Live A Little

Ch 12 : Him!

Alora p.o.v

Descending the stairs towards the dining area where everyone had gathered, I entered the room and took my usual seat. The silence was broken by Xander's unexpected announcement, "Alora, you will accompany Bruno today. I will come to pick you up later." This revelation took me by surprise.

"Are you going to see Elena?" I asked, drawing everyone's attention to me and then to Xander. "Who's Elena?" Dad inquired with a sly grin. Everyone turned their mischievous gazes towards Xander, causing me to smile. However, Xander seemed unfazed. I noticed Marco's smile fade into a stone-cold expression as our eyes met. What could I have possibly done to upset him?

"No one you need to worry about. Bruno and Alora, you two will be late," Xander declared, prompting Bruno and me to rise. We exited the room and headed towards his car. "He's going to see her, isn't he?" Bruno asked, eliciting a smile and a nod from me. He chuckled and started the car, filling the vehicle with the sound of our favorite songs.

---

Returning home with Xander trailing behind, the school day felt as fleeting as a blink of an eye. As I ascended the stairs towards my room, I froze at the sight of my slightly ajar door. I never left it open, which sent a wave of panic through me. I cautiously approached my room and peered through the open door. Relief washed over me as I spotted Bruno, but it quickly morphed into anger when I saw him munching on my stash of candy. I rushed over, slammed my bag on the bed, and startled Bruno. His eyes widened in panic, and before I could react, he bolted, prompting me to give chase.

"Bruno, stop!" I panted, struggling to keep up. "Will you promise not to hit me if I stop?" He called back, sprinting towards the kitchen. "Of course not!" I yelled, continuing the pursuit.

We both ended up by the counter, panting and trying to catch our breath. Seizing the opportunity, I launched an attack, running and jumping onto his back, causing us to spin. Despite my best efforts to strangle him, I was unsuccessful.

Bruno started spinning, which led to him colliding with the counter. We both tumbled to the ground, and the flour container on the counter toppled over us. Bruno laughed at me, prompting me to grab the entire container and dump its contents on his face.

Our laughter and playful banter were interrupted by a throat clearing. I turned to see the rest of the brothers and our dad looking down at us, amusement evident on their faces. Xander stepped forward just as Bruno flung a pack of cocoa powder at him. As the powder hit Xander, everyone's jaws dropped, including mine.

We all stared at him, frozen in shock at what had just transpired. Suddenly, Dad burst into laughter, causing everyone else to join in, except for Xander, who merely took a deep breath. "Oh, that was too funny," Dad said between fits of laughter. "Well, you guys should clean up. Zena and Elias will be here any moment," Vincenzo advised with an amused smile. At the mention of his name, my head perked up. "Why are they coming?" I asked, genuinely curious. "They are coming for dinner. Zena and Elias are arriving early as we have some work for them, while their parents will be joining us a bit later," Luca explained, helping me up from the floor.

I hummed in acknowledgment and walked away, dusting the flour off my clothes. As I headed towards my room, I noticed the pool. Out of curiosity, I approached it and began walking along its edge, gazing down at the water.

"You shouldn't stand at the corner," a deep masculine voice warned, causing me to turn and lock eyes with a pair of icy blue orbs. One moment I was looking into his eyes, and the next, I was submerged in water. It happened so fast that I couldn't comprehend what was happening. Being in the water brought back memories I'd rather forget. I quickly surfaced and glared at him. That bastard had pushed me!