Chapter 6

• ***
• Alejandro's POV :
• The apartment I'd gotten for us was gorgeous indeed. All the rooms were big enough and it had a beautiful and large veranda that had a little pool and a beautiful view on the beach.
• We'd each chosen our rooms and it sure felt like home already. We always preferred to rent apartments during missions instead of going to
• the main houses. This was to keep the spies away from our real privacy.
• ~
• That night we rested and eventually slept after our tiring journey.
• **
• The next day I woke up last when it was almost twelve. The sun was already up and the heat was present as well. Luckily the apartment had air-conditioning.
• "Good morning." I said happily to Noemi and Dino who were busy chatting in the living room.
• "Good morning? It's afternoon you dumbass." Dino mused.
• "Really? Was I that exhausted?"
• "No, I just think it's the fact that you've had your first peaceful sleep in years without having to call or go see Sophia first." Noemi teased and they chuckled.
• "That's mean to Sophia." I mused and we laughed a little.
• I then searched about for my other half.
• "Where's Enzo?"
• "He's at the the balcony." Noemi replied, "I kept you some bacon and eggs. You can warm it up in the microwave."
• "Thank you, darling. Noemi is even more caring don't you think, Dino?" I chuckled.
• "I noticed. Less rough and a little more motherly."
• "Yeah, wifey material rather." I added knowingly before rushing away with a laugh after noticing the look Noemi gave me.
• "I don't blame you, Al! Weirdo." I heard her say after me and Dino chuckled.
• ~
• I met my cool brother sitting in a shady corner of the balcony and drinking a cold beverage.
• "Hey there." I said from standing halfway out of the glass door.
• He looked at me and smirked a little.
• "Hey. It's now you're waking up?"
• "Yeah." I mused and joined him. I noticed he looked off. Well, a little more off than usual.
• I missed Lorenzo. I missed the Lorenzo that had suddenly appeared during our first year of college. The one who'd learn to laugh a little more and think a little less. I'd lost him after our return to Rome. Not that I wasn't used to him being this way, given that he'd always been like that back in highschool and all our lives actually, but I had gotten used to the Chicago Lorenzo too and really missed that side of him.
• "Have you called Sophia to tell her that you arrived well."
• He stared at me, looking slightly amused.
• "Why ruin my peace?" he said and suddenly laughed out
• "Why ruin my peace?" he said and suddenly laughed out. I joined him immediately. Lorenzo's loud laugh was very contagious. He rarely laughed out loud since our return, but when he did, it made everyone else around him smile or laugh too.
• "If she could hear you now," I laughed, "It would be a different story."
• "I know right." he chuckled and drank his beverage, "Dino and Noemi are still chatting? Those two have been talking for hours and I wonder about what."
• "For real. It's crazy just how shy Dino gets around her. Noemi is legit the only girl I've seen Dino shy with."
• "He likes her. It's no secret. And she definitely likes him too."
• "He should tell Louisa goodbye." I laughed and Enzo joined me..
• "I think he's not bold enough when it comes to Lea. Else they would've been dating a long time ago. He's almost afraid to ask her out and I think it has to do with her strong character." he mused.
• "I think Noemi is beginning to seduce him." I stated.
• "You think?" Lorenzo whispered loud and with brows raised. I laughed.
• "Yup. She's smooth for now. But I'm very sure she'll soon let her claws out."
• "Poor Dino." Lorenzo chuckled and sipped his drink, "He doesn't know what's coming."
• I laughed and then turned and looked at the neighboring balcony. This gorgeous girl had just stepped out and was looking at the beautiful view on the beach. She was hot and the wind blew in her reddish hair.
• "I'm gonna go say hi to that bomb." I smirked and stood. Lorenzo chuckled.
• "A bit of freedom away from Luena and you're already preying." he mused.
• "Shhh." I chuckled and started heading towards the girl.
• "Say hi for me too!" he added with a little laugh, raising his bottle.
• ***
• Writer's POV:
• "Girl, you need a man." Noelle told her sister, that Saturday afternoon.
• "I don't have that in mind right now." Maude replied with a little smile while she mixed her protein shake.
• "You're gorgeous, Moe. Exploit your assets."
• Maude giggled at her sister.
• "You're a case, Noelle. What do you mean, exploit my assets?" she asked and they walked out of the house and to the veranda. They were preparing to go for a walk and do some jogging as well.
• "You can have any man you want, literally. You've grown into a beautiful young woman with the brains. When we go out, all eyes on you."
• "Us." Maude corrected with a little laugh.
• "Same difference. Moe, you can get yourself a sexy millionaire if you want to. Look at Steve."
• Steve was Maude's ex and he was a successful business man. However, Maude left him because he was a jerk who treated her like his property, like some priced possession and not a woman he truly appreciated and had genuine feelings for. Maude didn't want that. She did not want to be a man's flaunting possession.
• "Steve was a jerk." she shook her head and took a seat to drink her protein shake.
• "Well, find someone else. Give that Brendan guy one more chance."
• Maude sighed, exasperated.
• "Alright. I'll see." she muttered.
• "Good. You need a man." her sister concluded the topic, "Lemme go change these shorts. They're too tight."
• "Okay."
• Noelle entered the house, leaving Maude reflecting on her words and thinking deep.
• Maude wanted to be loved, truly and sincerely. She wanted to be taken care of, to be protected and treated like an egg. She was very sensitive and rushed out of relationships she realised would break her heart, before they did. Maude remained her soft self, the one who would wish that her love life could be as intense as the novels she read.
• It had been that intense some years back. One guy had made her feel like she was truly loved. They were just teens back then but he'd made her believe in unconditional love. He was Alejandro. Alejandro Enrique.
• Maude's breath hitched a little as she reluctantly remembered him.
• She was completely over him and she remembered how hard it was for her to stop loving him
• She was completely over him and she remembered how hard it was for her to stop loving him. She'd cried Alejandro for months seceding their breakup. It'd been very hard for her. She'd gotten rid of that love only when she'd turned twenty. Now she was free. Free of that love that had turned out to be way too dangerous for her innocent and naïve self. Some part of her had been angry with him for having kept his family secret from her knowing that her life would be at risk, but at the same time she understood them hiding their secret.
• 'I'm beginning a new life now. Even this little thoughts about the past should vanish. I want them gone and erased.'
• Maude thought, drinking her shake. Just then, her sister reappeared and they finally went for their sporty walk.
• *
• "Yes, that's perfect, Riri." the envoy for Boohoo clothing line said from behind the cameras as the last shots of Reena for the photoshoot were clicked.
• Reena, though tired, managed to pose one last time for the cameras. Her dark skin that had been oiled carefully seemed even more tanned and flawless underneath the hot sun.
• Her dark skin that had been oiled carefully seemed even more tanned and flawless underneath the hot sun
• She remained like that until the pics were taken.
• "And it's a wrap!" her agent said and everyone present nodded and clapped a little, "You're doing a great job, dear."
• Reena smiled lazily in response, happy that they were finally done with the shoot.
• ~~
• After a few swims in her new apartment's pool, Reena went to stand at the edge of her balcony. She leaned over the bar and admired beautiful Miami and the busy street underneath with not too many cars circulating.
• Her apartment was close to where beautiful palm trees were and she'd noticed that people loved to jog around her area and street.
• Leaning over some more, she watched the joggers and strollers pass by. She was still staring when she thought she'd recognised two people. She wasn't sure from where she stood up high as she watched the two young women begin to jog a little around the quarter.