Lana went out and told me to watch over Seri. I think I'm doing a great job. Currently making them breakfast while they play on the floor with barbies.
They're so adorable
"Ma, what's for breakfast?" Ria asks me while getting up from the floor and sitting on the stool.
Sy grunts and stands up, throwing a Barbie doll at her. "We weren't done, you fool" she also takes a seat and acts as if the Barbie is walking the runway on the island countertop.
I sigh at the girls, they'd probably have an enemies to lovers relationship when they're older, I can sense it. Call it a mother's instincts.
"I'm making bacon and eggs, Tesoro" I get back to scrambling the eggs when she questions me again. "What does Tesoro mean"
I won't be able to focus if she keeps asking me questions, she already knows what Tesoro means too. "Treasure" I state, then I pour the eggs into a bowl and set it on the table.
The alarm on my phone goes off letting me know that the bacon is finished in the oven. Right on time. I place them one by one on the tray and eat the ones the girls wouldn't like. They prefer baked bacon over fried bacon for some reason. Well, actually it's Maria. Seriyah will just eat anything.
"Where'd my ma go?" Sy takes a plate and starts stuffing it with the eggs and bacon.
"She's with Zia Dahlia I think- or maybe Zia Nairobi... I'm not sure" I tell them, honestly. "Why aren't you with her?" Maria gets up to look for some orange juice in the fridge. It's her favorite drink, I have an odd child.
Apple is way better
I'm not with Lana and Dahlia or Nai today because, for one, Alana doesn't trust babysitters. Secondly, I'm on my period and don't feel like going out. Thirdly, Mattia promised to buy me a whole bunch of goods if I miss out on the hangout, that's a good deal.
Alana and the girls probably think I'm drifting from them but I just have to take care of my new family, I'm pretty sure the Johnsons are coming today too.
"Uhm... because Nonna, Abuelo, and Abuela are coming today" I reply, it's not like I'm lying.
Maria drops the orange juice and claps her hands, jumping around with the widest grin. "Does that mean I get to see Zio Aiden and Zio Marco?"
"Yes, you get to see all of them." I sigh and grab a napkin to clean up the spill. Then I mop the floor with water I threw down from the tap so it doesn't get sticky.
When my other family comes over, I pretend Seri is just a friend of Ria's. Mia Madre, Tio, and Tia still don't know about Lana and they're probably never going to.
They eat some more and I go to the living room to see what's on T.V.
"Breaking news, paparazzi catches CEO Alana, hanging out with famous actress, Nairobi, and star model, Dahlia" The reporter lady speaks as if it's so shocking. "Could this be the trio we never knew we needed? And where is Lori?"
I'm struggling to figure out how this is breaking news while taking care of two children with my ass sitting on a couch in my beautiful home.
We found out four years ago that Nai actually had a pretty bad past. We were walking down the street where we used to live because we had business with someone in a restaurant nearby. She was exiting the apartment and Lana greeted her.
"Wait... Nairobi? Hi!" Alana shouts to her and she looks up startled. She was about to throw the garbage in the trash but it fell on her face and she hit the ground. "My bad" Lana winces.
We rush over to her to see if everything's okay. Blood starts pooling around her body and I ask. "Are you alright? Why are you bleeding?"
"I think my wounds re-opened" she groans in pain.
"I'll get the car," I tell them while running towards where we parked it. How did Nairobi get fucking wounds? What's going on? When I get the car, I drive to where Alana and Nairobi are. Lana helps her up while she limps towards the car.
I speed to the nearest hospital and we get out, rushing to the reception. Soon we're let into a room but they kick us out to examine her wounds.
She had so many bruises, cuts, and tiny scars. Especially the one on her back that recently re-opened. It was so big, it probably will leave a scar. I wonder if she's okay, is there a problem at home?
"That's why" Alana gasps.
"What's why?" I furrow my eyebrows and she turns her head to me, ready to explain. "I used to hear thuds from her house a lot, now I know that she wasn't getting into it, she was getting beat"
Oh
"We have to take care of her, she's ours now." I state.
