8) I'm Matthew's sister

"Charlotte Cooper?" - I feel someone tapping on my shoulder with a finger, but in response I snort

loudly, staying turned away and waiting for my packet of

Doritos chips to get out of this damn machine.

"It's not me." - I hasten to send her away when I realize that her voice is not

quite familiar to me, but this time I feel her jolt behind me as soon as I shoot

with my foot at the machine, which doesn't give me the money for the umpteenth time this week.

"You're still here?" - I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms to my chest under the heavy tissue of the sweatshirt when I turn to her side, ready to offend her Mandarin dialect as William tought me... Before leaving his place to his damn, asshole, idiot son.

«I want to register in this gym.» - she says with a fake smile while looking at me from

head to toe, as if she hadn't heard what I just told her.

I bet she is already in her thirties and I wonder why she wants to register in

a boxing and fitness gym, instead of choosing to do yoga somewhere else.

I don't even understand why this woman is talking to me about it when she can

head to the manager's office and talk to that jerk who can't do his

own job, but I try to moderate my expression when Ian approaches behind the

woman.

Only now I notice his presence in the middle of the main room of the gym, even if it is difficult

not to distinguish him from the others for those damn black glasses that do not let me see his

gaze.

I don't even know if he's looking at me right now, but I strain a smile

when I notice that he comes right in my direction with a frown.

My eyes light up when I see a chocolate bar in his hands,

completely forgetting the woman in front of me that tries to attract my

attention:

"So what?" - I ask absently, even if I finally decide to deign her a look,

to which she hastens to reply in the same gentle tone:

"You're the dietician, aren't you?" - she points her index finger at me undecided, but I'm sure she already knows the answer,

so I just nod and reach out in Ian's direction when I find him at mine

side to appropriate a Reese's bar from his hands without thinking twice, while with the tail

of my eye I see the man by my side trying to hide a smile.

"Yes, I'm the dietician." - I answer with indifference, while I sink my teeth in the delight

that I stole from the mysterious and likeable blondie.

"Are you sure?" - a nervous chuckle escapes the woman in front of me, but she stops when

I raise my eyes to meet hers again.

"Can I help you?" - Ian hurries to clear his throat and address the woman before I

can argue, so I take this opportunity to take another bite of the energy bar without

taking my eyes off her, while hers end up on the blond and she assumes an expression

so worried that for a moment it seems to me that the two know each other, but I have to

think again when I see the woman reaches out a hand in Ian's direction:

"Nice to meet you, I'm Ashley." - she tilts his head with a strange smile on his lips, as Ian grabs her hand to return the kindness:

«I'm Matthew's sister.» - she suddenly says, pointing her eyes in mine when the

chocolate bar falls from my hand for the surprise as I part my lips when

I understand that I have in front of me a subject who has the same blood as William.

I do not know whether to offend her or pretend to smile as I did a little while ago: that old pedophile

has never told me that he has a daughter and I must admit that there isn't any resemblance between her and William.

The color of her eyes is similar to Matthew's pupils, or perhaps a little lighter,

while her hair is of a platinum blonde that would be the envy even of a natural blonde.

"And I wanted to take an appointment." - she broadens her smile, looking me straight in the eye

as soon as I clear my throat, but once again Ian anticipates me, even if he seems even more

surprised than me:

«You must first complete the procedures to register.» - he suggests, but at his words

Ashley shakes her head.

«I have already talked to my brother.» - she says in a voice so tender that I can hardly believe

that she and Matthew are children of the same woman, but instead of continuing to squeeze

in vain my minds, I finally decide to open my mouth:

«Follow me.» - I hasten to turn my back on her again and walk towards my office

when I hear her heels and I understand that she is following me, but before disappearing from the room I hold back a smile at the words of Ian, who screams behind me:

"You owe me a Resee's!"

My expression turns serious as soon as I get in my monotonous and empty refuge:

"I have to check the calendar." - I make it clear noting her confused grimace when

I enter my office, then close the door behind me and walk away

toward the comfortable chair across the desk.

When I first walked into this room there wasn't even a chair,

so I didn't think twice about stealing William's from his office.

It is from that day that I have earned his esteem, but I don't understand why in these years he's never told me he has a daughter, although I'm not entirely surprised.

I knew that in the past he was married and had a child, but he talked about it so rarely that I didn't even know his name was Matthew.

«I would like to have two meetings a week.» - she begins to speak after a couple of seconds of silence

as she takes place in front of my table, but when I try to sit down a pang of pain

reminds me that it is better to remain standing right now.

«Okay.» - I just satisfy her, opening my little notebook to see the other customers' schedules and decide an appointment for this woman.

I'm not madly in love with my job and one more client does nothing but reduce

my lovely free time, which I usually spend in front of the machines. Arguing with them.

"Don't ask me why I'm wearing a sweatshirt." - I threaten her with a slightly annoyed tone

when I give her a quick glance to notice that she is staring at my garment with a

frown, but at my words she raises her hands to defend herself.

We are towards the end of August and I can only be enthusiastic about it, since in this

period in Seattle it rains more than it does in mid-December, so I won't have to

suffer those strange looks that tourists give me every time I walk to return home anymore.

