Top Secret ✔

Chapter 18 || It's Arianna To You

This chapter's a bit heavy. Slight warning.

Chapter 18 || It's Arianna To You

      At this stage, all Colton's and my hard work to keep his identity a secret could be shattered, just like that. It would all depend on Liz and how she would react to everything, to spill the beans to some random gossip magazine or keep the cat where it should be; in the damn bag.

Colton looked at me questioningly, but even I myself couldn't get over the fact that Liz actually recognised him.

Where did the old Liz go?

"Ari!" she called.

I looked at her meekly from behind my hand which I had used to cover my face and asked. "Yes?"

"You're hanging out with a superstar? That's so cool!" she gushed.

I peeped at her from behind my fingers, not anticipating that reaction at all.

"Tell me," Liz came over and nudged me softly. "Have you two been boinking yet?" she asked.

Boinking? Really?

I looked at her, exasperated as my face started burning up. Colton gave an embarassed cough but she didn't seem to get it and continued embarassing both Colton and I. "Whoah. You've got muscles." she felt Colton's biceps and squeezed them.

Colton looked at me for help but I simply shrugged, not knowing how to help him at all.

"There, there. Don't scare the poor boy away." a dude suddenly appeared and gently pulled a still-fumbling Liz away from Colton.

"Whoops! Sorry!" she giggled when she finally saw Colton's face.

"Liz." I called, gaining her attention. "Mind introducing us?" I asked towards the dude who had one arm around my sister.

He looked quite buff, his muscles looking as if they wanted to burst out of the fitted T-shirt he wore underneath a leather jacket, similar to the one belonging to Colton. He probably stood at around 6'1, towering above both Liz and I.

"Ari, this is my boyfriend, Jim. Jim, my sister, Ari." she briefly introduced us as Jim extended a hand out to me.

He had a very firm grip, I thought as I shook it.

It was funny though, how his name is pronounced exactly the same as the word gym, which was obviously his favourite hangout spot.

I kept that thought inside instead of blurting it out like how I wanted to, not wanting to tease the dude.

"Nice to meet you."

He grinned and said the same to me before pulling my over-eager sister and Colton away from us. I turned to mum and asked her, "What happened to Liz?"

She gave me a slap in the arm. "Isn't she better like this? Let her be."

I pouted at her and rubbed the spot where she had hit me. "Something happened, didn't it?" I eyed her suspiciously.

Mum simply shrugged and said, "Ask her."

Now, after eyeing my mum for so long, I realised how thin she had gotten. "Mum, did you see the doctor?"

"I'm fine already!" she gestured towards herself.

I opened my mouth to retort but she interrupted me before I could. "I'm fine. Drop it."

Her hardened tone startled me a little but I nodded, respecting her wishes.

Something was wrong.