Chapter 81

**Kapittel 80**

**"That's not a good joke, Hades,"** Allison said and raised a hand in an attempt to smack him playfully.

But before her fist could reach his muscled arm, Hades caught it swiftly that gave him full access to pull her close to him. He stared at her right into the most beautiful almond-shaped orbs he had ever seen in his life against his which were scorching and firm. Meanwhile, Allison's lips unknowingly parted in awe, her heartbeats were getting faster and faster while all her blood ran up to her fair-skinned face. There he was again. He was making her feel erratically giddy again, giving her emotions that she could not name and express with words.

He inched his face closer to hers. "And who says I'm joking?" he asked, his smooth voice laced with a firmness that made her clandestinely flinch in nervousness. Even though his voice sounded sweet, it sounded very menacing at the same time. It was like a beast ready to pounce on its prey.

She gulped the lump in her throat before answering, "N...no one...?" he continued staring at her for moments, with his steel eyes stormy and clouded with anonymous emotions, which she could read but couldn't explain, and she found that odd. He was such an enigma at that moment. To her relief, he pulled his face away and his soft expression came back. "Good," he said then freed her hand and pulled her to him once again by snaking his arm around her shoulder.

"Right," she said, sighing in relief before they continue walking back to the resort and continuing their silent yet romantic moment, but before they could finally reach there, his phone suddenly rang. He fished it out from his shorts and read the caller's name.

"Jarred," he read the caller's name out loud before looking at her with his eyes asking permission, which was unnecessary for her.

'Why did he need to ask for my permission?' she asked herself.

Nevertheless, she told him, "Sure thing. Go on," then gave him a small smile.

"I'll be back in a minute," he told her before kissing her cheek and answering the call, walking off to God knows where for some privacy.

She watched him walk away, scrutinizing his broad, muscular back.

"Allison...?" she heard a familiar call for her name that made her instantly turn her head, meeting a familiar person. Alexandre.

"Alexandre?" she breathed out his name. It was the teen who was dared by his friends to ask for her name.

She laughed in amusement when his face and ears flush red as he raised an arm to scratch the back of his hand and hung his head low, hiding his face. He still looked the same. He still had those brunette curls that made him look like an angel in disguise, his generic yet lanky body, perfectly handsome face that contained sharp features that must have been molded by some adroit sculptor, though his fair skin had gone though, it turned bright tan, like Captain Randy's skin palette, and some parts were bright red. She supposed that he must have stayed under the sun the whole day.

"H...hi..." he greeted her with a small, soft tone. "G...good evening..."

Amused by his reaction, she smiled softly at him and said, trying to open a friendly conversation, "Hey. I see that you've got a bit of a tan."

She saw his face beet red even more. "Yeah, my friends and I went surfing the whole day," he answered then showed the surfing board that he had been holding the whole time.

"Surfing?" she repeated what he'd said, pondering of doing that with Hades tomorrow. But she needed to know how to surf first. She had been dying to surf back in high school but she never got the chance to do so.

"Yeah..." the teen answered and their awkward moment ended when a voice was suddenly heard out from nowhere.

"Alexandre! Where are ya... ooh." Another teen boy who was as tall as Alexandre emerged from nowhere, and like him, the newly-arrived stranger was holding a surfboard as well. With his eyes that grew in bewilderment, he exchanged glances at both her and Alexandre who were staring at him awkwardly. He then let out a whistle. "What does our boy have here?" he wiggled his brows at the flustered teen.

She looked at Alexandre and saw the latter's eyes grow wide as some realization hit him hard like a truck. He freed the surfboard from his grip and held his hands in before the newcomer, "N... no, no! That's not what you thi..."

"Hey, guys! Our introvert dude is talking to a woman!" the newcomer shouted, making Alexandre's flushing face go pale like something bad was going to happen. Out of the blue, a group of silhouettes came out from nowhere. Based on their shape, four of the newcomers were boys and five of them were girls.

"Geez, what kind of nonsense are you talking about right now, Thibault?" a teen girl with straight, platinum blonde hair asked, combing her hair with her fingers whilst holding a surfboard with her other hand.

"Got into a fight again, Thi?" asked a guy with a boyish grin on his face, his long dark hair that reached his shoulders. It may be long but it seemed to be taken care of painstakingly.

"Our introvert just got what?" another guy with a foolish, red face showed up, his red hair neatly cut and his freckles splattered like drops of ink on his bright red cheeks and the narrow bridge of his nose.

"Guys, we shouldn't listen much of Thibault's blabber, you know he..." another newcomer, a girl emerged. Allison scrutinized her, she looked like the first teen girl who came, though she was taller. After her, two more boys and three more girls emerged, having different faces and frames, the only common thing among them was that each was holding a surfboard that had the same features as what Alexandre was holding.

"You're a man now, Alexandre!" one of those who newly came cheered.

"She looks familiar," one of the states, looking at Allison from head to toe with his eyes squinting at her, like he was trying to recall where he last saw her.

"Yeah," the one who had the long hair agreed, holding his chin, probably pondering.

She heard Alexandre groan. "She's Allison, guys," he said and as soon as the boys heard it, their heads shot up to look at her face, awe and admiration sparkling in their eyes, the corner of their mouths then began to lift to form a wide, euphoric grin.

"Uhm hi?" she greeted awkwardly.

"Won't you introduce us to your chick, Alex?" said a girl whose brunette hair was tied up into a messy bun.

"Sh... she's not my chick!" the poor teen denied, his face growing red like ripe tomatoes once again. He looked so cute when he was flustered. The girls in the group only answered him with an odd laugh. "Won't you? That's very rude."

Meanwhile, the boys groaned. "Aw c'mon, Alex! Don't be such a bore!"

She smiled softly when Alexandre faces her, his face still flustering in pure embarrassment, "I'm sorry about my friends, Allison, it's just tha..."

"No, it's fine," she cut him off, still smiling softly at him. She knew how it felt to be teased by your friends in front of your crush or someone you found attractive. "Aw, c'mon, Alexandre!"

"Okay! Okay!" he let out a heavy breath in annoyance before shyly looking at her. "By the way, Allison, I would like you to meet my friends," he started and began introducing them to her one by one. The guy who announced that Alexandre was talking to her was Thibault. The one with the long hair was Stef. The one with red hair and artistic freckles was Stijn. The one with the blonde, spiky hair was Valentin. And lastly, the one with the dark hair with green highlights was Guillaume.

After all the guys were introduced, the girls came in next. The one with the brunette locks was Océane, the one who was wearing a pink turban was Delphine and the one who was tying her hair into a messy bun was Estelle.

"...and last but not the least, the siblings, Alissa, the eldest, and Khuleen, the youngest," said Alexandre, introducing the two teens who look alike.

"Hi," she greeted them all, "It's nice meeting your guys," she added.

"Likewise, Allison."

"Me too."

"Are you single, Allison?"

"What shampoo do you use, Allison?"

The younger sibling between the blonde siblings, Khuleen rolled her eyes at her friends and looked at Allison to invite her, "Would you like to join us for a little bonfire truth or dare? We'd like it to have more company."

"Oh, no," she shook her head at Khuleen. "It would be embarrassing t..."

"Seriously, we would love to have your company," the teen cut her off, but not in a rude way. "And besides, it seems that Alexandre would be hanging out with us all night because you're here," she joked and nudged Alexandre whose face was getting redder than a tomato.

"Then I suppose that it would be fine to make me your company also?" a voice behind Allison asked.