"Why don't you sit down?" - I hear her say right after, but I knew she wouldn't stay in

silence regardless, so I decide to respond with indifference as I continue to

run your eyes over the full pages of the notebook:

"Your brother's dogs destroyed half my ass." - I explain bluntly,

keeping me from rolling my eyes when Ashley puts a hand over her mouth, then

letting go of a chuckle when she realizes I'm serious.

"Thursday and Friday at ten." - I sigh when I find some space in the agenda, even if

this means no drinks on Thursday and Friday mornings.

I will miss the waiter most of all in the next few days, even more than Hardin and Tessa,

who, since she met the new manager, has come to visit me more often just to

get the boss's attention, but lately it seems that Matthew doesn't even remember

of her existence.

«Perfect.» - she nods at my words, and then gets up from her chair as soon as she realizes that I don't have anything else to add.

She must have realized that I'm a woman of few words and grumpy enough to want her out my office right now.

"I'll go to my brother's office." - she seems to say it more to herself than to me, but I limit myself to

shrug and force a smile again in front of her tender expression.

If she weren't Matthew's sister and William's daughter, I'd almost say she's a good person

and a very kind woman.

«Say hello to him by me.» - I mumble as I turn my back, but as soon as she leaves my

office I can't help but comment softly:

«Say hello to your redhead cousin too.» - I whisper to myself, remembering the first time I walked into that asshole's office.

I take advantage of the fact that I'm finally alone to take a quick peek outside the

window: it looks like it's about to flood in this neighborhood, as I hoped, but in

this claustrophobic room is unbearably hot, so much that, for the third time

this summer, I don't think twice to take the sweatshirt off the head, messing my hair, already tied up in a messy bun.

I bitterly regret not having worn a tank top but staying in the bra in

this moment just refreshes me faster, even though I despise every single inch of my skin.

I take advantage of the silence that begins to reign in my small room to turn away

at the door and look at the landscape outside my window.

I have always loved traveling, even if I never did, but if I had to choose between

Seattle and another city to live in, I would not replace this metropolis with any other, in spite of the pigeons that can't wait to throw up on me every morning and all the people around me and that give me a good reason to prepare

suitcases and escape from here as soon as possible.

A sigh leaves my lips when I think about how much I would like to visit Europe one

day, and I have saved in these years enough money to do it, only if I had the courage to change my life.

I look at the sweatshirt resting next to me on the desk, thinking about how much I loved

shorts until a couple of years ago, when Paul still hadn't moved into my

condominium and I was a cheerful girl despite being an orphan.

That alcoholic bastard would be a good reason to change my apartment and start again a new life all over, instead of being afraid to go down the stairs alone every morning.

I make a face when I realize that I am wasting time in vain while right now I should be yelling at the machines to get my money

backards.

With a quick gesture I hurry to bring a lock of hair behind my ear, but as soon as I reach out my black sweatshirt to wear it against my will, the noise

of the door of my office that opens paralyzes my whole body and I don't have time to realize that

someone is entering my office my eyes meet Matthew's.

I open my pupils and I take an angry expression when his gaze leaves my eyes

to move on my chest covered by a trivial gray bra, but I almost remain

puzzled when her eyes get lighter than usual and his serious grimace

changes suddenly, as he hurries in and quickly closes my office door,

turning my back to me for a couple of seconds.

I completely forget that I have my fair skin exposed in front of his eyes and

as soon as he turns back to my side I don't think twice about grabbing my

notebook in one hand and walk silently in his direction:

"Get out of my office!" - I pause on every single syllable when his eyes return to

x-ray me, but I don't give him a way to study my body with those damn serious eyes and

I hurry to throw the heavy notebook at him:

"Shut up." - he replies instantly, avoiding the booklet to hurry to come in my direction

when he notices that I am not going to stay quiet while he stares my body like that, but more than a threat, he looks like his begging me.

"Don't look at me!" - this time the words come out in a scream as I put my hand down

on his chest to force him to walk back and force him to return where he came from, but my fingers begin to tremble against the light tissue of his shirt when the pads of

his muscles come into contact with the palm of my hand.

"Shut the fuck up!" - this time he's the one screaming, while he doesn't think twice before

grabbing my elbow between his fingers with one hand and cover my mouth with the other,

pulling me towards him with so much force that my chest collides with his and my eyes get close a few millimeters to his.

My nostrils dilate and I try to inhale as much air as possible to fill my lungs, but

my chest gasps against Matthew's when his

puddles become increasingly clear, even if his expression is impassive and

even more serious than before.

I frown as he leaves my eyes to resume looking at the door, which helps me to return to reality and frown again , noticing only now that he is trying to

hide from someone, but I understand who is it only when the door to my office is opened for the second time and William's redhead granddaughter appears

without even knocking first.

"Oh!" - she takes a surprised grimace when her eyes fall on Matthew's figure,

who raises his eyes to the sky while turning his back to her, but I can't help

laughing under my mustache.

He's running away from his cousin!

"Matthew, I was ... looking for you." - the redhead's eyes pass from me to the man beside me,

who doesn't give her a look and just swears in a low voice on my face,

as his hand leaves my mouth.

"Now I'm busy." - his hoarse voice beats against my face, while his eyes

end up in mine again and he looks at me with a raised eyebrow when he notices the

amusement, then tilt his head and lower himself to my height in a quick gesture.

So fast that I only realize his intentions when he sinks his lips

in the crook of my neck and the tip of his tongue begins to tickle my skin.

❤️❤️What do you think about the male character guys?

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