Lorenzo POV.
When I went to check on Eli, they were fast asleep on the little bench at the end of their bed. I just closed the door and let them have a nap for now. We'd talk about everything at lunch.
I walked back downstairs, where my brothers were waiting for me.
"They fell asleep," I said with a shrug.
"They've had a rough couple of days, and they woke up really early today, so let them sleep," Alessandro said before going to his office, probably to call Dimitri.
I was shocked when Eli said, they hadn't been to school. I don't think there's another word to describe it. I thought it was weird, that they hadn't been home for almost two years, but I thought they were at camp so it was normal. But now I don't know what to think. We hadn't even found out what kinda camp it was, but I guess they didn't go to school there.
Eli POV
As soon as I woke up, I remembered, what had happened. I groaned and fell back down onto the bench. I was doing so well, and now this happened. It had been almost two months since the last time, and I was slowly getting back on the right track, only to have a fucking relapse.
I really felt like doing it again, just because I failed once more but I just took a deep breath and composed myself. I grabbed a cigarette from my bag and lit it up on the balcony. I didn't even realize how much I needed that until the familiar smoke was traveling down into my lungs. I stared at the pills in my hand for a long time, playing with them, twisting them around, but finally decided against it. I still had lunch and dinner with my new brothers to get through.
"So... what did you mean earlier, when you said you hadn't been to school in five years?" Lorenzo asked me after we all sat down to eat.
"Oh, just that I was homeschooled," I simply answered putting some salad on my plate. I seriously couldn't eat anything else at that time.
My brothers just nodded, but I could tell neither Alessandro nor Matteo completely believed me.
"So you'll be starting school in a week from now. We just have to get everything in order before then," Alessandro explained, to which I responded with a smile.
"I'll take you shopping, to find whatever you need for school," Lorenzo said while stuffing his face with spaghetti.
I frowned a bit. I didn't have any money right now, but I guess I'll figure it out.
"Sure, thanks," I smiled back at Lorenzo.
"By the way, do you guys go to church on Sundays?" I asked the question that had been on my mind the whole day. I thought everyone went to church once a week.
Antonio chuckled a bit like it was funny, to which I just raised my eyebrows.
"Nah, we haven't gone to church since Easter," Gabriele answered with a smirk.
"We could, if you want to," Matteo suggested, to which I just shook my head.
"No, it's fine. I was just wondering. Me and the big guy aren't really on the best terms right now," I said jokingly glaring at the ceiling, earning a couple of chuckles.
"I hear that," Antonio mumbled while inhaling his food. It was actually pretty disgusting.
I mean, the food was good, but the way he ate was like a pig on its birthday.
After lunch, I insisted on helping Anna with the dishes. She fought a good battle, but no one can win against me.
After that, Lorenzo, and Gabriel showed me to the garage, and let me tell you, it was huge. There were five gorgeous cars parked next to each other, each one more expensive, than the last. I couldn't help but think of all the people I knew, that could've been fed with the money they spent on useless things like that. I followed the boys into a beautiful black Porche as Lorenzo sat in the driver's seat while Gabriele and I sat in the back together.
"Hold on tight," Gabriel whispered as Lorenzo started the car.
As soon as we started, I could see why he said that. Lorenzo drove like a madman. I didn't know what the speed limit was, but I'm one hundred percent sure he doubled it. After the initial shock, I fucking loved it. I had the biggest smile on my face, which just encouraged Lorenzo to go faster.
"I thought you were a lame-ass doctor," I yelled over the engine roaring.
"Rude, I'm a cool-ass doctor-to-be," Lorenzo called back fake offended.
We reached the mall in record time, with Gabriele almost throwing up in the parking lot.
"Don't be a drama queen," Lorenzo just laughed as Gabriele pretended to faint.
The mall was filled with so many different stores I had never seen in my entire life. I just shopped at thrift stores and flea markets, but this was some next-level shopping. There was no fucking way I would ever afford this, but then again, my new brothers were loaded with money. I know it's not their fault, but in a way, I found myself resenting them for it. They got to live like this, while I had to survive on my own or die.
Gabriele showed us into a store, that I really liked, but when I looked at the price tags, I did a complete U-turn. Lorenzo however told me to ignore the price tags and practically dragged me around the store. He would show me something, and if he thought he saw even some hesitation before I said 'no it cost too much' he took it.
While Lorenzo was forcing me to shop, Gabriele had found a cute girl, who worked at the store and they were very much hitting it off.
As the dude behind the counter rang us up, I felt sick watching the price go higher and higher. In the end, it was over two grand.
"Lorenzo I can't get this. I'll never afford that," I said almost laughing at how ridiculous the price was.
"You're not paying," he said trying to read me again.
"Not now, not ever. Alessandro gave me his credit card," he continued with a smirk.
I immediately felt bad about spending Alessandros' money. I knew they were rich, but still, that's a lot of money. I wouldn't have probably been more comfortable spending that amount of money from my own savings, than taking someone else's money. I just tried to justify it by looking around, remembering the house they lived in. He could afford it and probably wouldn't even notice the money leaving his bank account.
