DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB.
AN: I keep seeing reviews on this story every once in a while, and I figured, hey, why not update it? So, here it is! I hope you enjoy! Oh and by the way, I barely had an hour or two to write this thing, so please go easy on me for the lack of proofreading X_X
"There you are! What took you long?" Heather asked with a short laugh as Stella approached the table. "Stella, do you remember Brandon?" she introduced her son to her daughter-in-law with a bright smile.
Stella's blood ran cold with unexplainable terror and trepidation when the brunet turned around slowly to match her stance. His body turned rigid and his dark brown eyes instantly flashed in recognition. His eyes were the deepest chocolate brown she had ever laid her eyes on and they were still just as beautiful as she remembered them. They locked with hers and she could feel her heart start to open up old memories and wounds. Wounds that haven't faded but hardened into scars over the years.
Despite it feeling like an eternity, it was only for a split second before Stella breathed out. "Yeah, sort of," she laughed off casually before nearing the table and setting the tray down. "Would you like some chicken?" she asked with a nonchalant smile, turning to him, but his eyes blinked with shock, bewilderment, and complete incredulity. He stared at her with complete disbelief as he drank her presence with his eyes.
Stella's back started to sweat when he took his sweet time to process his shock. "Um..." she coughed slightly to get his goddamn attention and hopefully get him to say something!
Brandon blinked and thankfully snapped out of his trance. "...Y-Yes, t-thanks," he stuttered in shock before letting his eyes glue to her face. Stella's cheeks flamed as she placed a serving into his plate. My god, he's so close to her! Her heart hammered as she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from screaming. She involuntarily caught a whiff of his cologne and nearly fainted at the familiar scent. Crisp pine and sandalwood...she gulped as she recognized it instantly.
She didn't know whether she should be drowning in horror or waiting for the ground to swallow her whole. Both looked like promising options.
She avoided all possible eye contact and physical touches as she served him. But...for some reason, her skin burned feverishly. Or...was it just her?
She set the tray in the middle of the table before moving away from the brunet as quickly as she possibly could. To her next curse, the seat beside Hayden was dreadfully empty, which means that she had a certain expectation to fill it and sit beside him. Oh, god.
She let out an aggravated sigh internally before flopping down next to Hayden. Stella took her place and calmly served herself some food before starting to eat.
"So, cheers to the happily married coupleeee!" Heather cooed.
Hayden and Stella glanced at each uncomfortably before tightly smiling for the sake of his parents, neither of which did not go unnoticed by a particular brunet in the room.
"Yeah! We need to celebrate as a family!" Lucas grinned.
"Dad!" Hayden protested in ire. "God, please!" he growled, clenching his jaw.
Stella shook her head, suddenly not having the appetite to eat anything in front of her.
"Dad, you can't do this to me!" Stella yelled angrily. "I don't even know that guy!"
"Don't be silly, honey," Radius Solaria laughed, totally ignoring his daughter's protests. "He's Musa's brother. Of course, you know him."
"Mom, please—" she tried to convince her mother, but the latter seemed entirely focused on something else.
"Stella, don't you understand how much we'll all mutually benefit from this? Our profits will just be shooting through the roof. You'll be so happy, honey!" Luna smiled and Stella knew it was useless arguing with them.
The two parents turned towards each other. "We'll be in-laws to Heather and Lucas!" Luna continued with a big grin, hugging Radius happily. Stella face-palmed at their reactions. Useless. Pointless. Hello! It's HER marriage, and she has to have a say in it!
The blonde snapped out of her trance. Oh, god, she gulped. She can't lose focus. Heather and Lucas both know this is an arranged marriage, but they can't help but pretend that their son and new daughter-in-law are heavily in love with each other. Great. As if putting on a showfor the entire world isn't wonderful enough already.
My life is so pathetic, Stella shook her head with a sigh.
The adults started to talk about the added bonuses that this marriage brought upon. Business-wise, their stock markets went through the roof like they predicted. New investors joined in, sponsors poured in, and the value of their contracts broke plenty of existing, recent records.
Stella didn't bother to join in the conversation. Politics. She never was interested in that crappy shit. It was materialistic — and that's saying something coming from her — and outlandish.
"Hey. Cut it out with the if-the-looks-could-kill glaring," Hayden suddenly leaned in and whispered in her ear, making her jump in her seat. The blonde's eyes widened as she turned towards him. He pressed his lips together and silently told her to change her expression. The blonde nodded and mouthed a soft 'sorry' before turning back to her food. She hadn't even noticed how displeased she was. She threw her thoughts out the window before deciding to just get through the lunch. The worst part is already over.
Meanwhile, Brandon saw the exchange. He narrowed his eyes, clearly not liking his brother's proximity with the blonde. What is she even doing here in the first place?! He breathed in disbelief. He stared at her multiple times to make sure that it's really her. It is. His eyes fell on the ring on her finger to confirm. What the hell? He gulped slightly.
