Chapter 3
Who is she?
This question lingered in my mind as my eyes stayed fixed on them. They started walking towards me and I followed their every step while standing at the door. He still didn't notice me as he was busy talking with his friend while that girl still had her hand on his arm as she was busy looking around the beautiful architecture of the Riviera mansion. Her long hair cascaded on the side of her face and moved as she turned her face. I just kept looking at how they looked together.
My heartbeat became fast as they started walking towards me. All the excitement I was feeling to see him was long gone and the emotion I was feeling now was something which I couldn't describe in words because I had never felt this kind of burn in my chest. Just as they started climbing the steps he took off his black sunglasses and that's when his amber eyes fell on me. Not only him, but I also found two more pairs of eyes looking at me in curiosity.
"You never told me you have such a beautiful sister," the woman said with a big smile on her face, making the burn I was feeling in my heart increase even more after hearing her words. My face hardened as I looked at him without any spark of happiness on my face. After listening to her he didn't even open his mouth to correct her. Instead, he kept looking at me with his amber eyes still fixed on my face making me a bit inside of my cheeks. I often do it when I don't feel good on the inside. So that's what I'm to him, a little sister. The moment I saw that woman stepping out of the car I knew he didn't remember the promise he made me. How stupid I'm to make these hollow dreams for five years.
"Hey I'm Alisha and he is Jason," she said with the same smile on her face as she introduced herself and her other friend. Her words made me come out of my thoughts.
"Welcome," I said with a straight face in my emotionless voice as I avoided looking at him, saying that I turned on my toes and walked inside away from him and his friends leaving the house door open. I heard their steps following me but I didn't turn to spare them a glance and walked fast. I walked into the living room where grandma and aunty Charlotte were conversing in a hushed tone. They stopped talking when they saw me. I went and hugged grandma as I rested my head on her shoulder. I need her warmness very badly to somehow lessen the burn in my chest.
"What happened honey," she asked as she wrapped her arm around me lovingly. She immediately sensed my change of mood. She knew I was excited to see him but now that excitement was nowhere to be found.
"Nothing, I just feel tired," I said, burying my face in her neck as I felt his stare at me.
"Darling, do you want me to make you some coffee?" aunty Charlotte asked me. I denied her as I moved my head in no.
"Mom" I heard his rich voice addressing his mother to get her attention. Hearing his voice after so long made my heart race fast.
"My baby is home after a whole year," aunty said and stood up to hug her son which I saw from the corner of my eyes.
"I missed you so much," aunty said as her eyes filled with tears.
"Mom, don't cry," he said as he hugged her back, still looking in my direction as I completely ignored him.
"Grandma, how are you," he said as he came forward to meet his grandma. Grandma didn't let go of me but she patted his cheeks lovingly.
"I'm doing good my child but why have you grown to be so skinny?'' she questions him as she looks all over his frame adjusting her glasses on her nose. Skinny he had more muscles on him than the last time I saw him.
"Mom grandma, these are my friends Alisha and Jason. They will spend their break here with us," he said, introducing them to his family as I kept quiet with my eyes closed.
"I have already prepared rooms for you. Our maid will show you your rooms. You must be tired from the journey. Go get some rest. I will call you down for lunch when it's ready" aunty said I could hear the smile in her tone. Then she called one of the maids to show them their rooms. I felt the place beside me getting dipped as it was occupied. I knew who was sitting beside me as I could smell a familiar cologne.
"Mom, do you think someone is mad at me," he asked in his amused voice as I felt his eyes on me as he talked with his mother.
"What did you do this time to make her mad," aunty questioned him as I remained quiet with my eyes closed.
"Maybe showing up," he said in the same tone, still looking my way.
"Don't disturb her. She is tired" grandma said as she moved her hand on my back taking my side. She was always on my side.
"Tired from talking all day," he said in his mocking tone, making me bite my inner cheeks again. He was making me madder than I was.
"Hey, brother your back" I heard another familiar voice which made me short open my eyes and look at that person.
"Oh, my God, today is full of surprises for me," I heard Kavin say in his cheerful voice as he saw me.
"Kevin" I squealed his name and ran towards him getting out of grandma's warm arms. I hugged him as he lifted me a little up from the floor as he hugged me, making me chuckle.
"I missed you," I said while looking at him with a big grin on my face when he put me down on my legs. Kevin is the second son of the River family and my best friend. He was just a year older than me.
