Melissa's POV
I walked into the dining room with the two men at my heels. My mom was enthusiastically humming a tune as she placed the last wine glass next to the plate before she smiled up at me with clear excitement shining brightly from her smiling, dark chocolate almost black like orbs as her grin reached her eyes.
"Hiii!" She enthusiastically beamed at Zane, making me shake my head as I tried to stifle the giggle that threatened to slip in amusement.
She jumped to shake Zane's hand who looked at her in bewilderment as he shook her hand," I'm Zane, Nolan's older brother and housemate as well as Grace's father." He awkwardly introduced himself with a shaken smile.
My poor mom has that effect on people. Her energy can sometimes be very overwhelming.
"Awe," She cooed at Grace who waved at her enthusiastically," Your daughter is too adorable," She cooed making Grace blush as she giggled," I'm Anne, and you've met my daughter, Melissa." She gestured to me," Please sit," She gestured to the set table," Sorry for the late invitation, my poor Mel can be forgetful."
"Mom!" I whined in embarrassment as I avoided all eye contact with the two brothers and my mother who seems to have made it a mission to embarrass me.
"What?" She innocently smiled at me," It's true and you know it, Sweetheart."
Two masculine, deep chuckles filled the room as Zane and Nolan chuckled at my mother and I's interesting exchange.
"Please take your seats, gentlemen. Make yourselves at home," Mom happily beamed as she made her way towards the table," I'm so sorry, I didn't have something for the cute, little miss to sit on so she can also reach the table. I hope the pillows will be fine." She apologetically smiled at Zane and Nolan.
"No, it's alright, she can sit on my lap, we really wouldn't want to ruin your furniture unnecessarily." Zane reassuringly smiled before making his way to the table.
"No please, I insist. I used to do the same thing for Mel here." She gestured to me, making my face flush in embarrassment.
"Mom!" I softly whined in embarrassment as I made my way to sit next to her as she sat at the head of the table.
"Are you sure, Ma'am?" Zane hesitantly asked as his eyes fleeted to the pillows placed on the head chair that mom had moved for Grace to sit on. There were two head chairs, the one Mom was sitting on and the extra one and they both had arm rests which would prevent Grace from falling off due to the highness of the seat thanks to the generous pillows.
"Please," Mom softly urged with a smile of reassurance painted onto her lips," Also, please call me, Anne. "
"Okay, thanks Anne." Zane smiled in gratitude before placing Grace on the chair and sitting on the one next to it, leaving only two vacant chairs for Nolan to sit on. The chair at the head and the one next to me and of course, he had to sit next to me and abuse my poor mind into sending wrong signals to my body that lacked every ounce of logic.
The moment he placed himself next to me, my heart skipped a beat and I was thankful that I was sat down because if it weren't for that, the floor would have gave me a rude awakening that my body really needed. The butterflies in my stomach made me want to stuff my face with food in hopes of getting rid of them.
Mom reached over the table and pulled off the plastic wrap from the casserole dish, letting the tasty aroma of the lasagna waft into the my nose and fill the room.
There were six, large, perfectly cut pieces already and I really had to squeeze my hands together in order to not reach for a piece and start munching on it.
"Guests first." Mom smiled at Zane and Nolan.
"No please," Nolan shook his head before both he and Zane simultaneously finished," Ladies first."
"Our mother would have our heads otherwise." Zane physically winced at the thought before smiling at us.
"Sorry but not today, guests first. We promise not to tell your mother if you dish up first," Mom teased with a playful wink," Right Mel?" She turned to me.
Fearing that my mouth would start watering if I uttered a word, I settled for a nod in agreement. The sound of a stomach growling had everyone freezing before they all turned to me with amusement glimmering brightly in their eyes and marring their faces. Can I disappear like the Flash, please? Pretty Please, I silently begged in my mind as my face grew warm and flushed in embarrassment. My eyes averted to my hands in my lap that suddenly seemed very fascinating, I mean, I never noticed the small scar that was barely visible to my eyes before. How fascinating, right?
Eyes burnt at my being that I felt my heart drop to my stomach in embarrassment. Why did my stomach have the worst timing of all? Especially in front of m- no, no no no, it would have been in front of a troll and it would have still been embarrassing, right?
Why?
"Just a suggestion, Melissa, would you do the honours?" Zane's rich, masculine, baritone-like voice broke through the embarrassing atmosphere, but instead of making me feel better, I felt even worse. Tears of embarrassment burnt the back of my eyes that I had to keep on fighting them. Why is this happening to me, especially in front of two strangers. This is so embarrassing.
It's okay, Melissa, it's okay. No need for the waterworks. I profusely self talked myself and thankfully, it made me feel better.
"Mel, Sweetie are you okay?" My mom's concerned voice broke through my thick cloud of thoughts.
My eyes instantly snapped to Nolan as I felt a large hand resting on my lower back filling me with a sense of peace and calm.
