Alyssa collected her laundry but when she turned around she found herself face to face with Nicholas, in the same position as before. Why he hadn’t budged an inch was beyond her! She refused to gaze into his beautiful eyes lest she drowned in them again. No, she couldn’t afford that. She had to stop her heart from thumping wildly, remembering their unfinished kiss every time she saw him. He was still her brother’s enemy and she couldn’t afford Alexander’s wrath. He had the power to finish her and restrict all her enjoyment without much effort since their parents blindly carried out his wishes. Her thoughts, feelings, and wishes never mattered to them at all. “Move Nicholas. I need to get ready.” Nicholas came out of his trance and scratched his neck with nervousness. He knew he was supposed to stay away from her else Alexander would go out of his way to squash him but he was powerless. There was a strikingly powerful, deliriously beautiful aura about her that attracted him like a ma
The wedding ceremony got over and Sienna and Lucas walked hand in hand towards the beautiful backdrop created for the photography session. The pure white self-embossed background interspersed with ferns and turquoise floral decorations provided an ideal setup for the theme of the wedding. While the girls teased the newly married couple, the groomsmen flirted with the bridesmaids, all eagerly waiting for the reception party to start. Alyssa just couldn’t shake off Nicholas who annoyed her all the time behind Alexander’s back. After Lucas thanked Alexander and Ashton for being a part of his wedding, they suddenly disappeared somewhere without informing Alyssa. “Where could they have gone? Are we leaving now?” asked Eva longing to stay for the reception party. “I’m as clueless as you are,” shrugged Alyssa who also wanted to stay a bit longer and taste the tempting wedding cake. “What are you girls doing there? Come here for a group photo,” called Sienna and the girls grinned and rush
He gripped her by the arm and pulled her into his arms, flush against his hard torso, taking her by surprise. “Nicholas..” was all she could gasp out before his lips crashed to hers. His hand gripped the back of her head with an urgency that took her breath away. The heat of his lips against hers, the fire burning between them, was too different from the hesitant kiss she had initiated ten years ago. There was no hesitation this time, only a pent-up need for one another that they were too stubborn to admit. A knock on the door brought Alyssa to her senses and she broke away abruptly. “Nicholas, have you seen Alyssa? Alexander is looking for her,” came Eva’s voice from the other side. A warm flush crept upon Alyssa’s cheeks knowing that if her friend pushed the door open, she’d be caught. She glanced at Nicholas who stood transfixed on the spot, staring at her with a strange expression on his face. He looked like he was in a trance as if he was intoxicated. Eva knocked again and then
Soon Alyssa was joined by Eva who too had to start packing up to leave. They both grumbled having missed the delicious cake that they had been eyeing since the beginning of the party. “Why did he flare up suddenly?” asked Eva, looking clueless. She had been busy with granny and hardly noticed Nicholas’s antics. “Nicholas forced me to dance with him.” Alyssa rolled her eyes but Eva grinned knowingly. “He challenges Alex all the time. I must say he really likes you!” she observed but Alyssa shook her head vehemently. “No, this has nothing to do with liking. Everything is a challenge for him,” shrugged Alyssa but her cheeks colored a little and it didn’t skip Eva’s attention. “And you love challenges!” she winked at her friend whose mouth hung open hearing her. “Yes, I do but not Nicholas, for God’s sake! He’s the enemy.” Alyssa quickly dumped her stuff into her suitcase, her ears flushed hot with the topic of discussion but Eva wasn’t letting this go so easily. “Not yours. Then wh
The bright afternoon sun shimmered over the surface of the water and Alyssa stared at Preston Island as their ferry surged forward towards Alexandria Bay. She just couldn’t drive thoughts of Nicholas and the hug she shared with him out of her mind. Why did he beg her for a hug when they both weren’t even friends? Why did the hug feel so good? Confused she stared blankly at nothing in particular, wondering why she felt so numb as if she had left her heart behind on the island. “Boo!” said Hayley, coming up behind her, startling her out of her mind. “What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re missing him already?” Eva too joined them and they chuckled at their own joke while Alyssa glared at both. “I’m not. I was just missing Sienna’s reception party. Skye’s so lucky that she can stay as long as she wants to.” Alyssa released a deep sigh and glanced back at the island. It was good that she had been able to thank Nicholas with a hug for saving her all the time. At least she wouldn’t feel
Alyssa opened the door to find Eva at her doorstep. “I forgot my charger,” said Eva apologetically but she scoffed and stomped away angrily inside, still angry with her friend. Eva sighed and followed her in to get her charger. She knew her best friend was upset and felt guilty for abandoning her but she was helpless. Alyssa dejected walked towards the kitchen to make something for herself since it didn’t look like Eva would make any dinner. She hated cooking and it was Eva who always prepared their meals. Picking up a packet of pasta, she was about to start when the door clicked open and Alexander stormed into the apartment. “What the hell is wrong with you, Lisa? Dad waited the whole day for you and here you are making dinner? I’m sure Eva can manage that. Get ready in five minutes. I’ll take you to meet dad. He’s furious with you,” he scolded her, making the packet of pasta drop from her hands onto the counter out of fear. Eva dashed out of the room with her charger to escape th
Alyssa had no idea what might have happened between Eva and her brother since she didn’t return to her apartment in the next two days. Alyssa was bored and at Hayley’s insistence went to spend the night at her house. “Eva has done the right thing in moving out. Her self-respect was at stake. We should support her by buying her groceries and food items regularly. At least she wouldn’t go hungry that way,” suggested Hayley as they sat on her balcony, sipping coke and devouring the delicious pizza they had ordered. They missed Eva who declined their offer of dinner and a stayover since her duty would be over late. Skylar had returned to California with Christian and Sienna was too busy with Lucas to even consider spending the night with them. “You’re right but I want her to live with me. She will be struggling there to make ends meet with her low salary,” sighed Alyssa. “We can drop by at her place tomorrow and talk to her.” The decision gave them a little peace and they finished thei
Her eyes met with Nicholas’s ocean blue ones for a split second before she turned towards aunt Claudia and smiled, totally ignoring him. He deserved it since he had insulted her the same way last night. “Hello, Aunt Claudia!” she greeted, going forward and giving her a warm hug. “Do you always shop here?” asked a clueless aunt Claudia, releasing her and looking at her shopping trolley with interest. Although Alyssa was aware of Nicholas’s gaze upon her, she didn’t bother to acknowledge his existence or greet him. “No, no, I just came to spend the night with Hayley. Her mom needed some essentials, so I’ll just hand them over to her and leave.” Aunt Claudia seemed to appreciate it very much and smiled at her warmly. “Why don’t you come home to meet granny? She’ll be thrilled to see you, dear.” Alyssa wanted to decline as she was in a hurry to go home before Alexander started searching for her. However, she couldn’t and simply agreed to go. “Have you finished? I'll go to the bil