Chapter Seventeen: The Beanbag.
"If there's one thing I'm coming back here for, it's the food," Hunter was saying as I entered the living room with my bean bag, wearing pajamas.
"Dude, same." Jason chuckled, getting up to go to the kitchen with his plate of cake crumbs. "Thanks Violet."
I yawned a reply and dumped my big bean bag near the wall.
It had to be about eleven pm and Dad was up in his room after a long day of work. I made sure to send him a message this time so he wasn't really surprised when he got back to meet five extra teenagers and a nine year old in his living room.
"I want more cake." Abbie groaned, practically sleepwalking as she came to lean on me.
"Tomorrow, Abbie. Go to sleep." I pat her fluffy ponytails. "Plus you ate the most cake out of any of us."
"It's just too good," she yawned and she was out like a light. I staggered backwards, trying in vain to lift her.
"Angelo, please..." I sighed and he got up from where he was slouching on the couch, texting or something. Jeez, even Mr. I'm-always-hungry was full.
"Thanks," I said as he effortlessly lifted the girl into his arms, bridal style.
"Well I'm out," Hunter announced and landed himself in a couch, stretching out and immediately starting to snore.
Annie and Jason were doing the dishes together apparently. How cute.
"Okay, this way," I waved Angelo over and led him up the stairs.
I was fine walking up in front of him for about five seconds until I suddenly became self conscious.
Oh jeez, was he looking at my butt? He probably wasn't, get it together, girl.
Halfway up, I completely forgot how to climb the stairs and ended up pausing awkwardly in front of him for a split second.
Then I looked over my shoulder and totally caught him staring and not at the back of my head!
His eyes darted up to look at my embarrassed expression and he shrugged.
"Uh...nice socks." Angelo said, softly.
What?
In my attempt to say something, I just let out a tortured squeak and practically flew the rest of the stairs.
I couldn't say for sure but I think I heard him chuckle. But that was probably in my head.
"You can just put her on the bed," I said to Angelo, turning on the lights in my room.
There was already someone in the bed though, covered in my purple duvet.
"It's Susan." Angelo said, carefully laying Abbie down before adjusting the pillow under her head. He was so gentle.
I turned my attention to Susan and took her green glasses off to place them on the drawer. She was literally hugging the camera in her sleep and her phone was playing a video.
Not wanting to know what it was, I just turned it off.
"Guess I won't be sleeping in my bed tonight." I chuckled. I didn't really mind anyways.
"This is a really nice setting." Angelo commented, taking a look around before pulling Abbie's sandals off and tucking her in. Had he done this before? "It's so... Violet."
"Literally," I laughed.
I liked purple, it was just convenient that it matched with my name.
I was going to ask Angelo what his room in the Mayor's Mansion looked like, you know, small talk, but then I remembered "Franca Frances" happened to him.
"Hey, you didn't tell me about Franca yet," I said quietly.
"Oh, her" Angelo said, rising gracefully and walking around the bed to Susan's side.
"She came to find me at the mansion. She brought Hans and Hale along." He tried to pull the camera out of Susan's embrace but in her sleep, she pulled it back, a disturbed frown on her forehead.
"No...! Followers ...mmm"
Angelo gave up and silently asked if we could leave by gesturing to the door. I nodded and led the way out, grabbing some blankets as I passed by the shelf.
"What the hell is Franca's issue?" I asked, turning off the lights and closing the door. Franca always made me feel a bad combination of anger and fear at the same time.
"She has more than one issue, that's for sure" Angelo shrugged. "She convinced the Mayor to kick me out, apparently I threatened to vandalize and rob their properties."
"That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard," I put in.
"Dumb or not, Mayor Madison, who was once my mother's best friend, sent me packing." He trailed his fingers along the railing as we went down the stairs. "She sent some money though, to prove she's not heartless."
"But where do you stay now?" I asked, staring at him. "Isn't moving about like this kind of stressful?"
