Celeste's childhood wasn't something she loved talking about. It was filled with nothing but painful memories. Whether they were the ones from when her father, along with her brothers, left, or the ones from her mother's death and her stepfather's a...
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I HARDLY BREATHED as I studied the stranger standing a few feet away from me.
Isabella didn't seem to be a lot shorter than my father — a few inches by most. She didn't seem a lot younger, either. Her eyes were the lightest shade of brown, glimmering underneath the light, and her hair hung loosely over her shoulders, extending all the way to her waist. A black suit perfectly hugged her body, accompanied by a black turtle neck underneath it. Silver piercings were evident across her ears, and silver rings, along with black ink littered her hands and her fingers.
Her image flickered before me as I blinked, my hand reaching out to the chair by my side in an attempt to steady my weight.
My childhood was a blur. It was a treasure I had buried far from my mind's reach, and I was almost sure that my aunt was a fragment of what laid within the treasure. Nothing else would explain why she sounded too familiar. Nothing else would explain why she looked too familiar, either.
It made sense that Isabella would be my father's sister, but at the same time—and for a reason I failed to wrap my mind around—it didn't. Although the woman standing before me was oddly familiar, she wasn't. I had no memories of her. I couldn't recall speaking to her or being around her. I couldn't recall spending a millisecond along with her.
I tilted my head, knowing too well that she was waiting for a response of mine, that she was watching me, anticipating a reaction, anything. "I don't remember you," I admitted honestly. Her response didn't come right away.
For a fleeting moment, as I drowned in the silence echoing across the walls, it felt as though I were the stranger over here, not her. It felt as though I were an intruder who'd forcefully stormed into the life of my biological family, turning it upside down. One that had invaded their property without permission and turned into a burden for them.
My throat remained dry, no matter the number of times I swallowed my saliva back. I was about to turn my gaze to my side to where I knew my father and my brothers were, but her voice stopped me.
"I didn't expect you to," she said with ease, smiling warmly. "I came prepared to give you a whole introduction about myself and let you know how much of an amazing woman I am."
Armani scoffed.
She elbowed him.
They glared at each other.
"Don't lie to my kid," Armani said.
Isabella let a huff out. "Don't be such an asshole in front of your kids, then."
Armani's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't remember inviting you over. Why are you here, anyway?"
"You asked me to pick Marco and Dante up from school," was her response. Her eyes narrowed slightly at my father. "I didn't want to leave before pissing you off. Wouldn't miss the chance."
