closer to his chest, putting the comforter upon us. I put my head against his chest, sighing, and he holds me softly yet tightly as if we will repel away from each other when the sun touches the sky.
"Good night, Bella," He whispers over my ears, drawing circles over my waist.
"Night, Noah," I reply, kissing him on his chest, and his breath hitches.
Small sparks are bursting around us with the occasional drumming of our fast hearts. This moment, right now, is all that matters.
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