Twenty-Four

Auriella Everleigh Soleil

Grayson looks in awe out of the plane window. He had mentioned to me before that none of them had ever left Texas with the expectation of Nolan, who travelled for hockey, let alone be on a plane.

And it was once again a reminder to me not to take things for granted.

I travelled all the time. In fact, I had probably been on more flights in the past year than most people would ever experience in their lifetime and then some people were just in awe of a short couple-hour plane ride.'

"Welcome to New York."

We watched out of the windows as the jet circled the city. Grayson looked fascinated by all the skyscrapers and buildings from the aerial view. He took out his phone and filmed it.

"Ezra is going to be so jealous." He muttered, sending Ez the video. He would only go through once we had landed.

"Stop showing off, otherwise I'll take Ezra and Elijah here instead of you next time."

Now that Crew had custody of the boys, their lives were going to get so much more interesting. I had had another chat with Crew before I left and had kind of hinted at what I wanted to do with them and Crew looked ecstatic. He wanted the boys to have many opportunities and was ready to sign off on as many trips as we wanted as long as we had good grades and they weren't interrupting our extracurriculars or school.

Stepping off the jet, I had a driver there waiting for us. Gray and I grabbed our bags. We had little, as we would only be here for a couple of days. I only had the bare essentials, as I already had a closet full of things here.

"Good afternoon, Ms Soleil." The older man nods to me before looking at Gray. "Good afternoon, Sir."

"Hi, Marc." I grin at the man. He takes our bags and loads them in the car.

"To the penthouse?" He asks.

"Yes, please."

Grayson sits quietly next to me for the entire ride, observing the new city out the window. I'm on my phone trying to sort out my life for the next few days by replying to messages and emails and signing off on things. All things I hate but are crucial when running a business.

Marc stops in front of the luxury apartment building that I owned the top flat of.

"This place is incredible." Grayson comments, taking in the interior and architecture of the building. It was incredible. Everywhere was white in the lobby and elevator, and bronze decor brought everything to life.

"I'll pass it on to Alexander," I murmur, pride filling me at the praise even though this was all Alexander. Grayson looked confused. "He designed this building a while ago now."

This hadn't been a contracted building, but something Xander had seen and wanted to do, which is why we owned the flat, and in fact, the entire building. The rent we collected from this building went towards a children's home here in Manhattan.

"Right, you two are actually accomplished human beings."

I roll my eyes, pressing the button on the elevator to take us to my floor. "Why are we in New York, Gray?" He looks down, mumbling the answer. "What was that?"

"For me to play at a basketball camp."

"The best basketball camp internationally. Success looks different to everyone, so please don't."

"I'm sorry." He apologises.

"You have nothing to apologise for, Grayson. Comparison is the thief of joy. If you compare yourself to what others are doing, you will never find true happiness."

My jaw clenched but decided to leave it as that, it was just another side effect of his childhood, from what I can tell Gray was compared to his twin a lot which is awful, even though they are exactly the same age they are very different human beings. They don't play the same sports or have the same interests or even think remotely alike. Neither of them are better than the other, but the parents favoured one damaging both of their mental health.

Grayson, because he can't live up to impossible standards, so he's hard on himself.

And Gabriel, because he will never find someone who will hype him up as much as his parents do, so he will go on for the rest of his life feeling inadequate.

They were two sides of the same coin.

The elevator button dings as we reach my penthouse. Grayson's eyes widen for the millionth time since we have entered the city, and he let out a low whistle. Unlike downstairs, we had taken a darker approach to the penthouse interior. Most of it was versions of darker greys and blacks contrasted by the gold glow we had chosen for all the lighting. The project had been Alexander's baby, but I always got the final say when it came down to all of our personal properties.

"How do you become a billionaire because sign me up?" Gray murmured.

