Hidden Princess

Chapter 10

When Alex pulls away from the kiss, I slowly open my eyes and meet with those brilliant green eyes. Alex runs his fingers through my hair before kissing my forehead. Tears start to fill my eyes and I turn my head away to try and hide them from Alex, but I wasn't fast enough.

"Hey, hey. Nia, what's wrong?" He asks as he gently grabs my chin and turns my head so that I'm looking at him.

"I can't Alex...I-" I swallow the lump forming in my throat. "I like you, I do, but I can't do this." With that I get up and quickly leave the hay loft and then the barn, running back to the house as quick as I could. As soon as I get inside, I go down to the basement and into the room I am sharing with Cami. I shut the door behind me before sinking down to the floor in front of it and breaking down.

"Nia?" Cami's voice calls out to me from where she sits on her bed. "Nia! What happened?" She asks as she rushes over and kneels in front of me.

"I can't do it. I can't. I want to but I can't." I sob.

"What Nia?" She asks, concerned.

"Alex...he kissed me."

"But that should be a good thing Nia."

"No, you don't understand," I say getting up and pacing the room. "I can't do that to him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I broke his heart like that, so it's best if nothing ever happens between us."

"Nia, what are you talking about?"

"That's the thing, I can't even tell you, or Alex." I lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling. "I can't tell anyone. This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to fall for anyone." After I finish my rambling, Cami leaves me alone in the room. I just lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling, thinking about that kiss. I'm asleep before she even returns to the room.

The next morning, we are getting ready to leave. We say our goodbyes to Carol and John and we get into the cars to leave. I haven't spoken to Alex since I ran out on him last night. I sit in the backseat while Cami takes the front. I text Dário and let him know that we are on our way back and when to expect me home by. The car is quiet and I spend most of the ride staring out my window.

When we are about 15 minutes away from home, my phone rings and it's Dário.

"Dário?"

"Apolônia. Do not let them bring you to the house."

"Dário, what is going on?" I ask sitting up straight in my seat. Alex glances back at me through the mirror and Cami turn to look at me.

"He's here. At the house." Dário says. "Demétrio is here, and he's looking for you. You can't come back here."

"How the hell did he find us?" I ask, panicked. "Where am I supposed to go?" If Demétrio is at the house, it makes sense that Dário is only speaking English. It's not one of the languages that Demétrio knows, so he won't understand him if he overheard any of the conversation.

"I don't know how he found the house." Dário says. "Right now I'm in the panic room located behind the bookcase in the office, waiting for the right time to leave myself. Have Alex take you to Xavier's house."

"Dário, you're supposed to protect me." I say. Alex has pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car, and now both twins are turned around in their seats staring at me.

"I know, Nia." Dário's voice says through the phone. "That's what I'm doing right now. Now go to Xavier's house. That has been our exit strategy for the past few weeks. Don't question me now, I've done everything I could to keep you safe."

"Okay. And Dário?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Be safe, and make it back to me. I can't lose anyone else to him."

"I will. And I promise, everything will be explained to you." With that, Dário cuts off the call. I look up at the twins' questioning faces.

"I need you to take me to Xavier's house." I say. "Now." I add when I see the question on Alex's face.

"Nia, what's going on?" Cami asks as Alex starts driving towards Xavier's house.

"That's what I'm hoping to find out. And I want you guys there with me, please," I say looking between the two of them.

"Well that's a given." Alex says, glancing back at me through the rearview mirror. "I'm not leaving your side after that phone call." I give him a small smile.

After a very tense 15 minutes we pull up to Xavier's house. I climb out of the car, looking around cautiously to make sure that no one is watching us. When we get up to the porch I glance at the twins.

"Stand behind me, and try to block the view of me from the road," I tell them and they stand behind me as I knock on the door. After a few moments, Xavier opens the door.

"Nia? What are you doing here?" He asks, confused. His confused look gets deeper when he sees Alex and Cami behind me.

"I need you to let me in Xavier. We have a lot of things we need to talk about." I give him a look that says not to argue with me and he steps aside so that we can enter his house. We follow him into the living room. "First I want to know why I was told to come to your house when it was too dangerous for me to go home. Why would Dário send me here? What have you not been telling me Xavier?"

"I think I can answer that better than Xavier can," a voice says from across the living room that makes me freeze in my spot and my eyes widen before I even turn to look at him. I very slowly turn and I see a head of familiar brown hair and deep brown eyes. He hasn't changed much at all in the past three years. "Hello, Apolônia," he says with that soft smile he used to give me all the time.

"Remigio?" I ask still frozen in shock.

"It's me, Nia." He says as he takes a step towards me.

"Remi!" I call his name as I rush over and jump into his arms, tears running down my face. "I-I thought you were dead. They told me you were dead." I sob into his shoulder as he hugs me to him. "I missed you so much." I pull back to look at him.

"I know irmãzinha (little sister), I know."

"Wait, Nia's your sister?" Xavier asks looking at Remigio, who just nods. "Well, it makes since why you'd ask me to look out for her then."

"How do you two even know each other?" I ask, looking between the two.

"Xavier is our cousin," Remigio says and my eyes widen.

"How is that even possible?"

"Xavier's mother is Papai's younger sister." Remigio explains.

"I thought your mom was from Brazil," I narrow my eyes at Xavier, and he shakes his head.

"That's where I was told growing up." Xavier shrugs. "I was never told anything different until now." I just then notice Cami and Alex standing to the side watching the three of us. We've been speaking in English this whole time, so they understood everything we said.

"Remigio, these are my friends, Cami and Alex," I say introducing my brother to them. They greet each other. I go over to stand next to Alex, about to ask him if I could speak with him alone, when there's a knock on the door. Xavier goes to answer it and comes back a few minutes later with Dário.

"Dário," Remigio nods in greeting. I realize that Dário already knew about Remigio, since he doesn't seem to be in the same state of shock I was in. I'm going to yell at him for not telling me later. "Report?"

"Demétrio is still at the house," he says, glancing at me. I instinctively move closer to Alex, and he takes my hand in his and squeezes it.

"That cabrão." Remigio swears.

"Cabrão means asshole," Xavier explains quietly to Alex and Cami.

"Who's Demétrio?" Alex asks. Remigio and Dário look over at us. They both look at me like I should be the one to answer Alex's question. I take a shaky breath before dropping Alex's hand.

"Demétrio is my fiancé."