41 | A Non-Esztarian. For A Change.
"How are you going to hide those, Vi?" Alli studied my wounds. This time it was bad. But I won. So it was worth it.
"The stairs excuse. It always works." I managed.
We were heading out of the curved tunnel. Darkness was at its peak and the dry leaves mixed with other crap crunched under our feet. Mason was still in the underground space, some guys from his days over here got him caught up with them. We didn't want risking Alli's presence there was too long so we made our way out to the car.
"Make sure you reach home after everyone's asleep." She suggested, her voice echoing in the tunnel.
"Yeah, I'll give some excuse like visiting our home with Mason because I was feeling nostalgic. What do you think? It'll work?" I asked, wincing at the pain.
"It shall do. But seriously, Vittoria you can't keep coming here. Look at you."
"Oh it's nothi-"
My mouth shut and opened back in a split second with a muffled groan followed my a shocked but alert scream.
We weren't alone in here. The person I bumped into just at the end of the tunnel somewhat kept my body from collapsing down. The deserted alleyway was illuminated by a single glint of silver light emitted from the lone functioning lamppost.
It fell obliquely over his eyes. I'd seen them before.
"Blondie? Hey!" I chuckled nervously for some unknown reason.
He steadied me in the most decent manner but those bluish grey eyes were trained on Allegra in an unsettling alloy of confusion, shock and..something else.
Then it clicked! Alli didn't have her mask on!
"Allegra Tanner?" He gasped. "The Allegra Tanner!" He stumbled back with the amount of shock he was feeling.
Hold on. Something was happening in here.
Alli too, was busy studying the man with a hint of familiarity in those narrowed blue eyes.
"I know you from somewhere." She mumbled, her mind reeling at the faint recognition.
They know each other? Is he from Esztar? Does he know me as well? Is that why he betted such a big amount on me?
"Outhwaite?" She asked, unsure.
"You remember me?" His brows shot up.
"London Fashion Week?"
What was I seeing! The guy was blushing! Damn! That was...cute.
"Harrison Outhwaite, ma'am. Such a pleasure to see you in person." He said in his smooth voice with a British accent.
No doubt he's a model!
"What!" Alli screeched, wide eyed.
"Um, what?"
"You said that out loud, Vittoria."
I didn't. I didn't. I freaking did!
This is the perfect time to slap yourself, Vittoria.
Thankfully, Mason jogged to us, the sound of his footsteps working as the perfect distraction. He stopped dead as he saw the three of us, alarm flashing through his chocolate brown eyes.
"Luke Skywalker. The one who never lost a fight." Harrison waved awkwardly.
"Are you that famous?" I twisted my face.
"Yes I am." He sassed. "And you," He turned to Harrison. "You never saw Allegra Tanner, you got that?" He threatened.
Poor guy was all lost, not understanding what the British supermodel was doing in an American underground fighting club.
"I thought you were dead." Harrison whispered, staring at Alli.
"So will you, if you speak a word about it. Other than that, all's good." Mason smiled, placing a decievingly friendly hand over his shoulder.
"Cool off, Mase. It's okay." Alli smiled, although worried about it. "Are you in connection with with anyone in that industry?" She asked.
"Sadly, no." She shrugged.
I saw how Alli visibly relaxed at his answer. It was too big a risk.
"You really never lost?" I asked Mason. "You said you became friends with Alli when she defeated you."
"Within sixty seconds." Harrison added, a sheepish smile grazing his lips. That was a first.
"Yeah, whatever." He rolled his eyes, making me and Alli laugh at the dork.
"Actually that's how he got famous. These patriarchs thought it was something shameful to get defeated by a girl." Harrison's permanently polite tone now wavered into a slightly bitter disapproval.
So he's a feminist. Harri boy just keeps getting better.
"If my girls defeat me, I'm the proudest person on earth." He draped his arms around me and Alli, making me hiss at the pain but I suppressed it, not in a mood to hear a lecture from him.
"Hi, I'm Mason Andress, by the way."
"Harrison Outhwaite." The two men engaged in a handshake.
"And this is my sister-"
"Vittoria Andress." He completed, his previous muddled face back on. "I've seen you in magazines."
Well, fuck!
He knew I was dating the richest bastard.
Did I seriously risk it by coming here?
Poor guy must be wondering what was the connection between the business tycoon, me, Mason and Alli.
"I think I should get going now." Alli surveyed the area anxiously. "It was nice meeting you, Harrison. Hope to see you again."
"Likewise, ma'am."
"Please! Just Allegra." She smiled.
He nodded, passing her a small smile. "Don't worry, Allegra. No one will know you were here. I promise." He said with utmost seriousness, hoping she believed him.
He seems legit but we can't easily trust anyone.
