"Thought it would never be over." Dani sighs as he flops on the bed. My bed to be specific.
"Dude, get off!" I throw my pillow on him but he catches it with ease.
Besides him, Mason laughs as Dani tickles him.
"You have your own room, Dani." Gabriella huffs. But she's distracted by her phone, no doubt trying to call either Nate or her parents.
"I'm just waiting for your driver to pick you two up." Says Dani. He picks up Mason and places him on his stomach. Mason crawls forward and touches his nose.
"This little guy is really growing on me." He continues.
We had just arrived at the hotel an hour ago, and everyone was really tired. Gabriella's parents had called her, saying they would send over a driver to their new address.
Apparently taxis aren't how they roll.
I turn to Mason, who's cuddling with Dani. He sends me a lazy smile and I climb on the bed and grab Mason's little hand in mine.
Poor Mason - he's never been this far from his dad. Ever.
Gabriella's face says it all. She hasn't spoken to Nate, hasn't worked it out yet.
I just hoped they sort it out. If not for their sake, then for Mason's.
I bite my lip. If I could just get these two to talk...
Maybe I could. Talk to Nate, that is.
Somebody knocks softly on the door.
"Come in." I call.
A waiter appears, dressed immaculately with a folder in his hands. "Your car is here, miss." He says to Gabriella.
Gabriella's eyes light up a little.
"We'll be on our way." She says.
The waiter turns to me and Dani. "Would you like anything else? Lunch, perhaps?"
I shake my head. "I'll come down for lunch." I turn to Dani. "What about you?"
He picks up Mason. "Same." He says.
Gabriella picks up her bags, and hauls them out in the corridor.
"Shouldn't you at least have lunch first?" I ask.
"No, I'm not hungry." She says. "Besides, I don't wanna keep my parents waiting."
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Mason whines. "And when is daddy coming? You promised--"
"I... I didn't exactly promise." Gabriella huffs. "And it's only a fifteen minute drive to your grandparent's house, Mason. I'll get you something from--"
"Mommy." Cuts Mason.
I smile at him before going back to the room and grabbing 2 snickers from the cabinet.
"Here." I say, handing it to him.
He takes them from me gratefully, and almost immediately starts trying to open one.
We take the elevator down to the Ground floor, the one that's next to than entrance.
My dad's wife, Evie, has done a wonderful job as the designer. The walls are a soft pastel, and the whole place has a certain air to it. It's elegant and classy at the same time.
The receptionist smiles at us before turning to a family who are renting the hotel for a night.
It's not exactly busy, since Christmas is over, but I see more people enter and leave then I ever had before.
Gabriella comes to me and wraps her arms around me.
"Call me if you need anything." I chuckle.
"Sure will."
She takes Mason from Dani's arms. "Take care of Valencia." She narrows her eyes.
"I think it'll be the other way around." He grumbles.
The car comes up front to the entrance, and the driver helps with their bags.
Gabriella gets into the backseat with Mason, who's waving furiously at us. The driver gets into the front seat, and the car zooms away.
I sigh, watching the car disappear. "I bet it'll be an hour before she calls again." Says Dani ashe shoves his hands into his pocket.
"Maybe less." I laugh and follow him inside.
"Where does lunch usually take place?" He asks me.
"First floor."
We take the elevator again. "How many hotels does you dad own?"
"Tenchnically, it's his family that owns them." I stretch lazily. After lunch, all I want is a long nap. "You've met them, you just don't..."
"Remember." He completes as the elevator dings.
It's sort of late, around three, so I'm not suprised that the dining hall is remotely empty expect for a few people here and there.
We choose one of the more comfortable places, and slide into our seats at the back.
The waiter arrives and takes our order - spaghetti for me, and a plate of quesadillas for Dani. I don't notice the details.
"Call Nate." Dani tells me after a moment of silence.
"What?"
He shrugs. "Gabriella and Mason miss him. It doesn't take an idiot to put two and two together."
"Why don't you call him?"
"I'm not very experienced with their relationship, nor do I know anything about it."
The waiter arrives with our food fairly quickly, and leaves with a quick smile.
"He's your brother." I argue. "And this was your idea."
Dani takes a bite of his chicken quesadilla. "Fine." He says. "We'll call him together."
"No." I tilt my head, a smile playing at the corner of my mouth. "You need to learn to adapt."
"Adapt? To what...? Wait." He straightens and looks at me. "Is this one of your plans to get Dani reaquainted into the lives of his loved ones?"
