05| Two Brothers
Mason's heavy footsteps echoed in the quiet house as he ran down the stairs with a duffle bag.
Did it wake her up? No.
Will an earthquake wake her up? No.
"Hey Alli." He shook her.
"Hey Masey." She mumbled, smiled, turned away, hugged the throw pillow. But she didn't wake up.
"WE'RE LEAVING, MISS TANNER. BYE!" I screamed into her ears.
"The world is ending! Help! Someone please help!" She jolted up, yelling frantically with her hands waving up in the air.
"Alli." Mason tumbled down the armchair, clutching his stomach.
"Oh!" She scratched her head, switching her eyes between us. "Oh! I just woke up."
"Wow! How did you come to that baffling conclusion?" I rolled my eyes.
"Don't ever wake me up like that." She scolded. "I might have accidentally killed you. And in your case, it wouldn't be so accidentally."
Ignoring the frivolous argument, I strode out towards the car.
"Are you sure you'll be okay? I can talk to Vittoria. She'll understand." Mason said warily.
So he's ready to compromise with Vittoria for her? I see.
"Of course, sweetheart. She needs you more than me. Besides, I can take care of myself. Now get lost." She smiled, opening her arms wide which immediately snaked around Mason, clasping their bodies together.
"Call me if you need anything. And please be careful." He kissed her head.
"You're gonna see her tomorrow. Hop in quick." I said irritably.
"Bye bye Masey! Goodbye to you too, Mr Rivera." She waved as Mason got in.
Before getting in, I turned back and grazed a look at the woman standing at the porch. I couldn't help but notice her body language.
Her smile wavered as if she was struggling to keep it intact. Her eyes momentarily scanned the area submerged in darkness and a chilling fog. Her feet carried her backwards instinctively and her arms wrapped around her skinny frame.
Allegra Tanner was afraid.
•••••
"Not even the garden outside the mansion?" Mason asked me, worried.
"Today was the first time she moved down those stairs."
I noticed Vittoria has been inside the house ever since she returned from that hell. It's very unlikely for her to not come to work for so many days. She's anyway working, so the work stress isn't the reason. As for her scars, they've healed. She didn't even leave the house on her birthday.
"They've done her way more damage than we know. She's always like that. She won't show her fear." Mason rubbed his exhausted eyes.
I even suggested her to talk to someone professional. What happened to her was traumatic. But she refused.
"Luca still doesn't know that she's your sister, right?"
"No."
He exhaled a relieved breath. "As much as we hate to admit, he's a threat to us. We should be afraid of him. This entire ordeal was planned by Luca. It was his mind."
Nothing he said was a lie. What bugs me is the fact that Luca is still extremely silent about Alvaro's death. There were a great lot of thoughts running in my mind. Amongst them, a certain someone kept making unnecessary appearances.
"I suggest you beware of that woman. She's selfish. She's probably using you for her benefit." My fingers tightened over the steering.
I expected some defensive curses come hurling my way but what I surprisingly heard was a laughter. "Chill man! We're just good friends."
"I didn't mean it like that." I replied before he even completed.
"I saw the way you were staring while we said goodbye." He smirked.
Did he just smirk? He has no problem at all?
"Mason are you gay?" I blurted.
"I'm very much straight. But don't worry, she does that to men. She's really very beautiful." He said between his cranky chuckle.
"Stop laughing." I scowled, taking a rough turn. "You didn't even like me a few hours back."
"I still don't." He retorted, still smiling like an idiot.
"You're quite a character, you know." I remarked.
"Why so?" He asked, amused.
"One second you want to kill all of us, then you act like you're all cool and the next moment you tease me with some girl like you're my bro in high school."
"Your issue. Deal with it." He shrugged.
I guess I can safely blame him for the way Vittoria is – extremely moody, stubborn and outspoken. Oh and a little undisciplined.
"You've trained her well. You'd be proud of her if you saw her kick those fucking bastards' asses." He praised genuinely.
"Trust me it was a task. But I couldn't have her safety dependent on alarm clocks."
"Alarm clocks?" He creased his brows.
Then I narrated the entire incident about how she accidentally killed a man with an alarm clock. Out of all the things, what he found the most amusing was,
"Are you really, like seriously telling me kiddo and alarm clock coexisted?" He tapped his palm on the dashboard for emphasis.
"She rebelled by breaking each one of them. But I kept replacing. If she is stubborn then so am I."
"Oh man! Who won?"
"Me." I declared proudly. "I had her wake up at five every morning for two months of her training and controlled her diet as well."
"You kept her away from pizza?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Uh huh. Her body lacked all the vitals.
"One more word, and I'll be in tears. I'm gonna need your autograph, Mr Rivera."
As dramatic as muffin.
"Tell me, Mason. Tell me how she was like as a kid?" A small smile broke over my lips recollecting her old photographs. If only things were different. She would grow up along with us, like Camila.
Camila. I miss her so much.
"One word. Crazy. The end." He threw his hands up. "And now she's upgraded to being momentarily psychotic. Jeez!" His hand flied to his chest.
"What, are we bitching about our sister now?" I laughed.
"No but seriously, she could easily pass for the world's most mischievous kid. I've lost count of how many times I've been summoned to her school. She almost got thrown out once."
"Hell no! Are you serious?"
"Very much. She performed a very scandalous dance just to show her ex what he's lost."
Oh I know that episode. Really, that was next level melodramatic.