"Generational wealth." I shrug. Even though Xander and I used our own money to start up, it was all the lessons in business we had gotten from our family that had made us successful, we got all of our contacts and help from them otherwise I doubt we would have gotten this big. It also helped that we carried influential surnames. No one would trust a new name with their devices, but there is already an exclusivity that comes along with the surnames Soleil and Rozzi.

"How big is this place?" Grayson asks as he walks past the entryway, through the lounge, surveying the kitchen and everything else in the space.

"Hmm, there are six bedrooms. The master takes up most of the third floor but it has our offices, bathroom and a couple of other rooms as well, including two bedrooms. The second floor has the four other bedrooms, as well as I think another movie room slash entertainment space."

"Another one?"

I point to a long black curtain that covers the entrance to a room just off the lounge. Grayson makes his way over to take a peek into the room, looking dazed with everything.

"Well, I'm going to crash for a bit. There's food in the fridge, so help yourself. Take any of the rooms on the second floor."

I waited for confirmation before I disappeared into a bedroom I hadn't been in for a couple of months, but still felt more like home than any of the homes I had lived in recently.

<><><>

"Do you think I'm dressed, okay?" Grayson calls from the room before I can even see him.

"We're in New York, Gray. You can wear whatever you want and no one would even blink."

I surveyed my outfit. I had chosen a pair of black leggings and a hoodie. Not my usual choice, as normally I probably would have dressed up more, but I was going out with two athletes tonight and there is nothing better to keep them entertained than physical activity.

But one of the best things about living in big cities is that no one cares that much about what anyone else is doing. Everyone is self-absorbed, unlike in the small town I was currently staying in. I can wear whatever I want without judgement from anyone else.

Grayson wasn't dressed badly, he looked like a typical male. I guess meeting one of your idols makes you self-conscious. I picked up my phone and sent another text to Ambrosi. He was meant to meet us up here to drop off his bags. He had an apartment below mine. There were only two apartments, one for him and one for Adelina, but he liked to stay up here with us when he could. It was lonely always being by yourself.

"He's on his way up." I let Grayson know and I immediately saw nervousness on his face, Grayson was a truly adorable human being. "There is nothing to be scared of, he's an idiot but harmless. I wouldn't be friends with someone who wasn't a good person."

"I know, it's just weird, the thought of meeting someone you've admired for years."

I wish I could relate, but truthfully, I was normally on the opposite end. People wanted to meet me. I don't think I've ever met someone I've been star-struck over. It's hard when you often have lunch with presidents, CEOs, professional athletes and sometimes even actors and musicians.

The elevator doors ping open and a smile lifts onto my face. There stood Ambrosi Javier in all his glory. Ambrosi was all dark curls and tanned skin from his Spanish heritage. He was taller than most, as was expected of a basketball player and well-built. And his smile just screamed 'son of a politician.'

"AJ." I grinned at the person who had been a brother to me for almost a decade, and it was not even a second before I was up in the air and twirled around before we both landed on the couch in giggles.

"Hermanita." He grinned at me, the term of affection slipping easily past his lips. Little sister.

Grayson caught the term, he had chosen to do Spanish in school like all his brothers instead of French, something I was salty about. I saw his demeanour change, it had gone from awestruck and nervous to jealous and overprotective and all of a sudden I wasn't feeling the best about these two people meeting.

I mean, the loud, over-opinionated brother who I have known for nine years meeting the intimidating, look at her wrong and I beat you up brother who I've known for like three months.

Why did I ever think this was a good idea?

"So, you're the guy who took my sister away from me?" Ambrosi stood in front of Grayson. The two of them were the same height and relatively the same build. I know they both can fight. Ambrosi has been training with Alexander, Adelina, and me for years, but Grayson is involved with street fights, I don't know how good he is but I know I could probably win against them in a fair fight but breaking apart a fight with two guys almost double my height was not something I was confident in my capabilities. "I'll have you know I was here first."

"Technically, I was here first," Grayson replies, sounding bored. "I knew her before she was born."

"And I have spent time with her for almost a decade." Ambrosi boasts. "She's more my sister than yours."

