“So you’re the famous Aria,” Kai says, looking at me with a wide and infectious grin. He’s the one that winked at me. He seems like the human equivalent of a golden retriever–energetic and hard to dislike because I feel like I like him already. “We’ve been hearing whispers all morning. The Morales mystery girl this and that.”
“Hopefully not too disappointing,” I say, sliding into the seat Asher pulls out for me, directly across from Nolan.
“Disappointing? Please,” Kai scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. “Anyone who can make Asher here show up to school on time just to ‘show her around‘ is automatically legendary.”
Asher kicks him under the table. “Shut up, Kai. I’m a responsible brother.”
This earns a snort from Mason.“The same responsible brother who tried to use a fire extinguisher to cool down his soda last year?”
“It was science!” Asher defends with a laugh. “And i said responsible brother not student”
I smiled and glanced at Nolan who hadn’t looked up once.
“So, Aria,” Kai leans forward, propping his chin on his hands. “What’s your thing? Art? Music?”
Í freeze, a forkful of salad halfway to my mouth. My thing? I don’t really know my thing yet but I guess I like libraries and that I love reading and writing essays.
“She’s still settling in, idiot,” Asher jumps in, saving me. “She doesn’t need a thing. Her thing is being awesome.”
“I know, I mean her niche,” Kai concedes. “But a little vague. We’ll find your niche, don’t worry. You could join the cheerleaders. Ooh! Maybe you’re a horse girl. Do you have that horse girl energy?”
“I… I don’t think I’m a horse girl,” I manage, my cheeks heating.
“A relief to us all,” a low, quiet voice says.
My eyes snap to Nolan. He’s finally looking at me, his green eyes shimmering with faint amusement. The simple sentence, the first words he’s directed at me since I sat down, sends a thump through my heart.
“Hey, horse girls are passionate!” Kai argues.
“They’re also usually covered in hay and smell vaguely of manure,” Nolan counters, taking a sip of his water. His gaze flicks back to me. “You don’t strike me as a manure kind of girl.” He winked
He’s teasing me.
“I should take that as a compliment,” I smirk “but no, I admire horse girls. They’re strong.”
“I admire them too,” he smiled.
“Hey! Don’t you try to flirt with my sister” Asher grumbled, making us all laugh.
“Oh, Asher! There you are. We missed you at practice last week. looked over to see a blondie swaying her hips towards our table, her hair pulled in a high ponytail and a Crestmont cheerleading sweater draped over her shoulders. She completely ignores everyone else, her attention only on my brother. On a closer look, she looks so much like the girl from homeroom -the one who had asked ‘Just Aria?‘ In other to embarrass me.
“Been busy with my sister, Chloe,” Asher shrugged. He brought out his phone and started typing on it, ignoring her.
Chloe turns to me with a frown. eyes, her piercing ice–blue sweeping from my head to my toes. “So it’s true.” She snickered.
1/3
65 youshors
“The news that you got a little stray is real. How… quaint.”
“Wow” I gaped, dropping my spoon. “Excuse me?”
“Excuse you,” she replied smugly. Asher slowly lowered his phone, and narrowed his eyes at her.
“What did you just say, Chloe?” Nolan growled, slamming his palm on the table. The cafetería quiet down, their whole attention on our table.
Chloe blinks, as if surprised he’s even addressing her. “Oh common Nolan,” she smiles, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. “I just meant it’s so… charitable of the Morales family. Taking in some… nobody from god knows where.” She smiles sweetly at me. “No offense, darling. I’m sure you’re very grateful
Some people burst into laughter at her words. My face burns from embarrassment, but with a cold anger is settling in my gut. I open my mouth, but Asher is faster.
He stands up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor and grabs her hand roughly.
“Listen carefully, Chloe,” he spat angrily. “This is my sister, Aria Morales. She’s not a stray and she’s definitely not a nobody. She doesn’t need to be grateful to anyone, not in this room, especially not to you. The only one who should be grateful here is you, that I’m choosing to be polite. If I ever hear you speak to her or about her like that again, I’ll take it that you think we the Morales are weak and that you’re daring me to do my worst. Are we clear?”
Chloe’s face turned white in horror, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.
“Are we?” She shivers in fear as he growls out again.
“Crystal,” she squeaks out, before turning on her heel and practically fleeing.
My mouth is still left open as Asher sits back down as if nothing happened, picking up his phone again.
Kai lets out a low whistle. “Damn, Ash. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
“You’ve always gotten on it. Asher snickered.
I’m still frozen, my heart hammering against my ribs. I look at Asher Ashe continue eating and typing on his phone like he had not just promised to ruin someone for my sake. Yes promised, I know that was not a threat.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I whisper to him.
He looks at me, his face turning serious. “Yeah, I did. That’s Rule Number One, Aria. No one disrespects a Morales. Especially not some social–climbing viper like Chloe Vanderbilt. You don’t take that crap from anyone. Ever.”
I just nod, my throat tight with emotions.
“Rule Number Two,” Nolan adds quietly. I glance at him. He’s watching me, his expression unreadable. “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Not on my watch..”
His words shouldn’t comfort me, but they do. They feel like a shield.
“Rule Number Three,” Kai chirps, lightening the mood. “Always save the last slice of pizza for your favorite friend, which is
me.”
That finally breaks up the tension,causing us to laugh, “Noted sin I chuckle
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