Sensing Stella's discomfort, Musa cast her a look of assurance and comfort.
Brandon looked up from his food occasionally and glanced up at Stella. And now, she was silently nodding at something Musa was gesturing. Does she not remember me anymore? he thought in question. Since he came here, the only time she glanced at him was to ask if he wanted chicken. Chicken!? Really!?
Stella calmly ate her food, but she was just about ready to explode. She could feel Brandon's every now and then piercing glances. And she'd have to be lying if she said she didn't notice. Oh, she noticed alright.
"Pssst!"
Brandon turned to the side when Musa poked him in the shoulder. "How was London?" she grinned. "And did you bring me the flute that I asked for?" she asked excitedly.
Brandon smiled slightly, grateful for the distraction. "Of course, I did," he chuckled.
Stella suddenly coughed and started to choke on her food when she heard his voice out of the blue. He's been so quiet till now and to hear his voice suddenly startled her. Brandon's eyes darted towards the blonde, who nervously grabbed a glass of water.
"Are you alright, Stella?" he asked with an impassive voice with a hint of tease to his tone.
Oh my god, he spoke. He just spoke to me! Too overwhelmed to think straight, the blonde didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on her food. "Y-Yes. Um, t-thanks," she stuttered.
"Hey, Stell," Musa grinned. "How about we all go out and hit the beach after lunch? It should be fun! The four of us can go! And we can invite the girls and the guys too!"
Hayden interrupted before she could go on any further. "I'm busy. Can't come," he shrugged dismissively as he continued to eat.
Musa tossed him a dry look. But then again, she wasn't really surprised to hear that. Hayden had always been mindful of his own business and nothing else. Sacking his response aside, she turned towards her best friend again. "What do you guys say?"
Stella bit her lip. She turned to sneak a subtle glance at Brandon, but immediately turned away when she saw his penetrating gaze nearly puncture through her soul. "Um…yeah, sure..." she stammered in a quiet voice.
"Sure, why not?" Brandon agreed, speaking up almost immediately, his eyes never leaving the blonde.
Oblivious to the tense exchanges between the blonde and brunet, Musa grinned. "Great," she smirked before gushing about how exciting it's going to be especially now that her brother returned.
Stella used her hair as a thick curtain to shield her burning face.
The lunch passed by within the next ten to fifteen minutes. But for Stella, it felt like a complete, nightmarish eternity.
Heather and Lucas were too engrossed with each other, Hayden didn't care about anything but the chicken on his plate, and Musa was too hyped about the spontaneous beach trip. The one thing the four had in common was no one noticed the too-obvious, silent conversations between the blonde and brunet.
A while later...
After the lunch, Heather moved to clean and Stella offered to immediately help. Anything to get out of the dining room. The blonde took her plate out into the kitchen, letting herself breathe again. She didn't even realize she's been suffering from a serious case of hypoxia till now.
"You okay, honey?" Heather chimed in, observing Stella's sudden silence. The blonde wasn't really known for her quietness.
Stella turned to her and gave her a tired smile. "I just really want to get some sleep," she replied. "It's been a long night." And day, she snorted internally.
"Long night, eh?" Heather teased, leaving Stella to suppress a glare. "Alright, you go on and get some rest. I'll clean up here."
"Thanks, Heather," Stella gladly took up the offer before making a beeline out of the kitchen.
Subtle much! She glared internally at Heather's coy comment before climbing up the stairs. But she didn't dismiss the irony of those words. It was a long night. She couldn't sleep all night with another man in bed in the same room as her.
Lost in her own trance, she never noticed Brandon, who wasn't too far behind her on the stairs. Stella sighed to herself, deciding to retire for the day. Her brain consumed enough stress for a few days, and she needed some much-needed solitude. She stopped in front of her bedroom before opening it. This had been one of the conditions when she had gotten married. There's no way in hell she was sharing a bedroom with Hayden.
Her eyes gleamed brightly at the sight of a neatly made bed waiting for her. With a soft sigh to herself, she effortlessly dragged her feet to the inviting mattress before collapsing on it. She closed her eyes and was about to doze off when she heard the door to the bedroom close abruptly. She sat up without a moment's hesitation and gasped out loud to see none other than Brandon, who was busy locking the door.
A loud, frightened squeak escaped from the pits of her throat as she stood up in a flash. The tall brunet turned and captured her light amber orbs with his piercing ones.
Stella felt her heart thud as he approached her with silent footsteps. "W-What are you doing?" she asked, trying to mask her nervousness for something far less humiliating.
He didn't respond as he stopped barely two feet away from her. His dark chocolate eyes appeared brazen and conflicted as he calmly stared at her. With each second, she found it all the more difficult to maintain her stance. His pensive stare started to break her as she struggled to gaze at him.
