Word count: 2451

My shout out goes to Vietnam and Philippines. You guys rock!

*

"Are you ready kids?"

"Aye aye captain!"

"I can't hear you."

"Aye aye captain!"

"Ooh. Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" Kara's cheerful voice rang out.

I looked up at Kara and Mimi. We'd just finished breakfast and surprisingly enough, I and Diego hadn't spoken to each other. Or...tried to bite each others head off, which was good.

We all knew I would be the one doing the biting off while he would be the one running for his dear life.

"Sponge Bob square pants!" The deep voice came from the kitchen entrance to join us, interrupting me just when I would have replied that line. We all stopped singing as we turned around to face who'd just interrupted our play time with Armando, Mimi's son.

Well, the smile on my face slipped.

Mimi and Kara were still playing with Armando who was now running with his little chubby legs.

I straightened, realizing there was no need for me to continue to stay in that position with my butt protruded while I crouched since Armando had ran off somewhere with Kara and Mimi.

Diego had changed from blue to red shirt that hugged his torso perfectly. He was still in jeans and his hair had been combed, unlike it was before breakfast.

"Oh, you're here too!" I squealed unenthusiastically.

"Yep. I'll be here till...maybe this evening. My mom wants me to stay for a day more but I don't think someone else here appreciates my presence. And I don't really fancy the idea of a lady getting upset, I'm a complete gentleman." He told me with a blank blank.

It was confusing when he did that, because he was always smiling whenever he spoke to me, even the times I would ignore him. But now, I couldn't read any expression, not that I really cared or anything.

I shook my head. That 'someone' he'd just mentioned, who didn't appreciate his presence was none other than me. It didn't take rocket science to find that out.

"I would never come between you and Natalia. Not like I have any business with you." I stated with a grim expression.

"Oh, I get it. You just don't like me." He shrugged. I moved from the zinc and took a seat on the kitchen stool, only taking my eyes off him for a brief moment and focusing my concentration back on him after I was seated.

"Not everyone will like you, lover boy. Get used to it." I calmly explained.

He chuckled and came to sit opposite me. "Or...you like me too much and you just don't know how to wrap your head around that idea." He murmured and I caught a whiff of his cologne as it caressed my nostrils.

I glared at him and he raised his arms up in surrender. "Woah, I was only kidding around. We'll probably be going out soon, to do something fun. Maybe you should change into something more comfortable."

"Thank you, I'll do that. But it's none of your business." I scoffed and just then, Kara returned. "Where's Mimi?" I asked.

"She went to clean him up. Apparently, he'd soiled his pants."

Kara walked over and linked her arm around Diego's elbow. I watched the two and smiled a little, wondering if I was usually like that whenever I was with Daniel, my brother.

The smile slipped into an awkward look when they started whispering to each other and I realized I needed to go and change, so they would have their 'sibling bonding' stuff going on.

"Okay. I'm going up to change. Diego said we're leaving soon and I need to put on more 'comfortable' clothes." I smiled sarcastically.

Kara nodded. "Okay...but we're going shopping after that. Just the two of us."

"Great!"

Diego received a call and left us in the kitchen while we girls also went to prepare for the outing.

An hour later, we were all in Stephano's Bugatti heading towards Smiles and Light. I hadn't even asked where we were going to have fun and that was simply because I didn't care. I would have preferred staying at home but since I partially didn't want to do that— because of the previous plans I and Lucas had made — I decided to just go out.

"Are we going to Smiles and lights?" I asked the obvious. Smiles and lights wasn't far from here so it would obviously be the place we were currently headed. It was the closest to us.

Diego shrugged. Stephano was busy on a call so Kara answered. "Yes babe, we'll probably have a rollercoaster riding and do some other fun things."

"Sounds fun." I smiled.

I'd only been on a rollercoaster twice and that had been years ago, when my mom was alive. She used to take I and my brother out to have fun once or twice every month and it had been something I would always look forward to.

But after she died, so many family traditions died too.

"We're here." Stephano announced from the front where he was driving.

He alighted and we did the same. Diego alighted from the other side since he'd been sitting at the other corner while Kara had been between us.

My smile was large as I looked around at the wide center. So many adventures; the rollercoaster, the fairy merry-go-round, the game center, the teddy bear stand and many more. I felt like a kid again.

"Where should we go first?" Kara beamed and I smiled in return. She grabbed Stephano's elbow and looked up at him.

Stephano didn't look all that interested but as he looked down at Kara, I noticed his eyes brightened and he gave a small smile.

"Adrian, where do you want to go first?" Stephano asked me softly.

My smile remained as I saw three pairs of eyes staring at me, though I was mostly conscious of Diego's gaze.

"I think I want to go on the fairy merry-go-round." I replied shyly.

"Then we'll...no you'll go on that one first. Today is just for you and Kara." He smiled at me again and I chuckled. They were doing this just to brighten my mood and I instantly felt better.

Especially because it was Stephano, it made everything even more special. Stephano was a good man, Kara was very lucky to have him and I would never stop teasing her about it. Considering the fact that there'd been a time when my best friend hated this cold businessman with passion and unknown to her, he had a deep crush on her.

"Right! There's a horror game room too and I've heard that it's pretty cool. We should get tickets for that as well, Stephano let's go!" Kara beamed and dragged Stephano along towards some other place while I stood at the same spot and looked around.

Maybe I wasn't supposed to be this excited but I actually was. It was good to do something like this again after not doing it in so many years.

I felt like a little girl again.

"Let's go to the fairy merry-go-round then." Diego took out his hand. I didn't even look at it, just grabbed it and we headed towards it.

