"Argh, who is it encore?" Anastasia mutters under her breath as she has just dove her hands in the dough, and Ettie, the home system, informs her that someone is at the door.

"Archie! Can you get the door?!" she shouts, trying to keep her light mood from the afternoon in spite of all the interruptions in her meal prep.

She should be studying right now, but she doesn't even know if it is of any use anymore. So she has chosen to do some cooking instead, trying to occupy her hands and her head. 

As her fingers knead the thick mix of flour and eggs, her mind wanders back to a peaceful view of cliffs and to a pair of soft chocolate brown eyes. She is too well aware that it is dangerously too far, yet it is her only way to escape her doomed future and broken dreams for a few more moments.

However, the fall back to reality from those faraway cliffs is abrupt when a familiar voice reaches her ears.

"Are you feeling better, buddy?"

Her eyes widen so much that they almost jump out in the bowl, and in less than two seconds, she is by the front door, her hands still covered with the sticky dough as her large eyes are traveling between Fergus's expectant gaze and Archie's confused frown.

"Fergus! What are you doing here?" She offers him a smile, maybe a little too wide, as she wipes her hands in a dishtowel – which she doesn't even know how she has managed to grab in her sprint.

"Um, since you gave me no news, I thought I would come to see if you got home safely and ask how was your brother."

If she could, Anastasia would slap herself. How can she have forgotten to text him? She forgets everything when Nathaniel is around, but the guilt is catching up with her in front of Fergus's concern, and it is overtaking her whole insides as she forces another lie out of her lips.

"I'm really sorry. It's just that... I was kinda busy taking care of Archie and all..."

She throws an arm around her little brother's shoulders, who is almost as tall as her, and despite the protests in her stomach, she adds, "He is still sick, but he is feeling a little better."

Archie looks back at her with big lost eyes, as he is surely in a better shape than she is with everything eating her inside. "Eh?"

But she discreetly pinches the back of his arm, and he suddenly finds back his 'memory'.

"Ouch! Yeah, but it's still painful!" He throws a glare at his sister, although there is still shock and confusion in it.

"What is it exactly? Did you go to the doctor?" Fergus asks, slightly confused, though he isn't the only one. Archie looks as bewildered, and Anastasia, herself, is getting lost with all her lies and the run of this weird and too long day.

"An indigestion, I must have eaten something fishy." In spite of his puzzled look, Archie is quick off the mark.

And Anastasia could hug him right now. She is so grateful to have such a smart and helping little brother, and she almost never tells him, but she loves him so much.

"By the way, I think it's coming back!" Archie clutches his stomach, slightly bending over and wincing in 'pain'.

He is really a great actor. Anastasia is discovering a new talent of his, though her chest doesn't swell up with pride to see him as good as she is for lying, and it keeps shriveling as she is dragging him into her lies.

"I'll leave you two alone. It was nice to see you again." In less than two seconds and one nod to Fergus, Archie is disappearing through the hallway.

Yet the weight on her chest is still here as she turns back to Fergus, who is grabbing her hands and pulling her closer.

Now that he isn't asking questions anymore and that she doesn't have to come out with lies, she can really take in everything, and maybe the panic wasn't the worst.

In the faint lighting of the doorway, with the night falling outside, everything appears so colorless and gloomy, and as her eyes are traveling from his dark blond hair to his dark gray tee-shirt and to the walls around them, she only finds one dull color, and not even a light in his eyes.

It is exactly as usual, yet the contrast is striking from the splendid landscapes of this afternoon, and maybe also with memories of this same hallway a few days ago. She doesn't dare to let her thoughts wander there, but the impression is already coming back to her, creeping inside her mind like the cold on her skin, even in the warm air.

For once, she doesn't feel at ease with Fergus. The disillusion and anger from the lunch are still bitterly there, along with guilt and too many lies and doubts, and it is overwhelming inside her already constricted ribcage. 

The claustrophobia is invading her again, and she knows the wordless screams aren't that far. She can't let them come back. She just needs to clear her thoughts, alone.

"Er... I should probably go... watch over him." She glances back inside the empty hallway, taking the opportunity to already let go of one of his hands.

"Yeah, sure." Despite the smile Fergus offers her, she can still catch clearly the disappointment crossing his eyes as he squeezes her hand a little bit more. "Text me to give me news, baby."

"I will!" She nods quickly, as there is no way she will forget this time. "Thank you, bye." She kisses his cheek and almost closes the door on his light frown in her rush to breathe again.

"So... already lying to your future husband..."

She doesn't even have time to let out a much-needed sigh of relief that Archie is already back in great form with his curious eyes twinkling.

"Where were you?"

"Nowhere important..." She bypasses him, trying to avoid this conversation, but the footsteps following close behind all the way through the hallway and to the other side of the house, in the kitchen, let her know she won't be able to escape this time.

"Well... it seemed important enough when you made me lie to your fiance," he sings out, and suddenly, she isn't so thankful for her smart little brother.

She could now strangle him as his smug grin follows her.

She lets out a heavy breath, gathering the last bits of her patience that has been blown out all day long, and she dives her fingers back in the dough she has left behind, letting off steam on the sticky mixture to not harm her dear little brother.

