Sandro winced as he emerged from the blue convertible car. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his blue denim jeans and then withdrew them to caress the three-day-old beard on his chin. Inhaling deeply, he exhaled slowly, his nostrils ring as a floral fragrance drifted into his nose. He turned around, narrowing his eyes as they settled on a curvaceous, leggy brte. She was d in a burnt orange metallic miniskirt that hitched up every time she moved.


    His gaze traveled down to the belly ring, barely covered by the floral crochet crop top she was wearing. A bright smile graced her oval face, and she pushed the aviator sunsses down her sharp, straight nose.


    “Well, isn’t this a surprise,” she purred. Her voice carried the husky quality he remembered from thest time he was with her.


    “Alessandro,” she added, drawing out his name in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. He still had a reaction to her, and he wondered if that would ever change.


    “Thalia,” Sandro mumbled as she approached him. Her arms enveloped him, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as her chest pressed against his.


    “It’s been quite some time,” she remarked, releasing the embrace but remaining close.


    As she assessed him, she noted that he looked remarkably simr to the way he did five years ago-just taller and more muscr. Thalia couldn’t help but wonder if he had aged at all, considering how much she herself had changed since theyst met.


    Sandro discreetly checked out her perfectly proportioned backside, entuated by the skirt. He realized that few of the women he had encountered managed to look even more attractive upon reuniting.


    Thalia, he believed, was in a category of her own, standing out from the rest.


    “Do you reside in the neighborhood?” Sandro inquired.


    “Oh, no,” Thalia replied. “I’m just here for a visit.”


    “Visiting one of your many clients, I presume?” he quipped.


    Thalia rolled her eyes. “I’m not a prostitute, Sandro. Our history doesn’t mean I’ve been intimate with every man I’ve crossed paths with.”


    Sandro scowled.


    “Then enlighten me about why you left me if not for being with older men? You seemed to be open to anything that came your way,” he spat out, his pent-up emotions from five years ago resurfacing unexpectedly.


    In that moment, Sandro realized he hadn’t truly moved on from the events that had transpired between them all those years ago. He had convinced himself that he was over it, but this encounter shattered that illusion.


    Thalia sighed, suppressing her anger as best she could. Meeting Sandro had proven to be a mistake, as he was prone to hurling hurtful usations at her. No matter how she exined herself regarding the circumstances of their breakup, he remained skeptical.


    “I didn’te here for any of that, and I had no idea you’d be here. If I had known, I wouldn’t have even shown up!” Thalia retorted.


    Sandro’s grip tightened as he pulled her back when she tried to move past him.


    “Let go of me!” Thalia yelled, struggling to break free, but his hold was unyielding.


    Drawing closer, Sandro’s face was inches from hers, his voice softer this time. “Where have you been?”


    “Why does it matter where I’ve been? What business is it of yours?” Thalia shot back.


    “Where the hell have you disappeared to? You smell just like Arabe!” Sandro’s voice took on a harsh edge.


    “Who is Arabe?” Thalia stammered, taken aback by his sudden intensity.


    Sandro’s gaze remained locked on her for a few tense seconds, ring. Thalia felt as if he could tear her heart out with a single pull.


    “You’re hurting me,” Thalia managed, her eyes welling up with tears.


    Sandro blinked, his demeanor shifting as he registered the tremor in her voice. Clearing his throat, he wiped away his anger and noticed the unshed tears glistening in her eyes.


    Thalia wasn’t Arabe. She couldn’t be. But then why did they share a simr scent up close? The confusion gnawed at Sandro, who struggled to find a satisfactory exnation.


    Reluctantly, he released Thalia’s hand and ran his fingers through his hair. “I apologize.”


    Silence hung in the air for a moment before she broke it. “What was that all about, and who is Arabe?” Thalia questioned.


    “She’s nobody,” Sandro muttered, not offering any more information. And she didn’t press him further. Instinctively, she realized that delving deeper could jeopardize not only herself but also her brother.


    It was safer to feign ignorance than to risk getting entangled in a dangerous situation she didn’t fully understand.


    ***************


    Arabe rolled her eyes, tossing the remote control onto the leather couch in front of her before pushing herself up and stretching her limbs. She walked over to the door and peered out of the window.


    “Not back yet,” she muttered in frustration.