When Nai got out of surgery that day, we had a long talk about why she had those cuts, she told us everything only because there was no way we'd let her go back and she knew it. Her dad was the one abusing her, she talked about how she was the reason her mom left and he dreaded her for that.
Then, only to get her mind off of things, we talked about good stuff. Our dreams, our future. She said she wanted to be an actress, badly. Now she is. Nai also has a husband but won't tell us who for personal reasons. They've been married since before we found Nai but she didn't tell him because she didn't know what he would do.
They even have a child. She was a newborn when we found Nai. But she doesn't want us to meet her because of her husband's boundaries.
I'm experienced in friends who lie, I've had several. Nai is a liar. But I'm not skeptic of her. She has her reasons and she'll tell me when she's ready.
Dahlia has a special lady, she's also not spilling the beans because she's a bitch. They adopted a kid four years ago but the child it always with her other mom so we hardly see her.
Dhal is hiding something too, I have a feeling it's shared with Nai.
Alana is the only one single in our group of four, we call ourselves the "Cuatro". Basic name, I know. But it works for all of us.
"We're done our food" Ria and Seri walk in. Just as they do, the doorbell rings and I get up, rushing to the door.
It's probably the Johnsons
I open the door and... oh so shocking, it's the Johnsons!
"Hi Mamma, ciao Aiden and Marco, hola Tia and Tio, hey Ath, Mar, and Kara" I greet them all and turn around to see the girls gone. I heard their little feet running behind me while I was walking here so where'd they go?
"Hi, Zio Marco" Ria grins while Seri talks to Mar about the boys at school.
Well, my job is done for the day
"Alright, have fun with the monsters. I'm going to take a nap, tell me when Mi Amore gets here" I walk upstairs and leave them to watch over those little trouble makers.
I drown in the cold fresh sheets of my queen-sized bed. These sheets have been recently washed after I squirted all over them- maybe a bit too much of information. It's all Matteo's fault anyway, I was overstimulated and couldn't handle anymore but he just kept going.
Alright, sleep time
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"Ciao, Bellissima" Mattia tucks my hair behind my ear, lightly waking me up.
"Hey" I smile at him then bring his shoulders down so he falls on top of me. I let out a grunt from his weight but wrap my arms around him.
He snorts when I place a big fat kiss on his forehead. Then push him onto the ground. "Alright let's go" I get up and purposely step on him while getting off the bed.
He eventually follows me and we get out of the room together.
Once I get to the living room, I see them all huddled up watching tangled but Mar, Ath, Ria, and Sy aren't there.
"Where're the kids?" I question mom after sitting down next to her.
She shrugs and replies. "Marianne and Athena took them outside to play"
"Wait, shouldn't they be back by now? We said they could play out there for an hour max" Aiden tells us.
I scowl and exit the room, how'd they lose my girls? Matteo follows behind me and we go to the backyard. "Nobody's here" Kara whispers, staring at the empty backyard.
"Really?" Marcus asks sarcastically.
I realize they all came here with me and turn around to tell them what to do. "Marcus and Aiden, look in the backyard" They go and I move on. "Elderly's look upstairs" They roll their eyes but follow my order anyway. "Kara, search down here" She nods and goes down a hallway.
"You and I are in the basement"
Matteo and I get to searching the basement. He's super chill about all of this, acting like he knew it would happen. Maybe it has something to do with what we saw on Angelo's laptop. "The girls are fine"
"How do you know that?" I question, this man is surrounded by everything sketchy. Alana got over the assumptions or she's given up on trying to convince me but they make a lot more sense than his excuses or lies.
"I don't" He replies after a moment of silence, he thought really hard on that answer only to give me two words. "But when has Mari ever been on time?"
I snort but not in a humorous way. "Athena is always on time, even when she's with Mari"
We've just finished checking the last room when Aiden and Marcus yell for everyone to go to the living room.
I run and Matteo has no choice but to do the same. We rush upstairs and enter the living room only to find Mari and Athena's dead bodies.
...I think?
I'm not sure, they're just still.