"I missed you more," he said, matching the grin on my face. We were always partners in crime. We have done so many pranks together.
"Wasn't she tired a few seconds ago?" I heard him sneer from behind my back but I ignored him.
"Lu, let's go and play the new PlayStation I bought. I have been saving it for us," he said in his excited voice, making my eyes light up in delight.
"You bought a new game," I exclaimed with surprised eyes. He nodded yes, making me grin even more.
"Let's go" I took his hand to drag him towards his room to play.
"Mom sends some snacks for us," he said, turning his head to look at his mom as I was dragging him.
"Yes I will but don't play it for hours and come down when I call you for lunch" we heard his mother's distant voice as we were now almost in front of his room. We played for like an hour and a two. I bet Kavin three times and he won two times by cheating.
"That's cheating," I yelled as he attacked me when I was sipping my juice.
"My friend, everything is fair in the game and war," he said as he attacked me again while wiggling his eyebrows.
"That love and war dummy," I said as I counter-attacked him, making him groan.
"Whatever it's game for me," he
said as he concentrated on defeating me.
"I miss Ella," I said in my sad voice as I was done defeating him for the fourth time. I wanted to share everything with her.
"Why didn't you bring her with you this time," he asked as he threw his controller on the bed and started munching on chips as he looked at me from under the lashes. A mischievous smile graced my lips.
"Why do you miss her too," I asked as I wiggled my eyebrows making him put more chips in his mouth.
"No," he said with a mouth full of chips as he tried avoiding my eyes.
"Liar," I said and a blush rose on his face, making me poke him on his arm as he still tried to avoid my eyes. As I was teasing him we heard knocking on the door. A maid came and told us to come down for lunch. Kevin immediately stood up to run away from my teasing.
"Do you want to talk with her? I'm going to call her after lunch?" I said on my way down to tease him more. He looked at me with lit eyes for a second but he soon masked them as he understood I was teasing him, making me laugh as I caught him.
"Stop teasing me," he said as we neared the dinner table.
"Ok fine don't sulk, Romeo," I said as I took my seat beside him. Grandma and aunty were already there. They too know about his crush on Ella. They understood I was talking about her as they moved their heads in amusement.
"So who is the unlucky girl?" I heard a familiar voice ask as he came down dressed in sweatpants and a body-hugging t-shirt. He was still looking at me expecting an answer from me but I looked away and did not reply to him. Kevin looked at me with a frown.
"Why would that girl be unlucky? I'm way nicer than you" Kavin said in his grumpy voice.
"Wow it smells delicious" I heard a woman's voice before he could reply to his brother. He started to walk where I was seated but she grabbed his arm, stopping him. Grandma cleared her throat and she let go of his hand.
"Seat beside me," she said with her pleading eyes and I saw everything with my hard eyes. They both took seats in front of me in the meantime, their friend too came down to join us for lunch.
"Aunty, I can't eat so much. I already ate so many chips and spicy rolls," I said as she put more food on my plate.
"No complaints, you have still not even finished half of the food, finish it fast then I will give you ice cream," she said with a smile. They all used the same trick on me, making my shoulder slump.
"Aunty, not you too dad has been using my weakness enough against me," I huffed looking at her and then at the food on my plate. Alisha looked at me as she heard me saying aunty realising I'm not his sister. He kept looking at me as I whined.
"Honey, finish it for grandma," grandma said with pleading eyes making me poutine as I can't say no to her.
"There will be two footballs on the ground when I go back to school," I said, putting food in my mouth with a sour face and making them laugh.
"So you play football," Jason asked me, suddenly making everyone look at us. I nodded my head yes as I singled Kevin to move his plate near me. He slides it and I put more than half of the food on his plate without letting anyone notice our exchange. He always helped me out. I lifted my head to see if someone noticed and found Jason grinning at me as he caught us. Thank God he didn't say anything and kept munching on his food making me smile back at him. I averted my eyes to find amber eyes already fixed on me. He had witnessed everything. I turned my eyes back to my plate to finish it so I could have ice cream.
"Mom, Luna again gave her food to Kevin" I heard a firm voice making my body shiver as he called my name. Aunty ordered Kavin to put my food back on my plate and she started scolding him. I looked at him with glaring eyes who were looking back at me with a hard face but there was a hint of a grin on his face. He was expecting me to yell at him but I kept quiet.
How wrong of him to think I will talk with him after the stunt he pulled.