Aesthetic by prettyimbecile . check out her graphic shop, called "Aesthetically."

Dedicated to Anamwrites

Question of the day: "What's Your Favorite Place on Earth?"

"P.s. I never told you, but i was falling in love."

****

I am staring out of the café window when Eli grabs my attention. "Come back to reality, sis." I smile at his words. He hasn't called me 'sis' in a long time. "What were you thinking?"

I decide to tell him the truth. "About Mom. She really used to like this jewelry shop next door." I point to the window. "She bought this ring from that shop for me on my 18th birthday." I make him look at my index finger.

He smiles in response. "Yeah I remember that day. You told her, you want to go to NYU and it completely ruined her good mood. That day was....." He leaves his sentence unfinished.

"Hey, don't bring up the fact that we fight a lot." I sip my coffee and then realization dawns, snatching my smile away. "Used to. Used to fight."

Eli looks at me pitifully. "You miss Aunt, don't you?" I nod. "Me too. I went to Aragain today to get some cookies for Pastel. I was about to go to her office when I realized she wouldn't be there."

My face softens as I see Eli look away in pain. Mom's sudden death has scarred us all. Especially Eli and Claire. They used to be more close to Mom than me anyway.

"Why so sad?" Claire's voice causes Eli to shake his head and reform his composure. She takes a seat beside him after hugging me.

"Nothing. We were talking about Mom."

Claire gives out a melancholic smile. "Of course. Should have guessed it."

"Where is Kiara?" Kiara is Claire's four-year-old cute daughter.

"At school. She used to love Aunt, too. Poor thing thought Aunt was sleeping at the funeral."

I smile. "She's just like you. Naïve."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She raises an eyebrow. I shrug.

"Let's not fight. I honestly want one family meeting with no fights. We're the only family left." His sad tone isn't lost on me. Me and Claire nod because well, just because. And he is right. Uncle Frank's infidelity has caused a rift between his children and him. I have not seen Uncle Frank since the funeral and I honestly don't want to. But the memories of our past relationship are so harmonious, it's hard to believe he'll do something like that.

"Are you and Nate dating again?" Claire's question makes me blush. "OK, no need to tell. I got it."

Eli frowns. "Yeah, I don't really like him."

I sigh. I love Eli, honestly. He is practically my brother but he's also the overprotective brother who thinks most boys are trouble. Just like Ian. I don't know why but I blame Eli's protectiveness on Ian. They spent a lot of time together when they were in college and I somehow feel Eli's brotherly characteristics are Ian's influence. Plus it doesn't help that they're still close. "You didn't have a problem when I dated him in high school."

"I did. You just never listened to me." I roll my eyes. Now that I remember, I recall he did but I didn't care. I still don't.

"I like Nate. He's cool." Claire says.

I smile at her. "That's why you're my favorite sister, Claire."

"I'm your only sister." She retorts.

"You just have a thing for reckless guys. That's why you like Nate." Eli's glare causes me to stop. Claire shrinks in her seat. I don't know what's going on between them, but I try to break the tension.

"So I was thinking about Aragain's cinnamon rolls? You wanna get any?"

****

"Tell me everything about your date with Nate."

"Talia, I am at work. I can call you later." I say as I put some files on my desk.

"No, you can't. I wanna know about your date."

I can almost picture her pouting. "Go on a date yourself instead of sleeping with guys, then you can know what a date is like."

"You are not the only rude one on the phone. I can tell you a rude reply right now too but that would blow my chances of knowing about your date. So tell me what you did on the date." I open my mouth to answer her, but my words get stuck in my throat when I see him. I hung up on Talia and stand up.

"Hi." I'm blushing like a dumb teenager.

"Hi." Nate replies. "May I take a seat?" I nod. My office is on the fourth floor beside the bakery. It used to be my Mom's office. Her mention makes my blush vanish. Damn it. Why is everything reminding me of Mom today? "What happened?" I shake my head and take a seat. "Is it your Mom?"

I look at him in surprise. He seemed to have guessed my reason of sadness so easily. I nod. "Some days I am happy. I don't even think of her until the night when I enter the house. Other days all I do reminds me of her."

He smiles briefly, but it's a small smile. "Grief is a bitch." His choice of words make me laugh. Yet after a while I stop and then we are both quiet. It's awkward as if we're teenagers stuck in the Principal's office for not doing anything.

"So...."

"So..."

"Why are you here?" You know how people say there's no such thing as a dumb question? They're wrong. That was a dumb question. It's like I lose my bearings when Nate's around. Just like seven years ago. And I seem to let my teenage feelings take over me like a fool.

"I guess I just really wanted to see you. I missed you."

"We had a date yesterday." Damn, Zara, dumb much?

He gives out an awkward laugh "Yeah, I know."

I have to recover the situation. "Did you see Aragain's roof?" He shakes his head. "Let me show you."

When we arrive in the roof, I start pointing out things.

"We're thinking of putting a backdrop there to take pictures. Eli had suggested a photographer and together we decided to remodel the roof a bit."

"Why?" He asks in question.

"Oh yeah sorry forgot to tell you. We want to turn this roof into a photoshoot studio."

"But won't everything get wet when it rains?'

"Yeah, that's why we're thinking of adding an adjustable roof." I point to a flower plant. "My mom and I planted it together. We're thinking of hanging it from the backdrop to give a nature friendly look." I turn to see him smiling.

"You love your work, don't you? You seem so dedicated."

I nod. "I do. 'Cause I know that's what mom would have wanted me to do." Her mention always seems to put a bittersweet smile on my face. I look up at the sky. "You loved star gazing didn't you?" He comes up beside me. "Do you know what that is?"

"Cassiopeia." He says effortlessly. I point to another one. "Vega." And then another. "Auriga."

I smile. "I see you're really good at it." He puts a strand of hair away from my face. My skin tingles with lingering feeling that his fingers left. I shiver in the unexpected spring breeze and Nate hands me his jacket. I shrug it on without a word because it suddenly feels cold. In an attempt to let go of this tension between us, I ask him what his favorite movie is. I also ask him that because I like talking to him. He's really easy to talk to. His reading and movie preferences match mine so much, I find myself leaning towards him. Soon we're sitting down on the floor talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don't know how long we talk, but I realize that it's dark after a long time. I tell him so.

It isn't lost on me that all the while we spoke, I didn't think of Mom once. We both get up together and bump our heads in the most cliché way possible. My eyes land on his ocean blues and he grabs my face to kiss me.

Our last kiss in the rain was actually weird (Don't kill me for saying that) and way too sudden and too soon. So we didn't even kiss on our date last night. But this kiss is so much better than our last one. Both our hands are exploring each other, from our arms, to the ribcage, our backs and back to the faces. His tongue is insistent in my mouth, but he pulls away way too soon. "Can I come over to your house?" He asks, breathless. I nod and kiss him again. And if you don't understand what happened later, you're dumb.

A/N: 'Tis a Thursday!! And here is an update!

How r ya'all? 

Anyways, tell me abt ur feelings towards this chapter. Did you like the way Nate and Zara's relationship is progressing? I personally find them to be something like a warm hug, uk? like something tht soothes ur heart.

Wht do u think abt the relationship between Eli, Claire and Zara? Do they seem like the Golden trio to u? (Not to me, lol, i think ony Harry, Ron and Hermoine can only ever be the perfect trio. ) 

Ok, see ya guys on another thursday! Or sooner...u nvr k.....*wriggles eyebrows*.