13 | Ollie Vs Alli
Every single person in the house along with Jake and Travis sprinted to the kitchen with all they had.
"Where are the guards stationed near the kitchen?" Rafael roared.
"Vittoria?" The infuriating Tanner gasped, gripping my arm absentmindedly.
She was sat on the kitchen counter with her legs pulled up to her chest, body trembling with fear and tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes switched to us just for a fraction of second and went back to staring something on the floor.
"Are you okay, love?" Rafael ran to her side, securing her into his arms.
"Move away." Mason spat.
"This is not the time, Mason. Don't you see she's scared?" He yelled back. "What happened, Vittoria?" He brushed off the hair stuck to her face.
She said nothing, just raised her trembling finger down at the floor.
Then we all saw it.
We collectively groaned in annoyance.
"Jesus! Are you for real, Vittoria?" Rafael threw his hands up before tugging on his hair in frustration.
Stupid, stupid girl!
It was a spider.
"Who screams like that for a spider? A spider!" Liam screeched.
"T- Then when do I scream like..like that. When someone's killing m-me?" She sniffled.
"I'm sorry. She's allergic to logic." Mason frowned.
"Kill it, please kill it." She begged.
"That's outright cruelty." Mason scolded.
"You kill people, Mase!" She shivered.
"People are evil. Animals and insects are poor little innocent creatures." He picked up the spider, earning a yelp from this crazy girl.
"You want spiderman to be your boyfriend but you're arachnophobic. That's pathetic." Rafael twisted his face in disgust.
"Ara- what?"
"Fear of spiders! Catch up Mr Rivera." The annoyingly sexy woman spoke.
"I want him to be my boyfriend so that he can save me from spiders." The muffin sniffled. She was crying oceans because of a freaking spider!
"Even I can save you from spiders." Liam pouted.
We chose to ignore him. That's the only way through.
The fear in Vittoria's eyes increased tenfold and her body shook profusely. "N- No Mase. This isn't funny." She stretched her arm out, gradually inching behind.
Mason, with a sly smile slowly began closing the distance between them with the spider still in his hand.
"D- Don't you dare Mase. Help me! Please."
None of us moved. Not even Rafael. This was simply entertaining.
"Travis! Travis! Help! Please help me! Jake! Look Mason is not a nice man. Tell Suzie to dump him- aahh!"
The shriek was so piercing that I think we're all deaf now. We pressed our hands over our ears. Mason as well, causing the spider to drop somewhere near her.
"Ahh! Ahh! I'm going to die." She flapped her arms frantically.
"Hey watch out Vitty!" Toby ran to her rescue. Thankfully his arms saved her the fall to the floor.
"It's gone! It's gone! See?" He threw the evil spider out of the window. "It's alright. Just take deep breaths."
She stomped her feet rigorously like a child. Her face was contorted and gallons of tears still flowing.
"Aww, come here." He hugged her, rocking them side to side.
"Jokes on Mr Grayson and Liam. All you had to do to get the girl was save her from spiders." Allegra giggled.
Her breath tickled against my ear, demonstrating the lack of physical distance between us. I don't get how I always reach closer to her. I irritably moved away, not even wanting to be on the same planet as her.
"I'm never going to talk to any of you. Ever!" She screamed, her face red with fury while we tried to stifle a laugh.
"Promise?" Mason poked her in the ribs.
She stomped out and five minutes later the entire mansion shook from the force with which she slammed her door shut.
•••••
"You guys are really very cruel. You shouldn't make fun of someone's fear." Toby frowned.
"Bestie of the year goes to Toby Authier." Allegra pat his back.
"Now who's going up to her room to apologize?" I sighed.
"She tried to kill me twice. Not me." Rafael raised his arms up in surrender.
Right.
"Toby, please do the needful." Liam urged.
"No need." Mason protested. "You've spoiled her a lot. Don't give her so much attention."
"We spoiled her? And you? You haven't pampered her enough? Fulfilled her every unnecessary demand?" I shot back.
"You two sound like a troublesome child's parents blaming each other." Allegra commented.
I can't even disagree with her on that.
"Talking about parents, imagine if Oliver and Allegra had a child. The poor little thing would be cleaning the house all day." Mason laughed.
He did not just say that out loud. Well, two can play the game.
"What about Suzanne? Did you call her? You sure must be missing her." I smirked.
The twins and Rafael were simply getting entertained with our frivolous battle.
