𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦

Chapter. 18

Ayla

My phone began to ring in my pocket that's when I slipped it out and smiled at Noah's name.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Hey, my cousins dance recital is tomorrow and my aunt isn't feeling well. Dad's going but she just needs someone to do her makeup and I thought I'd ask you."

Alone with Matteo, again.

The universe is plotting against my failure.

"Will you be there?"

"Of course, I wouldn't let you go alone with my dad." He chuckled.

"Yeah sure, how old is she?"

"She just turned seven."

"Okay, what time?"

"Six, sorry these things are early."

"Okay."

The moment I got home I began planning my outfit. I pulled my box of moms old clothes from my closet and found one of her old shirts.

Dad doesn't like when I wear her clothes, he says it reminds him too much of her. He won't see so it's okay.

I laid out a fitted back shirt and jeans.

Smiling to myself before crouching down to Sundae.

"I'm gonna shower, okay?" He-she purred before I grabbed my towel and walked into the bathroom.

After taking a nice, warm shower I proceeded to slip into some cozy cotton shorts and a tight tank. Walking back into my room and locking the door.

"So sundae, I was thinking. It's almost been two months since we found each other. So I'm gonna throw you a little birthday. I'm gonna buy one of those small birthday hats and I'll make a cake. Does that sound fun or what?"

She rubbed her cheek against my arm before licking it. I smiled.

"I'll be gone for the day tomorrow because I'm going to do Noah's cousins makeup for her dance recital. Fun! I know!" I squealed.

"Look Sundae, I love you but you gotta stop clawing up my stuff when I'm gone. Okay?"

I got my body under the covers and held Sundae to my side. A soft sigh escaping my lips.

"You don't think I'm a bad person, right?" I asked.

I set her body down on my stomach.

"Right." I mimicked what I could imagine her voice sounded like.

"I'm not a bad person." I breathed.

Nine out of ten of the times if you even have to question it you're probably a bad person.

-

I was dressed and ready by five before my phone vibrated and I got a notification from a unknown number.

It's Matteo, I'm outside.

"Don't cause any trouble, sundae? Okay?"

"Wish me luck?"

All while pushing my window up I wondered how he got my number, more the less-why he was texting me and why it had not been Noah.

Shrugging it off while seeing his car.

I pulled open the backseat door just to see a small girl in the back and only Matteo in the front.

"Where's Noah?"

"He had a practice he didn't know about today so he couldn't make it."

Fuck me.

Again.

A whole day with hot Paris guy. Great.

"Hi!" The small girl told me.

"Hi! I'm Ayla, what's your name?" I asked, trying to disregard my spoiled feelings for this trip.

"Stella!" She beamed.

"I heard you're dancing, what kind of dance?" I asked.

She excitedly bounced in her car seat before whipping her head to me.

"I have my first solo today!" She clapped her hands.

"Wow, are you excited?"

"It's all she's been talking about." Matteo sighed, turning a corner.

"It's lyrical."

"I'm sad mommy can't be here, but uncle Matteo said he would send her a video, right!" She confirmed with her uncle.

"Of course." He nodded.

"Mommy ate bad fish and now she's sick."

Kids were so brutally honest, my gosh.

"You're really pretty, I like your hair." She reached up with her small arms and ran her fingers through my hair.

"Thank you, I like your hair. You're curls are very pretty." I smiled.

"You like my hair?" She asked, scrunching a strand of her hair.

"The girls at school told me my hair was ugly, I told mommy I wanted to straighten it and she said no-" I felt her sadness.

When I was little people used to make fun of my clothes, and my shoes. Dad smoked so often the smell clung to the fabric.

"You know.. when I was little kids used to make fun of me for the dumbest things like my clothes."

The small girl gasped before shaking her head quickly.

"I love your clothes!"

"Just don't listen to them okay, babe? You're beautiful, half of the people who hate on you wished they looked half as pretty as you." I rubbed her small hand in mine before she clutched it.

I drunk in her small smile before tucking one of her curls out of her face.