It All Begins And Ends In Your Mind
"I can't believe you're leaving me."
"I'm not leaving you." I remarked making the same statement I've made to my sister probably a million times by now.
She was fully convinced that I wasn't ever going to come back.
"Levi keeps saying that you aren't coming back." Complained Emilia knowing fully well that Levi was just saying that shit to get under her skin.
It was clearly working.
"Reagan has left plenty of times and he keeps coming back." Holding out my hand Emilia handed me the tools under the car that I needed without even asking.
"That's Reagan though I've grown up with him floating between home and where ever the fuck he goes. I've never actually been away from you."
Now that I thought about it my sister was right, the two of us have never been this long apart.
"You'll be fine, you can still call me obviously." I remarked holding out my hand for the bolts but nothing came my way making me frown and push myself from out under the car.
That's when I was greeted with a deep glare coming from my younger sister making me roll my eyes at her once more. Clearly something had crossed her mind in the last ten seconds and she was now pissed at me.
"What?"
"Ash told me you and River have fell out."
Not being able to help it, I let out a laugh that I didn't even bother to try and hide. "Me and River haven't fallen out."
Even saying his name out loud had my mind wondering to how everything was about to change between the two of us.
"Then why hasn't River been over? And Ash said he hasn't seen you over at their house either all week."
"I don't know Emilia what do you want me to say? We've just both been busy." Taken the bolts that my sister hadn't handed me I went back under the car only for Emilia to pull me back out again with a grip on my ankle.
"The two of you have never been too busy to not see each other for a week."
"Maybe we've just grown apart." I tried to go back under the car but Emilia didn't let me have an inch.
"Bullshit. You and River have been joined to the hip since you were born so what's really going on?"
"Nothing." I said trying to shrug her off but she wouldn't let go. "Why the fuck are you so strong."
"Did you fall out because your leaving and the two of you have a thing."
Instantly I froze and looked up at my sister.
"What are you talking about?"
"Please, I know that you and River have slept together, more than once might I add. I'm fourteen not stupid or blind."
Keeping a blank face I shrugged. "I have no idea what you're on about."
Emilia rolled her eyes and slapped me on the thigh of my leg making me shout out in pain.
"What the fuck was that for?" I remarked rubbing my leg where there was now a red mark. I was just in my shorts so the evidence was pretty clear.
Emilia picked up a screwdriver and pointed it at me threateningly "Don't lie to me, you always tell me not to lie to you so don't you do it to me."
Looking at my sister I realised for probably the first time that she wasn't that little girl that used to hide behind me and Levi at our parents gatherings or dinners. She was more confident now and she knew how to get what she wanted.
And what she wanted was information from me.
"Ok yes, me and River had a thing but that was it. Frankly it was just a bit of fun and it wasn't ever something that we talked about."
"That's it?" Asked my sister doubtful.
"That's it." I promised her with my hands raised in peace.
Emilia threw the screwdriver to the ground and crossed her arms almost seeming annoyed. "Well that's boring, I thought there was more to it. After all these years I was kind of hoping that the two of you had been secretly going out."
Letting out a laugh I stood up from the ground. "No, nothing else."
"Damn, I owe Ezra twenty bucks." Whispered Emilia under her breath but I had caught it all the same.
"What?"
"Shit, nothing." Remarked Emilia when her eyes clashed with my own in her panic and I looked at her suspiciously.
"Did you and Ezra have a bet going on about me and River?" This time it was me who picked up the screwdriver and pointed it at my sister in the same manner that she had only done a few moments ago.
"Ok, I'd like to clear up that it wasn't just us two." Emilia grinned with her hands raised backing away from me.
"Who else was in this little bet?"
"Ash, Levi, some of our cousins, Elijah-"
"Elijah?" I remarked confused, my voice raising higher. How many people were in this bet.
"-Reagan-"
"Reagan!"
"Even uncle Damon and Zane-"
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!"
"In my defence Zane actually placed a bet with how quick dad will kill River if he finds out, who is his son might I add." There was a moments pause before she blurted out the next part. "He said ten minutes depending where he is, 30 seconds if he's in the City"
"Oh my fucking god." My hand was running through my hair in frustration and panic. Frankly, I had so many emotions running through me right now I didn't know what to think or say.