To her surprise, he crossed his arms and broke the contact away first to look around the room. He peered over her shoulder, where his gaze lingered on the bed for a few extra seconds. Without breaking his contact with the white pristine sheets, he spoke up. "So...you and my brother, huh?" Brandon commented before his eyes snapped to face her once more.
Stella felt her insides melt as the sound of his voice. She always loved his voice. It used to make her feel...safe. That's the kind of comfort his beautiful voice gave her. Since the last time she saw him, it only grew deeper and richer. It made a part of her swoon with delight — not the part she was proud of having, but still.
"…You're back," she said dumbly. She honestly hoped he wouldn't be. She prayed that he'll only be here for a short time and then pack up and go. Just like last time, she thought with a small frown.
He stared at her for a moment. Is that really the topic here? His lips pursed in anger. She jumped slightly when he suddenly took a large step towards her. He grabbed her wrist, causing her eyes to widen with fright and shock. "What are you doing here, Stella?" he snapped, his anger no longer masked underneath.
She gasped at their proximity, but her senses were soon clouded with irritation before turning into anger at his nerve to actually touch her. And just like that, her hazy conscious disappeared as she glared with him with ire. "Excuse me?" she raised an eyebrow at his presumptuousness. Why did he care? No, wrong question. Since WHEN did he care? She tried to free her wrist, but her blood only boiled when he resisted effortlessly against her miserable attempts. "Brandon, stop! What are you doing? Let me go!" she protested.
Glaring at her attempts, he only tugged on her wrist with another swift pull. Stella gasped when her body collided tightly against his. She instantly pushed him away repulsively like he was some sort of acid and jumped back a foot, but he still refused to let go of her wrist.
"What am I doing?! No, Stella. The question is, what are you doing here?!" he growled, trying his best to control his rising voice.
Strangely unaffected by his anger, Stella blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Um...well, it's obvious even to a complete moron. Hello! I'm the daughter-in-law of this house, remember? Meaning I'm YOUR sister-in-law," she huffed triumphantly.
Brandon glared at her mocking voice. He lunged for her shirt before grabbing her collar. "Don't you dare be a smartass with me, Stella Solaria," he snapped, making her flinch. "Because that will be a big mistake," he hissed, his voice low and threatening. "But you know that very well, don't you?" he whispered, his eyes glowering with rage.
Stella gulped at his anger and her eyes widened at their growing proximity. She could feel his breath fanning over her as his eyes blazed with fury. Her heart started to hammer loudly against her chest, and she was sure nearly everyone in the house can hear it. Fear seeped into her face at the sheer wrath in his gaze.
Is he going to hurt her...?
No, Stella defended immediately. He'll never do that to me...or...at least the old him wouldn't...
Getting a grip of her momentary physical weakness, Stella coiled her hand around his wrist before forcibly removing his hold from her. "Don't you ever touch me again," she started just as angrily. "I'm not your property or your slave. I don't owe you any explanation on what I do with my life," she hissed with an angry glare.
Brandon's eyes mimicked the same amount of outrage. He resisted the urge to strangle her right now. She just has no idea, does she? Did she really think she can waltz into this house as his brother's wife?! And that too without expecting any questions?!
"Why? Why did you come here!?" he asked with a murderous look in his eyes, barely being able to keep the rage out of his tone.
Stella rolled her eyes. "Why do you care?" she asked uncaringly. "This is my life and I don't have to give you an answer for it," she said with a triumphant smirk. She glared back at him, no longer spell bounded by his piercing stare. "Get out, Brandon," she said coldly. This conversation was done.
He stared at her for a long moment. "This isn't over," he hissed before stepping back.
Stella rolled her eyes, which only irked him further. She did that on purpose. She knew him long enough to know that rolling her eyes at him really got under his skin. He always got her back for it but back then, she irrationally enjoyed the way he made her pay for it.
Brandon's furious eyes turned a jet-black as he momentarily stopped in his tracks. "Do you love him? Do you really love my brother?" he asked her in indignation.
Stella crossed her arms before turning her head to the side. "Like I said, it's none of your business," she said coldly. She turned to him again, unable to keep the bite out of her tone. "But since you're a dumbass, I'll give you a hint. People don't get married just for the heck of it," she rolled her eyes again while flashing him her ring finger which adorned the ring that Hayden put on her yesterday.
Another roll of eyes, she noted mentally. Her eyes darted over to his hands, which itched to retaliate for that. She suppressed a small gulp. Despite knowing him a lot more than people gave her credit for, she was still intimidated by him. Even after all these years, a part of him still terrified and overwhelmed her. He clenched his teeth before giving her a death stare. If looks could kill, she'd really be vaporized by now.
She let out a shuddering breath of relief when he turned on his heel and marched out of the room, slamming the door shut on his way out. She collapsed on the bed and clutched her heart, which had beating too fast for her to register. She shut her eyes in pain and sadness, leaking the two emotions she refused to let Brandon (or anyone else) see.
