STILL LAUGHING, I GOT UP AND WALKED TOWARDS HER, towering her back, and leaning closer so they could see me. And to my surprise, her mother looked like an older version of her, as her brother seemed like a version of her but with black hair and eyes. When they saw me, they both gasped.
"Caralho!" They cursed together.
"Santo Deus, you are probably the hottest man I've ever seen near my daughter," her mom gasped. "Filha minha, you really got a good one. And he's shirtless at that. I knew you two were doing lewd things. What's your name, boy?"
Oh my God, now I know where she got all of her straightforwardness from. "Hi, Mrs. Rossetti, I'm Aaron."
She gasped and her eyes went to her daughter. "Aaron? Like your vizinho gato?" Hot neighbor? What has she been talking about me? "The one you hate? The British that has been pestering you these last four years?"
"Mamãe!" She gasped covering her face.
"Espera, are you really Manu's neighbor?" Her brother asked in shock. "The owner of the building she lives in? Vaughn something?"
Oh, she really talked about me. "That's me. Aaron Vaughn-Solomon." I looked at her and she avoided my eyes blushing hard. "So, you talked about me, hm?" I said with a grin on.
"I can't believe you two are… what are you actually? I was about to complain about you still being single, but I don't know anymore," he mom began again. "Are you together?"
I leaned closer and took the phone in my hand. She lied to my mom. The least I can do is lie to hers. "Yes. We've kept a secret from both our families, but we've been pretty much dating since August."
They both gasped, "Emmanuelle! Why did you kept it from me?" Her mom asked offended.
"And from me, sister. I would have kept it a secret!"
She tried to take the phone from me, but I held it higher, "No. You would not!" She told her brother, while on her toes, annoyed by my childish act, while I found it very amusing. "Aaron, give me that."
I sulked, "Nah, I don't think so, darling. I like the attention." Then I turned to her mom and brother who were watching us with widened eyes. "My parents are quite invasive, so I asked to kept it just between us for a while. She wanted to tell you but respected me, so don't get mad at her, mother in law."
Her mom blushed hard at that, "Meu senhor amado, how can you be so handsome?"
But her brother seemed low key annoyed. "Are your family aware of it now? If you are lettings know."
"Yes. My mother just left here a while ago. By the way, you will all come to Queenstown in a week, right?" I turned to her brother, "You are her 8th brother, right? The oldest of the youngest triplets?"
He bit his bottom lip but could hide his grin, "So, Manu told you about me, hm?! Yes, that's me. Her favorite brother. And yes, we always spend the Christmas and the New Year holidays with Manu. Why?"
"My family has a tradition of spending those two holidays every year together. The second my mom learned about the fact that I'm dating your sister, she invited her and all of you to spend the holidays with us this year, in our private island in the North Island here in New Zealand."
Thays clicked her tongue, "Idiota, I was going to tell them that. How annoying!"
"That would be amazing, my genro," she's already calling me son-in-law, that's progress in out big-fat-lie. "But is your mother aware of how big our family is? We are more than 20. Around 25, since Amalia and Paolo's pairs will be going too."
"Are they dating? Who? Why didn't you tell me?" I moved the phone down, so she could see them better.
I may have seen it wrong, but I swear they both seemed suddenly uncomfortable. "They didn't want us to tell you, so we respect it." Alessandro said after sometime, and his jaw seemed to be clenched.
Seems like her relationship with the youngest two is sourer than I first thought. "Fine. Whatever. They will probably hate me more if I ask about it. I'll let them bring the two with them, otherwise they will keep whining about it." She seemed tired and I spontaneously caressed her back, feeling as her body tensed up on the touch.
"Sorry, filha," her mom seemed guilty. "If it was for us we would have told you. But they would make it all worse."
She sighed, "It's alright, mamãe. How are the others? Are they excited to come here?"
"Everyone is. Our nonnas went shopping today to get some new clothes for them to wear while there," her brother said, looking calmer now.
Then a tall black haired man appeared behind them and came closer to the phone. I can see some similarities between him and Thays, although Alessandro looks more like him than his sister. So, I took that it was her father. "Who's that shirtless boy with my princesa?"
"Papai, this is Aaron. My boyfriend."
The man gasped, "You are dating, princesa? Are you finally over than blonde bag of trash?" Is he talking about her ex?
"It's been ages since I'm over Bauman, papai. I just enjoyed being single," oh, so it seems we are in similar situations. "Anyways, Aaron is the architect and owner of the building I live in, papai. And he went to Yale."
Her father's hawk eyes, black like her brother's, went to me, "How old are you, boy?"
I gulped, "28."
"He's 6 months older than me, papai," when she says it like that it doesn't really sound like much.
"Since when are you with my princesa, boy?"
Licking my lips, I thought fast, "Officially, since August. I live in the penthouse, just one floor above hers."
"Papai, he's Manu's jerk neighbor who she kept cursing and complaining about on these last four years," oh, God, seems like her brother likes to throw fuel to the fire.
But her dad chuckled, "Oh, so you got on her nerve first, hm? If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
"I think it's more probable that she'll hurt me than the other way around," I mumbled and Thays had the audacity to grin at that.
"Will I meet you when I go to New Zealand?"
Her mother was the one to nod now, "Amor, we'll be spending the two weeks on his family's private island. With his family. Seem like they want to meet us."
The man's features went from suspicious to soft, "Good. It means he isn't playing with our daughter."
Oh… if they knew the truth. Seems like we'll have to fake a break up at the end of this, because things will get out of hand by the time the new year comes around.
"Are you an only child, Aaron?" Her brother asked.
"No. I'm the eldest out of five sons. Each of us having two years apart from one another. I'm 28 and the youngest is 20. All from the same marriage, and my parents are also together until now. By all Thays told me about you, I believe you and my parents will go quite well with each other. And you might also enjoy my brothers company, Alessandro."