My mind was a haze, I was confused because I needed to gain greater perspective, to take a step back and see the wide-angle version.
Because people see truth from different perspectives, their narratives of the same events are often completely different. Confusion is that time when your conscious brain can't process it but your subconscious can. So, give it time. Clear your mind and have a nap- Armani said.
Clarity comes with patience and time. Wisdom is slow to develop, like a good old-fashioned photograph.
There was a lot more to see, little wonder I couldn't figure things out yesterday when the old man called my brothers his Grandchildren.
I could have been dreaming, none of it could be real since Romeo lead me around the back of the house so quickly, the old man hadn't even seen the hurried escape. Maybe it was the wind playing tricks on me, maybe I was only hearing what I wanted to hear- selective hearing as some may say.
Last night, I didn't have much time to admire the house as I normally would, I was taken to an extravagant bedroom upstairs instead.
The floors were a light, echoey marble; the room itself was open planned, a double bed pushed to the back with sheer curtains falling down each of the four bedposts. A medium sized window on one of the walls, overlooking the clear, white sandy beach, whilst to the left, there were French doors- leading out to a large patio- already open, letting through the fresh air.
There was a short bright, white wall on the patio, green and pink plants planted nicely behind so they came over in a very welcoming manner. I stepped out with Romeo, observing the terrace, noticing that it was shared with two other rooms.
'Rooms here are set out in the same way as they are back home.' He told me yesterday. 'Vince is to your right, I'm to your left, Armani is opposite you, and the twins are at the end of the corridor. The others are in the hallway next to this.'
This morning, I woke up so early that the birds hadn't even started chirping yet. A vintage analogue clock hung above the now closed French doors, reading 6am. I was convinced that this time source was faulty until I remembered that it worked last night, and the hushed ticking noise wouldn't stop all night- normally, people wouldn't hear this almost inaudible sound, but my ears seem to pick up on the most annoying tiny sounds.
I slipped out of the silk sheets and was met with an undying heat, even with the ceiling fan on, it was still like a sauna in the airy room. I tried to figure out how to unlock the doors, there was no key insert, and I didn't see Romeo lock it last night, he only closed it and pushed down on the gold handle.
I did the opposite and pushed up, hearing a sensational click and the doors opening in on themselves, they folded back onto one another and opened in the same way they were in yesterday.
I was expecting coolness at this early hour, but it was warm, and I was practically a snowman in the sun. I was only in a t-shirt and sports leggings; my hair was down, and I could feel strands clinging to the back of my neck.
I walked up to the dressing table, gold plated with brown detailing, basic beauty tools were set on the surface, including a hairbrush, I had never been happier to see a hairbrush. I quickly bushed my brown knots out and then up into a high ponytail, securing it with a band I found wrapped around the brush handle.
My suitcases were mysteriously in the corner of my room, someone must have delivered them whilst I was sleeping, but I didn't feel like getting changed out of my clothes that I was already in since I would probably stay here until someone collected me. I didn't want to accidentally run into someone I don't know, then have to start with the awkward interactions and introductions.
The fact still remained that the bedroom felt closer to a sauna than an actual suite. I grew surprised, understanding that I slept in here for practically the whole night and the heat intensity didn't seem to affect me at all in my slumber.
I wouldn't go outside either because the temperature was not much better, it was most likely hotter since there was a fan in here. I did the only logical thing that I could think of in that moment, I stood on the bed and bought myself close- yet still at a safe distance- to the ceiling fan.
The stimulated breeze was captivating and refreshing as I simply stood there, cooling down.
A silent noise from the front of the room was heard, but I didn't open my eyes to see who, or what made that sound.
'What the fuck are you doing?' Lorenzo's distinctive confusion came through just over the top of his morning voice. The room with minimal furniture ensured that Lorenzo got the dramatic echoed effect when speaking to me.
'It's so hot, I am going to pass out.' I groaned as I made grabby hands to the quick moving fan. But I silently obeyed when he told me to get down from the mattress, knowing myself that I wasn't exactly known for being the most careful; one wrong step and my head would be sliced off.
