The Harsh life

Chapter 3

For the daughter of a mafia man, I don't get a lot of jewellery. My dad doesn't buy me much of anything and my mom is worse.

"Are you going out tonight?" Gio asks.

Tonight is New Years Eve. I will be going out, in fact I go out more often then not.

"I am." I smile at him.

"Amara!" My mom yells and I sigh.

I take a deep breath and collect myself. I stand back off of the floor and head downstairs.

"Where have you been? I've been calling you for hours?" Mom demands.

We have guests, Jax and Gio's family so my mom thinks it's rude to talk in Italian in front of them.

"No you haven't." I roll my eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." She scolds.

Bite your tongue, be better than this.

"Sorry." I apologise.

"Gosh Amara, you need to put some clothes on." She looks me up and down. Is she serious? "You look like a slut, no one will want you if you keep dressing like this." She pulls at the bottom of my skirt. Little does she know.

"Ma stop." I say slapping away her hand.

"Go and change, your father's at a meeting right now with a possible husband. You're a virgin bride and you need to act it." I bite back a laugh.

I'm not a virgin and I'm not fooling anyone.

"I'm not getting married for da, or you for that matter. I'll get married for me. I don't want an arranged marriage!" I tell her.

"Amara." She says sternly.

"No! Just stop will you!" I shout.

"Listen to me now." She says and grabs my hair to pull me closer to her. Ouch. I hate when she grabs me by the hair.

"You will go and change and you will get married to whoever your father decides is appropriate. All we ask is you keep your legs shut and put on something that isn't so slutty." She let's go of my hair and I take a step back from her. I scoff.

I walk out of the house, straight out the front door, past the gates and I just keep going. No phone, no money, no nothing.

My mother and I have never got a long. She can be very mean, very cruel. She's not a nice lady.

When I run off I go to a bunch of places. Right now I head for the park.

I like to torture myself essentially.

I sit here on a bench and watch the happy children with their happy parents. My ma and da never have been interested in me, just what I can get them.

My dad's hardly around and my mom is always around.

They both love Matteo, my twin brother. They're so obsessed with him he can do no wrong.

I used to hate Matteo, our parents would give them all their attention and they would never say anything to me. They would hardly care that I'm here.

They never paid me much attention.

They simply don't care, they've told me themselves.

Watching little girls with their parents hurts the most because I just can't comprehend how other parents can love their daughters but mine can't.

What did I do for them to hate me as much as they do?

****
"Found you." Matteo sits beside me on the bench and puts his arm around my shoulder.

"You're okay." He calms me as I rest my head on his shoulder.

Matteo always protects me from them. Always. I'm so used to him fighting my battles that I don't even know what it's like for them not to.

"Dad's at another meeting." I tell him and he nods.

"I know I just came from there." He says and I immediately pull away from him.

"You told me you wouldn't let them. What? Why? You want me to go to?"

"No." He stops me.

"I went to stop it, I made you a promise didn't I? You aren't going to marry anyone you don't want to." He squeezes my hand.

"Come on." He stands and helps me up. I follow him to his car.

He takes care of me. He's the best big brother I could ask for, only by a few minutes though.

I'm so lucky to have a brother like him, not a lot of people would get along with their brother never mind their twin but I got very lucky with Matteo. He makes it the only reason I'm grateful to be born into this family because if I wasn't, I wouldn't have him.

"You hungry? We can get you something to eat." Matteo watches as I put my seatbelt on. "What do you want?" He asks and I just shrug.

"You choose." I tell him and focus outside the window.

"Amara please don't torture me." He groans.

"I'll have whatever you want, I'm not in a mood for anything specific." I tell him and he lets out another groan.

"Fine but if you complain I will honestly leave you alone with Jax and Gio." He tells me and I roll my eyes.

I haven't seen Jax and Gio in years, it's very awkward between us. I don't know what to say to them, they don't know what to say to me.

Jax has came all brooding and miserable to Italy and won't tell anyone why. Gio on the other hand is Gio.

However Gio and I do clearly get along and I'm sure the other night proved that.

Matteo works in a mafia. My cousin Jax is the top dog but Matteo works here in Italy, mainly security based whilst Jax and Gio work in New York.

"I don't want pasta." I say as we stop in-front of a pasta restaurant. Pasta makes you bloat and it's all carbs, carbs I don't need.

Matteo looks up at the top of his car and then turns to me.

"What do you want pizza?" He asks and I shake my head. I don't want that either. Maybe a salad.

"You can eat what you want, I'm not really that hungry." I sigh and focus outside the window.

"No. What do you want?" He asks and I shake my head. Nothing.

He takes off and the next time we stop it's outside his house. I've got my own room here.

We head inside and he immediately starts the fire.

"Get something to eat." He tells me and I just go into the kitchen and pretend so he'll get off of my back.

I head back into the living room and sit on the floor in front of the fire. It's cold outside. Very cold.

"I've gotta go." Matteo tells me as he comes up behind me.

"Where?" I ask.

"Jax wants to talk. I'll be back soon." He ruffles my hair before grabbing his keys and leaving.