Brandon headed back to his room and slammed the door in anger. He stood with his back against it and closed his eyes before slowly sliding down to the floor. He was livid. That was so not how the conversation was supposed to go. This wasn't the Stella he knew.
Back then, she was...
His eyes drifted into nostalgia. She was something special.
She was adorably clumsy, said the wrong things at the wrong times, laughed out of nowhere, and found just about everything hilarious. He opened his eyes slowly, unable to believe what was going on here. He refused to believe that she's married. He refused to believe that she's hooking up with his brother. He simply refused.
But how can he know when she keeps saying it's "none of his business"? She won't even answer a single question. And not to mention the way she rolled her eyes at him...Grrr.
But did his brother and she really marry out of love? Did they at least have the tiniest whiff of feelings towards each other? He wasn't an idiot when it comes to wealthy marriages. Not everyone married out of love. But…how can I make sure? He racked his brain for an idea. He stood up when a tiny light bulb went off in his head.
He left his bedroom before quickly going downstairs to find his mom. "Mom," he called out.
"In here, honey," Heather answered from the kitchen.
Brandon followed the sounds of dishes being put away. "Mom," he approached his mother in the kitchen.
"Hey, sweetheart. Are you still hungry?" Heather smiled at him as she cleaned up the kitchen slabs.
The brunet shook his head. "Can I see Hayden's wedding videos?"
Heather gasped, wondering why she hadn't thought of this before. "Oh my god, that's right!" She thought for a moment. "We don't have the official photos or videos yet, but we did manage to get a few shots in the video cameras. And," Heather let out a small giggle before continuing, "You can also try the Internet."
Brandon nodded with a thanks before taking off to get the cameras. He found them in his dad's study. Taking them to his room, he plugged the cameras in his laptop through USB ports and viewed the contents inside. There were only a few recent videos, but they weren't filmed for very long. He clicked on the longest one and set it to full screen.
Brandon's eyes dilated slightly when he saw that the opening scene was of Stella walking down the aisle with her arm looped through her father's. He covered his mouth slightly as he watched her in complete awe, mesmerized. She looked...she looked stunning. But there was one problem. He had zero experience on marriages, but he was pretty sure that a woman would become a blushing bride on her wedding day. Forget blushing; Stella barely looked at Hayden. Don't you typically look at the groom? She didn't. She appeared impassive and her composure was nowhere near relaxed or buoyant. She was just...there. As the video progressed, there was a small smile on her face as the priest recited the mumbo jumbo on how marriage was a consecrated ceremony and other blah-blah that the brunet could care less about right now. He was only focused on the blonde. He knew her well enough to comprehend that her smile was a total fake. As the video progressed, Brandon noticed more evidence to conclude his little theory. She didn't speak unless spoken to and she seemed touchy every time Hayden held her waist for photos. He didn't bother watching the other videos.
He pulled up the Internet. Considering the 'It' couple got married just yesterday afternoon, there are bound to be some good articles. Brandon glared in distaste at the first photo websites showed. He cantankerously slammed his laptop close when he saw Stella and Hayden kissing for the first time as husband and wife. Okay, that's it. He has had enough of this over-the-top phony wedding and even phonier joy and laughter.
He fell back on his bed and remained deep in thought. He hadn't expected to see her like this. He closed his eyes, disturbed. But she'll never understand, will she? She'll always think that he wanted to toy with her. He still remembered. He remembered the first time he saw her. Every memory with her was never forgotten. It's what he occupied himself with for years, hoping that there'll be more of them when he meets her. Little did he know that he would eventually become the third wheel.
The first time he met her...
It was five years ago.
A small smile touched his lips. He had just returned from London to spend the summer at home when he saw her. Coincidentally, she had just graduated from high school and she was on summer break as well.
"Mom, I'm heading out!" Brandon announced, grabbing his keys.
"Where?!" Heather called back from the kitchen.
"Just out," he replied vaguely before heading towards the front door. Just then, the door opened as two girls entered. They were laughing at something he didn't really remember or care about.
Musa looked to see Brandon and grinned at him. "Hey, Stell," she turned to the blonde besides her. "This is Brandon, one of the brothers you never met," Musa joked, introducing her brother to her best friend.
Brandon turned to see a tall blonde with light amber-brown eyes. His eyes dilated just slightly as he stared at possibly the most beautiful girl he has ever laid his eyes on. Since when did his sister have such gorgeous and hot friends?
Stella laughed at Musa's introduction before turning to him. "I'm Stella," she introduced herself while a little heat flamed on her cheeks.
He raised an interested eyebrow as she smiled at him innocently. He nodded quietly. "Brandon."
"See you later, bro," Musa patted his back as he seemed to be going out somewhere.
