Winter love: Summer is where it all began!

Chapter 4 - Sea Sand

I was standing in front of the mirror, looking at myself one last time before leaving, when my phone started vibrating and the notifications kept appearing.

Message

Amanda Los:

“Are you driving or are we going to pick you up?” “Are you ready?”

Unknown number:

“Where are you, Cinderella? Come down already, my patience has a limit!”

“Who are you?”

“Noah Li.”

Carlos Voss:

“I asked Noah to pick you up!”

I grabbed my backpack and went down the stairs while checking my notifications. That was all I needed: Noah Li again. I hope that, this time, he learns how to behave. May God hear my thoughts and grant me a single wish:

“I hope Sofia Los is there.”

Julia Almeida was sitting on the sofa, having a conversation with Robert Falkenberg, who immediately changed the subject when I arrived.

“This thing will be beneficial for all of us and is a great opportunity to strengthen not only family ties, but also business ties.”

“Robert, that’s not the problem. You always have this habit of competing with one another. Which one of our children do you want to sacrifice?”

“Julia, you’re not being coherent, you mother hen.”

“I just don’t want any of them to suffer. You know that...”

Robert touched Julia’s shoulder, and she immediately stopped the conversation because of my presence.

“What are you two talking about?”

“Important things. Are you leaving already?”

“Be careful.”

She kissed my head.

“I love you, darling.”

“I love you too, Mom and Dad.”

“I love myself too.”

At that moment, my older brother, Pietro Falkenberg, appeared. A young entrepreneur who runs the family businesses and is currently happily married. He lives in Switzerland with his family and has built a solid empire for all of us.

“Use your head, little girl.”

He repeated the same gesture as our father, kissing my head, and said:

“We treat you like a princess, and we want nothing less than that. You deserve no less.”

By the way he said those words, I realized that he knew exactly what he was talking about. I only nodded my head. I confess that, for a moment, I almost let a tear escape, but I moved forward. It was the only thing I could do.

I immediately left there, because I remembered that, outside, he was waiting.

When I went outside, I found exactly the scene I had imagined: Noah was sitting on the hood of the car, with his arms crossed and a cold and serene expression. He was wearing jeans, a black shirt underneath and, over it, a Hawaiian-style shirt full of flowers, along with sunglasses.

“Aura.”

I heard someone shouting my name. Thank God, it was Sofia. Now I wouldn’t have to go through the embarrassment of being alone with Noah.

“Am I your private driver?”

He looked me up and down and said:

“What an immature sense of fashion!”

He got into the car, put on his sunglasses, pressed a button, and the automatic doors opened. I got in right after him, along with Sofia.

“Us again,” she said, with a smile.

“Is Aura going to participate in the summer competition? That long-awaited moment?”

“Yes, I am going to participate,” I answered Sofia.

He looked at me through the rearview mirror and let a small smile escape while moving the steering wheel. Sofia noticed and tapped his leg.

I really didn’t understand what was so funny. My desire was to punch him in the face, because, if many people knew, it would look like he was making fun of me.

He accelerated the car at high speed and, along the way, he and Sofia talked and joked with each other. My existence there seemed not to be of great importance.

“Are you feeling sick? Do you want some water?”

Noah kept laughing, and I didn’t know the reason for so much amusement, until I looked in the mirror and realized that my hair was completely messy because of the speed.

“I’ll have some, yes.”

“Noah, stop at this gas station.”

As soon as he stopped the car and opened the doors for Sofia, I took the opportunity to immediately get out and head toward the bathroom. I needed to fix my messy hair and take care of my needs.

“Good thing I always carry a toiletry bag with me.”

I combed my hair with all the indignation in the world. Then, I washed my face, lightly redid my makeup, moisturized my skin before the makeup and, finally, brushed my teeth.

Nobody deserves to have bad breath, right?

I looked at the mirror, admired my own reflection once again and smiled at it, giving it a small wink.

Where did this courage come from? I have no idea.

Leaving the gas station bathroom, I looked around and couldn’t find them. I also didn’t see their car and almost panicked, but soon I spotted Noah and Sofia inside the convenience store buying some things.

Noah’s POV

I entered the convenience store and picked up a basket. I headed toward the bottles of water that were on the shelves, a place where Sofia clearly couldn’t reach, and she came right after me, following me.

I thought they might feel hungry during the trip, so I headed toward the snacks when Sofia said:

“Stop messing with Aura.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You think I don’t know that you were laughing at her?”

“I just thought the way she dresses was funny. That’s all.”

“I’ve never seen you behaving this way. You’re so bothered by someone that you even started laughing.”

“Did I laugh? I didn’t even notice.”

I said that while walking toward the drinks refrigerator and putting some bottles of water in the cart, along with snacks, chips, instant noodles and sanitary pads.

Sofia looked at the products in the cart, surprised.

“What is this, Noah?”

“In case you girls need them.”

She held my cheeks, making an exaggerated expression.

“Oh, how dedicated he is.”

That filled me in a way that left me speechless.

“For you, always.”

“Let’s go. Aura is waiting for us.”

Sofia pointed outside the store, where Aura was standing, looking around and seeming like a lost confused cockroach.

I bought other things that I will need on this trip, if you know what I mean. I took everything to the register, checked out the purchases and paid.

Sofia was heading toward the car, and Aura simply followed her.

I opened the trunk of the car and put all the purchases inside. Then, I got back in. It was around 10:20.

I got inside the car and noticed that Aura had done her hair and makeup again. So I decided to tease her about the situation.

“It’s not midnight yet and the magic is already over?”

Sofia looked directly at me, and I noticed that she was bothered by that.

“You don’t have to...”

“You’re just teasing me, right?”

She crossed her arms, and I loved her cute reaction.

“No.”

I saw through the rearview mirror that Aura simply rolled her eyes, and that brought a genuine laugh out of me. I don’t know, I just think it’s funny.