I got to know a lot many chronicles of Vittoria Andress. She once sneaked into a girl's house and set her hair ablaze while she was sleeping. That was the girl Nate cheated on her with. Then she threw toilet water on a guy because he called her slut. She crashed a guy's phone with a hammer because he didn't answer her call. He was her partner for a school project. Oh and she vandalized the principal's car because he suspended her. And so many more.
"I was better off without this knowledge. Gosh! I kinda pity you now."
"But you know.." He trailed off with a ghost of a smile lingering on his face. "I never got tired of it."
His contagious smile passed onto me. She's definitely worth all the trouble. "On a serious note, your efforts have to be appreciated. You've practically raised her all by yourself. You've lost your childhood while doing that."
He looked down with a sad smile, playing with the maroon scrunchie. "You know when she was little, she wouldn't sleep without holding my finger. I still remember how those tiny little fingers clasped around my index finger with unnatural strength." He chuckled heartily.
"She felt safe with you."
"Then it became a habit. My back ached sleeping in the same position all night. But if I withdrawed my finger, she'd cry and ugh! the noise would blast my ears and mind both. But she'd still have gripped it tight until the morning.
"She was no less than a daughter to you." I said, taking a left on the dark street.
"That's right. But I sometimes feel I've spoiled her."
"I feel that every time. She's a spoiled brat." I shook my head. "But we can't do anything about it, can we?"
"Nope! That's a dead end."
"Exactly." I affirmed.
"No I mean literally. Where have you turned the car? There's a wall ahead." He pointed ahead.
Where did I take the wrong turn? Sighing, I turned the car back, getting back on track.
"What happened Mr Rivera, is your mind wandering around some tall British blondie?" He nudged me.
"Alright now if you don't cut this crap, I'll throw you out right this instant." I groaned in annoyance.
"You do realize you're saying this to the man who's returned from the dead, don't you?"
There were a few minutes of silence but not before he mocked me some some.
"You tell Rafael to stay away from her." He said all of a sudden, his mood switching abruptly.
"Of course I will. But.." I left it there but couldn't feel at ease without saying it either. "But he really loves her. There's no denying in that."
"Bullshit." He sneered.
"Okay, but what about Vittoria. She loves him too." I argued.
"Nothing good has come out of their love. He'll keep on hurting her and she'll keep on forgiving him. I won't allow it anymore. Besides, it's utterly wrong. He can't do that to Camila."
I always dreaded the topic. One of my sisters is going to get hurt in this. I don't know what side to pick. So I'm trying to do what's right. Moreover, even Vittoria wants the same thing. There's no use of such love where she has to feel guilty and disgusted for loving someone.
Time will heal everything. She'll forget the things she felt for him. I hope she does.
"Don't expect me to forgive Rafael for what he's done to her." The hatred in voice was crisp and clear. "She is very naive. He'll say two sweet words to her and she'll melt. She never knows what's good for her. I even warned her about Nate. But that girl will only do what she wants to."
I really don't know what to think about this matter.
"Do you forgive me?" I asked hopefully.
"No." His reply came flying. "But I'm ready to move past it because I'm trying to understand your point of view."
Sounds fair I guess.
"What are your thoughts about Liam?" I asked with a hint of hesitation.
"Don't even get there. The audacity of him to fall in love with my sister." He snarled.
I'd forgotten how harsh his words as well as his logic could be. He's like that dad who hates every man around his daughter.
"He fought with all of us against the idea of using Vittoria as a bait."
A flash of surprise sparked through his light brown eyes but it vanished as soon as it came. "He couldn't stop it. What's the use? He says he loves her but then he let's her go so easily."
I agree with him here. He doesn't even try. I've always liked them together. They look good with each other. But that doesn't matter when Vittoria doesn't see him that way.
"You're a carbon copy of your dad." He commented, carefully studying my face.
"I've heard that a lot."
"Good thing Vittoria doesn't share such close remembrances. But I think she looks a lot like her mom." He looked far away like recollecting something.
"Her smile. It's exactly like moms. Oh and her eyes too."
"Your mom was an impressive lady."
"You knew her?" I asked, surprised.
"Remember she used to organize weekend training camps for kids? I had attended some of them."
"Are you saying we must've met before? When we were kids?" This is insane.
He nodded his answer, leaving me a little shocked for a while. "I remember Rafael."
"Rafael?"
"Hmm. I got to know Chelsea had a son who was training with us. I saw her with Rafael most of the time– praising, playing, even feeding him a sandwich. I thought he was Chelsea's son."
"Yeah he was mom's favorite." I twisted my face but eventually gave in to a chuckle.
"And then someone told me it's you who was sitting alone in a corner reading some book. I was like hehe, jokes on him." He mocked.
"You did not just say that."
"I did. What are you gonna do?" He challanged.
"Throw you out. This time for real." I stopped the car.
"Gladly." He flipped the middle finger and stepped out while I parked the car in the garage.
He really was something. I don't usually get along with everyone. The reason why I was sitting alone in a corner reading a book.
"These stairs give me White House vibes." He laughed, standing at the foot of the huge stairs.
"That's a good thing I guess." I shrugged, ascending up to the main door.
The guards opened the grand main door and Mason took a step forward but I blocked his way with my arm before he stepped inside. He raised an inquisitive brow.
"I forgot something?" I said.
"Excuse me?"
"Welcome to the family, Mason." I smiled.
He smiled back but did a classic eye roll. "Thanks grandpa."
Oliver: *rigorously wakes Allegra* Who's gonna say it?!
Allegra: *half dead, half asleep* Vote, comment, share. Now let me sleep. Bye