"Are they dead?" Kara asks the question all of us were no doubt thinking. Matteo walks up and checks their pulse. "No, they're just passed out"
He jumps and mumbles, "shit" when Athena sits up rubbing her head. "Fuck that got me" I can tell how much of a scare that was for him and start laughing my ass off.
My laugh cuts to an end when I remember the situation we're in and see the frantic look on my cousin's face. "Where's Seriyah and Maria?" She asks repeatedly while clutching her head and trying to get up.
Aiden walks over to her and tries to calm her down while Marcus goes to get her some painkillers and water. "Start from the beginning, tell us what happened"
She takes a deep breath after drinking the water and swallowing the pills. "Ok uhm... there was a guy, tall- actually a group of tall guys" She starts off, trying to remember everything. "They jumped out of a van and grabbed Seri and Ria... they drugged me and- Where's Mari?!"
She's worried until she turns and sees Mari laying on another couch, letting out a relieved sigh. "Okay, after they took the girls and drugged us, they drove back into the forest but I couldn't see anymore because I passed out... I think one of them was saying something, I forget" She tries hard to remember this detail and I pay so much attention.
Marianne groans and we turn to her laying there with a hand on her head. "I know what they said, it was a conversation" she sits up but her face morphs into one of pain. "Fuck"
Marcus takes that as his cue to get her some water and pain killers, once he returns and gives them to her, she starts. "Basically the leader, I think his name was Emilio or something. Anyways, he was on the phone talking to some guy on speaker informing him that they had the girls"
"I'll call Al- her mom... Alissa" I am such a good actress, I'm coming for your career, Nai. I back out of the room then turn around and walk to my bedroom ready to FaceTime Lana.
She picks up after the third ring and doesn't give me a chance to speak. "Bro, paparazzi are everywhere, they finally found out about our friendship and we're stuck in this restaurant"
I don't know how Mia Madre, Zio Austin, and Zia Rita haven't found out about Alana and me still being close but the others have. They see us on the news a lot because of stupid fucking paparazzi.
"Hey Lor!" Dahlia yells into the mic earning a shove from Lana. Nai steals the phone and starts checking herself out through the camera.
"Nai, give the phone to Alana, it's important" Her eyebrows furrow in a confused manner but she gives it anyways. "Someone took our kids"
"What?" She questions unbelievably. "You're joking"
"I'm not, I'll get the Johnsons to leave so you can come home" Alana doesn't know our cousins and siblings know about her but I guess I could tell her now. "Or at least my mom, Zio Austin, and Zia Rita"
"Why not all of them, we can't risk it" She states while getting up and paying for the check.
"They do know, it's not hard to figure out when you watch the news or have social media"
Her eyes widen and she looks at me through the screen. "What the fuck, Lor" she whispers, harshly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
I shrug and hear a knock on my door. "Gotta go, bye"
I hang up right when Matteo walks in. "I have to go, I'll be back later though"
I nod, I'm a bit skeptical of this but what can I do? I'm annoyed he's leaving when our child could be in danger but then again, he might have something to do with this.
He walks over to me and kisses my forehead. "If you need anything- even candy- call. Okay?"
"Okay." I attempt a smile to hide my annoyance.
I enter the house and come in contact with Marianne. She doesn't see me yet so I sneak past her and enter the living room. Maybe she was just leaving.
That thought quickly leaves my mind when I see my cousins and siblings sitting on my couch like they own the place. "Alana!" Lori shouts. "Mari was supposed to tell us when you showed up"
"Oh," I mutter. They're all staring at me, I haven't seen these guys in ages. "Hi?"
Mari walks in after I sit on the floor near Lori. "Alana, I didn't even see you enter" She sits next to me and it's quiet.
I don't like this silence, it reminds me of the day I got kicked out. How all three of my sisters didn't even say a word as they watched me get thrown out of the house.
"Uhm" I start, what do you say to people you haven't talked to in over five years?
Kara has always been the best at cooling a room full of tension. I'm relieved when she decides to start off a conversation. "No, we're not about to be awkward. I'm sorry for the way I didn't even look at you that day"
"Me too, we were so close and I missed you every single day" Mari apologizes next then Athena goes as well. "Yeah same, I'm your older sister... I should've defended you and I'm sorry for that. I hurt you and things have never been the same since."