The girls brushed past him, but his gaze remained transfixed on the blonde. She just seemed a little distinct for some reason. He was used to girls smiling at him seductively and batting their eyelashes flirtatiously, hoping he'll notice and give them a chance. But this particular girl...she looked almost shy and intimidated to look him in the eye. He never had a girl give that reaction before. To say that it took him up by surprise was a massive understatement.
He watched her travel upstairs while giggling and gossiping with Musa. She seemed to be oblivious of her one-man audience until she casually glanced around the living room and caught his eye. The smile on her lips slightly faded when she noticed him gazing at her with curiosity. She slowly climbed upstairs but occasionally looked back at him, wondering why he was watching at her like that.
He snapped out of his trance when he felt a hasty pat on his back. "I thought you were going out," Heather observed before moving past him to get something else from another room.
"Hmm?" he turned to her in question before turning back towards the blonde, who disappeared upstairs, presumably into his sister's room. "Yeah," he whispered absentmindedly, keeping his eyes in the direction she just disappeared to.
Brandon opened his eyes. His attraction to her had been instant and fatal. Ever since he noticed her, she had always been in his eye. Whenever she was around, he'd catch himself watching her intently with curiosity.
He looked around the room, where each crevice reminded him of his time with her. But...officially, he no longer had a chance to be with her.
Unofficially though...he smirked as his shameless mind brewed a few fantasies he'd very much like to come true.
Meanwhile...
Stella closed her eyes to get a decent nap, but her mind constantly replayed her conversation with Brandon from earlier. Ugh, she grumbled to herself, wondering why she had to marry the one guy who had a stupid brother she'd very much like to run from for the rest of her life.
Brandon...
He always went for what he wanted while giving a rat's hoot for the consequences. He just didn'tcare. He really didn't. In one of their first conversations, he outright told her that he wanted her. But he somehow managed to say that without sounding like a creep.
"Where's the punch!" Stella shouted over the music.
Musa grinned in response. "Kitchen!" she responded airily before going back to make out with her boyfriend Riven.
Stella grumbled in disgust, wondering when her friend will understand the meaning of unwanted PDA. And privacy. Heather and Lucas were out for the weekend to attend some conference across the country, giving their only daughter enough leeway to throw a spontaneous jamboree in the house.
She made her way through the crowd as she pushed past dancing people. She stopped momentarily when she spotted Musa's brother climbing downstairs in nonchalance. Dressed in black leather bomber jacket and dark jeans, he was a SIGHT to look at. His deep chestnut locks hung barely over his eyes, giving him that mysterious, bad boy, yet boyish look. "Wow," she whispered to herself.
Lord have mercy. The Shields' family is seriously blessed with some FINE genes.
She gasped when she suddenly caught his eye and immediately turned away. Her skin flamed at being redhandedly caught ogling as she hurriedly tried to get out of there. "Oh, crap!" she bit her lip with immense embarrassment as she tried to storm away from his line of sight. She pushed past people before deciding to get that punch she was going for earlier. This crazy rave drove her wild enough to get her thirsty. "What a lie," she grumbled to herself before blushing slightly. The younger son of the Shields household was hot enough to give her the vapors.
She made her way to the counters in the kitchen where two large punch bowls were set up side by side with stacked red cups beside them. She took a red cup before picking up the serving ladle. She poured the liquid into the glass, filling it to almost three-fourths. She set the ladle down before slowly sipping the drink, letting the cool liquid calm her nerves.
She gasped when she suddenly felt a warm presence behind her before her new captor placed his hands on either side of her body, confining her in between. She turned her head to the side and squeaked in shock when she saw Brandon gazing at her with impassive eyes. For some reason, he was gazing at her with curiosity as if she was some extraterrestrial being from outer space. His acute examination and the ardent look of scrutiny from his eye made her insides tremble and knees go weak. Pathetic.
"Stella, right?" he smirked slightly before finally addressing her.
She nodded in response, dumbfounded. Why was he looking at her like that? She looked at the way he confined at her and then back at him, wondering if he knew what personal space was. "I don't," he smirked.
"Did I say that out loud?" Stella squeaked, leaving him to chuckle in amusement.
He redirected his gaze to the trembling red cup in her hands. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
She stared at him, wondering 1) how a guy as handsome as this one even gave her the time of day and 2) why he cared. She blushed just slightly at the way he trapped her without as much laying a finger on her. "...P-Punch," she stuttered, struggling to breathe as she raised her glass slightly to show him.
"Punch?" he repeated in amusement, turning his gaze back to her again.
"Yeah...?" she said in unfeigned incertitude, making him laugh. Her eyes sparkled at his laugh, which has to be the most attractive thing she has ever seen on any guy.
His lips stretched into a small smirk at her naivety. Mere punch at a party like this? Puh-leeze. "You're not really that gullible now, are you?" he observed with interest.
