Trouble In Paradise

41. Conflicts and Chaos.

"Are you sure she didn't blackmail you? I mean, you don't look insane enough to be doing this willingly," was the first thing Caleb Miller said when he opened the door to Torryn Cole.

Torryn raised his eyes at the genuine suspicion in the young boy's eyes. He let out a small smirk, knowing that Aria Miller's mean streak was at work here and damn him if he didn't dig it.

Before he could assure Caleb that he had not been blackmailed and was doing this of his own free will—which was almost untrue if one looked at how determined his mother and Ethan were to make him ask Aria to the party; almost—a certain someone shrieked from somewhere inside the house.

"Mom," Aria Miller's voice travelled around the house, "your child is being rude again!"

"Aria," a different feminine voice that he guessed belonged to Mrs Miller roared back, "stop being rude."

Torryn pressed his lips to avoid smiling while Caleb started snickering loudly as he led them into the living room. Glancing around, Torryn could tell that all the Millers were the same. Bright, loud, and chaotic.

He had never been inside Aria's house before, even though he had dropped her home enough times to count two normal garden gnomes and three headless ones in their front yard.

Caleb slid down on a bean bag and pointed at the couch, maybe offering Torryn a seat or maybe telling him that the couch was broken. Hoping the latter was not the case, Torryn perched himself on the bright red couch that somehow fit in quite well with the surroundings.

Everyone who met Torryn was greatly intimidated by him. Caleb only seemed mildly intimidated. Perhaps because Torryn hadn't glared first and spoken later or maybe because he was her brother. She never seemed intimidated by him either.

Loud stomps echoed around the house and the devil herself entered the room. Only this time, she was disguised as an angel. Torryn's breath hitched and he wondered how even after preparing himself a hundred times she still managed to steal his breath away that easily.

Aria was about to say something but she caught his eye and paused midsentence, her eyes widening. Any other time, this would've made Torryn tease her and smirk arrogantly but right now his brain was too muddled to form a sensible sentence.

Aria's jade green eyes sparkled more under the kohl. Her hair was pinned to one side in soft waves. Her baby hairs that usually circled her head in a curly halo, were smoothened and pinned back. Personally, he preferred her wild hair but she still looked beautiful. Torryn was sure he'd find her attractive no matter what.

Then Torryn caught sight of the dress she had adorned. He gulped and thanked whatever instinct had told him to sit down because his legs would not have survived the sight standing up.

Aria was wearing a thin-strapped, dark green satin gown that fit her quite well. When Torryn noticed the slit on her leg, his jaw almost dropped to the ground. Before his gaze could travel lower, a voice interrupted the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

"You're drooling."

Torryn's hand was halfway to his mouth before he realised that Caleb wasn't talking to him. His stomach warmed up at the mere idea of Aria Miller drooling at him.

Aria, not to be outdone by a snickering little brother, smirked right back. "Yeah, I was thinking about your secret candy stash behind the second drawer of your wardrobe."

His subconscious sighed dreamily and he would've done so too, if Caleb (thankfully!) hadn't started complaining, reminding Torryn that he wasn't alone.