Chapter 6

It's been about a week since my oldest brother arrived home on a two-week visit, also at Aunt Lila's request. I tried everything I could to avoid him during his stay at home. When class ends early, I always go to our restaurant and spend time there. That way, Aunt Lila and Uncle Sandro will not be as perplexed as to why I am late returning home. They stop asking when they realize I'm in our restaurant. They are reassured because they know I go there every time, so they are no longer skeptical. I have to get up early for school, so I can't eat with him, but Auntie made him my driver because he will be living with us for two weeks. He is the one who takes me to school and occasionally picks me up. As a result, rather than avoiding him as planned, I was able to spend some time with him. What an irony my circumstance is. I don't really have a problem with him. It's simply that I know he doesn't like me in his family; he can't stand what Uncle wants, which is me, living with them. He may not have said it, but it was clear from his behavior. Since then, he has been increasingly distant from me. We've never had the kind of bond that regular siblings do. We've also matured. I'm no longer that Annalise who doesn't feel threatened by him. As time passes, certain things change. He, like me, is living his own life. He grew colder. He's a lot scarier than he was the last time I met him. I let out a gasp. Why was it that when I was a kid, I didn't even have a nice relationship with my brother Alessandre? If we could just get along, things would be a lot easier. I wouldn't have had to avoid him any longer, and we'd have the same peaceful connection as normal siblings. "What's the deal with the long sigh?" A man stated to me as he sat beside me, without even having to ask whether he may sit beside me. This is yet another of my issues. Aiden has been bothering me from the first time we met, insisting on becoming my friend. I had no idea he was so insistent on befriending me that I felt as if my body was about to run out of water from my irritation with him. When I told him to quit being bothersome, he didn't did not do what he was told. Because he was continually following me, it was as if I had a bodyguard. I chose to ignore him and instead concentrate on groups of freshman playing badminton. I'm currently ventilating on the school's open ground. Lyka was unable to attend because her stomach was in pain. She just ate two gallons of ice cream. If she isn't insane, who in their right mind would do that? As a result, I'm now alone and the only one who has to deal with Aiden's nagging. "Hey, I got some ice cream for you. I've got vanilla flavor for you." he explained. I had no choice but to accept what he offered. How could I say no when he was on the verge of spilling ice cream all over my face? It appears that I will be suffering from stomach ache alongside Lyka. I ate the food he offered me quietly. He was anticipating my response. Seriously, what's up with this guy? He appears to be bored, and I'm the unfortunate one he chose to bother? Was there nothing else for this person to do with his life but tailgate me? Stressing. "Aiden, don't you have any pals with whom you can hang with instead of annoying and bothering me?" I inquired. I'm the one who gets bored of what he does; he followed me despite the fact that I've told him a million times that I don't want to be associated with men like him who grab everyone's attention. The students ogled at him when they saw him since he is like an eye catcher. "Hmmm, I have," he replied with a smile. I give him a sidelong glance. Instead of making me joyful, seeing his pleasant smile irritates me. When he smiles, he draws more attention to himself. This one is intrinsically cute, in my opinion. "Then why are you bothering me?" I inquired. Isn't this one just joking around with me? Is he making a joke about me? He said, "Because I want you to be my friend?" I chastised him for his ineffective response. That was something he mentioned to me countless times. Is he seriously assuming I'm unaware of this? "I'm not sure what to do with you," I admitted. I've given up on this one's discomfort. He'll take care of whatever it is that he wants to do. I shook off my rumpled skirt and picked up the books I'd left out earlier on the grass. I was just passing the time here to pass the time. Today's lesson ended early. Due to a family issue, one of our teachers was unable to attend his subject in our class. What a perfect moment. When I didn't want him to attend his subject, he wasn't absent; now, when I want to stay at school for a longer period of time, we were dismissed early. I'm not sure, but it appears that fate is playing games on me. "Can you tell me where you're going? Do you intend to return home?" Aiden inquires. He zipped up his bag and appeared to be leaving as well; I swear, he approached me solely to irritate me. "Nope," I simply replied. I intend to spend my time at the restaurant, where I will first assist and inspect the situation, before returning home at 6 p.m. to have less interaction with my older brother. "I"m coming," he said as he accompanied me on my walk and forced me to hand over the three books I was carrying from my grasp to him. He appears to be the one to take it. I simply shake my head. The students looked at us again. When I'm actually with Aiden, I can't help but notice my classmates' scrutinizing stares. I shifted my gaze to Aiden. He doesn't appear to be bothered by the attention he's receiving. He doesn't appear to mind at all. I shrugged and walked away. "Can you tell me where your car is?" I inquired of Aiden. He rang his car's number. I walked directly towards his vehicle. I swiftly climbed into the passenger seat because it was unlocked. Aiden followed me, perplexed. He sat in the driver's seat