'I didn't expect you to be awake so early.' I commented on his timely uprising, now that I think about it, I had never seen the eldest twin willingly wake up at an hour like this. As a matter of fact, I had never seen this from either twin.
He was about to say something, but weirdly noticed the open doors first. 'Were these open all night?'
'No, I just opened them because it is far too hot. It turns out the outside is warmer than the inside.' I mewled as I stared out to the bright white wall, and colourful plants hanging over them.
'Ok, well everyone is already downstairs.' He said nodding the way out of the door. I tightened my ponytail as I followed him through the archway.
The Sicilian villa was nothing like I had ever seen before, all of the walls that we passed were either made from lightly coloured stone, or bricks; all of the floors were the same toned, washed marble floors that were in the room I slept in. I was grateful that this wasn't carpet, because the hard floor was cold on my scorching feet, making me want to lie face down.
There were ancient statues made from clay or stone in the odd corner, each standing on a Roman style pillar. Above the ornaments, Van-Gough style paintings were hung with great delicacy, some looked as authentic as it can get, they must be.
The kitchen was my favourite part that I visited so far, not because of the three stranger men sitting around the table with my family, it was because of the traditional architecture, it was long-established, yet it didn't seem outdated by any means.
As soon as Lorenzo and I entered, the conversations at the table stopped. The three stranger men were all looking at me, faces blank and expressions stoic.
The same elder man who came out the front door last night, greeting the guys as his grandchildren, was sat at the head of the table. I still cannot recall if that was real or not, but I eventually convinced myself that I must have misheard, since our Grandfather was supposedly dead.
He looked the most intimidating at the table, normally Vince would hold that title, but something in his eyes was a little bit different. There was something in his eyes that I had rarely seen in my brothers' eyes.
It was only when I first arrived that they looked at me like I was a stranger, this time, to these men, I am a stranger. Was.
He looked at me with a poker face, not even a muscle twitched as he stared me down as if I were inferior to him.
The man to his left was observationally younger than the latter; just like the older man, his structured face didn't once falter under my scrutiny. His dark hair was similar to Vince's in the sense of which it was styled. Perfectly crafted as though it had taken him hours to do.
The last stranger man was sat in between Michele and Rocco, he had dark hair as well, and a slight trace of neatly groomed stubble on the bottom of his also defined face. He seemed less bothered with my- apparently unknown- presence and continued to stir his black coffee, glancing up every few seconds to see me standing in the exact same awkward position.
Rico was practically dozing off in his chair as Gio made several pathetic attempts to wake him, all in the few seconds that I was standing in the room. He even pushed a sweet, glazed pastry under the toddler's nose: thinking that the delectable scent would suddenly jolt him back to earth.
Lorenzo left my side and walked ahead, sitting next to his twin. Picking up a few bits from the extravagant platter which was situated right in front of him. The detailed, gold plated tray was beautifully patterned with similar swirls to the ones that I spotted on the roman styled pillars in the corridors.
Everything was so nicely arranged, coordinated so precisely that it was complementing the styles so elegantly.
Vince moved his head to the side once realizing that my focus turned to him for a quick second, silently telling me to make my way to where he was sitting. There were no empty chairs around him, so I presumed that he only wanted a quick conversation, hopefully even explain what the hell was happening.
I arrived behind his chair, but before he could speak, the eldest man with the tattoos spoke up, raising to me. 'A black coffee, no sugar, no milk. He forwardly said.
I was confused, was he talking to me? I was surely not mistaken for a maid; I wasn't dressed in the appropriate attire and I hadn't seen a maid wearing such casual clothes in a profligate place like this. This man just looked intelligent, surely, he would have clocked my appearance and made a comment on it if he really did assume that I was one of the workers.
'Me?' I spoke my thoughts with puzzlement.
'Who else?'
His tone got me slightly agitated, so I spoke how I felt. 'Why would I want to get your coffee? You have legs, use them.' I creased my eyebrows as this man's eyes got darker by the long seconds. The other two men- both seemingly taking interest- sat with their hands rested on the table, fingers intertwined.
