Right On Track

Chapter 27

The doorbell of the villa rang,as Kiara had heard while walking out of her room.Everyone was still asleep.Well,everyone else besides Elijah,who was watching cartoons in the lounge while eating the breakfast Kiara had gotten him.
"The door,Ki."Elijah said from the lounge.
Kiara made her way down the stairs and through the hallway that led to the front door."Yeah,yeah.I'm getting it."
She approached the door and looked through the peephole,then immediately opened the door.
"Dad?"
Toto smiled,his arms crossed."Happy Birthday,Kiara."
She grinned and moved straight into his arms for a hug.
"Thanks for coming."She said while they hugged.
He gave her a pat on the back and they pulled away.
Elijah hurried over to see who was at the door.He stopped,peeking out from behind Kiara.
"Is that Elijah I see over there?"Toto smiled,leaning down a little.
Elijah nodded and waved,a little shy.
"Woah,you got bigger."Toto said,winking at him."And I heard you're quite the fast one in karting."
"I placed second in my race a few days ago."Elijah said.
"Wow."Toto said."Good job."
Kiara looked down at Elijah,then smiled.She then glanced at her father's bags and gestured for him to come inside as she picked up his suitcase.
"No,let me."He said,trying to take back the suitcase.
Kiara ignored him and carried on walking towards the stairs while saying."Your room is the second-last one on the right,if you don't mind."
"I'm switching with you if I don't like it."He joked,following behind while giving Elijah a high-five.
Kiara heard someone coming down the stairs.
"No,idiota."Carlos said while coming down,wearing a white T-shirt and shorts.He motioned for her to let him help carry it up as he said."God,Wolff.How much luggage do you actually have left."He took the suitcase from Kiara before she could object."Woah,what do you have in here?Pounds of accessories and stuff like that?"
"What is he doing here?"Toto lifted his eyebrows.
"Uhh..."Carlos trailed off,as he finally noticed Toto walking over to him."Oh that was yours-"
"Dad-"Kiara said.
"I'll take that,Sainz"Toto said,taking the suitcase from Carlos and moving past to walk up the stairs."Now go-"
"Dad,no!"Kiara snapped."He's staying with us for the trip."
Toto glanced between her and Carlos.Well,his hard gaze lingering on Carlos,who shifted in the spot he stood.
Kiara shook her head at her father.Then,he sighed and turned to go up the stairs."I'll have a word with you later,Ferrari boy."
Kiara gave Carlos an apologetic look and he forced a smile,then turned and quickly walked away.
Kiara followed him into the kitchen,where he got a glass of water and sighed before gulping it down.
"Well,that was scary."He said.
Kiara leaned her elbow against the kitchen counter."I'm sorry,okay?"
"He probably hates me even more now."He dragged a hand through his hair and took a shaky breath.
"He doesn't hate you,Carlos."She chuckled at his wariness.
"Yes,he does."Carlos said."Mostly because of the Australian Grand Prix..."
"Can you relax,you idiot?"She said.
He shook his head.
"Carlos,I need help."Elijah ran into the kitchen and tugged on Carlos's T-shirt.
"What's wrong,niño?"Carlos knelt down to Elijah's level.
"The channels are in Spanish."Elijah said."I need help to change it."
Kiara held back a laugh."So,since you woke up you've been watching in Spanish?"
Elijah shrugged."I didn't know how to change it."
Carlos laughed,then left the kitchen and allowed Elijah to lead him to the lounge.Kiara watched him leave,seeing the stolen glance along with it as he quickly added."Happy Birthday,by the way."
She knew that her idea from the night before had worked.Leaving him the way she had was her way of getting back at him for most of the things he had done.Last night,she had to stop herself from laughing as she watched the confusion laced with longing on his face.And no,that would only be the first time.Whenever she could find an opportunity to do it again later on,she would take it.
A few minutes later,Alora walked into the kitchen.She muttered a good morning to Kiara,then moved to scratch around for something in the fridge.
Charles soon came by as well,still looking sleepy as he dragged a hand through his brown hair and yawned.
"Morning."Kiara said,then purposefully walked out of the kitchen to leave the two of them alone.

