All I see ✔️

CHAPTER 13

Aaron

"Are you sure I look okay?"

"You look perfect," I assure Lexie, the Manhattan air breezing in through the windows, which is more pollution and less air.

It's a red lipstick day today. Lexie is wearing a white chiffon dress and strappy sandals and her blonde hair falls in waves behind her shoulders. She walked out of her dorm room giving me a classic Lexie smile and I was so gone.

We are at my parent's house in Manhattan and it took more than five hours to reach here during which Lexie burst a vein in my ear with her singing.

"Are you sure? Also I am sorry about-"

"Relax." I pull her to my chest and wrap my hands around her which can either result in me having my hands cut off or Lexie returning the hug. Thankfully it's the latter.

Her voice is muffled against my chest when she says, "it won't be too much of a trouble right?"

"It'll be fine, Lexie, you'll be more than fine."

"It's ne-"

"Well well, if it isn't mushy and mushier themselves."

Lexie jumps apart at Dany's voice coming from the door, who has a shit-eating grin plastered on her face and a half-eaten cupcake in her hand.

"Hello to you too, Dany," I chuckle at her response and ruffle her hair.

Dany completely ignores me and gives Lexie a bone-crushing hug, who goes limp in her arms and glares at me from over her shoulder, "Hi I am Danielle, Aaron's cousin!"

"Alexis, nice to meet you."

Dany's smile falls off her face and her eyes pop out, "Alexis Forte?"

Lexie nods sheepishly and Dany goes back and forth, looking at me and then Lexie and then me again, "You actually went through with that stupid bet?"

"You know about the bet?" Lexie asks.

"How do you know?"

Lexie snickers at her response, "How else do you think your brother got me on a date, Danielle."

I roll my eyes at Dany who is choking up with laughter. I'd like to point out to her that we are here because Lexie needs my help too and it is more of a barter system going on.

"I like you!" Dany announces, "Consider dating for real."

Lexie turns red from head to toe, and as much of a favorite sister Dany is to me, I would like to tape her mouth shut right now.

"Let us in, runt."

The whole way to the dining room, Lexie wraps herself around my arms as Dany goes on and on about how excited she is about the wedding and how amazing her husband is, but I am pretty sure Lexie stopped listening as soon as Dany mentioned he has an obsession of collecting coffee mugs.

We walk up the stairs to the dining room, and Lexie hisses in my ear, "You didn't tell me so many people will be there!"

"It's a family wedding and I never told you how many people will be there."

By so many people, Lexie means my mom and aunt Cheryl, my cousins Jared and Rose and Fred's parents.

Jared drops whatever he was saying to Rose as soon as he spots me, more specifically Lexie. He nudges Rose and she looks like she saw a ghost before her mouth forms a bigass smirk.

They practically sprint towards us before mom can see me and hoard me all to herself.

"You did not!" Jared yanks my arms and takes us to the hallway.

"Hi I am Rose! You must be Alexis,"

Lexie turns a deep shade of red before nodding and looks at me helplessly.

"Stop pestering her," I warn Rose and put a hand around Lexie's waist.

"I never thought you had it in you to." Remarks Rose.

Lexie snorts at her response, "Whose idea was the bet?"

"Ours." Jared offers her a grin, and his eyes are twinkling with amusement.

"One hell of an idea."

"Clearly, I still can't believe you agreed to it," Jared says and Lexie just shrugs in response.

"Uncle will be pissed," Rose raises her eyebrows at me.

I release an exasperated sigh. If I am being honest, I am starting to think this was a bad idea. Dad will be super mad at me and I don't want him lashing out on Lexie. I can handle the wrath but I don't want her to. I don't care if he's my father, I will not have him spewing poison at her.

"Whatever will happens will happen," Rose squeezes my shoulder and walks in the dining room, all of falling in step behind her.

Mom's face lights up as soon as she sees me and rushes over towards us. I can feel Lexie's grip becoming tighter on me and I squeeze her hands right back.

"Ron baby you're late."

"Hi mom," I take in her sweet smell when she hugs me and I can't deny that I missed her smell of cookies and vanilla.

My mom is a beautiful woman, and mixed with her Latina roots, she's exotic, although a bit short in height but her face makes up for it. She's is wearing a silk shirt and her hair is in loose curls, and she looks gorgeous as ever.

"You should come home more often and you've become so thin, are you not eating well?"

"I am fine," I insist.

She huffs and puffs but doesn't bring that issue up again because she has clearly moved on to more interesting topics.

"Who is this with you?" She takes Lexie's face in her hands and gives her a warm smile.

"This is Lexie, my girlfriend."

"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend? That too such a pretty one."

I brush a hand through my hair and give her a shrug. How do I tell her that this is all a part of a stupid prank and I wish it wasn't but it is.

She turns towards Lexie and takes her hands in hers, "Your mother was a beautiful woman, but you are more so, Alexis."

My mouth is on the floor and Lexie seems at a loss of words, "Y-You knew my mom?-"

"You know her?-"

We ask in unison.

"You are a spitting image of your mother, dear, it's hard not to know you. Now come, dinner is served."

"Also Aaron?" I turn towards her, "Tell your father exactly who she is."

Dinner with my father is exactly how I expected it to be, he comes in with a cigarette in his hands along with Fred's father and Uncle James, throws me a stiff hug and then continues to tell me how I can do much better and that he expects more from me. He always does.

Halfway through the conversation he finally asks, "Who's this? A friend of yours?"

"My girlfriend actually," I pull Lexie closer to me, something about my father near her makes me want to keep her near me, "Alexis. Alexis forte."

Dad coughs on the cigarette smoke and gives a big hearty laugh, "Stop joking, you're not good at it. Now tell me who she is."

"Actually," Lexie takes the lead, "I am Alexis Forte, Ted Forte's daughter. You must know him."

"Oh I know him very well," dad has a snicker on his face and Lexie looks about ready to kick him if needed. I look helplessly at Mom who takes the hint.

"Honey, come let's eat."

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