"This is my last move for the meantime, don't worry" He replied, "Unless Franca decides to burn Hotel Lotus down."
Burn.
I shuddered. Burn just like she did the Late Yale Griffin and his farmland.
"It was a joke, Violet." Angelo said.
I nodded and tried for a small laugh, but it came out weak and forced "I know, I just...the air conditioning got to me a bit."
We entered the living room to meet Jason and Annie on one couch, sitting so they were facing each other and talking in hushed voices.
Annie turned to give me a shy smile and I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively back at her. I guess she was finally warming up to the guy.
"Hey lovebirds" I said, "you're going to have to share this one." I tossed them a blanket.
"You're kidding," Annie chuckled, and raised her hands to catch it but Jason got it first.
"Hey, I don't mind," He smirked, making Annie roll her eyes like she completely hated the idea but had no choice.
I smiled at them and went to where Hunter was sleeping, covering him with a blanket. He immediately stuck one foot out from under it.
Angelo came out from the kitchen, sipping from a mug, while running his hand through his hair to remove the rubber band. The silky locks fell about his face and he tucked one side behind his ear.
"You guys are out of hot chocolate." He said.
"Oh come on, I was saving that for a rainy day, how did you even-?" I sighed and went to flop tiredly onto my beanbag. "You owe me another pack."
"Sure," he mumbled and went to the recliner where he was to stay for the night. Except had Moo beaten him to it.
"Meow," she said, completely ignoring Angelo as she claimed her rightful spot in the center of the seat. I immediately brought out my phone to record the moment.
"You can just move her out of the way," I put in my piece of advice with a chuckle.
Angelo just kept watching, the fingers on his free hand flexing while the other raised his cup to his mouth again.
Moo finally realized he was standing there and looked up at him, "meow."
Angelo rolled his eyes, grabbed a pillow and came to me. "Move over" he murmured.
"Oh," I said and scooted as much as I could to the side just before he lowered himself next to me, making the bean bag dip. "Smile." I chided, flipping the camera to the front, still recording.
"Are you serious?" Angelo asked, looking at both of us in the screen. The blonde, unsmiling, grey eyed, messy haired guy and the girl with just as messy curly black hair, hazel eyes and freckles on her nose.
I took the mug from him with a small smile. "Yeah, you look good on camera." I said and took a sip. He'd changed into a big shirt and loose sweat pants somewhere along the line but he still looked like he could strike a pose for the front page of a magazine.
"You look good all the time," he said quietly and tapped the stop button.
I do?
I hugged my blanket to myself and tried to hide my smile with it.
"Um...you can have the beanbag to yourself if you want, I'll just send Moo away..." I said.
"Stay" he said, turning his heart stopping gaze on me. Butterflies fluttered in my tummy, surprising me. I hadn't felt those in a while.
"I thought you...uh...don't like to share." I smirked, raising the cup to my lips.
He watched me for a second before shaking his head, "I don't know what you're talking about." He said and put the pillow behind his head.
Oh my goodness, this was actually the most at ease I'd ever seen him. I didn't bother hiding my grin as I snuggled into his side.
Hmm, he smelled like freshly done laundry and whatever his amazing cologne was.
"What did you say the name of that hotel was?" I asked, longing to continue our conversation from earlier.
"Hotel Lotus." He said.
"Oh, is it new or...?"
"It's been there for ages, actually" He said, giving me that side look of his. "My grandfather built it many years ago."
I frowned. "I've never heard of a Hotel Lotus. And this is a small town."
"I'd be surprised if you had." He turned to face me fully, turning all his attention on me before speaking in a lower voice, "They're not just a hotel."
I darted my eyes to Jason and Annie who were sharing a quiet, secret giggle. Honestly, you could tell they thought they were the only ones in the room.
"Do you mean like, it's a hotel on the surface? But in reality it's some other illegal business?" I whispered in conspiracy.
"You watch too many movies," Angelo said, his eyes gleaming. "Yes, though, that's what Hotel Lotus is. Shh."