    Her phone vibrated almost immediately, and she nced at the screen.


    “Thalia.” Despite their strained friendship, at least they were in a state of tolerance now. Thalia had be less harshpared to the first two days Arabe had been in the house. Arabe figured that Thalia had epted her presence, at least temporarily.


    Putting the phone to her ear, Arabe spoke. “You won’t being home tonight?”


    “No,” Thalia’s voice came through. “But I need you to grab something for me.”


    Arabe furrowed her brows. “What is it?”


    “Just a few groceries I bought. It’s right around the corner from the house.”


    Arabe peered from the window again, noticing the moon in the sky. She pondered whether leaving the house was a good idea. ze had issued strict warnings against it, and Arabe wasn’t keen on disobeying him. However, she didn’t want to decline Thalia’s request either.


    Thalia had a vtile temper, and Arabe believed that a misstep on her part could trigger an adverse reaction.


    “Are you still there?” Thalia’s voice snapped Arabe out of her thoughts.


    “Yeah, I am. But there’s an issue. I promised ze not to-”


    “ze, my so-called brother. He won’t do anything to you.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Arabe nodded, even though Thalia couldn’t see her. “Okay, I’ll be there in three minutes. It’s pretty chilly out, so I’ll grab a jacket.”


    After the call ended, Arabe reached for the pink fleece jacket that ze had given her. She slipped it on and pulled the hood up as well.


    Arabe grimaced as she stepped out of her cozy room, thankful for the jacket’s warmth. Lately, the nighttime temperatures had been colder than usual, precisely when Thalia tended to head out. ze, on the other hand, rarely stayed in the house, and when he did, it was only during the day-never at night when Arabe could use his help.


    Arabe’s ears twitched at the distant howl. She scanned her surroundings-behind, in front, to the left, and to the right-as she walked through the dimly lit alley toward Thalia’s designated meeting spot. An unsettling sensation prickled her skin as though she were being observed. She nibbled on her lower lip, her hand retreating into her jacket pocket. Her pace quickened, heart pounding when she heard a sudden footfall. The eerie ambiance outside could have been ying tricks on her senses, but she remained wary.


    Despite the eerie atmosphere, Arabe was convinced she wasn’t imagining things. “Help me, sweet Jesus,” she whispered, continuing her journey until she reached the location Thalia had specified. She furrowed her brow, standing alone in the deste street. Thalia was nowhere to be seen, and there was no grocery in sight.


    Retrieving her phone from her jacket pocket, Arabe watched as Thalia’s name shed on the screen. “Were you trying to prank me? It’s freezing out here!”


    Thalia’s retort came without hesitation. “Well, you deserve it, and I won’t apologize if you freeze your ass off.”


    Confusion crept over Arabe. “What do you mean?”


    “I didn’t realize you were so gullible. Now I know, and I’m amused you fell for it.”


    “Thalia!” Arabe’s exmation held a mix of realization and frustration.


    Thalia had no intention ofing, nor had she gathered any groceries for Arabe. The cunning witch had manipted her into venturing out for some unknown purpose.


    Arabe’s anger simmered. “What’s your damn pro-”


    “You’re my problem, bitch. Stay away from my brother. Sweet dreams.” Thalia’s voice dripped with malice before abruptly ending the call, punctuated by a taunting, kissy sound.


    “That witch!” Arabe seethed, whirling around just as a low growl rumbled behind her.


    “What now?!” Arabe’s frustration was cut short as her gaze met the fierce eyes of a predatory beast. Unlike the friendly dog she had encountered before, this creature exuded a terrifying and immense presence. The longer she stared, the more she realized her predicament.


    “Stay back!” Arabe’s hands instinctively pushed forward as she fought to regain herposure.


    Her phone ttered to the ground as she instinctively moved backward, attempting to increase the distance between herself and the advancing creature.


    “Please, don’t!” She choked out the plea, her heart racing, and she gasped as her backward momentum abruptly ceased when her body collided with someone.


    Startled, she turned to identify her unexpected savior, but before she could focus, a cloth was pressed over her nose. Panic surged as the scent of the cloth overwhelmed her senses, and her vision began to blur at the edges. She struggled against the encroaching darkness, stumbling backward, only to find herself caught by the firm grip of the stranger’s hand.