Holding him felt weird, but a little bit okay.

His hand was warm and I couldn't ignore the effect it had on me. He was gripping my hand not too tight but firm enough to keep me close to him, as if I would run away.

I shook my head to avoid overthinking it.

"Adrian?" Diego nudged me by the shoulder. He was several good inches taller than I was, and I was five ft five. Probably five ft eleven or six feet. Kara definitely inherited her lack of height from Natalia. 

"Huh?" I mumbled.

He nudged his chin towards my left and I looked sideways at the woman who had probably been trying to get my attention for a good couple of seconds.

"Yes?" I blinked at her, my smile still present. She was slightly shorter and had brunette hair and bright honey brown eyes. A button was undone on her white shirt and her skirt was a little too short than I guessed it should be.

But what did I know? If it caught peoples attention and she was constantly patronized, then okay.

"Are you going on it together?"

"No. Just her." Diego replied.

"Okay, will you be helping your little sister on it?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice and pushed her chest out at him.

My temper flared.

I'd tried to ignore the fact that she had been smiling flirtatiously at Diego and even staring at him most of the time. Not that it was any of my business, since I wasn't involved with him in any way.

"No-" Diego was denying when I stopped him.

"Yes, my boyfriend will be helping me up, as it should be. Do you have a problem with that?" I shot her laser beams through my eyes.

The woman visibly shrunk as I hissed at her. She shook her head and Diego didn't even take his eyes off me throughout. He was staring at me with parted lips, as if lost in a trance.

"No, ma'am. Please settle the payments." The lady stated meekly.

I could feel my face beginning to burn as I realized Diego was paying but still stealing glances at me. I'd just done that to infuriate the lady and I silently prayed Diego would understand this and not make me explain myself.

After paying, we all stood there awkwardly.

The lady was now playing with the tendrils of her shoulder length hair, ignoring us.

I placed my right hand on Diego's shoulder. "Help me up will you?" I blinked at him and he nodded and licked his lower lip. Distractedly, I felt his muscle and quickly took my hand back, wondering what the hell I was doing.

Lucas wasn't even cold in the grave yet and I was already feeling up another man. My face flushed in mortification at my flirty mood and I berated myself for feeling him up that way.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." His smile was tight.

Without one more word, he held me by the waist and gently placed me on the seat. I leaned in and motioned for him to move closer.

"Hey, could you not stay too close to her?" I whispered with a smile, nudging my chin in the direction of the Ticketer. I could tell he was about to ask why but I didn't want that lady to have the upper hand and flirt more with him. Well, except he liked her, which I knew wasn't the case. "Pretty please?"

I batted my eyelashes and pouted with a pleading look.

"Fine." Diego stated blankly and stepped away while I sat properly and enjoyed the ride.

Diego looked like he was bored most of the time. But then this was what I enjoyed and I wouldn't let his mood determine mine. Also, when we do something he's interested in, then he'd in no doubt be in a much better mood.

After going on several rounds, I was satisfied. Kara and Stephano had already found us and were also waiting for me.

Diego helped me alight and I strapped my hands around his elbow as we left the fairy merry-go-round.

"That was fun!" I chuckled. "Thanks for earlier." I whispered at Diego who only nodded.

"Let's go on the rollercoaster ride." Stephano said and we headed there.

He held Kara's hand while the staff member helped us to strap ourselves in. Each row had four seats. Stephano and Kara were holding hands while Diego was totally indifferent as he sat beside me.

I was excited and all those years ago, I usually held my brother's hand whenever we were riding so naturally I wanted to hold someone's hand.

"Diego?" I whispered excitedly and his striking grey eyes landed on me. I gasped. I was seeking comfort from Diego, not the person I'd planned the new year's outing with. Those eyes staring down at me should've been blue and not grey.

Then I realized that if not for what happened with Lucas, he would be the one sitting beside me.

I would've invited him over to Kara's place and Lucas would have gotten to meet Stephano and Natalia.

My giggle was filled with sadness and hurt. My chest was hurting so bad and my eyes were beginning to burn. I felt my hand go warm and looked down to see that Diego was holding my hand and slowly rubbing it.

He leaned in and whispered, "you'll be alright, the pain will soon leave."

Would the pain ever leave? Would I remember Lucas one day and feel absolutely nothing but fondness? The thought terrified me. I didn't want the thoughts of him to ever leave my mind.

It didn't feel fair for me to treat Lucas that way, even though he wasn't here anymore.

"Adrian, look at me."

I looked up again with blank eyes. The excitement from earlier had totally vanished and all that was left was vast emptiness.

Diego made eye contact with Kara and they did that weird sibling stuff they loved doing with their eyes and shoulders. Communicating with expressions and making faces.

I looked sideways to see Kara whispering to Stephano and he replied her in a deep voice though I still couldn't make out the words. Why were the staff still strapping so many people below? We should get this over with so I could go home.

I was no longer in such a great mood anymore.

Diego rocked my hand. "Adrian, you'll be fine. Believe me. The pain will go away soon."

His voice was soothing.

"Really?" I asked with glassy eyes.

He nodded and leaned in to wipe my cheeks, smiling slightly. "Really."

He pecked my forehead and just then, the ride began with Diego still holding my hand.

But I was the one grasping onto his hand even tighter. Because he was here, and his support meant a great deal to me.

"Thank you..." I whispered as people started screaming in excitement.

All I felt was calmness deep within. One day, I would be alright.

And I looked forward to that day.

*

So many of us have lost someone close to us. Or a pet. When I lost a dog named Syndicate, I was devastated. The pain will go away. It might take a while, but it will. One day.

Love, Heph ❤