I chuckled, "and you're going to live there?"
"It's more home than anywhere I've ever been." He shrugged, "My Dad's cousin runs the place and he lives there with his family..."
"Why didn't you go there in the first place?" I asked, reaching down to put the empty mug on the floor. "Like you said once, it's madness to live with... them."
"I know." He traced a finger over a curl of my hair that was flat against the grey material of the bean bag. "I had things to do, at the Frances's and the Mayor's Mansion."
"They must be really important things." I mused. If I asked him what they were, would he tell me? What was the Hotel's hidden business?
"She scares you," Angelo observed. He reached up and gently tapped between my eyebrows, surprising me. "Stop frowning."
"Well, of course she does... I mean," I sighed and fidgeted with the ring. "Don't you ever feel like she could just, I don't know, kill you?"
Angelo blinked, his expression still as passive as ever. He really never gave anything away.
"Of course I'm joking," I giggled nervously. "But she gives off those vibes a lot."
"She's just a control freak." Angelo said. "She loves power and she doesn't care about anyone she tramples on. Worst of all, she has money, lots of it. Connections everywhere, even with the Mayor of the town."
I think I shuddered slightly just thinking about how untouchable Franca Frances was. What if Feather Industries wasn't just a cosmetics industry too?
"Do you want to know her greatest weapon?" Angelo asked, taking the blanket and pulling it over my shoulder to cover me properly.
I wasn't cold, but he'd seen me shudder and probably assumed I was.
"Do you guys need the light?" Annie asked softly. Goodness, they were still here.
I raised my eyebrows at Angelo for him to answer. He just gave me back a blank stare.
"Well, maybe you could just dim it down. Not total darkness." I replied and the lights went down. I turned back to face Angelo.
"What is her greatest weapon?" I whispered.
"Blackmail," he replied in the same volume as I.
"Blackmail..." I repeated. Why did that actually make sense?
"She messes with your brain and holds the things you value against you." Angelo explained. "She must never ever get any dirt on you and honestly, that's nearly not possible."
"But you're fine," I said and he shrugged.
"I'm careful," he replied then as an afterthought, he added, "Plus I have huge dirt on her."
"What?" My eyes widened. That was so shocking and kind of...funny. "H-how did you-?"
"It doesn't matter," He shook his head.
He was safe from Franca, what if I told him my problem...?
I dismissed the thought immediately. Angelo was safe but my parents weren't.
"What?" He asked, raising his hand to push his hair out of his face. My fingers twitched. I wanted to do that.
Actually, I'd been struggling the whole time to keep my hands to myself, he was literally a few inches away from me, all I had to do was reach over.
"Nothing," I sighed.
"I had fun today." He stated, casually changing the topic.
"Really?" I smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. To be honest I was wondering if you'd really like baking even though you clearly stated that was what you wanted. But that's just me for you, you know, overthinking little things and...um..."
I paused my small rant when he put his hand over the back of mine and squeezed gently. And there it was, more fluttering in my belly.
"I was just trying to say thanks." Angelo said, running his thumb over my knuckles.
Then as if that wasn't already killing me from the inside, he raised my hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against it.
I was just about ready to expire.
"Um..." I gulped, my voice trembling.
He blinked slowly and did it again.
"I would love to do more than that but...you have a boyfriend."
I rolled my eyes and pulled my hand away from his enticing, soft, annoying lips.
"Hey, you could just dump him for me, I don't know" he added quietly.
My heart was still racing against my chest but I slung my arm over my eyes as I lay on my back. "Goodnight, Angelo."
"Ouch," he said.
I giggled, "Sorry, it's just... you make it hard to think sometimes."
"Oh." I heard him say. Then after a beat of silence, "Can I still hold your hand, though?"
God, he did it again, turned my brain to mush.
"Sure," I whispered, putting my arm down and entwining my fingers with his.
~UwU~
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Thanks so much for reading.
Rhodes.