Elenora and Her Two Mafias

Chapter Twenty-two

Nothing. That is what I have been doing for the last few hours. I have been laying in my bed since nobody is home, all of my brothers are busy today with work or school. The only friend I have met here is currently at the same school where my brother Nico is. Even if he wasn't I wouldn't know how to talk to him anyways. 

I let out a frustrated groan as I get up from my bed and grab my phone looking to send a quick text saying hello to Finn but as soon as a click onto my contacts that plan is quickly forgotten. I look and see Dad's contact that I shouldn't have saved but did anyways after our brief call. As my finger hesitates over his number I feel a wave of pity wash over me, how pathetic was I to give him another issue to worry about after I caused mom to die, I question why I even ran away in the first place. 

Maybe it was the guilt I felt because of her death. Maybe it was that every time he hesitantly stood outside my room to check on her after he rescued me his pain was palpable and I could tell it only hurt him to see me. I think I secretly wished they would hate me, I blamed myself so why wouldn't anyone else just admit they were mad. I was suffocating in that house with no one talking, at least if they hated me there would be an emotion other than sadness. I let myself believe they were mad because I knew how to handle taking the blame and being the punching bag, I didn't know how to deal with this. 

When I heard him on the phone his voice laced with sadness but some relief that he heard from me, I realized any excuse I had why it was better for me to leave was selfish and it wasn't really for them. I just did not what to do now. 

As I hear a noise from down stairs I am pulled out of my thoughts and realize I have been playing with my mother's locket. This is exactly why I do not know how to move forward, if I go back because I miss my family I will be abandoning my other family and just doing exactly what wrong I was trying to write. I take a deep breath and stand up wiping away the tears, practice a smile in the mirror and head down stair to see which one of my brothers unexpectedly showed up at home.

When I walked down stairs I was taken by surprise instead of one of my brothers, I see Aunt Andrea standing there talking to someone on the phone. As I continue to walk down the stairs she sends a smile my way. "Well Dante I am here and your sister just came down stairs, so I will talk to you later. Yes. Bye darling, love you" She says before hanging up and sliding the phone back into her bed.

"Hello Elenora. I came to check in with you per your brothers request, but more importantly to spend time you just us girls if you are up for it" She says to me hopefully.

"Yes I that sounds fun" I say quietly but I am immediately greeted by a look of excitement that could energize an entire room. 

"Well perfect!" she looks down and checks her watch, "it is about lunch time, I can take you out to a quaint little place and we can sit a chat?" I  nod my head, I have never been to New York before I showed up a couple months ago and I would love to explore. 

"I will go grab my coat" I say running back upstairs to my room. After I put it on I run back downstairs. She extends her arm out so me and hesitantly except and we link arms and start to walk out of the house. We just reach outside in the driveway when I look up and my steps falter. Her car is parked right there and it was like I could see the crumpled metal bent around the tree at the front of it and the blood splattered on the cracked wind shield. I had to blink a few times before the image is trapped back into my mind instead of displayed in front of my eyes. Her car just happened to be the same model as my mothers. It is not surprising it is a common model for those who could afford it but did not want to be flashy, but the commonality did not and would not allow me to get a step closer to it.

"Um" I say forcing myself to swallow the lump in my throat, "can we actually just stay at home today maybe just watch a move or play a game" I say not daring to look up at a face I am sure is covered with concern and probably a question.