Blessing in Disguise (MM)

Chapter Eleven

ARIS' POV

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This morning has been busy which makes the day go faster. Not that I'm wishing my time away but I said I'd go visit my father just before I pick up Elodie from school. My doctor keeps telling me that I'm burning the candle at both ends, but I must go on otherwise my life will come crashing down.

"You know it's weird to think that you're looking after my boyfriend's niece," Luca comments from behind me as he cleans the coffee machine.

My lips curl. "You guys get married and she'll legally be your niece too."

His eyes widen as he takes a moment to think. "Oh shit," his mouth parts. "Yeah."

I chuckle softly and get back to filling up the cupboards under the counter whilst there are no customers to serve. "How has everything been going?" He asks.

"Nick hates me."

Luca gawks at me. "What? I doubt it."

I breathe through my nose sharply and nod before taking a pair of scissors and opening a cardboard box that is taped shut. "Trust me," I nod with enthusiasm. "He does."

"Do you think he hates the world or you specifically?" Luca places a hand on his lip and flexes a brow at me."

My eyes wander to the ceiling as I ponder his question. "Both."

Luca scoffs at me. "Please. You're doing him a favour, why would he hate you?"

"He doesn't talk to me!" I exclaim. "And it's driving me insane. It's literally like talking to a brick wall sometimes. And when I talk he just stares at me like he wants to run me over with his fancy car and then back again. I can see the tendencies behind his cold green eyes, which are stupidly attractive in the worst kind of way."

The expression on Luca's face is not what I expected right now. His eyes are lit up and he's poking his tongue into the inside of his cheek. God, I don't even want to know what he's thinking but curiosity gets the better of me.

"What?"

"You think that he's stupidly attractive?" His eyebrows wiggle suggestively and I recoil like I've been burned by hot coals.

I shake my head instantly. "No."

"Uh huhhh," Luca smirks at me this time, folding his arms over his chest like he knows better.

"That's not what I said," I grumble and shoot him daggers at the same time. "His eyes are attractive I guess... or pretty, handsome, whatever you want to call them." For some reason I keep talking and Luca's eyebrows raise again in amusement. I wave my hands in front of me to recover from that ridiculous outburst. "Oh my God. It doesn't matter."

Luca releases a laugh and gets back to the coffee machine, a smug smile plastered across his face. "Just admit it," he drawls. "You're intimidated by him because you fancy him, because you think he's attractive. I don't blame you, he is Declan's brother after all and they carry some amazing genes considering their father is a complete asswipe."

I remember him telling me about what their father tried to do to Chessman's, the way he made it out to look like Declan had a plan to sabotage the business all along. I've never been so angry to know that he could do that to his own son and Luca and think that he would get away with it.

"I don't fancy him," I screw up my face.

Luca flashes me another grin but he doesn't look my way. "You keep telling yourself that."

I roll my eyes and glance at the clock. It's approaching one o'clock and I'm eager to go and see my father. Since I've started working for Nick, I haven't had as much time to see him and I need to make more of an effort. I'm the only one who does and he deserves better.