The gang had an absolute blast exploring the local sights and indulging in a mouth-watering dinner back at their resort. The meal consisted of premium ingredients that were delivered right to their doorstep, and Sarah and Yvonne were the culinary masterminds behind the scrumptious barbeque, since the guys were pretty clueless when it came to handling a knife and meat.
While the boys struggled to get the charcoal to heat up, Henry emerged as the hero with his impeccable skills at lighting the fire. David, on the other hand, took charge of grilling the chicken wings, and ended up roasting 95% of the ones they devoured.
The meal was nothing short of delectable, and Alex had a ball of a time, giggling with his buddies and teasing Sarah. He couldn't quite put his finger on why he enjoyed it so much, but seeing her shoot him looks of annoyance and watching her try to suppress a smile made him inexplicably happy. He was particularly fond of making her laugh.
It wasn't until Sarah pulled him aside during dinner that Alex realized something was amiss with Delilah. "Hey, Alex James, could you give me a hand with the drinks?" Sarah asked, gesturing towards the unopened bottles of Coke.
"Hey, c'mon!" Sarah grabbed his hand and tugged him along, ignoring his protest. She stole a glance at Deliah, who was trying her best to keep up with the conversation but seemed a bit downcast, especially when Brad and Nancy got affectionate with each other.
Letting out a deep sigh, Sarah guided Alex towards the kitchen. He went straight for the fridge, grabbing a pack of chocolates and popping one into his mouth. "Fancy one?" he asked, holding out the packet to her.
Sarah blinked, momentarily distracted from her train of thought. "Uh, sure. Thanks," she said, taking a piece of chocolate from him.
Alex was pondering over the drinks choices when Sarah interrupted him with a chocolate-induced confession. "Alex James," she uttered, catching his attention. He turned towards her and observed her tense posture and worried eyes. "I wanted to talk to you," she continued.
Alex read her face and anticipated the topic of discussion. "Oh," he murmured. "I know what this is about."
Sarah appeared surprised. "You do? But I haven't even started-"
Alex interrupted, acknowledging that he couldn't predict the exact nature of Sarah's concerns but had a hunch about who they were related to. "You're going to talk about Deliah, aren't you?" he asked. "You only look this worried and troubled when it's about her. And you only talk to me this seriously and uneasily when it's about her."
After a brief pause, Alex exhaled deeply.
"So what's it about?" She fidgeted nervously.
Her cheeks turned pink as she murmured, "You remember the game we played this afternoon, right? The last question?" She hesitated, unsure of how to broach the topic. Alex watched with amusement, waiting to see where this was going. "The last question about the first... f-first k-k- ki.." Sarah's lips quivered nervously.
Alex chuckled and nodded, pretending not to understand. "First kikiki?" he teased.
Sarah's face flushed with embarrassment as she lightly slapped his shoulder. "argh, you jerk! You know what I mean," she huffed. "So spill it - why haven't you and Deliah done it?"
For a moment, Alex looked confused, but then realization dawned on him.
Sarah was staring down at the ground, and suddenly Alex stilled. He wasn't sure why he felt disappointed at the question. "Wait, you're seriously asking me why I haven't kissed Deliah?"
Sarah turned to leave. "Okay, I knew this was a bad idea."
But Alex reached out to stop her. "No, you need to get it off your chest, and I want to hear your problems," he said seriously. "What's bothering you?"
Sarah let out a sigh. "Well...I don't want to interfere with your relationship, but if I were in Deliah's shoes, I wouldn't like waiting either. Waiting for my boyfriend to show affection and all. I mean, I notice you don't even hold her hand until she hooks her hand through your arm."
Alex lowered his gaze. "I haven't kissed her because I honestly haven't thought about it," he admitted. "And now that I've thought about it, it doesn't feel right either. I know I'm slow, but I don't want to rush things."
He knocked her head. "Seriously, Sarah? You even have to fight for your sister's kisses?"
Sarah's lower lip jutted out in a pout. "I just want her to be happy, okay?" she muttered, biting her lip. "Happy. That's all I want."
Alex arched an eyebrow. "And if I kiss her, it'll make you happy?"
Sarah's head shot up in surprise. She stared at Alex, her mouth falling open. At first, she thought he was joking. But the serious look in his eyes told her otherwise.
"Alex James, you can't joke about this," she protested.
"I'm serious. If I kiss her, will it make you happy?" he repeated, his gaze fixed on her face.
Sarah looked torn, confusion flickering across her features. Would she be happy if Alex kissed Deliah?
Her immediate response was no. But then she hesitated. Why wouldn't she be happy? If Alex kissed Deliah and it made her sister happy, then it would make Sarah happy too. After all, her guiding principle was to want Deliah's happiness above all else.
Sarah swallowed and nodded slowly. "Yes. I'd be happy."