'You're questioning me?' He asked.
'It seems as though you are also questioning me.' I shrugged feeling safe behind my oldest biological brother's chair. Gio caught my attention as his eyes grew wide as the conversation went on, he was slowly shaking his head as if trying to warn me.
The old man's head turned to the side as the tiniest of smiles reached his lips, not a genuine, kind smile, it was closer to a dangerous one. It disappeared quicker than it appeared.
'Who is this girl?' He asked Michele, not once taking his eyes off me. 'È obbligatorio che impari le buone manière.' (It is obligatory that she learns manners)
'To experience my manners is a dispensation, not a right. Especially to men like you who possess none himself.'
'You should both stop.' Luca said, seeing the old man about to say something unneeded.
'I would prefer not to be interrupted by anyone, that includes you as well.' He nodded slowly in my direction as if my existence infuriated him. 'If you weren't so young and naïve, I would have you erased.'
'If you weren't so old and vulnerable to death, I would smash a plate over your head.' I responded bleakly, only matching his vivacity.
'That's enough.' Vince put an immediate stop to the argument and beckoned for me to approach him with his finger. 'Have you forgotten what I told you?'
'You think I'll allow this halfwit walk all over me? Absolutely not.'
'Understandable, but you will not raise your voice to anyone in this room.' He advised with a warning tone, a severe warning tone which made me stay silent. 'I think you should sit down.'
His voice grew noticeably gentler, outstretching his hand to the chair in between Romeo and Gio.
I stayed cautious; his tenor was never usually this indulgent. I had only seen him in a position remotely similar to this when he found out about my injuries, and what was happening to me in London.
The stranger man next to him, with the comparable dark hair, seemed to also take a notice of this as he turned to look at him. His eyebrows were creased as he saw the sadistic Vincent Rossi being lenient with a teenage girl who was only an unfamiliar figure in the room.
Even Romeo didn't tease me when I sat beside him, how he would normally do when I arrived at the breakfast table. Gio wasn't showing me funny messages that he had been sent from random girls the night before, the twins weren't bickering, and Xavier wasn't slouching. I noticed a change in everyone's physical attitude when sitting around this table, surrounded by these men.
'Do you mind revealing the reason behind your sudden tolerance.' The man from beside Vince spoke up for the first time, his voice was rough and smooth like butter; like a sweet, velvety icing on the top of a bitter cake.
The boys stayed silent as this question was asked, until Armani spoke up.
'Would you take some food, Alessa.' The short pause between my name and the word before was slightly dramatic, as if he wasn't asking me to take food but instead asking me to consider running for president.
I looked up from my lap to see the old man's eyes widen for the quickest second, from the outside, it looked as though his blood was pumping around his body abnormally fast, resulting in an expression that matched to one which you would see if someone was stood in the middle of thousands of swarming wasps.
The man next to Michele stopped stirring his coffee and turned to look at me directly. He allowed the tiny spoon to hit the edge of the mug as he emptied his hands.
The reaction from the last dark, haired man was the one that made me question motives in my head. His lips marginally parted, and his large hands separated from one another as his eyes remained glued to my face. Apprehensiveness, as if he was in denial as he sat back in his chair.
'Mia figlia.' He whispered.
***
'What the hell do you mean our father is alive?!' I raised my voice to my favourite brother, who had just joined me accompanied by Vincent.
I walked out of the room as soon as the stranger man called me his daughter. I didn't even think my actions through, his words cut deeper than any blade. No one has ever called me their daughter, not even my mum when she was alive. The term frightened me a bit.
I was surprised when my brothers found me lurking in one of the deep hallways, I didn't expect them to come after me so suddenly.
'This has to be a joke, please, please tell me that you are joking. I won't even be mad, just tell me that you're joking.' My breathing quickened, as I stared into the eyes of my eldest brother, trying to look beyond the pass over of concern.
How the hell did they expect me to react when given such information? I am surprising myself right now, with the heaviness of my breath, I would normally be having a panic attack, but I couldn't do that- no one can calm me down from them, not even me.
