You know I'm just a flight away, if you wanted you can take a private plane ~ Kali Uchis

☆

"Do you still want to hear me play something?"

I blinked, my eyes slid to the clock on my night stand. It was ten o'clock. I flopped back on my pillow, "play me something tomorrow." My eyes fluttered closed.

"Victor put me down!" I pounded my fists on his back. He wouldn't let up and kicked his door open. I continued my assault, but nothing seems to work. His back was hard as steel. I think I broke my hand.

He sat me down on his bed, I let out a small shriek as I bounced slightly on the soft mattress. I took a chance to observe his room. It was large like mine with almost the same set up. Instead of a petite couch he had a piano in its place next to his desk and tv.

His walls were, surprise surprise, painted a light grey. I leaned back on my hands, "why'd you bring me in here. I said I was good."

"You said you wanted to hear me play a song. Your window of opportunity is now and it closes at 12am." He stood before me at his full height. My eyes skimmed his toned and muscular arms as he was only wearing a wife beater and black sweats. A cross hooked onto a single silver chain lay between his collar bones.

He looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. I looked away when I realized he caught me checking him out. "Can you just play the damn song already," I mumbled.

He smirked and approached his piano. He lifted the cover and splayed his fingers out on a key. I scooted to the edge of his bed to get a closer look. His fingers started moving at a soaring pace of delicate speed.

My eyes widened and my mouth dropped a little at how beautiful the music from the piano was. The melody conveyed a dark emotion with essences of light hiding in its composition. My eyes closed and my ears happily listened to the pleasant sound.

When the music stopped I kept my eyes closed a bit longer, letting the song ingrain as deep as it can in my mind. My music storage is most likely more than full but I'm pretty sure I have room for this one.

When I opened my eyes they met with Victor's. He was turnt around in his seat, leaned forward, his elbow resting on his knees. I outstretched my hand and flicked him on the forehead.

He pulled back, "ow what was that for?"

"For picking me up and throwing me on your bed like I'm a rag doll." I gritted my teeth.

"Don't act like you didn't like it," he muttered lowly, rubbing the center of his forehead.

I glared at him but soon burst out into a laugh. He looked at me confused. "You have a red spot where I flicked you," I covered my mouth.

"Did you just say where I fucked you?" His pink lips parted. His eyes grew dark and found my wide ones.

"Flicked," I choked out.

"Oh," he touched his spot again. "Well what do you expect, my skin is white. It gets red at any kind of pressure exerted."

I leaned forward and traced my finger along the outline of the red spot. "Oh my gosh does it still hurt? I'm sorry, I shouldn't of flicked you." I frowned.

His hand grabbed my wrist, his eyes looking up at the finger tracing his skin. "It's fine. It's what I get for dragging you in here," he shrugged.

Or right I'm still in his room. "Who taught you how to play?"

He squared his shoulders and straightened his back. "My dad, he taught me for a few years and then I practiced on my own when he was too busy."

I nodded my head and we sat in silence. I felt like asking more about him and his dad but his answers were always vague when I did. A yawn overcame me and he cocked his head to the side. "You're still tired? You've been sleeping all day."

I crossed my arms, "have not, define all day?"

"You slept until four pm today, then you passed out downstairs in the study not even two hours later. Then again you go to sleep at nine o'clock. You were barely up for more than five hours."

I squinted my eyes, "how'd you know I was sleeping in the study?"

He scratched the back of his neck, "your mom was calling you. When I went downstairs you were sleeping on the floor."

My mouth formed into an 'o' shape. The dream I had resurfaced from my memory. I stiffened, no, no way in hell. "Did she need anything?" I asked, feeling a bit repetitive.

"Nothing important," his words rang in my ear. I looked up at him questionably. "You should go back to sleep. You seem tired."

"Ha, you mean the sleep you woke me up from?" I scoffed.

"Yes," he got up from his bench and walked to the door. He swung it open for me and I went through it. "Thanks for the song, I guess," I said on my way out.

He closed his door a bit, "night."

—

"Hi, welcome to Citrus. What can I get for you?" I pulled out a pen and notepad patiently waiting for the couples order. I was at my mom's restaurant working a shift. She felt I wasn't being productive sleeping in bed all day so she offered me the job. Well forced me actually.

I took down the couples order with a polite smile and headed back to the kitchen to get their drinks. I passed by Valerie who went by Val. She was another waitress here and older than me by three years. I quickly got my tables drinks and left the kitchen again.

