𝗦𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗠 , m.sturniolo

1O, REAL LIFE x IMESSAGE

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SHE NEEDS HIM

chapter ten, WE DIDN'T NOTICE!

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 IT WAS A CHILLY winter night in Boston and Anastasia Paton was, for some odd reason, laying by the poolside. She had one leg in the water and the other laying straight on the concrete. Anastasia heard the sliding door open but paid no attention to it as the sound of her music was practically blocking it out.

"What the fuck," Nick spoke as he spotted the girl laying in shorts and a bikini top, in the middle of winter. "Stacy, you're going to get sick."

Stacy took out an AirPod and furrowed her eyebrows at Nick. "I'm fine, no need to worry!"

Nick was not convinced at all. He held out his hand to her and Anastasia reluctantly took it, allowing him to pull her up. Stacy wobbled for a few seconds but stood up straight with a smile.

"Where are the other two?"

Nick thought for a moment, trying to retrace his brothers' words. "Matt's at Layla's and Chris is asleep."

Anastasia frowned at the mention of the bright, blue-eyed girl but shrugged instead. There was no doubt a feeling of bitterness and hostility inside Stacy's body whenever Layla's name was mentioned. There was something about the girl that just bothered Stacy.

"Hah! You're jealous!" Nick shrieked after watching Stacy ponder in silence. Furrowed eyebrows and all.

Stacy gasped at his outburst, immediately shaking her head. "I am not!"

Nick smiled even wider. His teasing manner obviously began to annoy Anastasia because she stood up and stormed inside the house. She was definitely not upset with Nicolas, though Stacy was particularly mad at Matthew. Had he not seen the way Layla treated her? Let alone his brothers?

"You are too!"

Anastasia sighed loudly at Nick's argument and collapsed onto the living room loveseat. Nick bolted and then jumped onto the longer and larger sofa, sighing just as Stacy had.

"What the fuck?" A voice broke the comfortable silence.

The pair turned their heads to see Felix standing there with a girl. Yes, a girl. Stacy squealed and rushed over to her younger brother excitedly. Standing in front of him and waiting like a dog for him to introduce her to his new lady friend.

When Felix said absolutely nothing and just stared over Stacy's shoulder, Stacy sighed and held her hand out to the shy-looking girl. "Hello, I'm Anastasia. Or Stacy. Felix's older sister!"

"Hey, I'm Kayley!"

"Hang on... Kayley as in, Kayley Morris?" Stacy asked, hoping for an affirmative confirmation.

Her brown, almond-shaped eyes peered up into Anastasia's as she nodded. Stacy gasped, spinning around to look at Nick, whose head seemed to have spun faster than the brunette girls.

"Kayley, hey!" Nick grinned, walking over to give the girl a hug.

Kayley Morris was Leo Morris' younger sister. Stacy knew Leo from high school but she also knew that he and Nick hung out a lot. Felix loudly coughed to reannounce his presence.

"We know you're here, we're just ignoring you," Stacy fired at him as soon as he coughed.

Kayley giggled a little bit at the sibling banter, she immediately flung her hand to cover her mouth with wide eyes. Felix pursed his lips together, a spark of mischief in his eyes as he turned to Kayley.