Te Amo

Chapter Thirty One: You Know I Love You Right

Chapter Thirty One: You Know I Love You Right

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LAST CHAPTER! But there will be an epilogue. Thanks for all the faithful readers! <3

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Arya's POV

I couldn't believe school was over. I was planning to visit my family back in Mexico, Adrian would come with me. Alex too. He said he wanted to meet my parents formally and not over Skype. Which, I quite liked that he cared for that. It was sweet.

"Arya? Want Starbucks?" Alex calls as I type up a few songs I could dance to for my single dance competition.

"Yes!" I jump up and run downstairs to meet him. My hair was a mess so I had thrown it up in a bun, much to Alex's distaste. He didn't like when my hair was up because, and I quote, then he couldn't twirl the ringlet pieces around his fingers.

"What would you like?" He asks, pulling on his shoes.

"I am coming with you!" I sing song, slipping on my running shoes. I never bothered untying the laces, I just slipped them off and on. Alex learned to live with it, though he was constantly saying I was ruining the back of my running shoes. I just waved it off every time.

Alex grabs his wallet and opens the door, I walk out and he locks it behind him before taking my hand and walking with me as we head to Starbucks. I liked these kinds of mornings, which we had almost every day. I woke up any where around nine or ten, Alex had already been awake for some time. He finished his workout, made me breakfast because he didn't normally trust me in the kitchen then, he and I would be lazy. Until the afternoon. Or, sometimes before then, we'd get coffee at the closest Starbucks or Second Cup... Or he'd get it and bring it home for me.

We had a stronger bond than ever before. I loved it.

We walk into Starbucks and I freeze as my eyes land on a familiar figure. Familiar eyes and lips and nose and hair. I shiver in disgust. Alex seems to see him right after me and he holds me a little closer, a little tighter. Protectively.

"Arya?" Xavier asks softly.

I look away. I hadn't really talked to him since the incident, I really didn't want to. He would send me Facebook messages, text me, come to Alex's house for 'visits.' I did my very best to ignore him and not see him. I was doing well until now.

"Xavier, every single damn time you come over, she hides in the bathroom. Even after you leave it takes a lot of convincing to get her to come out. So take a hint and leave her alone." Alex all but growls.

Thankfully there were only two other people in the shop besides the workers. Both seemed quite into their devices to look up at the scene.

"I just want to talk to her! Is that too much to ask?" Xavier exclaims.

"Yes!" Alex replies.

"I'll talk to him." I say, barely above a whisper, directed at Alex.

Alex turns to me, looking at me with wide brown eyes. Lovely brown eyes. Eyes that sometimes, I'd forget to reply to his comment or question because I got lost in them. He kisses my forehead. "You don't have to."

"I want to. Go get our coffees." I say, once again my voice soft and fragile. Pathetic. I wish I had that attitude that had that, I don't care I'm badass vibe.

Alex hesitantly walks to the counter to order our coffees. Xavier looks at me like I'm a prized possession. A trophy, something to win. I shiver in disgust, and apparently it didn't look that way to Xavier. He takes a step forward.

"Arya, I'm very sorry for that night. I want to start over." He says gently.

"I can't just forget that night." I say, my voice already wavering.

"I'm not asking you to forget it, I'm just asking if we can start over. As friends. I was really drunk that night, I wasn't myself. I've never actually been so drunk before..." Xavier frowns, more to himself than me.

"Just... As acquaintances." I decide. I couldn't stay mad, I was terrible at staying mad. In fact, I don't think I was even mad. I was scared, upset, feeling like I was used. I still am.

"I'll take whatever I can get." Xavier smiles widely.

I nod. "You can go now."

"Why should I? Acquaintance here who wants to get to know you better."

"Acquaintance here who doesn't want to know you at all."

Xavier sighs. "Then I hope when Alex brings you for family occasions, I can talk to you. Because I want you, I want to have you like Alex has you. And I'm going to win you over, Alex isn't the only one with charm."

I can feel my eyes widen. He really wanted that? Me? What was I to him? A toy? A game?

"Oh Alex will bring me to every family occasion, but I won't be talking to you. I don't want you, I want Alex. I'll never be able to let him go. You'll never win me over, I'm not a toy or a game or a trophy. You lost all your charm the moment you decided that I was a thing to be fought over, a thing to be won. I love Alex and I would never go anywhere with you. Acquaintances we are, acquaintances we'll stay. You'll just be 'Alex's one cousin that I never get along with' to me. So leave me alone." I finish my speech with my voice at almost a yell. I had caught the attention of the two people with devices, they were looking at me curiously.

Alex was looking at me proudly and when a rather shocked employee handed him our coffees he leaned over and said, "that's my girl." Xavier held a shocked expression on his face, like he just couldn't believe I said that.

"Fine." He snaps, leaving the shop. I watch him go before turning to Alex.

"You my little one, are so very brave." Alex says, handing me the coffee and a chocolate chip cookie as we walk out of the store.

We head back home, and by that time I deem my coffee cool enough to drink. I sit on the couch, eating my cookie as I think about my friends. Izzy, though she had gone home for the summer, kept in touch. I quite liked that, I'd go crazy without her. Zoe had also gone home, we also kept in touch, but she was busy with work and friends back home. Ricky stayed, buying a apartment with Tristan. She finally admitted to liking him. Alecia and my brother... they took a liking to each other.

"What are you thinking about?" Alex interrupts my train of thought.

"My friends." I reply.

He nods and sits beside me. "You know I love you right?" Alex asks softly, looking at me with my favourite pair of brown eyes.

I nod, "I love you too."

"I know." He kisses my forehead.

"Do you think we can watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" I ask randomly.

Alex laughs. "You are the cutest."

He goes and gets my laptop, bringing it back downstairs. TMNT was something I watched and he would 'watch' with me. Usually he was on his phone, or staring at me, or playing with my hair. It was just a time when we could sit together yet not have to talk, which was nice cause sometimes my throat hurt if I talked too much. Even though I talked all the time.

Alex gets everything set up and clicks on an episode.

"You know I love you right?" He asks as he pulls me to him.

"You just asked that."

"You never gave me a proper answer."

"I know that you love me."

"Good, never forget it." He whispers.

"I won't. But you might have to tell me you love me everyday for me to remember." I say playfully, though my voice matching his whisper.

Alex takes a moment before he replies. "Arya," he whispers. "Te amo."