Anders Larzelere's PoV:

Chapter 10 - "You're Sleeping With Me."

"So why do you call your loved ones, 'Mates'?" I ask, sipping on my soda.

I didn't want to drink in a place where I'm held hostage. You'll never know what anyone might do to you, when you're vulnerable.

Alarice takes a swig of her beer, and then swipes a hand across her mouth. "Oh. That..." She drags. "It's short for, 'Soulmates'." Alarice shrugs quickly, as if that explains it all.

I almost spit out my soda. "Soulmates?!" I exclaim, shocked.

"Um, yes?" She looks unsure of what she should say, and I blink at her, once, twice, thrice, stunned that she takes such a big term so easily.

"You mean to say that, you told your parents that I'm your soulmate?" I clarify, and she blushes slightly.

"Yeah...So what?"

"Are you effing serious?"

"Yes, yes. I am."

"Oh." I swallow down the ball of nervousness, trying to act cool about it.

"Hey, Alarice! Congratulations!" A perky voice exclaims and I turn around to see a short blonde girl, with grayish blue eyes that are now twinkling due to her big smile. Alarice grins as well, walking forward and embracing her in a hug.

"Wow, Elle! You've grown so much!" She muses, and then pulls back, examining the girl from top to bottom.

The girl smiles somewhat shyly. "Ha ha. Today's about you, Cousin!" She shrugs, then shares a conspiring look with Alarice.

She then turns to me. "Hello! Brother-in-law!"

I sigh. Another cheerful family member? Just my luck.

"Hey, sister-in-law." I say in a monotonous voice, looking at her flatly.

The girl bursts out laughing, finding the whole situation amusing.

♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎

"Finally," I sigh, and collapse on the living room couch, when Alarice sends out the last of the guests and shuts the main door.

She waves one last time at her Cousin, Elle, through the window and turns around, almost skipping back to the living room.

"Why are you so damn happy all the time?" I whine, glowering at her.

She smiles wider at that.

"I don't know. I'm just so happy nowadays!" She exclaims and walks to the couch with a spring on her steps, collapsing on it beside me.

"Pfft." I sigh, and let my head fall back on the couch. The high chandelier captures my attention, and I carefully examine the way the light falls and reflects off each of the glass piece forming it.

"Today was awesome, wasn't it?" Alarice says suddenly, and I turn my head slightly to the right to find her looking at the ring on my hand.

I blush and fist my fingers, hiding them behind my back.

"Maybe for you. You should've warned me, y'know? I felt like I'd pass out from how fast my heart was beating." I mock-glare at her, and then turn my head back to the ceiling.

"I know, right! I heard it too!" She exclaims in an overly cheerful and pleased tone.


"Huh? Heard what?" I ask, turning back to her in confusion.

She looks caught for a second. Then, she covers it up with a grin. "Felt your heartbeat, I mean. When we kissed." She shrugs, smirking.

I blush once again.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why does she have to bring that up?

"Oh." I look away, now focusing my attention on the ceiling studiously.

She chuckles. "I never knew that kissing could be so...pleasant," She mumbles, sighing in an almost dreamy way.

"Oh." I mutter, trying to control my burning cheeks. "Wait," I sit up, "You act like you haven't done it before?" I raise a brow at her, amused at the way she's behaving.

Her eyes widen in that 'Oh-crap-I'm-so-dead' way once again. "Um." She blubbers, "Actually," She swallows, "Yes. I haven't." She blurts out, placing both hands over her burning cheeks.

I receive the hundredth shock for the day.

"You haven't kissed someone before?!" I exclaim, my jaw almost touching the floor with how much it's open.

"No." She mumbles, crossing her arms and looking away with an embarrassed expression on her face.

"Wow." I whisper, too shocked that someone so beautiful can be so innocent.

Pretty, Innocent and Funny. Is it possible for such a girl to exist?

I guess the living example is sitting right beside me.

Suddenly, she snuggles close to me, putting one arm around my neck, and resting her head over my chest.

"What—" I start, but she puts a finger over my mouth.

I look down to see her mouthing, 'Father'.

Oh.

I nod in understanding and wrap and arm around her neck, letting my fingers play with her hair.

Footsteps echo down the hall.

We turn around to see Mariano DeVega dressed in his Pjs, leaning across the huge arch separating the living room from the dining room.

"Yes, Father?" Alarice asks, smiling, but not getting up.

"I just came to inform you that your Mom and I are leaving early tomorrow morning. I've got an important work to do. We might be gone before you wake up." He informs, looking serious.

"Oh." Alarice looks sad. "Okay..." She nods, and her Father gives her a nod in return. He then turns around and walks away.

That's all. No more words.

I sigh when he leaves.

"Your Dad is a scary man." I shake my head, staring at the place where he was leaning a minute ago, which is now empty.

Alarice sighs and pulls away, standing up. "Scary doesn't even cover half of it. C'mon. Let's go to bed."

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When I come out of Alarice's bathroom wearing a pair of white shorts and a tee, I find Alarice wearing the same thing. She's bent over, arranging the pillows on the bed.

I quickly avert my eyes from her...loose neckline, blushing.

"You seem to have a fetish for wearing same clothes." I comment, walking to the bookshelf in the corner.

"Oh. I don't know...I like it." I hear her saying from somewhere behind me, and I can imagine her shrugging in that carefree manner.

"Cool collection." I run my finger along the spines of the Harry Potter collection and Shatter Me series, smiling at the few other familiar titles as I scan through them.

"Um, thanks." She replies, and I turn around finally.

"Okay, where's the guest room?" I ask, observing her, as she tucks in the corners of the sheets under the bed.

I made quite a mess today morning.

"Oh. It's in the floor below mine." I nod and turn towards the door, when she interrupts me. "But you're not going anywhere."

"Why?"

"Because, you're sleeping with me."

♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎

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