3. SPELLBOUND

My breathing comes out in short pants as I really looked at him.

Nick.

He looks at me in a daze, as if he can't believe it was me. His deep colored eyes visibly softens as he drinks in all my features.

"Liza." he whispers.

My heart skips a beat at the way my name rolls of his tongue.

He takes a step forward but I hide behind Ezra.

"I want to go home." I whisper to Ezra.

Hurt flashes in his eyes but he covers it quickly. A small frown makes its way to my forehead, involuntarily and I find myself aching to comfort the blue eyed adonis standing in front of me.

Is he the same guy who used to comfort me? Kiss my forehead? Chase all the boys away from me? Have lunch with me every single day? Protect me from bullies? Who cared for me as if I was his little world.

His little world.

"What's wrong, angel?" Ezra asks turning around to face me.

I shake my head, "I will see you at home?" I ask expectantly.

"You will." he nods still wary of my behavior but kisses my forehead nonetheless.

I make my way to my car without daring to look up at the brooding boy and drive to home.

I see Elijah's car parked in the driveway and I squeal in delight. I hop out of the car and rush inside.

He is sitting in the living room with a few papers scattered in front of him and is busy jotting something down on the paper.

My footsteps makes him look up just I time to stand up and catch me.

"Eli." I giggle as he wraps his arms around me and spins me around just like Zee did a while ago.

"I missed you so much, pumpkin." he says as he brings me down.

I, immediately, tighten my hold around his torso drawing out an unexpected wince from him. My eyes snap open and I take one step back in a hurry.

"What happened?" I ask.

Deep down, I knew the answer.

"Pumpkin-" he starts but I shake my head.

"I told you to stop. Why do you do it?" I ask instead.

"Princess, I like doing it." he tries to get me to see the reason.

"No. I don't like to see you hurt." I nearly scream.

"Angel." Zee's voice echoes through the house.

"Don't angel me." I say turning to him.

Nick is standing in the back looking at the three of us in confusion.

"Princess, it's not that bad." Eli says.

"I don't care. You love football, play football. Not this." I say pointing at his definitely bruised chest.

"Eliza." Eli says sternly.

My bottom lips starts to quiver and my vision becomes blurry as I look at him through tears.

His eyes widens and he steps forward, grabbing my arm and engulfing me in his embrace.

"I'm so sorry, princess." he whispers stroking my hair gently.

"You're my brother, Eli. I can't see you hurt. I love you so much." I mumble in his chest and sniffle.

He pulls away and wipes my tears. Zee comes to my side and place a small tender kiss on my temple in a brotherly manner.

"Please stop both of you." I almost beg.

"Boxing can get nasty sometimes, little one." Zee says and chuckles looking at Eli whose clearly looking back with a murderous gaze for disclosing the information I was already aware of.

"Nick." Eli says and my attention snaps to him.

"Elijah." Nick grins and hug my brother with a pat on his back.

"You've grown up, man." Eli says pulling back causing Nick to chuckle.

"You guys were inseparable." Zee whispers.

I look at him with a frown and shake my head, "I don't like him anymore." I state.

"Sure." he says rolling his honey colored eyes.

"I'm serious. He made it clear three years that he doesn't wish to talk to me anymore." I tell him.

"On call." I add.

"He's my brother. If anything, he meant the opposite." he says with a shake of head.

I shrug it off and walk inside the kitchen to prepare something for them to eat. I am halfway through making the sandwiches when I feel a presence behind me.

My hands grip the piece of bread tightly as I smell the familiar scent of rain. Swallowing harshly, I proceed to put the ingredients for ham sandwich together.

"Liza." he calls my name softly.

My heart rate skyrockets and movements halt for a minute.

"Talk to me, il mio piccolo mondo." he whispers coming to stand behind me.

(My little world)

I shake my head in negative and place the last sandwich in the tray before turning around.

Wrong move.

My face nearly collides with his chest but I step back in time.

Wrong move.

My back hits the white marble counter and I wince in pain. A second later, Nick's arm shoots up and he pulls me closer rubbing my back in the process. My hands rest on his brick like chest to stop myself from tumbling.

"Still clumsy." he scolds.

I pout and bend my head further down. He grasps my chin between him thumb and forefinger and makes me look up. He bites his bottom lip as his eyes roam my face.

"Bellissima." he whispers.

He called you beautiful. His friend's words ring in my ears once again and I blush hiding my face in his chest.

A chuckle bubbles from his chest causing vibrations to traverse through my body.

"Look at me." he commands.

I bite my inner cheek and my hands fist his shirt from where they were resting on his chest. His own hands move from my waist to my wrists and grab a hold of them.

He, once again, attempts to make me look at him but I close my eyes making him groan in frustration.

"You're angry." he states.

My eyes snap open and I look at him in confusion.

"You refused to even look at me whenever I upset you in the past." he answers the unasked question.

"Your eyes, fiore, they're a window to your soul and mind. Everything that goes inside your mind reflects on your face like a beautiful movie." he whispers tucking a stray strand behind my ear.

(Flower)

"Nick." I whisper.

He places a chaste kiss on my forehead and his lips lingered there for a second longer.

He pulls me in his embrace and I melt in his arms like a puddle. My left cheek is pressed to his heart. I can hear his steady beats and it only takes a millisecond to calm myself. His nose is pressed in the crook of my neck and I feel him smile against the soft skin causing a ticklish sensation to erupt.

A series of giggles escape my mouth and I struggle in his hold wanting to break free.

His fingers inch closer to my waist and I thrash my arms and legs but his grip on my wrist, using his one hand, is impossibly tight.

His fingers begin the torture and I scream and laugh at the same time.

"Nick, s-stop." I beg gasping for air in between my laughs.

"Say you'll talk to me." he demands while continuing to tickle my sides.

Tears ooze out of the sides of my eyes due to the intensity of my hysterical laugh. "I will." I breathe out.

He releases me at once and I look up to see him standing with a wolfish grin stretched across his thin lips.

He and I, both, knew that he took advantage of the situation. But he was Nick, he can do that or anything for that matter and I will always cave in because he held that much power over me. If anything, his claim on me only got stronger in his absence because I did everything in a way he would like. Because he had me wrapped around his finger even when he wasn't here and had it been someone else, I would have been scared of the spellbound he had, unknowingly, casted over me ever since we were little.