Alex's expression dropped. "Okay, got it." He put on a fake smile. "I'll try my best." Sarah looked away, feeling overwhelmed and tense. "Alright. I should head back first." She rushed off, feeling conflicted and trapped.
As Alex watched her leave, he couldn't help but feel disappointed with her response. He shrugged his shoulders. "She's right. I should have kissed her by now."
Bro." Alex looked over at Brad. "What's it like to kiss someone?"
Alex's gaze drifted to the sky as he contemplated the question. " What makes someone want to kiss someone else? How do you know when it's the right moment?"
Brad raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Is this about Deliah? You still haven't kissed her, have you?"
Alex stared at his fingers, feeling a sense of confusion. "I don't know. Whenever I'm with her, I never think about it. It wasn't until today that I realized we haven't done anything remotely romantic together." He ran his hand through his hair.
"Is this how it's supposed to be? Like you have to constantly remember?" Alex looked perplexed.
Brad raised his eyebrows. "No, it's supposed to be at the back of your mind even when you're not with her, especially since we're guys." He scowled. "Unless, of course, you're gay."
"I'm not," Alex shot Brad a look.
Brad chuckled. "I know, that's what makes it odd." He shrugged. "Guys are supposed to want to kiss her, hug her, and be with her all the time. We initiate physical touch because she's too shy to do so herself. We love holding her hand, kissing her lips. That's just how we are."
"But you're a different breed, Alex," Brad laughed.
Alex pouted and gazed into his glass. "Do you think I should kiss her?" he muttered. "Because i know It would make 'someone' happy."
"Absolutely," Brad nodded, taking a sip of his drink.
"Deliah will be thrilled! You should definitely do it," Brad exclaimed with a reassuring nod.
He bit his lip and gazed up at the sky. It wasn't Deliah he was concerned about making happy; it was Sarah.
************
"SISSYY!!!!" Deliah called out, interrupting Sarah's bedtime reading.
//FLASHBACK 10 minutes ago//
There was a knock to the door. Sarah looked up from her book, perplexed. Alex's eyes met hers, piercing and inscrutable. It was as if he was staring right into her soul, leaving her with a warm, tingly feeling she couldn't quite explain.
And then he whisked Deliah off for ten minutes.
//FLASHBACK ENDS//
Now she returned, looking as if she won the lottery.
Sarah didn't know why she feared hearing what Alex did to make her sister that happy.
"Yeah?" Sarah answered weakly, unsure of what to expect.
"YAYY Today is the happiest day of my life!" Deliah exclaimed, bursting with joy as she plopped down on Sarah's bed. "I can't stop spazzing sissy! YAYYYYY!!!" Sarah flinched, realizing that Alex must have done something to Deliah.
"Do you know what Alex honey just did?" she giggled and blushed, swaying cutely. "I'm feeling giddy just thinking about it!"
"Uhm Liah I don't think I want to-"
"He kissed my cheek!" Deliah pointed at her right cheek.
"Right here, sis. I can still feel his lips here even though it was so quick! I'm so happy!"
Sarah forced a smile. "That's great."
Deliah nodded excitedly. "I'll go tell the girls!" she danced out of the room.
Sarah leaned against her bedrest and stared at her fingers. "He kissed her cheek," she whispered. She bit her lip, containing her smile.
*If I kiss her, you would be happy?* Alex's words replayed in her head.
He tricked her! Kind of.
She didn't understand why she was pleased that Alex didn't kiss Deliah on the lips though.
She was completely lost in her own thoughts and emotions, but suddenly realized that she must stop grinning like a crazy person. Just then, her phone buzzed.
"To: Sarah Johnson
Happy?
From: Alex James"
Without hesitation, she replied.
"To: Alex James
Very.
From: Sarah Johnson"
However, her happiness was not what he assumed it to be. In fact, it was a lot more perplexing than that.
Dear Readers,
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter of "My Sister's Shadow." I hope you have enjoyed the story so far and are eagerly anticipating what happens next. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this chapter and the book as a whole. Please feel free to share your findings in the comment section below.
As you may have noticed, Sarah was quite excited that Alex did not kiss Deliah. I would love to know what team you are all on. Is it Team Del-lex or Team Sar-lex.
But in all seriousness, is it normal for Sarah to have reacted to the news of the kiss the way she did? and do you think it was right for her to get involved in the intimate part of her sister's relationship in the first place? Did she or did she not cross the line?
On a different note, Brad and Nancy's love life has been a passionate and integral part of the story. Do you think Alex and Deliah can ever reach that level of intimacy and passion?
And speaking of Alex and Deliah, why do you think he kissed her on the cheek instead of the lips? Is he saving the lips kiss for Sarah Johnson? (Just kidding!)
Also, do you think Deliah's playful demeanor might change to horror soon? There's certainly a lot of tension building up in the story.
Thank you once again for reading this chapter.
With love,
Annabelle Grenville's Books