His

November, 13th (2)

Ace's POV:

I stare at her as she eats lunch, talking to Mia occasionally, and asking Ashley if she needs anything. She doesn't notice my stare, or if she does, she hides it well.

I don't care if she minds it, after all, she is mine.

Her hazel orbs are not as dull as they were before; they light up at Mia's jokes, her eyebrows furrow when she expresses confusion, her light giggles are melodic, her auburn locks in the cutest bun I've ever seen, the escaped tendrils framing her diamond shaped face, her round glasses complementing her face. It's cute how her glasses sit on her nose, how she scrunches her nose, once, twice, without even realizing it, like a bunny, how she narrows her eyes when she looks at me suspiciously as an answer to something Mia said, probably something from when I was young, how her lips make a perfect 'o' when she is surprised, how she replies to something Ashley says in a calm, motherly tone, how she talks to Mia as an old friend, how she tries to ignore my stare as best as she can but ends up glancing at me every few minutes or so, making the briefest eye contact before looking back to her plate. I silently chuckle at her cuteness.

I see Ashley stare at me from the corner of her eye, her plate empty in front of her. I shift my gaze towards her and realize she doesn't resemble Nymphadora in the slightest, with her straight cinnamon hair versus Nymphadora's auburn curls. Ashley's hazel green versus Nymphadora's hazel gray. Different nose structures, a sharp jaw for Nymphadora and a soft one for Ashley. Even their eye shape is different.

"Nymphadora? You done?" I ask and Dora's eyes shoot to mine. She nods hesitantly, slightly. "Follow me to the study, will you?" She glances at Mia as if asking for silent approval. Mia squeezes her hand with an encouraging smile.

She stands up, following me out of the kitchen into my study. I let her enter first, locking the door behind me. I sit at my desk and look at Nymphadora standing in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do.

"Nymphadora, sit," I motion towards the chair in front of me with my head. She obeys.

"Would you mind if I asked you some questions?" I ask her once she is settled.

"Umm... okay?" She says, somewhat confused.

"What's your relation with Adeline Nyx Snow?" I ask, starting with the basic questions.

"She is my aunt."

"Where are your parents?" I know everything about her, but I want to hear it from her. Her eyes harden up.

"Dead." There is a coldness to her voice. I don't budge.

"How did they die, Nymphadora?" I ask in a low voice.

"Fire," she says with an air of finality but I keep on going.

"How old were you then?"

She stares at me, eyes hard, mouth pressed in a thin line, jaw clenched, shoulders squared, voice unwavering.

"6." She finally replies.

"Is that why you are claustrophobic?" She nods.

"And is your aunt why you don't like being touched?"

She looks away. "Yes."

"Ashley isn't your biological sister, is she?"

She hesitates before answering. "No, she is my cousin. Her parents died when she was 4."

"Do you have any biological siblings, then?"

"Had, yes." Of course, he was my best friend.

"Why didn't you run away, Nymphadora?"