'It's not a joke.' Armani said, I couldn't tell if it was guilt or another emotion behind his voice, but it certainly wasn't contentment. 'We're sorry bambina.'
'You're sorry? What if I lit your bedroom on fire, then said sorry? Everything would be fine, huh, everything that was damaged wouldn't be damaged anymore. Is that what you are trying to get at Armani?'
'No, but reacting like this will not solve any problems.' Vince spoke up, leaning up against the wall as he folded his arms over one another.
'How do you want me to react? Give him a hug? Talk to him? Forgive him?' I listed things that I wouldn't even want to consider.
'He owes you an explanation.'
'Those other 2 men that you saw in there are your Grandfather and Uncle. They all thought that you were dead, that is what Arya told them. They are just as surprised as you.'
'Unbelievable.' I scoffed, now fighting back tears. Too many things were happening, my mother told my family that I was dead, the family that was supposed to be dead, are not in fact dead. And I am only now finding out about this?
I didn't show my struggle to keep my tears from falling, but I am sure that Vince noticed as he pushed himself off the wall, and advanced towards me. He stood so that the tips of our toes were inches apart, he looked down and sighed.
I stepped back.
'Just don't.' I muttered, turning around just in time for the first tear to fall. I was glad that they didn't see this, they didn't need to see this, so I continued to walk back in the direction of the room that I was sleeping in.
The same unanswerable question kept on repeating itself in my mind- why are they alive?
I never knew the reasoning behind their 'death,' but the thought never crossed my mind that they could have actually been alive. I would have thought that a card would be sent on my birthday, maybe even a call every now and then. But, now knowing that they thought that I was dead this entire time hurt me almost as much as it probably hurt them.
No matter their story, their reasoning to stay in hiding, the facts don't change. What happened to me in London, doesn't change and it will never change. What they did, what they left behind, the things they didn't care to think about... doesn't change. It will never change, and the scars- physical and mental- will stay with me for as long as I live.
That level of defilement cannot be healed, not even by the perspicacious words of Vincent.
Those painful memories are books with chapters, deep and horrible; and so, I leave them on the shelf to gather dust. I can pick them up if I need to learn something, to gain a perspective that helps me to create my own good story. I can use them to re-see situations through the lens of their needs and traumas rather than mine. I want today, tomorrow and every tomorrow after to be wonderful; I want to choose what to write on those blank pages.
However, when my life takes unexpected turns like this one, an overwhelming feeling washes over me. I need a whole new chapter, maybe start an entire new book.
Facing the music is easier said than done. Which is exactly why I would rather speak this than to act upon it.
I sat out on the patio that I shared with Vince and Romeo. It was now officially, the warmest weather that I have ever experienced. I had never once been in a temperature so exorbitant.
I sat down on the tiled, outdoor floor, and hissed when I reached the scorching ground, I leant against the white wall and picked at the vibrant flowers that were hanging over.
If only everything in this world could be as glamorous as this scenery.
The ground grew too hot, so I stood up and peered over the white wall. The most gorgeous, spotless sandy beach was there, something you would see in a fashionable magazine, listing the nicest holiday destinations for millionaires.
It wasn't only the pristine beach that caught my attention, a man stood on the sand, looking out to sea as he smoked a cigar. Wearing cream-colored shorts, and a matching silk button up, yet the first three buttons were left open in a stylish, charming manner.
I didn't realize quite how long I had been staring since his gaze soon turned from the blue waters, to exactly where I was standing causing me to quickly crouch down behind the wall. He had the same senses as Vincent, and it was worrying.
He was at quite a distance from me, but it didn't take much in me to figure out that it was my father- Santiano.
I cursed myself for not seeing this coming.
I slowly straightened up after a few seconds and peered over the wall, pushing away the plants to get a better view since my eyes were the only thing that were above the wall. He was gone. The beach was quite lengthy, so a question raised inside of me. How did he leave so rapidly? Maybe he was a superhero... more like a supervillain.
'He's gone back inside.' A voice from behind me made me jump and awkwardly spin on my heels. It was Dante- surprisingly.
