Chapter 11

At exactly 6 in the evening, the doorbell rang, prompting Dad to get up from the couch and open the door.

“Tony!” He exclaimed loudly, and I turned around just in time to see him and Uncle Anthony in a hug.

Dad pulled back from the hug to give Aunt Maya one. Uncle Tony pulled Carla into a loose side hug.

“Avery, my little girl!” Aunt Maya exclaimed and pulled me into a hug.

Her hug brought warmth and a sense of comfort to my heart and I returned the embrace with just as much the same.

“Look at you! It hasn't even been a year since I last saw you, and you already look so thin.” She said as she pulled out of the hug and looked over to Dad with a fake angry expression, and Dad just raised his hand in surrender.

“Not my fault she still skips her Breakfasts and only knows Mac and Cheese; I tried.” He defended himself, and I chuckled before hugging Uncle Tony.

“Darling, can you please help Mico outside? He insisted on carrying the luggage, but I know he must be cursing the suitcases by now!” Uncle Tony asked in a humorous tone, and I nodded in reply.

Leaving the folks on their own, I made my way to the driveway.

And there he was, kicking at the suitcase.

There was actually a lot of stuff, and knowing him, he'd want to carry all of it in one trip.

I rolled my eyes and made my way to him. “Hey nutcase!”

He turned around at my voice with the same fake scowl he wears every time I call him names.

“Hello to you too, Miss Sandbags,” He replied, and then we both just stared at each other for a moment before he reluctantly reached out for a hug.

I didn't need to think twice before wrapping my hands around him. His familiar scent enveloped me in a blanket of warmth.

I closed my eyes and hugged him tighter.

“I missed you, you know?” He whispered in my neck

“Good for you,” I replied, and he groaned before attempting to pull away.

But I stopped him, clutching at him tighter. “Okay, geez. I missed you too. You're such a girl, I swear,” I heard him laugh, and then, after a few more seconds, we pulled away.

We were standing close and staring at each other.

So much has happened after that summer. So much forgotten, so much left behind, and so much left unsaid.

Like his face, he now has a piercing in his left ear, adorned with a diamond stud.

I flicked my finger at it before asking, “When did you get this one?”

“Last summer when I was in Spain,” he replied.

I was about to ask him when and why he was in Spain,n but a car honk stopped me.

Turning around, I saw the familiar G-Wagon, standing a few metres away from us.

Liam's silhouette was the only thing I could make out because of the dim lighting.

But I did feel his piercing gaze.

Mico was quick to his feet and pulled me aside by the waist as we were blocking the Garage.

After he parked the car, he stepped out and went straight to the door inside the garage that directly led inside the house.

“I'm assuming he is the stepbrother?” Mico asked, and I nodded, my eyes still on the door as he just passed through.

“Yeah. Yeah, he is,” I replied.

“Why do you sound so disappointed?” He asked, and I snapped back to the present.

“Um..no. Why would I sound disappointed?” I asked and moved to get one of the suitcases.

I heard him sigh behind me, and then he placed his hand on top of mine, where it was placed on the suitcase handle.

“Do you not support Uncle Mike marrying Carla?” He asked, his voice a little doubtful.

I immediately shook my head. “No, of course not. I want him to marry, and Carla is just perfect for him.”

“Then why were you looking at your stepbrother so weirdly,y as if you want to chew him alive? Does he bother you? Do you both not get along?” He asked questions one after another.

But my mind was stuck on his first sentence.

God, I need to mask my expression.

But it wasn't my fault; he was looking like a darn candy.

“No, you stupid. There's nothing like that. Now, stop asking stupid questions and help me with the bags.” I said, and his attention immediately diverted to the work at hand.

“And he is not my stepbrother, at least not yet.” I couldn't help but say,y and he just rolled his eyes at me in response.

Whew! I should have known he'd notice something. Spending our whole childhood together gave him that advantage.

I need to be more careful.

We both made it inside and placed the suitcases and other things in a corner near the entrance before we made our way to the living room.

“Mico, my boy!” Dad cheered,ed and they both met in an enthusiastic hug.

If I said that my Dad adored Mico, that would be an understatement.

They were so close together that I used to get jealous of him as a kid, thinking Dad loved him more.

Uncle Tony and Aunt Maya actually named Mico after Dad.

It's a long story, but in short, Aunt Maya is of Indian origin, and her parents wanted her to marry someone of their culture and heritage, and that caused them to disagree with her relationship with Uncle Tony.

My father was the one who convinced her parents of their relationship, as Aunt Maya was ready to be single all her life but wouldn't marry without her family's consent.

So when they had Mico, they named him after Dad.

I have a little theory that it's just one of the reasons, but they only tell us this one, so...

I saw Liam sitting on a single armchair.

He was quiet and only replied once or twice when Carla or Aunt Maya asked him something.

After a few moments, he excused himself to take a call.

And mere seconds later, my phone dinged with an incoming text.

“The laundry room. NOW.”