We bid goodbye to Alli, Harrison watching Mase with fascination as he kissed her head.
"Don't worry, they're just good friends." I chuckled. "But I don't think she's available."
Team grandpa, yo!
"No, no. Im still trying to get over the fact that Allegra Tanner talked to me. She's the best in our industry." He fanboyed, red tainting his cheeks once again.
My, my! He's such a shy boy! I giggled on the inside.
"We're visiting a nearby cafe. You wanna join us?" Mason offered, leaving me a confused and surprised. However, I hid my reaction, afraid to come across as rude.
Harrison was taken aback as well but he agreed after a brief pause. "Which one is it?"
"Spring Blue." Mason replied.
"The one on the waterfront?"
"Yep!"
"Alright." He jogged to his car while we went to ours.
"What was that, Mase?" I quizzed, once we were in the car.
"What, he seems to be a nice guy." He shrugged.
"Are you sure that's the only reason?"
"Of course." The engine revved. "We don't have to live the way we did before. I'm all in for some normality. Besides, I think we need some non-Esztar friends."
All I could think was that I bumped into him. Last time I did that with a handsome guy, well, we all know what happened.
•••••••
I silently studied Mason's new friend. Something about him was just too mysterious.
I watched him as he stared ahead at the dark ocean, the spring breeze lightly tousling his dirty blonde hair. His face, always devoid of any expression wasn't any different right now. Even so, there was this concealed hint of a sorrow evident in those bluish grey eyes.
They were utterly gorgeous. But what intrigued me was that they were the window to his soul. They overtly displayed all the pain he was trying to hide.
The cranky noise of a car horn blowing on the street alongside pulled me out of my thoughts, making me aware of a rather amusing fact.
He was staring back at me as well.
"I know this is all very confusing for you." I smiled.
He fidgeted with his fingers, looking away as if being caught.
"I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to seem rude." He stuttered.
"Don't worry, that's fine." I waved a hand dismissively. "So what brings you here?"
I discreetly glanced at Mason stressing himself over the phone call at a distance. Looked like we were gonna get a nice scolding from grandpa for skipping dinner at home yet again.
"What here exactly? The States or the fighting club?"
"Maybe both." I rested my elbows over the wooden table.
"Well, what brought me to the fighting club was money. About the States, it was my career which ended before starting."
"I'm sorry I-"
"No please, that's fine." He flashed a small reassuring smile. "The industry is very competitive. And then there are dirty politics. " He shrugged.
I didn't know about the industry politics, but I wondered about the competition part. He could easily be a part of the skimmed upper quality contenders. He had the perfect physique and he was quite handsome.
"Why did you just give up? I mean this is dangerous."
"But that's there fastest way to earn money which I desperately need. I'm running out of time." His eyes looked at the ocean, an abiding worry enveloping him.
"Why do you do it if it's so dangerous?" He yet again flicked that familiar intense stare right into my eyes.
I really didn't know why. All I knew is that I wanted to.
"Maybe I love seeing the patriarchs lose their money." I laughed and so did he, for the first time.
"You're doing a great job at it."
"Why yes, thank you!" I did a dramatic hair flip.
"So what do you do for a living?" He leaned in, his tense muscles loosening as he engaged into the conversation.
"I'm a financial analyst."
His brows shot up and eyes went wide. It took him several seconds to sink that in. "Oh." That's all he reacted.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. We're infamous for being the heartless class, the boring people who know nothing else apart from work work and work-"
"Oh no! I wasn't stereotyping." He chuckled, pinching there bridge of his nose.
".. The nine to five job, no life and bland tastes. Say it! Right on my face!" I pointed at my face, making him laugh harder.
"God, you talk so much, kiddo! You're gonna scare him off." Mason appeared with two boxes of pizza. "You sure you don't want anything, Harrison?"
"Yes, I'm good. And please call me Harri. Harrison sounds too formal."
"Two minutes with her and he started talking. Nice." Mason teased.
He wasn't much of a talker, I noticed that. It was almost like he was afraid to open up to new people. An extreme introvert.
"Shut up, Mase!"
"That's exactly what you should do every two minutes. She really does give me a headache at times." He pointed his stupid finger at me.
Can he not do that in front of him!
"You two are just too adorable." Harri smiled. "You're lucky to have a brother like him."
Brothers. I corrected him mentally.
"You hear that, kiddo?" He smirked like an idiot and I stuck my tongue out making a funny face.
"You must know so many pretty girls. Introduce me to some of them." Mason looked at him with expectant eyes and he simply laughed at his comment.
Wait until I tell Suzanne.
"Go look at your face, Masey."
"I'm hot, alright."
"Yeah, only you think so- don't touch my pizza." I kicked his shin.
"Oh come on, Vittoria." Harri looked over at Mason playfully. "Your brother is handsome. You should try modeling."