'I wasn't watching him.' I immediately excused myself from the embarrassing situation that I was found in.
'And I wasn't asking.' He shrugged and walked over to the other set on French doors to my right, where Romeo's room was and dragged a padded sunbed. It looked heavy, but he had no trouble pulling it with one hand. He simply transferred it over to my side of the patio and set it down, also setting himself down on the edge.
He had clearly changed clothes from the brief moment that I saw him at breakfast, he was now wearing a branded shirt, and classic shorts. Mirrored sunglasses were on top of his head and the bracelet that I had bought for him and his twin was around his wrist.
'Did you get sent here to talk to me?' I lightly jested.
'Mhm.'
It didn't take a genius to understand that Dante and I were not the closest when communicating, but I did hope, deep down, I hoped that he willingly came to check up on me. As selfish as it may sound, I was hoping that I wouldn't be treated as a charity case in a moment like this.
'Armani asked me to talk with you.'
'I don't want to talk about it.' I muttered; I even shook my head when he asked me to take a seat next to him on the sunbed. The youngest twin impatiently patted the area next to him again, and eventually took hold of my arm and forcefully made me take the seat when I didn't comply.
'He owes you an explanation, they all do.' He started off.
They owe me much more than an explanation, they owe me a childhood filled with love and contentment, they owe me time- I wanted to say, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I recently found out that Dante was always the closest with our parents, and I didn't want to snatch away his memories and replace them with guilt just because of my...experiences.
'I don't want one.'
'You should talk with them Alessa, Grandad still hasn't spoken to any of us since he found out; Dad is constantly moving around, and Uncle Sergio has gone out somewhere and he isn't returning anyone's calls. Your existence has had a massive impact and it could be detrimental if something isn't done. You are the only person.'
'I don't care.' I stubbornly uttered.
Violent sighs escaped Dante as he clapped his hands together.
'Big deal, they found out that one person was alive, one person who was supposedly dead, but they found out together and they can figure it out together. Me? I found out about three people who were supposed to be dead, three people who caused long-term suffering, three people who I really wish were in their graves. So please excuse me if their mental health is not my priority right now, please excuse me if I am not being myself in this moment, because I am confused Dante, I'm upset and confused.' I huffed and leaned back when I felt myself getting frustrated.
'They are avoiding all of us.' He mumbled.
'With any luck, they should keep their distance from me as well.' I spoke. 'Do you know how many questions I have right now, do you? Probably not, because your entire wellbeing hasn't just been thrown into fire.'
'I can't give you all the answers to your questions, only they can. However, I can tell you everything about this that I know, maybe with your knowledge and mine, we can piece together an apprehension and you can see the truth from another perspective. Possibly, you could reconsider your decision about speaking with them.' He seemed faithful, and sincere, so I listened and asked.
'I don't remember much about the night that you were taken, but I have heard many stories about it. It was the day before Vince's graduation and Dad was abroad, so Arya would have been the only parent physically present. Everything seemed fine, Arya was acting normal, drinking more often than usual, but never to the point where she was noticeably drunk in front of us. No one realized that you both were gone until the morning, she obviously planned it so Dad wouldn't be able to stop her since he wasn't home.' Dante stopped to check that I was listening.
'Vince called Dad that morning and explained the situation, he was home within hours. He didn't want to risk missing the ceremony, so he got his men on the job to search for you, but Arya had already left the country like a ghost, she had arranged something prior and managed to slip through our fingers.'
'What about Vince's graduation?'
'Dad took him, we all went, and it carried on as usual. Normally, he would have gone out afterwards, but he dropped his plans and went home with us to try and locate you. Dad stayed up for days on end, and rarely got any sleep. That was until Arya sent a message on your fourth birthday, saying that you were dead, sending an image of an infant Alessa, pale faced and still. It broke him.' He concluded with a shake of his head.
'Mum really said that I was dead. It was really her who did that.' I grinded my teeth together as I thought over Dante's words.
'Vince was informed about your existence only when he was asked to take custody. After several DNA tests, you came home, but Dad was never told, no one was enlightened.'
