Perdido para siempre

12

"Oh no," Cole whispers, his face going pale as a look of pure terror spreads across it.

"What? What's wrong?" Peter asks, starting to turn around to see what's freaking his friend out so much.

"No," Cole hisses. "Lilly, Peter, don't turn around. Two older kids are coming this way. One of them is the guy I told you about—the one who almost took out some kid's eyes once, and the guy was way older than us." His voice is full of anxiety.

Lilly feels a chill run down her spine. If someone was capable of something like that, they had to be seriously dangerous.

"Oh no, oh no," Cole mutters, panicking. "He's almost here."

Luke squints his eyes like he's trying not to look, as if he's about to witness a massacre.

Lilly's heart is racing. She forces herself to stay still, not daring to turn around or run, afraid that might just make things worse.

Then, out of nowhere, strong hands land on her shoulders, giving them a little squeeze.

"Hey, little sister."

Lilly's heart stops for a split second before she turns around—only to come face-to-face with her brother, Ethan, standing beside Apollo.

"Ethan? What are you doing here? You scared me," she says, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"Wow, nice to see you too," Apollo says, sitting down next to her and rummaging through his lunch. "Hey, why does Mom leave you notes? She never leaves me any." He sounds genuinely annoyed.

"These your new friends, Lils?" Ethan asks, giving the boys a quick once-over.

"We're Cole, Peter, and Luke, sir," Cole answers for all three of them. If Lilly weren't still so confused, she might have found the situation funny.

"Right. Well, this is my sister, and I'm pretty sure you all know enough about me to know to be careful," Ethan says, his voice carrying just enough warning.

"Alright, that's enough. I think you've traumatized enough nine-year-olds for today," Apollo says, getting up and grabbing Ethan by the backpack. "We just stopped by to tell you Alex is picking you up after school. We've got practice."

—

Just like her brothers said, Alex is waiting for Lilly at the school gates, looking as relaxed as ever. He's wearing a navy-blue suit, but no tie, with the top buttons of his shirt undone. He's leaning against the hood of his car, and the second he spots her, he opens his arms wide.

"Hey, little one. Missed you," he murmurs as he hugs her. "Tell me everything about your first day."

Lilly nods against his chest, soaking up the warmth of his embrace.

"Alright, let's go. We've got plans this afternoon."

"What kind of plans?" Lilly asks curiously as she climbs into the back seat.

"Lots of surprises," Alex teases, winking at her.

"So, how was your first day?" he asks as he pulls onto the road.

"It was good! We played at recess, and I made three new friends," Lilly says proudly.

"That's awesome. I'm really happy for you," Alex says, smiling at her in the rearview mirror.

After about twenty minutes, Lilly frowns. "Where are we going?"

She doesn't know the exact way home yet, but she's pretty sure they're headed in the wrong direction. They left the quiet neighborhood with her school and house a while ago, and now they're driving through the city.

"Well," Alex says casually, "Ethan and Apollo's birthday is in two days, and I thought you might want to help pick out a present for them."

Lilly's face lights up. "Really?!"

"Yup. So, what do you say? Want to help me find the perfect gift?" he asks, turning to look at her.

"Yes!" Lilly says, practically bouncing in her seat.

"Alright then, let's go," Alex says, stepping out of the car.

Lilly reaches for the door handle, but no matter how hard she pulls, it won't open.

A second later, Alex opens it from the outside.

"Don't give me that look," he chuckles at her pout. "All cars have child locks."

Lilly steps out, taking the hand he offers. Only then does she notice the three black SUVs parked behind Alex's car. A dozen security agents step out, scanning the area.

"What should we get them?" she asks, turning her attention back to Alex.

"Well, Ethan's into boxing, and Apollo plays rugby, so I was thinking something for their sports," Alex says.

Lilly nods, smiling as Alex holds the door open for her.

The store is huge, with multiple floors full of different sports gear.

But as soon as they step inside, Lilly notices something weird—people are whispering, pulling out their phones, and discreetly snapping pictures.

"Alex?" She tugs on his sleeve, making him look down at her. "Why are they taking pictures of us?"

"Ignore them, Lilly," Alex says quietly. "Let's just get the gifts." He casually raises a hand in a small wave to the crowd, trying not to make things worse.

Twenty minutes later, they've picked out a pair of sleek black boxing gloves with gold accents for Ethan and a new rugby jersey for Apollo. While Alex pays, Lilly clings to his shirt. She hasn't looked outside, but she has a bad feeling the crowd has only grown bigger.

"Your Highness," one of the security guards says, "I'm afraid the exit is going to be a challenge. Word has spread, and there's now a crowd blocking the entrance."

Lilly's stomach drops. Too many people. Too many eyes.

"Hey, Lils, it's okay," Alex kneels in front of her, noticing the fear on her face. "It'll only take a second to get to the car." He brushes a loose strand of hair behind her ear before standing and taking her hand.

The store's entrance is packed. Hundreds of people are pressed against the doors, phones raised, trying to get a look at them.

The moment the doors open, the noise is deafening—shouts, cheers, the sound of cameras clicking nonstop. But Alex keeps his promise, moving fast and leading Lilly straight to the car in seconds. She slumps into the seat, taking deep breaths to calm herself, while outside, Alex gives the crowd a quick smile and wave before ducking into the car.

The drive is silent for a while. Then, about twenty minutes later, Lilly finally speaks.

"Alex... is it always going to be like this?"

Alex exhales, thinking. "No. Well, maybe for a little while. But I promise, you'll get used to it. And in a few months, it won't be as crazy. People just missed you, you know?"

"Missed me? But they don't even know me," Lilly says, confused.

Alex glances at her in the mirror and smiles. "They do, Lilly. I promise, you're very loved, little sister."

——

thank you so much for your patience.

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and comment please, that motivates me a lot to keep writing