I snorted. "Yeah he can catwalk very well."
"At least I don't walk like a penguin in heels." He retorted.
Great! Just great!
"Give your sister a break, Mason. Or else next thing we know you'll be groaning on the floor." He pointed down.
"Yes! Harri boy!" We did a high five.
The next few minutes went by in knowing each other, Mason trying to humiliate me and me trying not to blush when Harri supported me.
He was hesitant at first to open up but eventually melted into the ease of being around us. We got to know a lot many things about him. He was a model as well as an actor. He'd even starred in a movie which was shot but it never released due some reasons. It was supposed to be his breakthrough but luck!
Now we were promenading alongside the sea, the two boys on either side of me engaged into a stupid game of keeping a count of the girls staring at them.
And Masey was losing.
Terribly.
"No, that brunette smiled at me. That counts." My stupid brother argued with no one in particular.
"Admit it, Mase. You're just the DUFF, gaining him an added advantage."
"That's very mean of you, Vittoria." Harri remarked.
Then the two of them went back to discussing about some people in the fight club who I didn't recognize. I focused on there soft sea breeze, a smile forming on my face when I recollected the day Rafael and I were strolling along this same place.
God, that was such a long time ago. I remember it was the first day after Mason's apparent death. Rafael had taken an off just to be by my side.
The smile gradually vanished, a painful nothingness capturing my heart. Suddenly I was unsure of every single thing I was feeling. Where did we stand in this reality? What were we doing to ourselves?
"What?" Mason's raised voice made me flinch. I registered his eyes, wide in alarm fixed on me. "Did you hear that, Vittoria?"
"I'm sorry what?"
He quickly faked a laugh to cover up for the surprise he displayed. "Some people in the fight club thought I was connected to some secret criminal organization."
My blood ran cold.
But I didn't let it show on my face. "Seriously?" I snorted. "What is is called? Even I would like to join it."
"I don't know." Harri shook his head, his hands thrusted in his pockets. "They say there's an entire ring of some superior mafia network."
It's called the Esztar.
"It's unbreakable. The top most authorities and with that I mean the Interpol and CIA are onto it but it's untouchable."
Thanks, Harri.
"I don't believe those rumors. These things only exist in books." He said, confidently.
Nine months that ago, I'd agree with him.
Hold on! Nine months. Esztar has created a new mafia baby in nine months. Me! The thought made me laugh.
Mason and I were relieved he didn't know much and so did the others. But I'm sure he'll dig deeper into it and find out who said that to him. There are high chances of Esztar's secrecy being at risk.
"So, it was nice meeting you siblings." He said, leaning against his car.
"Likewise." Mason and Harri did a bro hug. "I'm sorry for my hostile behavior back there. I was just worried about Alli."
"No problem, I understand. She might have her reasons." He assured.
Mason disappeared to get our car which was parked in the opposite end of the huge parking lot while I stayed here, I don't exactly know why.
For a tiny moment, there was an awkward silence between us. He wasn't very talkative and I for some reason couldn't find anything to talk.
He cocked his head to the side, silently analyzing my face like he always does. "Are you okay, Vittoria?"
I had to do a double take.
"I'm sorry?"
"Ever since the first time I saw you, there was something unexplainable in your eyes. Of course you won't share it with me but.." He trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"But?" I leaned next to him against the car.
"There are times we underestimate ourselves. Don't do that, that's all I wanted to say."
He was a very matured person, exactly like Mason. I wondered if he had to take up severe responsibilities at a young age, making him like this. Maybe that's the reason why the two of them hit off. In normal cases, it's very difficult for Mase to make friends.
This friendship... It just happened. Out of their blue. And it felt good.
"Thanks, Harrison." I whispered, the words leaving my lips by themselves.
"For what?"
"For believing in me. I still don't get how you trusted me enough to bet one hundred thousand dollars on me."
"I told you. It saw the fire in your eyes. That's the reason why you go there to fight, don't you. To quench that fire. Because you're afraid it'll burn you to ashes if you didn't take care if it soon."
His words made my heart race. I was terrified. Because he said the truth I was afraid to admit to myself.
He saw right through me. His intense stares worked their magic. And it scared me.
My legs, slightly injured, got too weak to bear the weight of my body. I collapsed but he quickly held me.
"Careful, Vittoria."
His hands were rough but his touch was gentle. Just like Rafael.
The thought petrified me. The mere idea of me feeling good with some other guy made me have an anxiety attack on the inside. Harri was good. He was really handsome, well mannered and very understanding.
But he wasn't Rafael.
Vittoria: Don't forget to vote, comme-
Mason: No but that brunette smiled at me. I EARN A POINT!!!!!
Vittoria: Shut up, Masey. Vote, comment and share!