I turned to face Alec who was now tying his hair back with a bobbin.

"We went to the welcome party."

"No, we went to the welcome dinner."

I frowned. "I thought you didn't want to be near Marco or me uncle."

Alec swallowed. "I don't."

"So then we can stay here-"

"No," Alec snapped.

I jumped with fright.

Alec sighed and walked over to me placing his hands on my shoulders. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap... I don't want to go to the party, but I do want you to be included in everything."

I smiled. "Alec, I hardly get on with me family, it's really okay."

"No, we will have fun. I promise."

Why was he pushing this so much?

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Alec relaxed his shoulders and said, "Yes, of course."

Something wasn't right about this.

"Okay then, let me get dressed," I murmured.

I turned and began looking through the wardrobe. I grabbed a teal dress that I tried on earlier and liked. I got a bra and some knickers then headed into the bathroom. I sighed when I realised that I had to dry my hair, I really didn’t want to go through all that again after it took me forever to get ready for the dinner.

I groaned in annoyance.

"What's wrong?"

I looked to my left when the bathroom door opened.

"I don't wanna dry me hair... I'm tired."

Alec laughed. "So braid it."

I rolled my eyes. "I can't do a French plait on meself, only on other people."

Alec shrugged his shoulders. "So I'll braid it for you."

I looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You know how?"

Alec grinned. "When you're around Bronagh and Branna long enough they make you learn these things... Besides, I like playing with other people's hair."

"Yeah, but only when you're tired."

Alec waggled his eyebrows. "I am tired."

I turned away and smiled.

"I know you’re smiling when you turn away like that, stop trying to hide it," Alec laughed.

I continued to smile as I brushed my hair out, applied my strawberry body lotion and got dressed. I towel dried my hair until it was only damp then I sprayed some summer fruit mix onto my hair to give it a nice smell.

I headed back into the room with a skinny white bobbin in my hand and sat on the floor in front of Alec who was sat on the side of the bed.

"Do you have a comb?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"It's cool, I'll use mine."

He leaned over and grabbed his hair comb then carefully brushed my hair out with it.

"One braid or two?"

"One, please."

He then went to work on putting a French plait in my hair, and for the most part it went pretty smoothly until he got to the hair at the back of my neck.

"Ow, Alec!"

"I'm sorry, but it has to be tight."

He tugged my hair and again I yelped, "Ow!"

He sighed. "Nearly done you big baby."

I folded my arms across my chest.

I'll big baby you, you big bastard.

"Voila. All done."

I reached up and placed my hand on my head, the hair was in a very tight French plait, not a single hair hung loose. I got up and went into the bathroom to check it out.

"Wow, nice job."

"You're welcome," Alec called from the bedroom.

I smiled and got to work on my make-up. I didn't want to wear foundation because I wanted to let my skin breath since I got slightly sun burned from the past few days of exposure to the sun.

I simply put on some mascara, filled in my eyebrows with brow power, and applied some lip gloss. I debated on whether to add more to my face when I leaned into the mirror.

I had a patch of light freckles sprinkled over my nose, and under my eyes.

Should I cover them?

"Damn it," I muttered and went back into the bedroom.

Alec was playing on his phone whilst he was lying down on the bed.

"Do I need to put on foundation or powder?" I asked him.

He looked up at me and shook his head. "No, you look beautiful."

My stomach burst into butterflies at his unexpected compliment.

"Oh, thank you."

Alec smiled. "Why do you ask anyway?"

I leaned down and pointed to my nose. "I have freckles on m nose and under m eyes from the bloody sun."

Alec put his phone down and took my face in his hands then kissed my nose and my now closed eyes.

"I like them, don't cover them up."

"Okay," I murmured as my face flushed.

"Are you ready to go?"

I sighed, pulled back then went and slipped on a black pair of heels.

"Yep, I'm go to go."

Alec stood up and looked down at me, making a point of showing me he was still taller than me.

"Can you walk in those things?" he asked.

I looked down at my feet then back up to Alec's face.

"We shall see."

"I cannot walk in these fuckin' things!" I snapped as I grabbed onto Alec’s arm to steady myself for the third time since we left the hotel room.

Alec laughed as he slowed his pace to match my own.

"Do you want go back up and put your flat shoes on?" he asked.

I would never admit defeat!

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine."

Alec snorted. "Just hold onto me."

The problem was going to be letting go of him.

Alec and myself entered the ballroom where dinner was served earlier¸ and I instantly spotted my family at the bar.

"Typical," I muttered.

"What's typical?" Alec asked as I gripped his arm and steered us towards the bar.

"That is where me family always end up at functions."

Alec laughed. "You're all Irish, I expect nothing less."

I rolled my eyes but said nothing.

"Keela!"

I plastered a smile across my face when Everly's plastic face came into view.

"Stay next to me, Everly will talk the ears off you about herself otherwise."

Alec said nothing, he only nodded.

"Darlin', you look adorable."

I looked adorable?

Fuck you too, lady.

"Thanks Everly, you look cute."

Everly cast me a cold stare before she flicked her eyes to Alec and smirked.

She actually smirked.

"And who is this handsome devil?"

Here we go.

"This is Alec Slater, me boyfriend. Alec, this is me Auntie Everly."

Evil step auntie.

Everly held her hand out to Alec and he took it in his and brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

What the fuck was that about?

"Everly," he murmured. "Nice to meet you."

"And you Mr. Slater," she said keeping eye contact with him - she never once blinked.

Alec lowered her hand then released it. "Please, call me Alec."

Everly smiled. "Alec."

I stared between Alec and Everly and felt like they knew something I didn’t.

"Can I get you both a drink?" Everly asked us, snapping out of her staring competition with Alec.

I removed my hands from Alec's arm with a pull.

I was suddenly mad at him and I had no idea why.

"No, I'm can get me own but you can get Alec one. He might enjoy that."

I walked forward then to the bar and got the bartender’s attention.

"Vodka and coke, please."