A soft smile graced his lips as he said," Don't worry, it happens to me most of the time," The second he said that, his stomach roared with vigor, announcing its hunger loudly and proudly." See, what did I tell you." He boyishly grinned, leaving me astonished and awed at his boyish behaviour that made my heart melt into goo and my mind lose all capabilities to think.
My eyes shyly dodged Nolan's soft ones, somehow landing on Zane's. I have never been too good at reading eyes, but faces I did. I could swear I saw a fleeting look of longing and slight sorrow pass Zane's soft features, but I could have imagined it because the moment my eyes landed on his face, the look seemed to disappear, just to be replaced by a tight lipped smile that failed to reach his eyes but still shone half-heartedly.
"He's right, especially at family functions." Zane proudly teased his brother who I could see pouting from my peripheral view, but I couldn't bring myself to completely turn around. Not because I was embarrassed, but because my stubborn eyes refused to move away from Zane's now laughing features.
My eyes remained stubbornly glued to him, desperately seeking the assurance of seeing an emotion that left me unsettled and restless for some reason. I couldn't pry my searching eyes as they searched for a chip in Zane's perfectly worn mask. As much as the look of longing seemed discreet and almost invisible before, something inside me told me that I it had been there and that something is what forced my eyes to remain glued to Zane's features.
After what felt like hours, I felt like I had finally regained control of my body once more, but it was a bit too late because Zane's eye seemed to be staring at me from it's peripheral view, making my neck turn at lightning speed, almost causing me whiplash as I looked at my mom's bright features as she laughed at something Nolan or Zane had said, I really have no idea. All I do know is, the short almost non-existent encounter I shared with Zane's negative emotions, left me feeling unsettled and concerned. I felt the need to help him, but how and why?
Something being placed in front of me had me lightheadedly snapping back to reality. The sounds of soft chatter suddenly filled my ears once more compared to the silently passing world I was in a few seconds ago.
I turned to the hand to find Nolan's soft smile as he put the spatula back into the casserole dish to allow the other two to also dish up. For some reason, Nolan's smile radiated warmth that soothed me and my once raging mind and thoughts, but at the same time, the lingering need to help Zane remained, but not as strongly. I forced a smile of gratitude to tug at my lips in return before my eyes zeroed onto my untouched lasagna, but for some reason, it seemed less appetising than before, actually, I had lost my appetite.
I grabbed my fork and slowly stabbed it into the lasagna, watching pastry break and the contents spill out of it in what I should have seen as appetising, mesmerising, taste bud sparkling way, rather than a boring mundane way. My stomach still felt empty, but my body refused to feel any sort of way other than nonchalant towards the food, but I couldn't show everyone my suddenly sour mood, so I forced my lips open and stuck the fork with lasagna into my mouth. My teeth grasped the fork before I slid it through my teeth and out of my mouth, leaving the food in my mouth.
Burning stares simultaneously burned my face, making me discreetly look up to find Zane's eyes bore themselves into my face from his peripheral view as he talked to Mom, but he somehow still managed to maintain his composure even as I spotted his Adam's apple bob up and down. From my peripheral view, I spotted Nolan's Adam's apple bob up and down as his eyes drilled into my face as well, but unlike his brother, he seemed less composed and more bothered. You could swear that drool was about to slide from his lips.
For some reason, seeing their reactions made my heart do flips as butterflies angrily attacked my stomach. I moved my body in my chair as I slowly chewed the food in my mouth, in hopes of ignoring the uncomfortable stares or at least having them removed. But at the same time, a crazy, unreasonable, illogical part of me, basked in the attention and embraced it proudly. I don't even know where that part comes from, it's the first time it's made it's self known and I really wish it could disappear so I could go back to living my old, normal, controlled, teenage dream life of peace.
"Appetiser, Sweetheart?" I heard the soft voice of my mom offer from above my head, making me look up and softly smile at her with a nod in response.
She smiled back at me before filling my small glass to the tip, before closing it and pouring herself and Zane some white wine. Just before she poured some for Nolan, he protested," No thank you, may I have some Tiser as well? I'm not much of a wine person."
"Oh," Mom cocked her head," Of course." She smiled, closing the wine and putting it back before grabbing the cider and pouring Nolan some as well.
"Thank you." I quietly murmured as my eyes caught sight of Nolan as he lifted the glass up and tilted it against his lips, letting the sweet, sparkly liquid flow into his mouth. The sight making my throat suddenly feel parched and my lips dry. What is happening to me?
I quickly moved my eyes to my my still very full dish of lasagna. With a bite of my lips, I started digging in, in complete silence as the three adults chatted away. Poor Grace had fallen asleep half way through dinner and was now comfortably cradled in her father's arms.
When is this night ending so I can finally say goodbye to these two aliens? I really need a break to think and collect myself before my world loses all balance and spirals out of control.
What am I saying? It's already spiraling way out of my control and all I can do is watch it spin, like a person watching a movie from the cinema. I just hope this spinning will not make me dizzy at the end or at least, not too dizzy. Just enough for me to still be able to walk away afterwards at least.