Fell In Love With The Devil (KEELAN) ✔

Chapter 17

Avery and I took a stroll to their beautiful garden at the back of their mansion. There was a huge fountain much like to the front of their house. There was a mini maze that just barely reached our knees.

After the heavy meal we devoured, Avery invited me for a walk. Keelan and Ren were hanging out somewhere in the mansion while Stefano was playing with his son. I could tell the guy has a permanent scowl on his face. It all goes away whenever he faces his son or Avery.

Avery and I talked about her son, Luca. It was short for Lucian Martelli Ranallo. She was beaming when she talked about her angel. I mean who wouldn't. When I saw the little guy, I immediately fell in love with him. He inherited his father's striking grey eyes. He's almost an exact replica of his father. His hair was brown almost blonde and I wondered where he got that feature when his parents and uncle were almost in the same shade. He had a fair complexion and chubby cheeks that were rosy. He was literally a cherub. When Avery let me carry Luca, I almost didn't want to let him go.

"How did you and your husband meet?" I asked with pure curiosity. I can feel that the couple would have an incredible love story to share. Avery is an amazing woman and with Ren's and Keelan's story about her, it made me curious about her.

Avery gave me an ear splitting grin. Her eyes were gleaming with playfulness. "It's a long story actually. You wouldn't have guessed that I was merely his driver back then."

My curiosity spiked even more. "Driver? You're his driver?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"Is that because you were in the armed forces and you could easily handle security?" Her eyebrow raised. I could see she was curious how I knew that. "Sorry. I heard it from your brother. He mentioned you to me. And Ren too."

She smiled. "Yes. I'm actually the reason why my little brother followed a bit of my footsteps." She mused. I remained silent and that urged her to continue telling her story. "You see when I was a teenager, though I was brought up in a really good family, a good surroundings, I still managed to be troublesome. I almost died back then from overdose."

My eyes widened in surprise. She just looked at me and smiled. I could see a bit of sadness in her face when she said that. Either way she continued. "I regret that Keelan managed to see that worst and darkest part of me. My innocent little brother saw his loving sister drowned in drugs. I woke in the hospital one day with parents yelling at me for what I did behind their backs. My father wanted me to straighten up and sent me to military school. Mind you, he skipped sending me to rehab so I suffered withdrawals and depression during my time there. Dad was afraid that Keelan would be the same so he sent him to military boot camps every break." She was looking at the sky while reminiscing about her past.

"Oh. That must have been awful though... being alone... and..." I mused.

Avery was quite taller than me and managed to look down at me. "It was. You see, Kyree, even in your darkest times there are always people willing to help you. Although I felt the whole world upon my shoulders, someone was still there willing to help me. The thought of Keelan helped too. I didn't want to disappoint him anymore and so I better myself for him. I struggled to where I am, to where I stood to become worthy of people who care for me and love me." She grinned at me. I could see the pride showing in her.

"Stef and I had a long, hard and rough path before settling to where we are now. I had to leave him and join the army. It was really hard for me. Although I wasn't deployed that long, I still suffered from trauma. Still, I wanted to go back and serve the people who are in need of help and saving." She then chuckled as if remembering something. "My husband stopped me though. He gave me Luca."

I smiled subconsciously. I mean that was kinda cute. Stefano didn't want to let her go. He really loves her so much.

She sighed. "I was mad at him at first. I mean I just found out I was pregnant and my hormones were already going haywire. But, I mean come on, having a child with him... a son... honestly though, it made me happier more than getting news of the schedule of my deployment." She then leaned her head towards a bit and whispered, "I didn't tell him that." We both chuckled.

"I could imagine you giving Stefano a really hard time during your pregnancy." I said amused.

She chortled. "I did. I made sure of that." She exhaled heavily. "It's sad that I can't go back. I don't want to leave Stef again. He'll turn the world upside down for me. Though he managed to find a way for me to help other people."

"You mean that charity ball you organized?"

Her head tilted to the side. "You know about it?"

I nodded. "I attended actually."

She grinned mischievously. "You left early, didn't you? So that's why Keelan ditched me." She laughed meanwhile I blushed. I was looking down at the ground feeling embarrassed. "My husband wasn't able to attend that night so I dragged Keelan as my partner."

"That charity event, was it for the people you wanted to help?"

"Yes. People who suffered from wars, soldiers who suffered PTSD and disability, families who suffered losing another, veterans and more. I couldn't do it in the front lines, why not do it in the back?" She showed a small smile. This person is an angel. Keelan must be so proud of her.

"Keelan must be so proud of you. Stefano, too. I mean, standing here in front of you is making me proud enough."

She laughs. "Oh please. Anything you do from the heart, there's always pride, Kyree. I'm sure you know that. Regardless of what your parents say or what people say, be honest with your heart and do what you love to do. Your happiness comes first. How will you tell people to be happy when you yourself couldn't find happiness."

I looked at the ground. Somehow it has become interesting. "I don't know, Avery. I'm trying to think about it everyday."

I told her everything that happened to me recently. From my life to how I met her brother and to some talent manager who offered us a life changing opportunity. She was a good listener and offered me a lot of advice. The one that stuck the most to me though was Darren West's offer.

"It would be a shame if I refused. The rest of the band would be disheartened at that. This was our dream. Even though I knew I couldn't reach it, I dreamed of it too."

Avery stopped on her track. I followed suit. Her hand rested on my shoulder as she gave me a small smile. "Things will go your way, Kyree... if you know where to stand, you stand your ground. Make sure no asshole would dare shake it.” She then let go and crossed her arms. “You’re fortunate you know what you want even at an early age. Not everyone is like that. Some are still confused even at thirty. It took me a hell lot of mistakes and hardships before I knew what I truly wanted." She took a pause and inhaled. “The only one who could make you happy is you. Don’t let others define or be the judge of your happiness. You’re the only one who knows it well."

She then smiled. "Well, it's a different story if my brother makes you happy."

We bursted into laughter. My misery and problem went away for a moment.