I smile when Marcus and Aiden apologize as well, then added and unneeded apologies start flooding in and I feel like a weight has been lifted. Now we're sitting together and I forget I left Dahlia and Nai in the car. "Shit, I have to call someone."
I pull out my phone and dial Dahlia's number. "Did you forget about me?"
I snort and reply. "No, of course not! Come inside"
"That's what she said" Nai shouts before I hear a car door open. Aiden furrowed his eyebrows and gave me a questioning look. "those voices sound so familiar"
"If you've watched one of Nai's movies or seen one of Dahlia's shows then that would be why," Lori tells him while my best friends walk into the room.
"Hey bitches!" Dahlia screams with excitement as she walks in. "Ooo, I've only seen photos of you guys but meeting Alana and Lori's family in person is nice" Then her eyes meet the famous basketball player and she gawks at him. "I'm engaged but you're the type of guy who'd make me consider being bi."
"Wait- since when are you engaged?" I say shocked.
"Oh, shit... we were keeping that on the down low." She slaps her forehead. "Whatever, now you know. Anyways, you catch what I'm trying to say, Big Guy." She bites her lip. "You are-"
"-Dahlia, take it down a notch" Nai looks at her annoyed because of her loudness and the comment about Aiden.
She doesn't seem surprised to hear of her engagement which means she already knew. I know they're hiding something, possibly big, but I'll ignore it until I can't anymore.
Dahlia fixes her dress and mumbles. "Oh yeah, Lana and Lori's babies are gone"
"Speaking of babies" Marcus starts. "Do you regret having Seriyah?"
I smile at his question. Of course I don't, I've loved Seriyah since I found out she was inside of me. "Seriyah is lovely and I don't regret keeping her"
He nods at that and I change the subject. "Alright guys, let's go find the girls"
"The last time I saw them was five hours ago" Athena states. "It's dark out now so we have to find them quick"
Right as we exit the living room, the back door opens and a laughing Ria strolls inside with a giggling Seriyah. "We had the funnest a-venture, Ma" Ria stutters over her laugh.
"Are our kids drunk?" I whisper to Lori and she scoffs. "Better not be"
"We aren't" Seriyah grows serious and glares at me. "He taught me how to glare, like it?"
What the fuck
"Who?" I ask her and she spins around walking off. "I can't tell you anything, Ma, I promised him"
The girls walk to their rooms and I want to follow them but it'd probably lead to nowhere so I leave it alone.
I give my family and friends a look that tells them I don't really want to talk right now and I would appreciate it if they leave. "We'll be back tomorrow" Athena informs me before exiting the house with everyone else.
"We won't." Dahlia grins motioning between her and Nai. I already know this, Dhal and Nai are always with their husband and fiancé at least once a week. Since I know Nai's not filming and Dahl's not doing a show, they'll be there.
Lori and I walk up the stairs together before stopping in front of my bedroom door. She's deep in thought for a moment but cuts the silence. "I think we should move in with Matteo" I go to argue but she reasons with me. "He has guards everywhere, it'd be a struggle to get to our girls with that many guards"
"No" I argue anyway. Yes, it'd be smarter but I wouldn't want to be a burden. "I don't want to intrude on your fun time" I wink to keep the mood light.
"Please" She rolls her eyes. "We are talking about safety, you're my family" She shrugs.
I joke. "Dom Toretto?"
"Maybe" She gives me a smirk then gives me a loving look. "I love you and good night, but please think about it." She adds with a grin. "We can have you on the opposite side of the house if you don't want to hear how I'm enjoying being young and fucked right and you're not."
"You know, when I'm leaving the house late at night, it's not for no reason." I roll my eyes. "I love you too, night" I hug her before entering my bedroom door.
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Word count: 3469
Chapter 18 - completeeeee
Shorter chapy but whateves
Anywaysssss
How are y'all?
Feedback/ideas?
I think that's all!!
Bye my lovelies