It's Always Been You

Chapter 8

"Daniela, you need your shoes!" Cristina screamed for her youngest.

Ariana herded Daniela out of the kitchen, and back down the hall to her room. Ariana plopped down on the plush sofa and sighed. It was barely nine in the morning, but she was already exhausted.

"Tia?"

Ariana sat up and turned to face her nephew.

"The doorbell rang," Santiago said.

She pulled herself off the couch. She peered through the peephole. Benjamin Suzuki. She couldn't escape him could she? She opened the door.

"Flores." Ben greeted. He walked past her and greeted Santiago.

She closed the door and turned, but found him staring at her. "Can I help you?"

He shook his head.

"Then why are you staring?" She poked him in the chest and walked into her sister's kitchen.

He followed her in and settled beside a counter. She ignored him while she searched for baked goods.

"I'm not staring." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the tile floor. "What are you and Cristina doing today?"

Ariana turned around. She had a cupcake stuffed in her mouth.

He tried looking around her. "Is there more?"

She grabbed another cupcake and handed it to him.

He pushed up his glasses and cringed. "Did you have to touch the top with your hand?"

"Do you want it or not?"

"No."

"Great. More for me."

"Give me a different one."

"There's no more."

"Seriously?" Ben reached her side of the kitchen and reached for the cupcake.

She turned her back to him and cradled the cupcake to her chest.

"Give me." He reached for it again, pinning her against the counter.

"You said no!" She slipped under his arm.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her to his chest. He reached his arm around again, grasping for the cupcake.

"You lost your chance, Suzuki." She looked over her shoulder for an escape. "Are your glasses broken?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed, his breath traveled across her shoulder. "Yes. Jonathan broke them."

"What are you doing?"

Ariana and Ben looked up. Santiago and Daniela stood before them.

"We're ready to go." Cristina stopped short at the entrance of the kitchen. She stifled a laugh. "What are you two doing?"

Ben jumped away from Ariana. Ariana avoided her sister's gaze, her face getting redder by the second.

"Mami, can we go now?" Daniela spoke.

"Si, vamos. We'll let tia and Ben finish here." Cristina took Daniela's hand and led her away.

"There's nothing to finish here!" Ariana threw the cupcake at Ben's head and ran off.

He caught it before it fell to the ground and frowned at its smushed state.

"Mi abuelito says people do that when they like each other," Santiago noted.

Ben hesitated. "Santi, it's not like that. Your tia and I, we're just friends."

"Are you sure? Because Mami and Papi wrestle like that in the kitchen too."