Everything (in) between us

1: The meeting

Arabella Malik hated dresses.

Skirts, she loved, but she also had a habit of pulling them up or fiddling with the hem, but with dresses, she couldn't do that, so she felt as if she was enveloped into it.

Right now, at her brother's birthday function, she was trapped.

"Darling," her mother said soothingly across the table, and Ari's attention snapped there. "It's only a few more hours."

Ari smiled. "The dress is beautiful, mum, it'll sell out in seconds." She assured and the consideration caused Serena Malik to smile softly. "You just... you know how I am."

Serena's smile widened slightly, her eyes crinkling at the sides. She nodded. "That I do."

Ari returned her smile, and looked up as her brother's fiancé, Irina Lopez, took a seat beside Ari's mother, dropping a soft kiss onto the cheek's of both parents, and sending a small smile in Ari's direction.

"Irina," said Asher Malik, his silver eyes brightening at the sight of his soon-to-be daughter in law. "I didn't think you would make it, tonight."

She smiled, and Arabella felt a pang of jealousy in her chest at how stunning the girl was. Lucky Isah.

"I would never miss Isah's birthday," she said, voice like honey. "Partly because of how much I love him. Partly because he will call of the engagement if I did."

The family laughed, knowing damn well how true that was. 

"Here he comes now," mused Ari, standing to hug her brother. He came, and gave her a charming smile, his cheek tilted into a dimple. He gave her a small kiss on the cheek, bending down to hug his little sister. "I'm so proud of you, Isah."

His smile widened slightly to cocky. "I know you are, baby sister."

She shook her head as he took a seat next to his girlfriend. She hitched a thumb to the food bar. "I'm gonna go grab a bite." She said, but her parents were busy with her brother. Ari smiled slightly and walked to her destination.

The room's temperature suddenly dropped, so much so that Ari stopped in her step. Every eye turned to the door as two figures stepped in, and Ari took a small step back.

One of the boys who had just walked in had dirty blonde hair, shaggy, almost like a surfer boy. His expression was blank, as if he didn't fully understand why he was there in the first place, and his cheeks had tinted slightly pink, almost shy of the attention on them. His eyes were a bright blue, the piercing, rock-your-world type.

The other boy was scowling, hands dug into his trousers' pockets. He had dark brown hair, styled perfectly. It looked so soft, that Ari's hands itched to get inside it. His eyes were darker, the colour of a dark rain cloud. He was taller than the other boy, slim but muscular, while Shaggy had a surfer-boy body.

Both were dressed head to toe in top brands, and she noticed with a small frown that they were wearing matching shoes and watches- both of which were from her mother's brand.

Ari's heel clicked against the floor as she took another step back, attracting the attention of the boys.

The boy with the silver eyes glared at her for a moment, before silently deciding she wasn't worth his time as he muttered something to Shaggy then walked off, hands stuck in the pockets of his slacks.

Shaggy, however, watched her curiously, as if he hadn't seen her before. She wasn't surprised- it was the same look she'd given him just moments before.