I gave the chefs the food order and stood beside Val. She was running a card through the machine so her table could leave. The corner of her lips flared upward. "Do you need help?" I offered.

She gladly stood aside and let me work my magic. She sighed in relief and gave me a grateful smile, "thanks Aniya." She was new here and still getting the hang of things.

Her eyes strolled around the room before landing on a specific spot. She gasped and grabbed onto my shoulder. "Oh my- who is that hottie over there." I followed to where she was looking, a guy with blonde hair was standing at the front waiting for a table. He looked around and I gasped when I saw green piercing eyes. It's that guy from the mall.

"Oh my gosh, I saw him at the mall a few weeks ago." I grabbed onto her arm. I pushed her to the hostess station. "Go give him a table."

She scurried to the front, fixing her short coffee curly hair. I bit my bottom lip as she approached him and displayed a drop dead gorgeous smile. The light above her made the freckles dotting her nose and cheeks visible. He couldn't help but to smile back, the corner or his eyes creasing.

She led him to a table. I felt a buzz in my pants and hurried back to the kitchen to get the finished food. I carried two plates to table number six. They immediately dug in so I left them to it.

Val came out of the kitchen with a glass of pink lemonade on her tray. She stopped by me and sighed, "he's so fine, those eyes had me a little damp down there if you know what I mean." She kept her eyes glued on the man waiting for his drink.

I covered my mouth as I laughed. "I think I know what you mean." She winked and gracefully walked to his table.

I shook my head and went to the front to greet the next customers. My mom came out later on to check on me. I was reminded of my lunch break and I hurried to take it.

I sat in the employee's section of the restaurant which was all the way in the back. I took a plate Drew had made for me earlier. He was like an uncle to me, always taking care of me. I thanked him like always and went to the back.

Today's lunch was a fettuccine pasta with chicken and a Caesar salad on the side. Halfway through my eating I felt a strong presence around the area. The energy was so intense I had to stop eating and find out where it was coming from.

I crept to the hallway where my mom's office was. A guy dressed in a grey suit, stood tall next to my mom. His wavy black hair was gelled back and he kept his hands in the pockets of his suit. Everything about him radiated confidence and power; it almost made me shudder.

My mom caught me creeping and her eyes lit up. "Aniya come here," I froze from behind the wall. I was caught. I fastned my eyes shut cursing to myself. The man turned around and his dark eyes landed on me.

I approached the two shyly. "Eli, this is my daughter Aniya." She took a hold of my arm and pulled me to her side.

His eyebrows shot up, "wow have you grown. It's nice to see you again," he held out his hand. I shook it and placed them back to my sides. The name Eli rang in my head over and over again, why does it sound so familiar?

"Mhm, the one and only Elijah Simone. The love of my life."

Oh! So this is the Elijah Simone. Victor's dad, it's surprising I didn't recognize him any sooner. Apart from having the same eyes and hair, they looked nothing alike. His facial hair was neatly shaven to wrap around his jaw and connect to hair above his lips. His skin was a bit tanner than Victors probably from staying in the sun too long.

"It's nice to meet you too Mr. Simone," I responded with a polite smile.

"You can call me Eli if you want," he flashed a smile.

"Does Kendall know you're back home?" My mom asked him. He switched his attention back to her.

A smile broke out on his face as he shook his head. "She has no clue, she still thinks I'm away in Germany for another month," his voice lowered.

My mom turned to me and waved me off, "you can go back to your lunch now. I'll come get you in 30." I nodded my head and said goodbye to Eli.

My shift was soon over and just like mom said she would, we went home. I unlocked the door to the house and stepped inside. I immediately heard a drop of something heavy and a loud "oh my god!"

I rushed into the kitchen and saw Kendall jump into Eli's arms. She cried into his chest and he squeezed her tight.

Cora then came around the corner and dropped everything to run up to her dad. "Daddy!" She screamed as she joined their hug.

Victor came around the corner, his forehead puckered when he came in view with his dad. He stood from a distance watching the three hug each other. My eyebrows furrowed when he didn't make a move to greet his dad.

Eli soon broke away from his two girls. He made eye contact with his son who was rooted in the same place. The hood of Victor's eyes lowered. Eli placed his hands into the pockets of his pants.

I looked back and forth between the two. Cora and Kendall were doing the same. "Well, aren't you going to say hi to your dad," Eli chuckled.

Kendall clapped her hands together, intertwining them and holding them close to her lips. Victor sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "hi dad."

—

QOTC: First impression of Eli?

Also thanks for 5k reads !! Happy to see people enjoying my book :)