"We share the same blood. There is nothing more binding than that." I didn't believe that, and Grayson didn't either. We both knew that all blood did was disappoint you, but he was looking for a leg to stand on with Ambrosi.

I think it was time I interjected.

"Are you two serious?" Both heads turn to look at me, identical grins on their faces, filled with a teasing and cheeky glint.

If I wasn't mistaken, I think this is their way of bonding. I was so confused. People always said women were the confusing ones, but I think the tables were turned on this one.

<><><>

AES: I'm third wheeling

ANR: Who are you third-wheeling?

"Stop texting your boyfriend and pay attention to us." Ambrosi declares and I glare at them. The whole night these two have been bickering and chatting, then arguing and sharing stories. It was so weird.

Before answering Ambrosi, I shoot a picture off to my boyfriend of the two of them then I lock my phone.

"They are always together," Grayson tells Ambrosi.

"I know it's gross."

I roll my eyes. "Spoken by two males who have never touched a female in their lives."

They both tried to argue my point, but I knew I was right. Neither of them had the time or the desire to be involved with a girl.

We had taken the subway instead of getting my driver to take us around to give Gray the full New York experience. Now we had gotten off and were walking to the place I had chosen for the evening. Once we were there, I pushed the door open and let the boys train in behind me.

"A trampoline park?" Gray asks. He had mentioned he had never been to one before. They didn't have one in the town he lived in and I doubted Nicholas and Lilliana would drive them to another town. Trampoline parks had been a normal play spot for the four of us growing up, so I thought it would have been a safe bet for us to hang out.

If they liked each other, it would be cool and if they didn't they could spend the evening chucking foam balls at the other.

"Yeah," I answer Gray. "You like it?"

"I think I do." He grins at me. "Thanks, Leigh."

"Always."

Like he seems to be best at Ambrosi ruins at the moment, pushing through the two of us and dragging us to the desk for us to pay and start a memorable night.

<><><>

We all pile out of the elevator and into the penthouse. I yawned. I had a great evening, but an exhausting one. I might be more out of shape than I realised trying to keep up with those two or they were fueled by the desire of wanting to be better than the other.

Either way, I was ready to crash.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Ambrosi asks. "We have to be at the training centre at ten and we'll be done at like five."

"I'll be out of here early. Before I go over to make sure things are ready for fashion week, I need to check on things at Ambivalent. I think I'll be out of here before half-six."

"Then why were you out so late?" Grayson's eyes drill holes into me accusingly, the big brother that had parented his siblings for years coming out. It wasn't even that late, it was almost eleven. I had gone to bed later and had to be awake earlier.

"I don't need much sleep, Gray." I wave him off and turn back to Ambrosi. "Are you coming to the show?"

"If Gray wants to go." We both look at my brother, who nods in agreement. "Alright, do you have tickets or do I need to buy some?"

I walk over to my work bag that was abandoned on the table earlier and pull out two tickets for some of the most exclusive seats in the room and pass them to AJ to look after.

"I'm going to go to bed. I don't think I'll see you in the morning, so good luck at training tomorrow." I was looking at Gray when I said it. Ambrosi was used to all of it already.

"Thanks, Leigh."

"Don't stay up too late talking to your boyfriend," Ambrosi shouts after me and turns around and sticks my tongue out at him, the dialling tone already ringing from my phone.

Well hi, I know it's been longer than I normally  than I normally don't post for and for that I apologies. Life has just been hectic at the moment with school and a million other books I'm working on.

One of which might be a new version of perilous intelligence for the second or third time. This version is slightly different with a whole knew book name and older characters. I want to be able to publish my books in the future so I want them to be perfect so let me know what you think of that idea.

What are we thinking about the Grayson/Ambrosi/Auriella trio. I've been thinking up ideas for a Grayson book as well. I'm thinking fake dating professional athlete type book but I might change that as well closer to when I start writing it.

I hope you all have the great rest of your day/night, please vote and comment and I will see you next chapter.

Ara <3