"It's not that bad." Grinned Emilia looking highly amused and proud of herself.
"Not that bad? Are you kidding me I don't think any of this can get much worse!"
"Well, I can make that become a reality if you want."
Everything was telling me not to ask how but I knew I just had too. "How?"
"Mom placed that bet with Zane. She said it would take dad at least five minutes if he's in the City because he would just freeze for a moment first when he finds out."
It was like the rug was just ripped out from under me and I was fucking drowning. In fact drowning wasn't even the word I'd use. I feel like I've just fell into hell and there was no escape.
There was no way this was real life.
"You know what, now that I think about it it's probably for the best you're leaving for Italy."
My eyes flew up to look at Emilia who was once again backing away from me and I couldn't blame her. I was about to explode.
"I think I'm going to throw up." Everything around me was spinning and I knew there was no way I was going to be able to look anyone in the eye again.
"Ewwww, I've already watched you throw up in a plant when you were hungover I don't need to see it again."
Looking up at my sister I was willing to bet there was a desperate pled on my face as I looked at her. "Emilia, please say this is one of those times when you're fucking with me."
Emilia shook her head with a wide grin on her face. "Unfortunately not, for you. For me on the other hand, is loving this."
"I need some air." Turning to one of my bikes I lifted a helmet and threw it on.
"Where are you going?" Laughed out Emilia knowing fine rightly why I needed out of here in the first place.
"Away from here." I remarked throwing my leg over the seat off my bike. The engine roared to life and I was out of there before the garage doors even had a chance to fully open.
Frankly the teasing wasn't the real reason that I needed out of there. I could handle that in fact that kind of humour was what I lived for on a normal day I would have just said some snarky or commented some sort of shit to get back at her.
The real reason I needed out of there was because it reminded me of what I was going to miss when I leave.
I wasn't going to lie, I was feeling slightly homesick without even leaving yet.
I hated the feeling.
It made me feel weak.
Flying through the streets on my bike was the only way I knew to get my mind of us. The same streets that I knew better than anything, it was like a map in my head. A map that could look completely different when I returned.
When ever that could be.
I wasn't stupid or naive, I knew that I would be gone for a while it wasn't going to be a matter of months.
It was going to be a matter off years.
My parents didn't build there empire over night and Italy wasn't going to be any different. They needed to learn who they could trust, making connections, learning the ropes in a completely different country. All these factors were reasons that I knew that I wouldn't be coming home any time soon.
There was one thing I did know though.
When I returned I wasn't going to be the same person as when I left.
Weaving in and out of traffic it wasn't long before I was on the edge of the city.
Suddenly I stopped.
Looking over my shoulder at the scene behind me I could see the towering buildings that loomed behind me. A City that my parents helped build.
Of course it had always been a top place to live but my parents had turned it into something else. They had taken out poverty with everyone having somewhere to belong. If you needed help there was plenty of charities that mom had created to help those kinds of people with anything they needed.
Mom always gave back to the City that she claims gave her, her power.
"Layla Kennedy."
My head snapped around to voice that had called my name, an unfamiliar voice.
There in front of me was a man who had to be in his sixty's but he didn't look one bit his age at all. With a salt and pepper hair colour that was styled in the perfect manner. A suit that told the world that he meant business. His presence alone told me that he was someone that turned heads in a crowd.
When I look at his face his features looked so familiar. With a strong jaw and sharp check bones but it wasn't them that caught my attention.
It was his eyes.
The same eyes that I shared with my dad.
Lifting the visor up of my helmet I called out to him "Who are you?"
His car was parked on the other side of the road. I had been so lost in my own thoughts that I handed even heard the car pull up.
That was a dangerous thing for me to ignore and something I was mentally scolding myself over.
The car was the type of car only people from our world could buy.
He tilted his head at me, looking at me with nothing more than a curious look. His hands were in his pockets as he leaned against his car in a completely causal look. He wasn't one bit worried about my presence or what my name represented.
"I'm sure you're not stupid. You probably have guessed who I am already."
He was testing me.
He was playing the same game my mom played.
A deadly game.
"Xavier Kennedy."
"Ahh, it looks like your dad told you about me then." Grinned Xavier in the same look that dad gave when he was being cunning.