as well. "What?" I inquired. He's staring at me as if he's noticing something unusual about me. "You just ride in my car," he continued, which I couldn't believe. He has a tendency to overreact. Riding in a car isn't such a big thing, right? "Why? You don't want me to get in your car with you? Only if you don't want to, I can take a taxi." I answered, raising my brows, and he looked at me puzzled. "What? Of course not!" he defended himself. "All I can say is that I'm surprised you came with me. Remember how many times I offered to drive you but you never took me up on it?" he explained. Yes, of course. I'd forgotten about it. "Well, I'm hoping your offer hasn't expired yet," I say, a smile on my face. He, too, smiled. He continued to nod. He appears to understand what I'm talking about. "Does this indicate you're okay with me now being your friend? When I want to hang out with you and Lyka, you won't drive me away?" He inquired, his grin extending from ear to ear. I nodded and shook my head at him. Isn't he desperate for us to become friends? I showed him how to go to our restaurant. He never even inquired as to what I planned to do there. Probably because he thinks I'm hungry and will eat there; after all, what else is there to do in a restaurant but eat, right? When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted instantly by the wait staff. When I answer them, I simply grin. Aiden, I'm sure, is already perplexed as to why the staff is constantly welcoming us. I can't see his expression because I walk first. He simply followed me in silence. "Why are they always greeting us? Aren't they being overly courteous to their visitor?" Aiden inquired as he strolled behind me, a faint frown directed at the happy restaurant workers. "Perhaps you're their type?" I added, smiling, but his countenance changed abruptly, as if he didn't like what I said. I laughed. "Why?" I asked, my voice trailing off. "You don't want that?" I teased. "A lot of people like you." Aiden's brow furrowed even more. "That's revolting, Anna. The male guard had hailed us at the entrance earlier. We were also greeted by a male waiter. Does this imply that they like me as well?" With a horrified expression on his face, he said. "What you say makes my hair stand on end." He said, "The fuck, I don't want to think about what you said." What I said has irritated him greatly. My eyes looked for Gina as I shook my head. I noticed her giving a waitress directions. I grinned. Gina is a hard worker who gets the job done quickly. She is well-versed in all aspects of the restaurant's operations. I offered her a promotion so she could work at the office full-time, but she declined. She stated that she would prefer to supervise the restaurant rather than do the paperwork. When she saw me, she came to a halt. She smiled as she moved up to me, appearing to say goodbye to the personnel she was speaking with. Her gaze is fixed on the man standing next to me. I could tell what was on her mind just by her grin and the way she looked at me. "Gina, put a stop to it. That is not the case, despite what you may believe." I told her. When she laughed at my defensiveness, I rolled my eyes. Aiden shifted his gaze back and forth at us, perplexed. "Could you please introduce me to the attractive man standing next to you?" Gina stated. She had a sense of admiration in her eyes as she looks at Aiden. I sigh and roll my eyes. I just muttered and pinched her on the side. "Girl, don't be too blatant. He dislikes ladies who show their admiration for him too openly." I laughed and said to Gina, "You might get busted before you can even flirt." Gina chastised me for saying what I did. Look at this woman; I'm just offering her some advice, and she has the audacity to roll her eyes in my direction. "A, this is Gina, the restaurant's manager. Gina, this is Aiden, my new found friend," I said, smiling, and Gina shook Aiden's hand. Aiden laughed at her behavior. "Hello, Aiden," Gina murmured apologetically, and I rolled my eyes at her statement. I rolled my eyes at her and muttered, "Gi, quit twisting your tongue to sound gentle." I said, "You're giving me goose bumps." Gina just gazed at me, laughing. She sarcastically asks, "What brought you here, boss?" This girl has the audacity to irritate me to no end. "Boss? Are you the proprietor of this restaurant?" Aiden asked. "Yup. Technically, Ma'am Anna is the owner of this restaurant," I scratched my nose. "But for the time being, sir Sandro will manage it first," Gina replied. Aiden nodded. Gina"s talkativeness. "What? Are you planning to eat here?" Gina inquires, assuming she had noticed that we had been standing here for quite some time. "Yes," I responded, "we'll just sit where I used to sit." Gina nodded and bid goodbye to us after we were escorted to our table because she had a lot on her plate. "So, you're a huge deal. You failed to inform me." Aiden remarked with a taunting smile, "I would have borrowed money from you." It'll only be a matter of time before I assume he, Gina, and Lyka are relatives because they all love to bother me. "You"re amusing, A," I remarked, and he grinned even wider. "What is it, huh? You've already given me a moniker. Did you just pretended to be irritated by me at first?" He teased, and I just stared at him with a poker face. He's too airy, and his boastfulness makes me want to slap him. I answered uninterestedly, "Duh, I called you A because I'm too lazy to make up your name." Aiden simply shook his head at me. We ate together when our food arrived. I'm actually hungry. I think I'll be able to eat a little more. Aiden was kind enough to drive me all the way to my house. I told him I could drive myself home, but he was stubborn and insisted on driving me home. I can't match his obstinacy, so I just accepted his decision to send me home. It