'To be honest, I don't actually care if they knew about my existence or not. The problem that I have with them is the fact that they let their pride take over, and left destruction wherever they went. The ground they walked on was worshipped, and for what reason? For being feared? For being selfish?' This time, I looked to Dante to see if he was comprehending what I was saying. 'I had to clean up their messes, and receive punishment for all bad that they had done. And believe me, they had done a lot of bad.' I darkly scoffed.
Dante stayed silent as he sat in deep thought.
'So, you don't get to tell me to speak with the men who caused me trauma, the same men who left me with an alcoholic parent who died a couple years later. I was eight, eight and on the brink of depression. Pain and suffering became normalised for me, and even I know that no child should go through that.' I continued, making as big of a point as possible.
'They didn't know.' He argued quietly.
'They didn't know that it would fall back on me, but they knew that it would fall back onto somebody, and they didn't seem to care then.' I shrugged.
'All this is to them is a lesson, but to me, this is a nightmare. A bloody nightmare.'
'Alessa, I don't know what to say apart from, they searched for you, they missed you and they love you. Take from that what you will, but just know that a healed heart is better than a broken one. Don't regret the decision you make. A simple talk will suffice, but don't mourn anything if you choose to ignore them, no one is going to force you to do anything. Just don't make any rash decisions yet, think it over and maybe you can find peace with another parent. Your only living parent.' He spoke calmly and carefully. I didn't know what to say, his words made me slightly reconsider and rethink. Would I regret this opportunity if I passed it up?
'Any other questions cannot be answered by me, Vince may be able to answer a few, but the truthful answers will only come from them.'
'I can answer all but a few, you have seemed to explain the majority. It is up to Alessa to make a choice now, no pressure, but know that your choice will not only impact you, but many others. I don't want to hear an answer until I know that you have thought it through thoroughly.' Vince was standing inside the room, his arms folded as he stood in the middle of the French doors entrance. He is as quiet as a mouse, managing to sneak up on anyone's conversations.
'I'll speak with them.' I mumbled the first thing that came to my mind, I didn't really think it through, but it was my heart speaking, and I couldn't backtrack onto that.
Dante raised his eyebrows at my verdict, but slowly nodded regardless as he turned to look at his eldest brother.
'Very well, whenever you're ready.'
'Whenever they are ready.' I corrected as I stood up and walked past him into the air conditioned room. I turned out of the room and down the corridors as I landed by the stairs. I sauntered down and found Armani sitting with Luca and Romeo, all eating off a fruit platter which was perfectly assembled on the downstairs balcony. Romeo was surprisingly smoking, and the other 2 had glasses of red wine on the single tables beside them. They were all facing the direction of the beach, so they didn't notice when I entered to kitchen to grab an apple.
I wanted to thank Armani for asking Dante to speak with me, so I approached the back of his chair and tapped his shoulder.
'Hi polpetto, are you alright?' He turned quickly and tilted his head to the side to avoid the sun that was shining in his face.
'Mhm, I just wanted to thank you for sending Dante to speak with me.'
'I didn't send him. He was the first person to go after you after Vince and I came back.' He lifted a brow.
'But he said-'
'He's lying to you, he went after you by himself.' Romeo interjected, throwing the leaves and stem of a strawberry onto the floor.
I turned back around in surprise to walk away, taking a slow bite out of my apple.
'Wait.' Romeo called out after me and caught up just before I managed to get out of the room. 'Take a walk with me?' His statement was framed as a question, so I would be compelled to answer it like a question.
He took me out of the doors and down a set of cobbled steps to reach the sand below. I was wearing cheap sliders, which I immediately took off when we reached the soft shingle. I clasped them both in one hand as we moved further towards the sea. Just close enough that the waves expansion would reach our feet. The cooling sensation on my bare soles was lovely.
'What did Dante say about our father?'
'A lot, but he helped me gain a better understanding overall. I will speak with him and the others, but it definitely won't be easy.'
'I know that the few experiences that you have had in connection with them haven't been good, but they are noble people. I want you to trust me on this one.' He nudged my side as he took the shoes from my hand and held them in his own. I blinked roughly as I inwardly groaned.