After the first store, we did that in two other stores, while Gabriel just chatted with his new friend. Lorenzo just rolled his eyes at him saying that he does that a lot. I hummed an 'I wish' under my breath, which earned a loud chuckle from Lorenzo.
After clothes shopping, Lorenzo insisted on getting me a computer. Even tho I tried to explain, that I didn't need one Lorenzo was adamant. In the end, he bought me a laptop, an Ipad, and a new phone. He said mine was way too old to even be called technology.
We got back to the house after three excruciating hours of nonstop shopping. I kept on telling them, I had enough, but they kept on buying me things that I didn't even know existed before going out with the boys. In the end, I couldn't even carry all the bags myself but had to have the boys help me out.
After putting the new things in my room, I went to find Alessandro. I would unpack them some other time if I had the energy.
In the end, I found Alessandro in his office working like usual, I guess. I knocked on the door and almost immediately got a curt invite to go in.
"I just wanted to say thank you for paying," I said when I stepped into the very expansive-looking office.
Alessandro just drew his brows together, like he did a lot, trying to study me once again. I didn't like it when he did that. I guess it was a habit, and I did it too, but I didn't want people to be that interested in me.
"Of course, you needed new things," he said turning away from his work to look me in the eyes.
I nodded awkwardly and swayed on my feet.
"So, how much do I owe you?" I asked hoping I could pay him back in short payments.
That's when Alessandro gave me his undivided attention. He crossed his fingers on the desk and leaned forward.
"Let's get one thing straight. You will not be paying for your necessities. I am more than able to buy you clothes," he said with a sense of finality in his voice.
I don't get scared easily, but that was pretty close. I didn't even know why. I guess I was scared, that I got him angry, or that he'd punish me like my parents used to. I never let it show tho. I wouldn't. I couldn't let them see that part of me. If people see your weakness, it's easier for them to control you, and I was not going to let that happen. Not again.
Alessandro POV.
I was actually happy, that Eli knocked on my door. I had way too much work to do, and tho I'd never say anything, I needed a break. What I wasn't expecting, was for Eli to nervously ask me, how much they needed to pay me for the clothes. I didn't really understand, where it was coming from, but I needed to make it clear to them, that they were not going to pay us.
Soon after they left with a nod, I got a call from Dimitri, who had been in contact with a private investigator.
"Tell me you found something," I huffed on the phone.
"Well good day to you too," Dimitri joked on the other side of the line.
"I swear to god, anyone else would be buried in the woods by now," I grumbled under my breath while rubbing my temples.
"You know you love me," Dimitri joked earning an annoyed groan from me.
"We didn't get much. We found some old school records and papers from a music school in Chicago, but we got nothing about their family life. We'll keep looking," Dimitri briefed me suddenly changing his tone.
That's why I kept him on. He was a pain in the ass, but he knew what he was doing.
After scanning over the documents, Dimitri sent me, I was extremely impressed. Eli had straight A's in all their classes and an impressive extra curriculum. They were two years ahead of their peers, and they had skipped two grades. In the music school, they had documents from, violin, piano, cello, and flute, all exceptional. The documents all stopped about five years ago, and from then on, it was just occasional markings here and there, for three years. After that, there was absolutely nothing.
I was getting increasingly curious, and extremely annoyed because I just couldn't find out what was going on. I was used to getting things my way, so trying to solve a mystery wasn't really my thing.
Antonio POV
I knocked on Eli's door soon after they got back from the mall. I didn't really know them that well, but I could imagine, they weren't a big fan of shopping. I heard some shuffling, and soon the door opened.
"Hi," they said waiting for me to say something.
"Hey, I need to talk to you," I said with a serious tone.
Eli's face immediately dropped, but just for a second, before it got back up to its usual smile, and they let me in.
We sat down onto the little couch in their room, as I tried to figure out what to say.
"I came in yesterday, and I smelled pot," I decided to tell them as straightforwardly as I could.
I saw, how their face flashed with panic, before pulling back into it's unreadable resting look.
"Did you tell the others?" they asked completely expressionless.
"Nah, I ain't a snitch," I said kicking my feet up onto the table.
"But, I don't want you doing that shit, okay? You're just sixteen for fucks sake, so I fucking hope it was a one time thing," I said taking the role of the big brother for the first time in my life.
I actually surprised myself. I know, I'm Gabriele's big brother, but the age gap is so small, that I never got that 'big brotherly' with him. Now I didn't even realize, what I was doing, but I guess Eli woke up that part of me.
"Of course, it won't happen again," Eli said throwing their hands in the air.
I just nodded, still in shock, from my own reaction.
Eli POV
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Antonio smelt the pot. Fuuuuuuuck. I'm so fucked. I'm just lucky he believed it to be a one-time thing. I wasn't going to let them know about my problems, also it was one of the rules, and I was not ready to break them yet.
After he left, I stared at my mirror for a long time. It felt like forever, but it was probably just a few seconds. In that time my mind managed to race over so many things. Fuck I needed to cut, I fucking needed a smoke, actually, a fix would really make this better, maybe I'd just pop the pill I got from Diego.
I knew I needed to take it slow for a few days, so they'd stop watching my every move. I could go clean for a few days, right?