Chapter 10 Meet The Falcos

◇ He probably thought she was out of it. His footsteps barely made any noise as he walked into her room, carefully closing the door behind him. He definitely thought she was asleep. Her vision remained pitch-dark under the thick blanket. Kel tried to continue her prayers, choosing to ignore his presence. The bed was near the doorway. When Miles stayed immobile, she did the same under the covers. He stepped closer to the nightstand to her left. She knew it was just Miles; his scent was unique, crisp but mild to the nose, even with all that alcohol stench and sweat. Strange how she could still smell him even from under the covers. Maybe he'd been sweating so much the past few hours. Where had he been partying hard with Paul and RJ? She didn't even want to know. She was about to peek at him from under the blanket when he grabbed something on the nightstand. Hastily, he picked up her phone and proceeded to the other side of the room, his footsteps muffled by his bare feet. Kel couldn't resist the temptation and slowly pulled the blanket down. The room was still too dark that she could only make out his slumped figure on the floor, his back leaning against her closet. Her phone was in his hand. For a minute or so, Miles didn't do much but stare at it. An odd, funny feeling of suspicion and distrust kept her still and speechless on the bed. She kept her breathing steady. Why take her phone without her permission? Was he expecting to see her ex's messages and recent calls? When Miles started tapping on the screen, the white glow gave her a clearer view of his face. His stubble looked darker, and his hair looked shorter than she remembered. When did he get another haircut? Kel studied his expression, the hem of the blanket touching her nose. She didn't make any sudden movements, careful not to alarm him or disrupt his almost stealthy attempt to look through her phone. "Shit," he muttered. Was he browsing through her inbox? His swearing left her more curious and puzzled. She watched from afar. Why did he feel the need to check her phone? He knew she'd been hanging out with Andrew. Why not just ask her about it? Ugh. A saddening anxiousness settled in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the feeling at all. Trust wasn't an issue before. "No secrets." It was one of their rules in this house. But his actions and impulsive behavior lately were starting to make her think too much. Ignoring the thought, Kel shut her eyes tight and resumed her silent prayers, hoping the anxiety would just leave her alone. But she felt his concern more than the need to be upset by his snooping. ◇ ◆ What the actual fuck. The bad hangover shocked him enough as he dragged himself off of bed, and now he couldn't tear his eyes away from his blurry phone screen. His parents were already at the airport waiting for him. Already? What were they doing here? His birthday was two days from now, and the timestamp on his mother's text said half an hour ago. It was her second call that woke him up. Cussing all the way to the bathroom, Miles rushed to type a reply and ran to the cold shower. He picked out clean clothes after toweling himself dry. He scowled while he brushed his teeth. He was done in five minutes, without bothering to comb his shorter hair. Then he dashed out of his room. Somewhat nervous, he scanned the rest of the house. Neutral tones. Tidy. His Pappa preferred elegant but simplistic themes. Relief assured him when everything looked pristine enough for his parents' immaculate tastes. Mykaela must've cleaned up the mess last night. He and Paul had some fun with the Xbox and some red wine before Paul dozed off on the sofa. Where was he, anyway? Miles looked around for a messy-haired blonde guy in a sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans. "Yo! Pee stain!" "Guest room," a female voice called out from the other side of the house. "Oh," was all he could reply to his roommate after she giggled. Miles proceeded to the dining room, hoping for a pleasant smile from her. He'd been drinking the hard stuff for hours the previous night, but he could still recall in vivid detail the sneaky five minutes he'd spent in her bedroom while looking through her phone. "Hungry?" Kel raised her brows at him as she sat at the table filled with food. Her jaw-length hair looked damp, her blouse revealing her cream-smooth arms while she ate rice and poached egg. Her face was bare and paler than his political interests. Still beautiful, though. The lack of a smile on her expression made him look away. Miles stood beside her seat, his concentration flitting from the events of last night to the alarming thought of his parents impatiently waiting for him to show up. "Mamma called. Gotta pick 'em up at the airport." "Wait." Mykaela grabbed his wrist before he could leave her and race to the front door. "Eat something," she mumbled with a frown. She handed him a mug full of his favorite brew. "Airport? With your dad?" "Yeah." Hesitant to stay another minute, Miles took a long sip, and he couldn't look her in the eyes. He'd been all over the place last night. She wasn't fond of his wild side after a couple of drinks with friends, but she mostly tolerated his shenanigans. "But your birthday's this Sunday," she murmured. He kept quiet until he mustered up the guts to look at her face. "They're already here." In haste, Miles put down the coffee mug and checked his phone. There's one new text from his Mamma Eleana. "Gotta go." He leaned down to kiss Kel on the side of her lips, catching her off-guard. "Thanks for breakfast." ◆ "Why're you here early?" "Ciao, bambino." His Mamma Eleana greeted him with a teeth-bearing smile, stretching her svelte arms to embrace him. The cool wind made her brown locks a bit frizzy, and her coat covered a dress which he knew was way more expensive than his entire outfit. "Sorry; I woke up late." "When did you cut your hair?" Her full lips and makeup-free face wrinkled upon inspecting his shorter cut. "Just a trim," Miles replied after spotting the casually dressed bodyguards behind his parents. Two brawny guys dawdled to their sides, their pretense of being just another passenger among the crowd rather poor. "Pappa." Miles faintly bowed his head to acknowledge his quiet father. Stefano merely looked at him as he stood next to Eleana. "It's cold today," she remarked with a slight frown that slightly wrinkled her jowls. "Maxim." Stefano put on a tight smile. It made his slightly graying beard move a little. "Che ora e'?" "Mi dispiace, Pappa." Miles shook his father's hand in greeting, the formality of the gesture not surprising. His Pappa Stefano calling him by his childhood nickname instead of the usual "bambino" was enough indication that his tardiness probably ruined his father's entire morning. Only because he made them wait. "Va bene." Stefano drank from the water bottle he held and simply nodded to the security detail. In seconds, their bulky baggage of three suitcases were in the trunk of the car. "You wanna have lunch first?" Miles put on a pleased look, dismissing his increasing heart rate while keeping quiet about ignoring the speed limit for most of the drive. "I'll cook something nice. I missed your kitchen." As she stood next to Stefano's stiff 5'10" build, Eleana stepped forward and smiled wider. The small lines around her dark, almond-shaped eyes multiplied. "Is Mykaela home?" "Yes." Miles pressed his lips together and glanced away. "Why?" "Great! We're going to Umbria." Eleana swiftly spread her arms for effect. Her smile bared her pearly whites again. "Surprise!" ◆