"Not dad, mom." I remarked not making a move to get off my bike. I needed to make sure I had a quick get away. This man was next level compared to dealing with the Italians. "Dad doesn't talk about you at all."
Something flashed across his eyes at that but it was gone just as quickly as it came.
"Yea well, me and your dad have a complicated relationship."
Scoffing I looked at him like he was joking. "Complicated? As in when you tried to have my mom killed under his noise?"
"As I said, complicated." Repeated Xavier with that same infamous smirk on his face that he shared with dad.
A look that I shared with the both of them.
"What are you even doing here?" Looking over my shoulder at the City I realised that we were actually not that far from the border.
There was no way that man would dare cross that line, not when I could bet he knew mom and dad knew everything about everyone's coming and going.
It wouldn't take a genius to know that Xavier would be on the top of their 'to watch' list.
"Just needed to see something for myself." Shrugged Xavier like he didn't have a fear or care in the world.
"Which is what?" There was a bite in my tone that I should have checked before I spoke out loud but that just seemed to make Xavier grin more.
"Ah, there's that Kennedy fire." Xavier stood up straight, pushing himself away from the car. He started to make his way over to me one step at a time but I stood my ground. "I heard your brother is the perfect mix between your mom and dad."
This man clearly knew more about our family than he was letting on.
It was clear he had been watching us in some shape or form. Mom had said that the best way to describe Xavier was that he had mind that thought almost like hers. She had told me that one of the biggest challenge she had faced was mind games with this man.
But she had also told me that Xavier was one of the only people she respected the most.
While she hated Nisha, she respected Xavier and that was something I didn't understand.
I never understood what she meant by that.
How could you respect someone who at one point wanted you dead.
"No offence, I know you're technically my grandpa and all that shit but I'm not really in the mood to play family with you. So why don't you just tell me what you want and we can both get on our way."
"Straight to the point." Laughed Xavier, he was standing only a mere five foot from me now. "Have to say kid, I'd admire you for that if you had more of a mind like your moms."
It was a dig, I knew it the second he had spoken it.
"What the fuck is that meant to mean?" I all but snapped out making him grin even more.
"That temper of yours is a dangerous thing." He commented as he looked up and down the road. It was like he was waiting on someone or something. "You should learn to control it."
"Are you really given me advise?" I asked in disbelief but temper still burning in the background.
"Take it how ever you want, kid." Sighed Xavier seeming bored of the conversation now, that did nothing but piss me off even more. "All I'm saying is that your mom, would've worked it out the second she laid eyes on me."
"You need to leave-"
"Before what? You call your parents on me." Xavier waved off completely blowing me off now. "Don't worry I'm going, I got all the answers I need. Your mom isn't normally wrong about anything but I have to say she might be wrong about this."
Xavier started to make his way back over to his car. He had no fear as he even turned his back on me. My hands tightened around the throttle on my bike. This man was doing nothing but taunting me.
Before he went to get into the car. He paused looking at me from over his shoulder.
"Do you want another piece of advice?" He seemed genuine in his words but this man had done nothing but piss me off the second he rocked up.
"What?" I all but growled out in annoyance.
"If you truly want to live in this world you need to get ahead and that includes ahead of your parents."
"You do know who my parents are right?" I laughed out with no humour in my voice. "Don't think that's as easy as you think."
"Oh trust me I know it's not." Remarked Xavier with a smile. "After all look at where taking on your mother got me. I accepted it though, because at the end of the day all parents want is for their kids to become better than them, to build on what they had made. You on the other hand are their child. You can't tell me you want to live in the shadow of your moms name for the rest of your life."
Silence fell between us and he took that as a sign that I knew that he was right.
"Thought so." Opening his car door he looked at me one last time. "So conquer that temper of yours and start using your brain."
"I'm not my brother."
"No but I've seen the tests, I know fine rightly what you're capable off. It's just a matter of what you do with it."
With that he got into the car.
"Tests?" I whispered knowing he wasn't going to hear me but it wasn't a question I wanted him to answer.
Even talking with him for as long as I did was a dangerous thing to do. I watched him car carefully as he turned it around and started to head back the way he came. Never once looking at the direction of the City.
A place that he used to call home.