Pure Belleza | ✔️

(87)

The whole crew is crammed into Max and Amalia's apartment. Mom, dad, Lucas, Mills, Elias, Kiara, Bernie.

Flynn.

He walked in when I was in the middle of a conversation with Bernie, discussing the decisions I'd made in the last month. In truth, I was a grateful to have a reason to stall.

When Flynn and I finally talk, I'm going to have to tell him I've moved on. I'm not in a rush to have that conversation.

Still, I can tell he wants to talk as he watches me from the table of finger foods Amalia and Kiara arranged.

Max has Flynn's attention at the moment but I can't put it off forever.

"You're not mad then?" I ask Bernie who's sitting next to me on the sofa with a pair of mini cat eye sunglasses on and a cola flavoured lollipop in her mouth.

I've been gone for a month but she's grown up so much. Her hair is in pigtails and her neon orange crop top compliments her skin tone.

"I'm not mad," she says. "I'll miss you though. It was fun living our own little project runway. But I get it. You have to be wherever makes you happiest."

Her lips smack as she pulls the lollipop out of her mouth and gives me a big dramatic smile.

"I'm totally not dying inside," she says. "See? Happy face. You'll come back for my fourteenth birthday though, right? Nattie and I are going to try edibles for the first time."

Stupefied, I stare at her and peer at Kiara on the other end of the sofa. She's engrossed in conversation with mom and Elias and doesn't hear the adolescent rebellion unfolding right next to her.

"I'm kidding," Bernie slips a finger under her shades and rubs the corner of her eye. "It won't be the first time."

"Dude," I grumble with amusement.

"I'm totally kidding but I am curious. Like, would being high enhance my creative abilities? It would be so interesting to see what I could come up with under that influence? Feel me? I'll wait until I'm a bit older so I don't have to hide it from papa, because come on, that man can not be opposed to weed. He's an artist. Oh, have you been keeping up with the page? Harley's Instagram post blew up. The people love his story."

There's so much to digest in her long winded spiel that I decide to let most of it go and focus on the information that seems like safe conversation.

"Yeah, I saw. The comments were so sweet."

Harley and I had been texting on and off since I left. We hadn't had the chance to grow closer or get to know each other more before I left but it was nice keeping in touch with him. I wanted to remain friends and watch him get everything he's ever wanted in life. He deserves that.

"Na fuck off old man, there's no chance."

Lucas.

He and dad are standing at the breakfast bar and it's like looking at two of the same person. Max and Lucas might be twins but there's something about Lucas and dad that screams clone. It's their attitudes and their tone. Both of them are wearing caps, t-shirts and slacks while they stand with their tattooed arms folded.

It makes me laugh and Bernie raises a brow, peering at me over the rim over this slim sunglasses.

"Just Lucas and dad," I explain, nodding my head in their direction. "Something's about to go down. They're sizing each other up."

"I've got like," dad looks thoughtful for a moment. "Twenty something fucking years on you, dude. I will win."

"Bet," Lucas challenges and mom pinches the bridge of her nose.