"But I'm not hungry!"Elijah exclaimed as Lina handed him his food.
Kiara shrugged,giving her mother a look that said.You're on your own with this one.
"You can't go for a swim later if you don't eat now,Elijah."Carlos said."The later you eat,the later we go to the beach."
"Oh,come on!"Elijah threw up his hands in frustration,then started to pick at his food.
"So..."Charles said."What do the Wolff twins have planned for their birthday?"
Alora shrugged."Not much,I guess."
"Because they're boring."Elijah added.
Alora gave him a flat look and he smiled before going back to eating.
"You didn't scrap my idea about the jet-ski rides,right?"Toto said from where he sat to Kiara's right.
"Nope,"Kiara told him."Still first on the list."
He smiled,suggesting."So,straight from here we go?"
"I guess so."
Elijah pouted."Alora said I can't go with."
"Aren't you going to be on the boat with Aunty Lina?"Alora arched a brow."You can't leave her alone there."
Elijah sighed."Fine..."
"So,it's an adults only activity?"Carlos whispered into Kiara's ear,leaning a little from where he sat to her left.She lightly kicked him under the table and he managed to suppress a laugh.
"What was that,Sainz?"Toto asked,looking straight at Carlos.
"Uh-"
"Nothing."Kiara said,giving her father a look that told him to stop what he was doing.She then glanced at Carlos,who had gone quiet again as he avoided Toto's glare by drinking from a glass of juice.
Kiara could clearly tell that her father was sceptical about Carlos.But the part that kind of annoyed her was that he was perfectly fine with Charles.Honestly,was it so hard to look at Carlos the same way?She would have to confront her father about it.As much as she and Carlos weren't even in a real relationship.She would still have to do it for the stunt,even though it was her own father she would confront in such a way.
"Done!"Elijah declared as he slightly pushed his empty plate away."Can we go now?"
Kiara looked at her cousins enthusiastic expression,then nodded.
Some time later,they were in their way to the beach.Alora had hired the boat,for the whole day.Kiara had only found out about it when she had reached Formentara.
"It's too big for him..."Charles held back a laugh while helping Elijah to put on his life-jacket.It was,in fact,too big.It even reached the poor little boy's nose.Charles took it off him and Alora helped the man who worked there to find a better size.
"Thanks."Kiara said to the man as he brought her one of the life-jackets.She looked at it,assuming it to be the perfect size.
He smiled,blue eyes shining."Need help?"
Kiara glanced around,noting Carlos's presence behind her.She looked back at the man and nodded with a smile."Please,these things annoy me."
He stepped closer to assist,his fingers fumbling on the two buckles that needed to be clipped across her chest and belly.
"And your name is?"Kiara asked.
He met her gaze,blond hair shining against the sunlight."Matteo.But you can call me Matt,Ms.Wolff."
"You know my name?"She lifted an eyebrow.
"Of course I know your name."He laughed."I'm a Red Bull fan."
"Wow."She said,smiling as she felt Carlos step closer from behind.It was working...
"And also..."He added."You guys hired one of my boats and my jet-skis."
She shook her head."Man,I should have guessed that."
Matt stepped back when he finished with the buckles,asking."How many times have you used a jet-ski before?"
"Two or three times."She replied."But I'm not the best at it.I always end up losing control."
"Aren't you the racer here?"He lifted an eyebrow.
"Hey,that's different."She chuckled,pointing a finger at him.
He laughed."Really?"
Carlos finally snapped,as she had expected.He stepped up beside her and studied Matt.
But Kiara had it all planned out.She completely ignored Carlos and walked over to Matt,asking."Could you maybe help me,this time?"
He shrugged."If you say so."
She bit back a smile as she could practically feel Carlos's gaze hardening on her.Little did the Spaniard know,this was only the start.
A few moments later,they were boarding the boat,Matt assisting each person to board.He picked up Elijah and placed him on the boat,the seven-year old catching his balance again as he was set down on the deck.
Alora and Charles were on the boat already,Lina seeing to Elijah while Toto looked over the railing at the water.
Carlos stepped onto the boat before Kiara then turned to offer her a helping hand.
She pretended as if though she didn't notice it,taking Matt's hand instead.Carlos just glared at both her and Matt after that as they brushed past him.
Matt steered the medium-sized boat further into the water,stopping a few minutes later in the right spot while he lowered the jet-skis into the water.
Toto got onto the first one,immediately starting to steer off a little with a grin on his lips.
Alora got onto the second one,Charles rather being a passanger as Alora insisted that she wanted to drive it.They were soon following behind Toto,most-likely to race him as Alora called his name.
There were two more jet-skis,meaning that Alora had booked the right amount.
Kiara,avoiding Carlos as soon as he was about to help her onto one,moved over to Matt as he allowed the boat to idle.
Matt smiled at her,then they walked over to one of the jet-skis.
He got on first,then reached out a hand to help her onto it.She was soon sitting right behind him,hands on his shoulders to steady herself.
Carlos,getting more agitated by the second,met Kiara's gaze as he got onto the last jet-ski.
Kiara sent a wink his way before Matt steered away.And he narrowed his eyes on them at that.
Matt steered towards Alora and Charles first,then sped past them,Kiara sticking her tongue out at her sister.
Alora exclaimed."Hey,wait up!"She started to speed forward,Charles warning her to be careful.
"Woah-"Kiara laughed as the jet-ski bounced on the water.
"Hold on."Matt grinned,sharply turning it at a high speed.
She yelped and wrapped her arms around his waist to hold on tighter.Shit,she felt as if she would fly off at any moment as the wind flew past during the high-speed across the water.
"Come on,Kiara."Matt joked."You drive one of the fastest vehicles out there all the time.Plus,it's your birthday."
"There's at least seatbelts in those cars,Matt!"She told him.
He laughed and slowed down a little for her.That allowed her to glance across the blue waters for a moment.She saw Carlos nearby,not riding too fast.But rather observing her at a distance.She quickly looked away from him and said to Matt."Let's do that again."