She stared at him in confusion.
"It's spiked," he said while leaning in, letting his cool breath fan slightly over her.
Her eyes widened as she gasped in surprise and immediately set the drink down. He chuckled at her reaction while his eyes danced in amusement.
"But we're not even twenty-one yet!" she protested in shock, staring at the crimson red liquid. Isn't this party supervised?!
"Who cares?" he chuckled.
"How did you know anyway?" Stella asked curiously.
"I have a crazy sister. Someone's gotta keep watch," he replied with another smirk pulling at his lips.
"Oh," she said stupidly. Not knowing what to say, she simply blinked and stared at him before his eyes turned even more intense.
She froze when he suddenly moved his lips towards her ear. "Come to my room," she heard in a delectably seductive, husky tone.
She blinked in shock at his open invitation. Subtle much?! But her insides swooned. How does this guy have so much effect on her? A man who invites to sleep with him on first glance is most definitely not her type, but...something about this guy just... "For w-what?" she asked, despite knowing the answer already. Even though she knew...his next words still managed to shock her.
"For the obvious," he smirked, chuckling slightly afterwards.
Stella gasped in fright when she heard someone barge through the bedroom, snapping her out of her trance. She sat up, startled, before glaring when it was Musa. She grabbed her pillow before throwing it at her friend. "Can't you enter a little more...I don't know, gracefully?! You scared the crap out of me," the blonde grumbled.
Musa laughed. "Sorry. Not!" she smirked. "I don't do graceful."
Stella rolled her eyes. "Don't I know it..." she muttered loud enough for her to hear.
Musa grinned. "Hey, I called the girls and the guys! They're coming too!"
Stella moaned. "Can't we do it a few hours later or better yet tomorrow? I was hoping to get a good ol' nap."
Musa scowled. "No. We're going and that's it," she stated adamantly.
Seeing the puppy-dog eyes being sent her way, the blonde sighed. "Fine," she said, caving in.
"See, this is why I love you!" Musa smirked before hugging her.
"Sometimes I think that's the only reason," the blonde laughed.
Musa winked at her in agreement before skipping out the door.
Back in his room, Brandon was busy fantasizing and sulking. Clashing combinations. But who cares? He was free to fantasize about his sister-in-law. Ugh. Sister-in-law. He never hated a relationship more than this.
"I'm the daughter-in-law of this house, remember? Meaning I'm YOUR sister-in-law."
Daughter-in-law of this house. His sister-in-law. Ugh, how wrong and just disgusting.
Brandon's frown only deepened when he realized that as long as Stella remains married to his mute-but-not-mute brother, he'll never get a chance to be with her. Hayden isn't the most talkative person on this planet. He had always been about work, work, and work. Boring.
A pandemonium. That's what it was. He didn't know what he was thinking, he didn't know how to express it coherently, and he didn't know what he should do next. He had only questions but no answers. Thinking about the whole situation only irked him to a whole new level, and it wasn't pretty—
His irate glare turned even vexed when the door to his room slammed open in excitement. "Yo! Bro, aren't you ready yet?!" Musa grinned as she entered his personal space.
"For what?" he raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
"The beach!" Musa reminded him.
His eyes flashed in recognition. Then he looked at her attire. She wore a red tank top paired with white shorts and some white sandals. In her hands, she held a red sun hat with a white treble clef engraved in the middle.
Oh. Right, he sighed. "Who else is coming? Is Hayden coming? And...Stella?" he asked slyly to inquire about the blonde. If she isn't going, then maybe he could stay back and get another go to drill her with questions.
"I invited the girls and guys. Hayden isn't. Stella is. I just told her to get ready," she shrugged. "You should too."
Brandon nodded. He could care less about the beach, to be honest. He only wanted to see Stella. Musa skipped out of the room to give him some space before heading back to Stella's room.
Meanwhile...
Stella stood in front of the closet, lost on what to pick. So...Brandon's coming, she sighed to herself.
"What should I wear?" she thought to herself as she browsed through her beachwear before something caught her eye. She picked out a deep, reddish-orange bikini with crisscross top with matching swim shorts. She held it up against her frame. "Wonder how Brandon's gonna feel," she wondered out loud. A second later, she gasped and dropped the bikini in shock. No, no, no, please don't tell me I just said that, she whispered desperately to herself. She can't be having such thoughts! She's married!
Stella covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. Brandon's not in her life. His opinion shouldn't matter to her. She sighed and picked up the bikini with trembling hands before quickly changing into it. With yet another sigh, she pulled out a white, full-sleeved, knee-length, bohemian, floral cover up from her closet before slipping it over her head.
She applied a touch of natural makeup before brushing her hair. She took out a pair of shades before placing them over her head. Just then, Musa entered the room. "Ready?" her friend smirked. Stella grinned before giving her a thumbs-up. "Let me just grab my..." she trailed off, looking for her orange-red waterproof sandals. She slipped them on. "Ready," she smiled.
