Chapter 7

Ariella

As the chatter around the dinner table continued, Dad suddenly turned to me with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Speaking of college,” he began, his tone casual yet pointed, “don’t you have classes too, princess?”

For a moment, his words didn’t register. I was too caught up in the warmth of the moment, the delicious smell of Mom’s cooking, and the playful banter bouncing around the room. But then it hit me like a brick. College. Oh no. My eyes widened as the realization sank in.

“Yes, I do!” I blurted out, my voice more panicked than I intended. “I totally forgot!”

Mom stopped mid-step, holding a plate of garlic bread. “You forgot about college?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Relax, it’s not like I forgot I’m enrolled,” I mumbled, trying to downplay the situation. “I just... lost track of time.”

“Oh, sure,” Alex chimed in from his spot at the table, his signature smirk already spreading across his face. “You just happened to forget that you have an entire institution waiting for you tomorrow. Totally believable.”

I shot him a glare, but before I could respond, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms like he was gearing up for a performance. “But wait, isn’t there something else you’re supposed to remember?” he asked, his voice dripping with mock curiosity. “Like, oh, I don’t know... meeting your darling sweetheart Damien at school?”

My face immediately flushed, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Alex,” I said, my voice low and threatening, “don’t start.”

“Start what?” he asked innocently, his smirk only growing wider. “I’m just saying, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to wait for him at the school gates or something. Isn’t that what lovebird do these days?”

Before I could come up with a retort, Mom, who had been setting another dish down, suddenly perked up. “Wait a minute,” she said, glancing between Alex and me. “Damien... isn’t that Stella’s brother?”

Her question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth to respond, but Alex beat me to it. “Yup, that’s the one,” he said, grinning. “The very same Damien our princess here couldn’t stop talking about for weeks.”

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Mom, don’t listen to him. He’s exaggerating.”

Mom gave me a knowing look, her hands on her hips. “Is he, though? I seem to recall you mentioning him quite a bit, too.”

“Can we not make this a whole thing?” I mumbled, wishing I could sink into the floor.

Dad chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment. “So, if you used to like him,” he said, leaning forward with a teasing glint in his eyes, “why the change of heart, princess?”

“Yeah,” Alex chimed in, his smirk practically reaching his ears. “What happened? Did your ‘darling sweetheart’ mess up somehow?”

I sighed, trying to come up with the right words. “It’s not like that,” I said, folding my arms defensively. “I just... realized we’re different people. It wouldn’t work.”

“Different people?” Alex repeated, raising an eyebrow. “That’s a fancy way of saying you’re avoiding something.”

“I’m not avoiding anything!” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him. “I just don’t feel the same way anymore, okay?”

Mom looked at me thoughtfully, her expression softening. “Did something happen between you two?”

“No, nothing happened,” I insisted. “It’s just... I don’t like him anymore. That’s it.”

Alex arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, and let out a low, sarcastic chuckle. “Oh, really?” he said, leaning back in his chair. “You don’t like him anymore? Is that the official story now?”

“Yes, Alex,” I shot back, trying to sound firm, though the heat rising to my cheeks probably wasn’t helping my case. “Not everyone clings to their childhood crushes forever, you know.”

“Uh-huh,” he said, his tone dripping with mock seriousness. He steepled his fingers like he was about to interrogate me. “So, what happened? Did your ‘darling sweetheart’ finally stop being perfect in your eyes? Or did you realize he’s just a regular guy who doesn’t deserve your royal highness?”

I groaned, slumping back in my chair. “Alex, seriously, can you stop? I’m being honest here.”

He tilted his head, pretending to think. “Honest, huh? Because last week, I’m pretty sure I caught you doodling little hearts in the margins of your notebook—”

“I was bored in class!” I cut him off, my voice rising an octave as I felt my face grow even warmer.

“And the week before that,” he continued, ignoring my interruption, “you practically bolted out the door when he texted you about studying together. But no, you don’t like him anymore. Totally makes sense.”

“I didn’t bolt!” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him. “I was in a hurry, and it was a group project, for your information.”

“Group project,” Alex repeated slowly, nodding with mock understanding. “Right. So, you definitely don’t like him anymore... but if he walked in here right now, you’d totally ignore him, huh?”

“Yes!” I insisted, though the little voice in my head wasn’t entirely convinced.

Alex’s grin widened. “You’re such a terrible liar, kid.”

Before I could say anything else, Dad, who had been quietly listening to our banter, leaned in with a mock serious expression. “Hold on a second. I wouldn’t like it if someone took my little princess away from me,” he said, his voice laced with protective affection. “If you really don’t like him, though, that’s fine. But if he’s the one...”

I shot Dad a glare, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “Dad, please. This is so not the time for your dad talk.”

Mom sighed, stepping in to end the teasing. “Alright, enough,” she said, raising her hands like a referee. “Let’s just eat before the food gets cold.”

Dad laughed, shaking his head. “Ah, sibling love. Nothing quite like it.”

Alex gave me one last teasing grin. “I’m keeping an eye on you, kid. Just in case.”

I rolled my eyes, grabbing a piece of bread. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

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