But I think I shouldn't have said that. I noticed the way his face dropped.
"I'm sorry I was just messing around with you." I nudged him with my elbow.
"No, no. It's okay." He passed a tiny smile. "She called but I didn't answer." He mumbled, guilty.
"Why would you do that?" Liam said a little harshly.
Rafael and I both were blown back with shock. Liam better prepare himself for a black eye.
"It's better if I slowly put a distance between us. We don't have a future anyway." He shrugged, his voice low and defeated.
He didn't snap at Liam.
It means this was something very serious for him.
"But... Jake likes you, if that's your concern." Rafael tried to console him.
What are my eyes seeing.
"It's not about that. It about this, the life we live, the constant danger trailing us. She doesn't deserve this. And more than that, she deserves someone better than me." The pain in his voice reached right into my heart.
"Don't say that, Mase." Allegra rubbed his arm.
He didn't say anything but I saw right through him. He feels guilty for lying to her and using her. She has forgiven him but he won't ever be able to do it.
It wasn't good to see someone hurt so much. But my respect for him elevated tenfold. His words might be bitter but he's got a nice heart. His goodness reflects in Vittoria as well. I'm glad he was the one to raise her.
"Come on now, don't pull that face. You look like a potato." Allegra kissed him on the cheek and ruffled his hair.
"Ugh! Don't do that, Alli. It's annoying."
"Don't you know? Alli and annoying goes hand in hand." I mimicked the way she spoke.
"I'll get popcorn." Liam remarked but shut up when I threw him a pointed glare.
"Mase?" Alli called him, playing with her zipper. She does that a lot. "You make machines. Can you make a machine that's shuts up Oliver's puke inducing mouth?"
"What did you call me?" I challenged.
"What did you say?" Rafael's eyes went wide.
"You make machines. You..you're an engineer." Liam said that more like a statement, surprised.
"Thanks for letting me know, Liam." Mason deadpanned. "About shutting his mouth, why are you bothering me? You already have a machine."
"Really? What?" Allegra chimed.
"This. Do the needful." He said monotonously, handing her a gun.
Bad move. She might really kill me without hesitation.
"We wouldn't want that now." Rafael snatched the gun away.
"Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't need a gun to end his life." She glared at me.
"Try harder, Miss Tanner. Your disgusting look isn't as disgusting as you. Try reaching to that level." I leveled my eyes with her damn bright blue ones.
I didn't move my heated gaze away from her and neither did she. We were silently engaged in letting each other know how obnoxious our presence is for both of us.
"Hey Ollie." She stepped closer, her head held high. "You suck."
"Hey Alli." I took a step further, reaching at a distance at which I could smell the cherry in her lip balm. "You swallow."
"But it's never yours like you wish it to be." She pushed my face away with her palm.
The crowd of four cheered and hooted, enjoying every last bit of it. But for me, her mere sight churned my stomach with hate. They are not seeing it but I know she's come here with ulterior motives. This bitch can't be trusted. She isn't loyal to any fucking one.
"I have some standards, Miss Tanner. I'm not interested in Nikolai's leftover trash."
"Watch your mouth, Oliver." Mason's hand balled into a fist raised up in the air but she blocked him, shoving him away.
"I can fight for myself, Mason. Don't get into this."
"No! I'm not going to tolerate anyone insulting you infront of me. Not even if it's him." He spat.
"Oliver what's wrong with you. You never disrespect anyone. Apologize to her." Rafael demanded.
Like hell I will.
"Why do you hate me so much, Mr Rivera?" She shook her head, her eyes getting watery.
"No no no. Please don't cry Alli. I apologize on his behalf." Toby hesitantly placed a hand over her shoulder.
Who the fuck was she kidding? She isn't someone to cry in front of people. Why would it matter to her if I hate or love her? This was all pretence.
"Tell me. Why do you hate me so much." She repeated, louder this time.
"Oh you don't know?" I scoffed.
"You fooled me. You stole the diamonds. You won." She placed her hands on my chest, roughly pushing me back. "Then why the fuck are you acting like the bloody victim. You don't even know what happened after. You know nothing about me, Oliver."
"I don't want to either." I shoved her away from me. "I already know enough to be sure about the fact that you are not what you're pretending to be. I know you're hiding something. And I'll find it out."
There! I saw it. I saw the way her eyes pitched down, the way she gulped nervously.
"She's helping you to find your sister. At least be a little grateful for that." Mason spat.