"It's creepy to refer to yourself in third person." I answer. "And yes, that's exactly my plan. If you're scared because you think it's none of your business, then you shouldn't be because it is. He's your brother."
"I don't get scared." He mocks my voice.
To which I snort in response.
After lunch is over, the both of us head up to our floor.
"I'll call him." Says Dani, standing outside the door of his hotel room. "But on one condition."
"What?"
His eyes glint with amusement. "Well, for starters, this is the first time I remember actually coming to New York, so you have the task of showing me around."
"Tonight?"
"Why not?" He takes his card out of the pocket and scans in by the door. "I'll see you at say... six?"
"Okay."
"Great." He smiles as her enters his room, shutting the door softly.
I head back to my room, where I collapse on the bed almost immediately.
My phone tings, and it's a text message from my dad. I type back a quick reply telling him the flight was on time, and we're at the hotel now.
I place my phone besides me on the bed, and fall asleep almost immediately.
By the time I wake up, it's almost five thirty.
I head to the bathroom to wash my face, and quickly comb my hair and change clothes after that.
Looking out the window, I realize it's really cold. Not quite snowing, but close.
I sit in bed for a while, debating on where to take him. I hadn't been to this city in a long time, and....
Wait.
There was the winter festival.
Once when I was little, my dad took Cayden and I to the Winter Wonderland just south of here. True, it was so we'd stop nagging at him, but we still ended up having a great time.
And maybe it would remind Dani of the time we visited an amusement park two years ago.
By six, he knocks on my door just as I was getting up to go to his room. He's dressed in a warm jacket and dark jeans, his hair still wet from the shower.
"You look polished." I tell him.
His eyes trail down my body and he winks, although I can't understand why seeing as it's all covered. "So do you."
I lock the door behind me and we head to the ground floor. "So, where will we be going?"
"It'll hardly be surprising if I tell you."
A mother and a ten year old girl with hot chocolate in her hand passes me in the lobby and smiles at me. I smile back.
"Who said anything about surprises?"
Through the main entrance, we catch a taxi. I get in before Dani does and tell the address to the driver before Dani can hear.
He gets in and shuts the door.
"Why is this place so cold?" He rubs his hands together.
"It's New York. What did you expect?"
The ride takes barely fifteen minutes. The sun has already set, and bright city lights illuminate everything.
I can't help but look at Dani as he stares out the window. This place must look very different from Madrid to him.
The taxi stops at the entrance.
"A bloody amusement park?!" He's shell-shocked, but his eyes give away his excitement. "The weather's freezing, woman!"
"What did you expect?"
He follows me to the entrance. There's no ticket at the front gate, however, you do need to purchase a card for the rides.
"I don't know, perhaps a cafè?"
Dani's right - it's cold, but that doesn't mean people aren't here. In fact, the place is packed. Children with cotton candy and sweet popcorn in their hand laugh and giggle with each other and their parents, whilst the older teens are busy queuing up for the more dangerous rides.
"Isn't this better?" I point to a statue of Santa Clause with a bunch of people taking pictures next to it.
His eyes turn to the huge rollercoaster. It loops twice and follows loud, thrilled screams.
"Definitely."
My shoulders drop. "God no." I murmur.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"You persuaded me to ride the rollercoaster at this festival we went to once." I say, almost rolling my eyes at the memory.
"Did you puke?" He asks.
"Gross. No. But the overweight guy behind you almost did. He'd just eaten a huge plate of nachos before the ride again."
"Don't tell me I was anywhere near him."
I laugh. "He was sitting right behind you."
He tilts his head and smiles. "This time, we'll choose good seats."
I skim through the crowd already beginning to form. "What makes you say there's going to be a this time?"
He doesn't reply. Instead, he grabs my hand and leads me towards the ticket booth.
"No, Dani." I hiss.
"If you don't do this," he stops and looks and me. "You're going to regret it."
No, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't.
But then again... in close quarters, with Dani?
When would he invite me to be that close to him again, albeit on a screaming ride of doom?
I'm tempted to tell him this isn't any different than the turbulence on the plane, but he isn't listening.
He grabs us tickets and soon, I somehow find myself sitting on a frickin' monstrosity.
"Are you sure your doctor would approve?" I ask as a last attempt.
He shooes me off. Before the guy who actually works there can come and strap me in, Dani does it himself.
He reaches over on top, and grabs my side of the bar before pushing it firmly down.
"Just relax." He says.
It's not easy. Especially not when the man you love is sitting right next to you, his deleciously warm breath fanning your face.
Then the alarm rings, and I find myself being hauled forward.