Be with Me

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Maya's P.O.V

Alessandro leads us across the road and into a narrow lane. About a hundred meters in, he stops in front of an Italian restaurant called Mama Leones.

The building was a shade of brick red with a few cracks on the wall. Must've been an old place. The place was wide and open, not crowded tourists or anything. On the other end of the restaurant, there was a small garden. It was beautiful. Clusters of daisies were peeping through both sides of the fence, and the sun was shining through the trees. There was a welcoming of scents in the air as we walked inside.

I stood and gazed at the building before me in awe. It radiated a warm feeling that made it seem like you were eating at home.

The room was split into two big tables of eight chairs. Everyone moved steadily around the room and took their seats while I stayed standing and hesitating. Unlike the rest, I didn't have any friends here while everyone had their individual groups.

I decided to wait for all the seats to be taken and just sit on the spare chair that nobody sat on. I could feel the employees staring at me as I remained standing by the entrance. Probably noticing the lack of friends I had.

"Maya!" a voice hollers out. I turned around to see Ethan looking at me. It wasn't just Ethan, but now, it was also everyone around him. Some had a confused look plastered on their faces at why he was calling my name. To be completely honest, I was just as confused as them.

I finally managed to control my legs as I tentatively walked over to the seat he saved for me.

"Sit here." He said and pulled out the chair for me.

She instantly narrowed her eyes at him, like she was sending him a warning. Ethan realized immediately, but he looked utterly unaffected by it. His hands were still on the chair, and his face was holding a slightly crooked smile as he waited for me to sit down.

I took my seat and turned to Ethan. "Are you sure they're okay with me sitting here?"

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"I don't know, birds of a feather flock together?" I said.

"You and your phrases again," he smiles, "just so you know, we all have very different personalities."

Ethan continued. "Plus, we're not that shallow, you know."

I silently scold myself for having such selfish and stereotypical thoughts. Great, now he probably hates me.

"I didn't mean it like that," I muttered out, trying to hide my anxiousness.

"They aren't that bad once you get to know them." He looks at me and tries hard to cover up his half-smile. I guess he cares about his boys. What I didn't understand was how could someone like Ethan, gentle and caring, associate himself with such a group of assholes.

"I don't think that'll ever happen." I awkwardly laughed.

He gave me a disapproving look before shaking his head vigorously.

"Hey everyone," he called out, "this is Maya."

Their eyes were all on me as I swallowed the last of the water in my glass before smiling back at everyone.

His friend grinned back. "Yeah, we know dude. She's in our literature class."

My immediate reaction was to hang my mouth down in shock that he actually knew who I was even though I've always sat in the back. But I protested against that and let out a giggle instead.