"Did she tell you everything, Mason? Did she tell you why she's apparently afraid of Nikolai?" I asked, ignoring his aforesaid statement.
"No she hasn't. She'll tell me when she's ready. I don't want to force her into it."
"Don't you see it, Mason? She's using you! It's what she does best."
"I use people? I-" Her voice broke and she staggered back, not being able to speak anything at all.
She's mastered the pretence of a damsel in distress, you see. Every single person seemed to be convinced by her acting.
Her blue eyes, blonde hair, that sinful body and smokey voice can fool others but not me. They don't know what I know.
A set of footsteps came running down frantically. Vittoria's alarmed but confused eyes switched between all of us who didn't reply to her in any way.
"What happened in like fifteen minutes?" She gaped.
No one answered. The silence prevailed.
"This alliance is over, Mr Grayson." Those were her final words before she stormed out of the house.
No one dared to stop her. Not even Mason.
"Why was she crying?" Vittoria questioned, staring at the door. "Mason?"
"Why don't you ask your brother?" He tossed me a furious look and went away to his room.
•••••
"Oliver." Rafael banged the door rigorously, amplifying the ache in my head.
He knows that thing annoys the fuck out of me but he still does that. Ever since we were kids.
"Go away if you're here to lecture me on my behavior. I'm not going to hear it."
"Will you just let me into your room?" His now impatient voice seeped through the door.
"What is it?" I opened the door to his goofy face grinning at me.
He held up a bottle of scotch, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. He shouldered his way inside and closed the door behind him.
"I didn't even invite you in."
"Since when do I need an invitation to enter my bro's room?" He poured the brown liquid in two glasses, settling down on the couch.
Bro. Right. He can go back to being a child in a matter of seconds.
"You might want to take a seat, Mr Rivera." He teased, mimicking a British accent.
"Don't you dare, Rafael." I yelled.
"Okay, okay. Cool off, grandpa." He chuckled as I sat down next to him.
"It's good riddance, alright. We were wrong to trust her." I said, partly convincing myself.
"Is there something I should know, Oliver?" He quizzed, narrow eyed. "Like what exactly happened with the diamond theft. I never asked you how you stole them from her? Did something happe-"
"Don't even get there." My sharp tone stopped him dead. "You are the one surprising me, Rafael. She's clearly lying. You think she isn't capable enough to fight Nikolai? She deals weapons with the world's governments. That alone shows her power."
"We can't say anything without knowing the entire picture. There must be a reason why she's hiding from them all this time. Just so you know, I'm going to convince her back I to the alliance. She's been a great help. We can't lose her."
"No way! Besides, I don't think she'll agree now." Which was good.
"I'll send Vittoria. You don't know how persistent she is." He smirked.
I think I know.
"No but seriously, I think there's some other reason why you hate Allegra so much."
"Rafael, you-"
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it right now." He quickly added.
Well, thanks. I chugged the contents of the glass, asking for a refill.
"Women!" I muttered under my breath but he heard it.
"I know right." He snapped all of a sudden. "Especially some specific ones. Sometimes you feel like they're so frustrating and... and just fuck it all out on her because you know you can't hurt her, neither do you want to because she's too precious for you. Tiring, yes. But precious." He groaned.
"Exactly mate! How do you know that was precisely what I am feeling?"
"Been there, done that?" He shrugged sympathetically.
"Oh, oka- Hold on! You're talking about my sister?" I shrieked, feeling dumb for making it sound like a question. "You're talking about Vittoria! My sister!" How dare he!
"I was just sharing my feelings with my best friend." He pouted.
"Well, that best friend is that girl's brother you want to fuck your frustation out on. Get your ass out before I kick you out myself."
"Jeez! You siblings are so loud."
"Shut up, Rafael."
He was laughing is ass off, enjoying my misery.
"On a serious note, let me tell you something Oliver."
I waited but he didn't say anything. I rolled my eyes, putting it into words. "What is it?"
"Try to understand what I'm implying here."
"Will you say it now?" I scowled at his drama.
"I remember in the very beginning, Vittoria asked me the exact same question. Why do you hate me so much." He said, lost in the memory.
Why is he telling me that now?
"I didn't hate her one bit. In fact you know what I was feeling about her. But you know what I answered?" He swirled the liquid in his glass.
"What?"
"Because it's better that way." He replied, begging for me to understand the hidden meaning of his words.
Allegra: Vote if you think Oliver is being mean.