Of course I trusted my brothers more than anybody. Blood before everything. Romeo's words sounded earnest, and I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't. We have always had different experiences with each parent, theirs were mostly positive and mine were always negative. The ones I remember were always negative.
I couldn't believe that they are noble men, especially not by simply taking someone's word for it. Even if that person is my brother.
We walked along the shore in silence, I think I made it clear that I wasn't in a talking mood, and I was relived that he understood that. He took out his phone with one hand and sent a quick message, my shoes still in his other hand.
I outstretched my hand to try and take them off him since I thought they were too much of an inconvenience for him whilst sending the message, but even with this eyes on his phone, he managed to dodge my hand and mutter an order for me to keep walking.
I huffed and looked out to the sea, Romeo was the closest to the water, so I had to look around him to peek at the horizon. Even though it was only midday, it still seemed dusky, how I would expect it to be an hour before sunset. The warmth was really getting to me now, I expected it to have cooled down by now, but apparently this time of the day was when the sun was at it's peak. Let's just say that I wasn't jumping out of happiness at the sudden temperature change.
For the rest of my first day in Italy, I spent the time outside with Xavier, Lorenzo, Gio and Rico. We walked around to a cove which looked like the lagoon from Neverland, apparently this was Rico's favourite place to be, also, one of the only reasons he enjoys coming to Sicily.
Sunset came quickly, and I was sat on the terrace, on the sunbed which Dante had previously dragged over from our earlier conversation.
The three stranger men had been on my mind all day; even when the boys thought that they were distracting me, their existence never left the back of my thoughts. I began to grow stressed knowing that I put myself forward, accepting the offer to talk to the people who I hate so much.
I took a deep breath and pushed myself from the comfortable cushion. I walked into the air-conditioned room and pulled my backpack out from underneath the bed. I snuck the tattered thing in my suitcase, I had all my emergency necessities in there. Metal flasks that Izzy gave me a few years ago filled with whiskey, some cigarettes and supplementary money from savings.
Out of those three things, there was only one item that I was after.
My cigarettes. After Juliet and Maria walked in on me smoking, I had been scared to do it in that house ever since. They didn't lecture me on it since everyone had just found out about my injuries, but it was clear that they were unhappy about it.
To this day, I am still unsure whether Juliet told Vince, or if Maria told Michele. I'm assuming that they didn't since the smoking topic was never raised, and it definitely would have been raised regardless of my state or the situation.
I took out one of the few toxic sticks that I had left and held it in the corner of my mouth whilst I searched for a lighter.
I leant over the outside white wall as I lit the end of the snout. I made sure to close the French doors to ensure that there was no risk of the smell smuggling it's way into my room. I wasn't going to get caught this time.
I turned my gaze to the calm ocean, the dimmed sun sitting at the distance of the waters end, and the silhouette of dolphins jumping out a few hundred metres past the shoreline.
I was alone, inhaling the nicotine. Every second turned more relaxed, and weights were lifted from my shoulders every time I took a drag.
However, I nearly choked when I saw who walked out of the large back doors of the house, the doors that were directly opposite to where I was standing. It wasn't very helpful that I was in complete clear view and it also didn't help that I became paralyzed to the spot when I saw Vincent and the Father exiting the house. Both dressed casually, it was obvious that they weren't planning on going out in public.
My brother's senses kicked in almost immediately as his icy eyes turned straight towards my nervous ones. We were a few metres apart and I was on a raised surface, but I could still see his eyes darken and jaw clench when he saw what was in between my fingers.
Santiano was busy lighting a cigar of his own to take notice of our non verbal interaction. Vince muttered something to his father as he walked past him and back into the house.
I remained paralyzed to the spot, the cigarette was going out, but I didn't have the stomach to take another drag. Especially since Vincent would be arriving at any moment...
Good morning/afternoon/ evening to you all! This was the first of the moments including the three stranger men... I'm curious to know what you think, how do you want Alessa to react? Until the next time, stay safe!! <3
TikTok- elegancewithexpense