"If I'm an accomplice of a crime, I'd like to know!"

This word makes Anastasia's stomach knot tighter than the dough she is squeezing in her hands.

"There is no crime. Don't worry," she assures him, and she is starting to think there is a lying gene running in the family.

"Aren't you the one who always says that lying is a crime?" He narrows his eyes at her, and there, not only she can see the same hazel as in her eyes, but also the same determinate sparkle as when she wants to obtain something.

This announces nothing good, well, nothing better than the rest of this day apparently, and she would admit that his arguments are perfectly raised if they weren't hitting right between her knotted stomach and tight chest.

"I don't recognize my sister!"

Anastasia doesn't recognize herself either, yet there is no way she will tell him that, so she just sighs. "What do you want?"

His smirk extends in a victorious grin as he dips his fingers in the bowl, making a disgusted face when he tastes the preparation that Anastasia has put so much effort and emotions in, and she clenches her teeth to keep from bursting out words that won't help her cause.

"Ooh... a lot of things... First, I want someone to pick me up when I need it, for real!" he insists on the last words as if to put a final note to his demand, though he still adds, "Then, we'll see..."

From the look in his eyes, she can guess there will be so much more, yet she holds out her hand, before realizing it is still covered with dough. "Deal."

"And tonight we're eating Mexican!" He crinkles his nose at her preparation, already turning around without a second glance at all the dishes spread around the kitchen.

"Non! You know I hate what's spicy, and I already made dinner," she pleads, offering him a mix of her determinate lawyer frown and desperate puppy eyes.

"But I love it. So if you want me to keep my big mouth shut, you better fill it with Mexican food!" He throws her one last grin before going back to his room with his chin held high, as he knows he has won, and Anastasia has nothing to reply.

The culprits never win, and she can only seeth inside, as she doesn't like to lose an argument, especially against her little brother; she isn't used to.

Though the weight with which her shoulders are slumping is more than just the defeat of a little brotherly blackmail, and when she throws the dough into the garbage, she feels her dignity following the same fall, and maybe even her dreams.

"Je déteste la nourriture mexicaine épicée," she mutters under her breath, eager for this day to finally be over.

***

"Mmmh... Mexican take-outs, what's the occasion?" Nate looks at the red, green, and white boxes spread between the delicate crockery and lighted candles on the dining table.

"Just because! I know it's your favorite, and you're so tense and stressed because of work lately, so I made you a little surprise." Pamela smiles, one of her famous wide smiles. "Though you look better today."

Nate avoids her gaze as her big brown eyes are studying his more relaxed features, which are already tensing slightly again. "Yes, I went to grab a drink with Darrell and some friends to relax a little bit."

This is true. He's just coming back from seeing his best friend at their usual bar, but what has really made him relax has been going to his secret place, as the mountains always clear his thoughts, or maybe it's been his new 'friend', her sweetness and her luminous eyes.

He shakes these thoughts away, trying to stay in reality, as he focuses on his present surroundings.

It isn't a breath-taking landscape, but the soft lighting from the candles reflecting and dancing on the white walls is providing a cozy feeling to the wide dining room, while in the center, Pamela is attracting all the lights with her orange tight dress, fitting perfectly her tanned body,  and his eyes are widening with each detail they take in.

"All of this just because I was stressed?" This sweet gesture is having the exact opposite effect right now, and even in front of his favorite spicy food, his appetite is ruined.

"Okay, maybe there is something else..." Between the excited grin breaking out fully over her features and the glasses of champagne she's grabbing on the table, it becomes clear there's something else, but Nate still isn't sure if he should be relieved or not. "I got chosen out of all the women of high society to host the Charity Awards Ball. I'm one step closer to be the president of the association!"

At least, someone has got what she's wanted. The thought crosses his mind like a flash before he returns her smile and tells her genuinely, "This is awesome, congrats, babe."

Like for every good news, they celebrate with a tint of their glasses, yet there's not their usual kiss as he's already swallowing down his drink, not even tasting the expensive fine liquid. 

He even goes to serve himself another glass, needing a little bit more alcohol to shut down this incessant voice of guilt resonating in his head, but Pamela stops him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"To celebrate, I bought 'extra spicy', like we both love it," she whispers near his ear, and Nate gulps as she runs her fingers over his chest. 

He gulps. His gorgeous wife, who has just ordered his favorite food and has set a romantic scenery, is enticing him, and he gulps. What is wrong with him? Oh, yes, what is wrong are his lies, his dangerous thoughts and secret encounters with another woman, the same relentless voice of his conscience is still here to remind him.

So... what do you think of this 'extra spicy' chapter? I bet you didn't expect this, you little dirty-minded people 😉

Also, "Je déteste la nourriture mexicaine épicée" means "I hate spicy Mexican food", "Encore" = "Again", and "Non" = "no". I like to incorporate some French, but don't worry, like I promised, I will always tell you the translation 😁

And what do you think of her little brother Archie? A smart child 😁

Tell me your thoughts on this chapter and don't forget to vote if you liked it! Remember I love to get little notifications from you, my little rays of sunshine 😘