Two Ways to Love

Chapter 14

They both turn their attention to the three of us standing by Matteo's car and Eve turns red with embarrassment or maybe anger, while Jackson just smiles and waves at us.

I still don't like him, he can smile all he want and act innocent but those are the type of people I call snakes.

"Hey Valentina." Jackson shouts at us from a distance, getting closer and closer.

I feel Angelo's grip tighten on me and I turn to face him holding his face. He gets my silent message and relaxes in my hold.

"Must be nice." Matteo says. He then proceeds to try and hold himself, whispering creepily sweet things.

Angelo pushes him in the car and when we pass by Jackson and Eve while pulling out, Matteo sticks his head out the window yelling, "I could fuck you better than Jackson!"

Angelo dropped me off home a while ago, saying he would call me when he is done doing whatever he does. I have yet to cut in and ask about everything he does.

It wouldn't change how I feel about him though.

Kole swings my door open and I glare at him from my bed. I have a mud mask on my face and I'm watching Narcos on netflix.

"Yes Kole. How can I help you?" He hops on my bed and grabs the bag of hot cheetos I have lying next to me.

He noisily munches on then while turning the volume up on the tv.

I purse my lips, snatching back the remote and setting it on my lap.

"Can you go to the grocery store. We need milk, eggs, and shit."

"Why can't you go. I'm already in my pajamas and everything." I motion towards my clothes and he rolls his eyes, making a face.

"You ugly no matter what you wear. Now hurry up before it get too dark."

I push him off my bed and he falls, spilling some cheetos in the process.

He slides back on and ignores me while I just slip on some vans and a hoody to put over my tank top.

After I wash of the mask so I don't look completely hideous, I tell Kole 'bye' and rush down the stairs and out the door.

I walk because the grocery store is only around a 5 minute walk.

I have my headphones in, but keep the volume down a little. Even though I grew up in this neighborhood, I still gotta watch out for some people that want to catch me off guard.

Once I get the things we need, I balance the bags on each arm and head back home.

It's getting dark quick and I decide to take a shortcut through a familiar alley that leads straight back to my house.

I walk a little quicker when I see people up ahead of me, wanting to avoid them.

But I suddenly drop the bags when I recognize the figure to be Max, beating someone.

I run up, ignoring whoever the other people were, huddled around them laughing carelessly.

They start whistling at me and saying nasty things to me when they see me, but I only focus on pulling Max off of the person.

"Max stop! What the fuck are you doing!?"

He breathes heavily, only a slight scrape on him, but nothing else seems to be wrong.

His eyes widen when he see's it's me and he looks around nervously.

"You shouldn't be here Valentina."

I look down to see a kid, probably the same age as Max, lying in his own puddle of blood. I don't even think he's breathing.

"Who is this girl to you Max?"

"She seen too much, we gotta get rid of her."

"I know something else we could do to her."

All these voices speak at once and I get a headache quick knowing this what Max has been doing.

Everyone gets silent when steps are heard coming towards us.

I don't turn, just staring at Max. Wondering why he would put us through this again.

He already knew Kole was into this, but he was lucky to even get out alive and no one harmed our family in the process.

Max couldn't bring himself to look me in the eye, instead staring hard at the body on the ground.

"What taking so long. You had one job Max."

My mouth opens in shock when I finally turn my body to see who is speaking.

I hope this is all just a nightmare.