was also a little late, which I don't mind. My intention to get home at six o'clock ended up being seven o'clock. When he saw our house, he said, "Wow, she's wealthy." I stomped on him. "That's my adopted parents' house, lunatic." "They are the wealthy, not me," I remarked, smiling. "Don't you already have a restaurant? Your restaurant is well-known among the elites, therefore you must be extremely wealthy." I simply shook my head at him. "Go ahead. Thanks for driving me home," I said as I drove him away. It was already night, and he was still driving. I was afraid he'd have an accident on his way home, and I might be to blame. "Remember. Just drive slowly," I said as I got out of his car. He simply saluted me and then drove away. I entered the house when I couldn't see Aiden's car any longer, and I nearly died when I saw my older brother Alessandre's face greet me when I opened the gate; he glared at me with a grim expression and his mouth formed in a straight line. "Hello, brother. Good evening," I said nervously, but he didn't respond with a word or a nod. I'd assume he was a statue in front of me if he wasn't breathing. "What have you been up to?" He inquires, his voice hoarse and chilly. The coldness of his voice made me shiver. Why does older brother seem enraged once more? "Ah, I went to the restaurant, brother," I explained. He gave me a more serious look. "Can you tell me who that person is? Did mom know anything about this? Annalise, you're amazing. You're only 17, but you're already flirting. You're doing this instead of studying?" He stated to me. My brow furrowed in response to what my older brother was saying. Who's flirting with whom? Me? Is he talking about Aiden? When did I ever had a boyfriend? I was single the last time I checked. "Aiden isn't my boyfriend. He's merely a male friend of mine. He sent me home because it was already late at night. I'm not in a romantic relationship at all!" I raised my voice slightly, wondering how he could say such a thing to me. "Young lady, don't raise your voice at me. And what's the point of being out so late? Is this what a wise woman would do?" He muttered, gazing at me, as if he'll explode in rage at me in a matter of seconds. What is his problem? "You know what, brother," I said as I turned away from him, "it's up to you what you want to think of me; I don't care." "Anna, don't turn your back on me." He said, "I'm not done talking to you yet." I fought the trembling in my knees and quickly entered the house. He is so heartless. Is that really how he thinks of me? Is it a fling? Is he thinking I'm flirting with him? Really? Me? When I heard Aunt Lila's voice, I rapidly altered my appearance. I don't want to cause her any concern. I forced a smile on my face. "You've arrived, honey! We've been waiting for you for quite some time. Have you have a meal?" Aunt Lila inquired, and Uncle Sandro trailed following her, smiling and nodding. "Auntie, I already ate at the restaurant," I replied as I kissed them both on the cheeks, and Auntie nodded. "Good. Do you want something sweet? In the refrigerator, there is leche flan." Aunt Lila, who is quite sweet, inquired. "No, Auntie, I'm still full. Just live it for me tomorrow; you know how much I enjoy all of your dishes." I hugged my Aunt Lila and whispered. "You kid, you're deceiving me." Aunt Lila said, "All right, go up to your room and rest." I nodded and said farewell as I climbed the stairs, and Uncle Sandro kissed me on the forehead. I couldn't hide my hurt expression when I passed them; I didn't want to raise my voice because he is my older brother, but what he said to me was not right. I don't flirt, and even more so, I don't have a boyfriend. Why is he like that to me? He would only talk to me at times, and the words he would say to me would be even more hurtful. At the very least, can't he be gentle? Can he just ask me where I've been in a friendly manner? I took my time getting to my room. I feel like I've used up all of my resources dealing with my older brother. That was the first time I did something like that. When brother scolds me, I usually don't say anything, but not this time. "I am warning you. You better not mess anything." I froze in my track when suddenly my brother spoke behind me. Did he follow me here to preach again and speak hurtful words? "What exactly do you mean, brother?" I inquired. What he's talking about is entirely beyond me. My older brother smiled as he glanced at me. From head to toe, he scowled at me. When he gave me a scrutinizing look, I believe every hair on my body stood up. While staring at my body, there's something in his eyes that I can't put my finger on. "Annalise, you're a fantastic actor. That's how you deceive everyone, huh?" He clenched his teeth and muttered, "What a two-faced bitch you are." He seemed to be having a hard time restraining himself, his chest heaving as he breathed violently. "What?" was my clumsy question. What he called me made my eyes water. What did he mean when he called me a bitch? To keep my tears from pouring, I sniffed. "Don't exaggerate my situation. You can deceive anyone but me, kid. You're just an attention seeker who enjoys being the center of attention. Remember this: I'll be monitoring your every move," he added as he turned away from me, and I pushed my feet to stride forward to follow him, despite the fact that my eyes were on the edge of sobbing. I take his hand in mine. He came to a halt, but didn't even look at me. His jaws were clenched. "Why? Why are you treating me like this?" I asked, a tear falling from my eyes; I saw sympathy cross his eyes, but it vanished quickly, replaced by a stern stare; he let go of my grip on him and walked away. "I will always despise your existence more than the concept of you being with me," he said angrily before closing the door.