"We need more than one car," Stella said, grabbing her phone, wallet, sunscreen and shoving other such necessary possessions in a beach tote bag.
"The guys can carpool in one and we can head out with the girls," Musa suggested as they left Stella's room.
Stella's gut churned when they headed towards Brandon's bedroom. She felt downright uncomfortable and awkward.
"Brandon!" Musa knocked on his door. In moments, he was out of the room in a perfect beach attire, a casual sky-blue shirt with a white tank underneath and a pair of khaki-colored shorts. He carried a little duffel bag which presumably held his swimwear. For some reason, Stella had a feeling he was gonna go shirtless. Asshole.
The three went downstairs with Brandon trailing behind the girls and keeping his eye on the blonde. "Bye, Mom!" Musa informed her parents who were sitting in the living room and having a quiet conversation. "See you, Dad!"
"The beach?" Heather asked with interest.
"Yup," Stella nodded.
"Hayden isn't going?" Lucas observed. Brandon was actually glad his brother isn't coming with them, so he kept mum.
"He said he was busy," Musa added urgently. "Are you guys finished with your interrogation now?" she scowled impatiently.
"Yes, yes, you guys have fun," Heather laughed before waving to them.
"I don't have a license, so technically, I can't drive," Brandon threw his hands up in surrender as they approached the garage.
"Alright, I'll pick the girls up," Musa volunteered.
"Then I'll ride with Stella," Brandon said innocently, hiding the devious smirk.
Stella's heart dropped. She found herself losing. No, no, no, this isn't right. She growled to herself at such promiscuous events. "I'll pick up the girls," the blonde interrupted rudely, giving a subtle death glare to the manipulative brunet.
"Uh…okay," Musa shrugged, narrowing her eyes at Stella's blatant defiance in confusion before nodding. "Brandon and I'll get the guys then," she said before making her way to one of the SUVs.
Stella used this opportunity to give Brandon a death glare which pretty much conveyed the nonverbal 'Don't mess with me or else' threat.
Brandon cursed under his breath as she walked past him in a clear state of victory. His eyes burned with anger as he glared at her retreating figure. He clenched his fists while his lips set into a thin, straight line. He'll get his chance. He'll get it. And when he does…she'll regret it dearly.
Stella panted as she clutched the steering wheel harder. She hadn't realized she had been hyperventilating till now. Why was she still affected by him? It wasn't fair. It just wasn't. It's been five years. And yet…it felt like just yesterday since she saw him last.
She closed her eyes, getting a grip of her escalated breathing. She blew her bangs out of her face. The blonde continued driving as she picked up the girls one by one and Musa followed not too far behind with the getting the guys.
"So, Stell…How was last night with Hayden?" Bloom let out a wolf-whistle.
The blonde glared at the giggling redhead. "Yeah. Awesome," she replied with a tightly clenched jaw that told everyone just how "awesome" it really was. Why were they doing this to her? Did they not realize how much of crap she has gotten herself into? The girls didn't understand how much this hurt her. And she had no one to blame but herself. Because of a fantasy she had lived out years ago, she was forced to pay the price today. She should've never touched something that was unattainable, yet she did. She knew her heart would be broken at the end, but it hadn't deterred her back then. It should've. She should've been stronger. Not weak and pathetic.
She shook her head before continuing to drive. She felt so angry, so bitter that a part of her was still afraid of him. Not the part she was proud of having but still. He always intimidated her and not necessarily in a bad way because that was just the aura he gave off. It also made her susceptible to surrender to his every whim like a goddamn puppet, a trait that she hated about herself. She only wished she was stronger than she was five years ago. So far, so good. She didn't cry, trip over her words, or do anything that suggests her nervousness and discomfort around him. And that's what she wanted.
It wasn't long before they neared the beach. Stella parked the car within a few spaces from Musa. "Alright, hop on out, ladies!" she announced before cutting the ignition off. Maybe the beach was a good idea. She'd be surrounded by her best friends and that will totally make up for two of the crappiest days of her life.
They took the gear out: umbrellas, towels, sandals, beach chairs, sunscreen, and etc.
The men took out theirs: hats, watches, surf boards, life jacket—
"Hey, which idiot brought a life jacket?" Riven frowned with disgust.
"It's for when one of you idiots end up drowning," Helia smoothly said with a knowing smirk.
That resulted in a few chuckles from the team.
Men and their toys…
The guys took off their shirts, resulting in appreciative glances from several women around.
And Stella grudgingly admitted to herself that she was one of them. Not that she'd ever let it show in a million years. Her eyes automatically trailed over Brandon's obviously ripped physique. His skin was a beautiful tan, but it's not something new to her. She ran her eyes over his powerful shoulder blades, his chest that was chiseled and carved into perfect, and overall, his perfect V-shaped that left no room for any unwanted fat. Turning red in the face, she looked away before he could catch her red-handedly.
