Stay For Me

13 | the right reasons

My mom appears, walking down the stairs and her eyes widen when they land on Rio. "Rio? I didn't know you were back in town." She exclaims as she approaches us with a curious look on her face.

"Yeah I got back a couple of days ago." He tells her and she purses her lips, her eyes flicking towards mine as they narrow a little.

"Oh.. Thea, you didn't mention anything." She says, clearly meaning to be a dig at me.

Yikes.

"That's a little rich, don't you think." I mutter, too quiet for her to hear. Rio pulls my hand a little, silently telling me to stop and I can't help but smile at the subtle action. "Is dad here?" I ask and she nods.

"Why, do you want him?" She asks.

"I actually want to speak to both of you." I reply and she furrows her brows.

Her eyes flick between myself and Rio as she clearly tries to process what's actually going on. "Okay.. I'll go get him." She says distantly before turning around and walking off through the house.

I guide Rio into the living area and sit down on the sofa, him sitting beside me. God I'm so nervous. Please please, let this go well. Well.. as well as it could go.

Soon enough, my mom appears with my dad slowly following behind her and his eyes widen when they land on Rio sat next to me.

"You're back?" Are the first words to leave his mouth and I shift uncomfortably in my seat, praying that he keeps his cool.

"Yeah and I'm staying now." Rio replies confidently and I press my lips together, trying to keep my composure.

My dads dark eyes flit towards mine and they narrow slightly. Oh crap. "So, what's this about?" He asks as he sits beside my mom on the sofa opposite ours.

"Why didn't you mention anything about Rio being back?" My mom asks before I can answer my dads question.

I shrug my shoulders, not really knowing how to answer that. "I guess I didn't know how to say it." I mumble she glances towards my dad who leans forward in his seat, his shoulders slumped over as he watches me closely.

Rio still holds onto my hand and rests his forearm on my thigh, offering me the reassurance that I need to get through this.

"I wanted to speak to you because.. well, I know about Enzo and Romeo." I tell them and my dad instantly freezes, his eyes staring straight at me in a manner that is almost making me uncomfortable.

My mom's eyes widen slightly and she glances between myself and Rio, probably trying to work out how I know.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Why would you tell her that? It wasn't your place!" My dad snaps at Rio and I tense in my seat.

"She had a right to know." Rio says calmly beside me. "When were you going to tell her? Were you ever going to?"

My dad attempts to stand up, obviously about to go for Rio but my mom places her hand on his thigh, trying to stop him.

Rio's hand continues to hold onto mine as I squeeze it a little, growing anxious at the aura that's filing the room.