I'll Be Home

5

"Shrimp, snap the fuck out of it."

Florence snapped out of her internal battle and tilted her head up to stare at the two men. One looked guilty and the other looked indifferent. She did not understand why her brother was the one with the expression of guilt.

Running his hands through his ginger curls, Milo let out a huge sigh and said, "I've been here since he opened the snow globe. I came up to let you guys know dinner was going to start in ten (10) minutes when I was greeted by that sight."

Her mouth dropped open and she asked him why he had not said anything sooner. Which he, in turn said he was going to, but then she flew off Dylan's lap looking like she had seen a ghost and how she started firing off questions at him.

"I honestly thought you had seen him and that was why you basically threw yourself off, but then you asked me those questions."

"I had no idea he was in the door way."

"Even though you are an adult, you are my baby sister. You guys have not seen each other in over fifteen (15) years and not had any contact. I know that you both might be feeling something but I suggest taking your time to become reacquainted and see where it goes from there. I love you both very much, but I will beat both your asses for being stupid and not doing the right thing."

In their minds they both knew he was completely right and making sense. The two of them do not know much about the other currently and need to take things slow, despite how they know they feel for the other.

"Amore, your brother is right. I want to do this right way as I do feel something for you, so will you go on a date with me this Friday?"

"I agree and yes I would like that very much."

Placing his hands on both of their backs, Milo ushered them through the door to the stairs, "Good, good. You guys redeemed some sense, now time to go downstairs for dinner. Everyone is waiting."

Following him down the stairs, they head into the dining room where everyone was waiting at the massive table. It was decorated with all kind of festive trinkets and had name tags for everyone.

Florence tensed up when she saw who she would be sitting across from. Her cousin, Aubrey who was the most entitled brat and the biggest whore in New York, her brother's words not hers. Not that it was a lie. She seemed to have set her eyes on Dylan for the night.

Taking their places next to each other and across from the brat, they immediately got a bad feeling. The eldest Green knew how their cousin could be and the one thing she loved more than flirting with anything that walks, was getting under his sister's skin. Some shit was going to go down and he was ready for it. Like someone bring him some popcorn.

As long as she could remember, Florence could recalled Aubrey doing the most to irritate her, but thankfully in recent years she has not seen her and has learnt to deal with people like her, from her time in L.A.

Almost instantly she started her antics by leaning forward 'seductively' to flash Dylan her plastic assets, smiling flirtatiously and looking up at him through her lashes.

In his teen years he might have been interested or reciprocated her actions, but not now. He only had eyes for one person and she was sat to his left. Giving her the most uninterested look he could muster, he shook his head slightly and tried to let her know to stop.

However that only seemed to egg her on and it only made her try harder. In her mind they always said no for the first few minutes, but then they'd sink into her trap and do what she wanted.

Aubrey always got what she wanted.

Opting to ignore her, the trio went about the dinner eating delicious food and sharing memories with everyone at the table. Though every time Florence tried to strike up a conversation with Dylan, she would be interrupted by the brat making a snide comment about her.

Supper was over and as they were about to get up to shift to the lounge where the tree was at, she heard the words, "What a slut."

Almost everyone in the room heard those three (3) words and before Nora could say something to stop her daughter, she beat her to it.

"It's not very good to talk about yourself like that hon."

Laughter erupted throughout everyone in the room as they had not expected that. Milo watched with immense satisfaction as Aubrey's face turned a bright shade of red from the embarrassment and possible rage she was feeling.

Sputtering, she could not even spit out a comeback which lead the ginger to reply with, "You are twenty three (23) years old, though with the several layers of makeup you have on, you look like fifty (50). You are too old to be trying to pick fights with me and harassing my boyfriend. Don't think I did not see him trying to signal to you to stop, yet you continued with your childish ways. I smell the ocean from over here, stop it."

With that being said Florence took Dylan's hand and walked out the room with Milo close behind, in tears.

Soon Eden, Leo, Paul and Nora came onto the front porch where the trio was. They first congratulated her on being so calm and giving them all a good laugh. Then came the question from her dad.

"Boyfriend?"

"Not actually, I just said that so she would back off and look like an even bigger fool than she already was."

After she said that, an arm wrapped around her waist and she was pulled back into a hard, muscular chest. Her stomach filled with butterflies and she could feel his muscles rippling from underneath his button up.

"Not yet."