"C'mon, guys! The day's wasting!" Musa announced as she grabbed Riven's hand and started running towards the seafoam waters.
They laughed at the excited couple and followed along. The girls got together with their boyfriends/fiancés/husbands. Flora and Helia are married, Bloom and Sky are engaged, and the rest are still boyfriend/girlfriend material.
The only two "single" wheels were Stella and Brandon, who both appeared to be staring the other out to dust. The blonde realized that she really has no choice but to put up with the jerk. Brandon watched the stern glare that left her face as she followed the group wordlessly. He wasn't fazed. He'll have his upper hand soon enough. And then he'd really like to see her glare.
The girls set up the lounge chairs and umbrellas on the soft, beige sand before they took off their cover-ups and applied sunscreen to their bikini-clad bodies under the shade. Stella was about to take her- cover-up off when she caught Brandon's eye out of the blue and grew very uncomfortable under his arduous gaze. Great. And suddenly, taking off the cover-up made her feel even more self-conscious of herself. She sighed and let out a shuddering breath, looking away from him.
For some reason…this beach trip is suddenly looking a little awry.
"I'll go to the changing room really quick," Stella said nervously before grabbing her things and making a break for it.
The blonde looked around for the familiar, portable wooden stalls before making her way over there. So much for being stronger. She's barely lasting a second.
Oblivious to her, Brandon followed her not too many paces behind.
Reaching the stalls, the blonde jumped into an open one all the way at the corner, away from everyone else. Before she could lock it, however, a hand stopped her. Brandon checked around to make sure no one was watching. Stella gasped to see him suddenly entering the stall and locking the door behind her.
"No—!" she protested as she moved to escape when he grabbed her wrist and clamped a hand to her mouth before pushing her against the stall. She started to struggle in his hold. "Let me go!" she tried to scream but it came out as a weak, muffled whimper.
"Careful…" he teased. "These walls aren't the most soundproof ones, you know," he smirked.
Her eyes widened. That's true. She really didn't want to attract anyone's attention, especially not her friends. He smirked as she stopped struggling, her tantrum eventually dying down. He swallowed as he caught sight of her chest, rising and falling unsteadily. Looking away, he flickered his eyes back to meet hers. Her eyes were still wide…and just as vivid and bright as he remembered them.
He slowly removed the hand from her mouth but closed the gap between by placing his hands on either side of her head.
The second he freed her, her eyes shifted into a hard glare. "What do you want?!" she hissed.
With a glare, he leaned in, stunning her at the growing proximity. "You know damn well what I want," he whispered teasingly, his eyes unfazed by her outburst.
Stella's eyes widened. She did…? She looked around for help but all she saw was the closed stall, trapping her with him.
His eyes softened, though not enough to let her see it, when he saw the obvious fear in her eyes as her face crumbled at his words. He grasped her chin to make her face him again.
"Don't worry," he smirked. "The beach isn't really my style. I'm here for something else," he teased.
She stared at him, unable to speak in the same confident voice she's been taunting him with all day. "P-Please leave," she asked of him. "Please, not here," she begged. "I'll do anything. Just please don't do this," she whispered as she lowered her eyes. She wasn't in the mood for his twisted games, contrary to whatever he might think. She was afraid of the consequences if someone found out what they were doing.
He didn't know what she was afraid of. But that was a topic to be debated on for another day. "…Anything?" he repeated sternly.
Her eyes glanced up at him again. She nodded slowly. It better not involve any funny business.
He took a deep breath before his eyes traveled south. His shameless eyes took in every inch of her body, her curves as he eyed her from top to bottom, making her feel even more self-conscious and vulnerable of herself. "You better not take this off," he finally spoke, returning back to her eyes as he gestured to her cover-up.
Stella's eyes widened at his order. Well, it was definitely better than what she had expected. "…If I do?" she whispered, testing him.
She didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed into a stern glare with hints of anger.
"Then expect to see me again in the same position," he hissed, daring her to challenge him.
"…For what?" she asked, unable to stop herself.
His angry eyes shifted into devious, mischievous eyes as he shocked her with his words, making her wish she never asked the question in the first place. "For the obvious," he smirked, making her eyes widen.
Preview for the next few chapters...
[Present]
"I'll do anything to watch your marriage get destroyed to pieces."
She stared at him, speechless.
"You're welcome, by the way."
...
[Flashback]
"You pervert! What if I was naked?!" she whispered furiously, tightening her grip on the towel.
"Then my eyes would've been really happy, what else?" he smirked, leaning in and trapping her in his arms.
…
AN: Thank you for reading!
If you liked the flashback snippets, I'll include them in the next chapter as well. I have a series of them stored away in a file, so I'd definitely use them!
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! :D