Sometimes the phone alarm was a mere suggestion. You'd think Ben enjoyed waking up every fifteen minutes just to hit snooze and go back to sleep, but waking up that weekend felt especially unbearable. Sighing, he shifted back and forth, knowing he wouldn't find the same comfort again. Probably hearing Ben's movement, someone knocked on the door.
Ben groaned, showing signs of life. Sighing, Ben opened his eyes, only to find Evelyn's face in front of him. Not breathing and not blinking, with her huge dinner plate eyes staring through him. Ben did a double take, and groaned, more awake than he wanted to be right now. Turning, Ben groaned into his pillow.
"Evie, don't do that." He sighed and peaked out. "How are you feeling, little girl? How are the chompers?"
"They're okay, thanks." Evie motioned him to follow and scampered to his door, hanging and swinging off the doorknob.
"Come on," Evie insisted in her smallest voice.
Ben forced his tired bones, feeling three times his age, and reached out for her hand. She grabbed it, yanking him back to her bedroom. Motioning him again, she wiggled underneath the bed.
Ben rubbed his face and combed back his hair and found the willpower to get on the floor. Fighting all the aches and pains, he crawled to the spot beside her and found she was staring into the copper vent. She signaled for quiet with a finger to her lips. Ben was confused until he heard Anthony's voice reverberating in the vent.
"You're really missing a lot of fun family drama," Anthony explained, and after a small laugh, Anthony added, "Why are you making so much coffee?"
Nino's voice clambered up the vent and closed his eyes, just imagining him downstairs. He still hadn't gotten over the fact he was here. Still here. Still so close. The relief of having him was better than sleeping on a bed without covers. He'd rather have a little comfort than nothing.
"You've obviously never seen Ben drink coffee," Nino said.
"But no one else drinks it," Anthony argued.
"But Ben drinks it. And I'm making it."
Anthony laughed at his brother again. "Got it. You're impossible to understand."
"Do you wanna bust my balls? Or will you finish what you were saying? Sibling drama?"
"Oh, yeah. So, you've been gone for a century and can you guess who brought up what to do with your room? I'll give you one guess."
They said it together, "Bianca."
Even Nino laughed a little. Nino sighed. "It's a huge castle. What could she possibly want to do with my room?"
"You know, Bianca. She's selfish. She wanted to turn it into a dressing room or an extra closet for her clothes."
"That entire room?"
"Right? I suggested an updated gym."
"Did Matty stick up for me?"
"Hell no. He wanted to gut it and make it into a sunroom."
Nino sighed again. Ben glanced at Evie and he could see, even in the dark, a smile on her lips. Nino asked, "So, what won out?"
Anthony chuckled. "Dante is Dante. He said when—not if you come home, you'll want to sleep in your old room. That guy thinks he can predict the future."
"Well... he's not completely wrong. I would want to sleep in my room if I came home."
There was a long pause between the brothers. Anthony was the first to break it. "Does that mean... I mean, would you come home? For a visit?"
"Who knows? I mean... Anthony, you know it wouldn't be a visit. Coming home is coming back to the family business. I don't want to go back to Dante's orders. I don't want to get married to someone I don't know. I'm tired of fighting Dante."
"Is that all?"
"That place is too haunted for me. I'm sorry, Anthony."
"Come on," Ben whispered, shimming back out. "Let's stop." He sat on Evie's floor, waiting for her to reveal herself. She mirrored his position, sitting Criss Cross and yet, with perfect posture.
Ben crossed his arms. "Do you eavesdrop a lot?"
Evie shook her head.
"Really?"
Evie paused and switched her answer to a shrug. Sighing, Ben deflated and slouched over. "You need to respect people's privacy, okay?"
She nodded. "Okay."
Ben didn't hassle her more. Honestly, he couldn't blame her. He'd say he'd do the same thing at her age, but he'd probably do the same thing now. She scurried down the stairs, and Ben walked like a zombie to his bedroom to get changed.
He swung the open to reveal a tall, dark, and handsome blob at the door. Ben grabbed his glasses and Nino focused into view, standing tall in a full black suit tailored to all his angular broad lines. Shaved, showered, Nino had his black curls slicked back. Photoshoot ready, Nino had the power of mind control, super strength, lasting beauty, and the power to rip Ben's heart out and crush it. Only Nino could be so beautiful that Ben saw it as a threat.
"Good morning," Nino said.
Ben made a noncommittal hum before saying, "Morning." He looked at Nino up and down again as that sinking feeling returned. Even if Nino's fiancé didn't want him, seeing him like this might change that guy's mind. "You're ready to go, huh?"
"I'll be back tonight," Nino said it like a promise, as if Ben could actually believe him. "We're going to the club together. Don't you dare tell Lincoln you're going alone."
A laugh jumped out of Ben. "Why do you care if I tell Lincoln?"
"Because I don't want him to hate me more than he already does."
That sinking feeling finally completely sunk and Ben was drowning at the bottom of the ocean in these feelings. Nino needed to understand the importance of his and Lincoln's relationship. Lincoln was Ben's family. He was it.
An evil glint twinkled when Nino grinned. "I'm also trying to win our fight."
Nino strutted towards Ben with that model quality, leaning in close and enveloping Ben's space. Dammit. He even smelled good. Ben crossed his arms so he wouldn't strangle him. He didn't have to go this far for a guy he's about to reject.
"I'll be back soon."
Ben shrugged. "Ok."
"I will."
"I'll believe you."
With a sigh, Nino knew Ben was lying. There was the smallest sliver of hope left in Ben and he wouldn't hold on to it, knowing it'd be just another splinter in his heart. Nino leaned in, pressing a kiss to Ben's forehead. He barely moved from him to say, "I'll be right back."
Ben said nothing. Just watched him leave. Closing his eyes, Ben felt the burn in his eyes, the pressure building in his face and threatening him with tears. The attack was mental, but the hurt was physical, bringing Ben to tears. He just got Nino and now he had already had to let him go. Ben didn't have the right to tell Nino to do anything else. It felt like they were barely even friends.
Ben sighed and let his head fall back on the door, struggling to hold back the tears. A little hand enveloped his and Ben knew who it was immediately. "Evie, my dear friend," Ben glanced down at her. "You're just a kid, but if one day you decide to have a boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner—"
Evie grimaced as if Ben suggested they snack on garbage.
"I know. I know. I'm saying if..." Ben took a deep breath and if he could go back and tell the Ben from seven years ago, he would say, "if you decide to date someone, I'd like to save you a lot of heartache."
Evie put her hands over her and nodded.
"Be honest with the person you like from the start. The very beginning. Be very clear about your needs and your wants, until it's too late, and getting rejected will hurt a lot more when you care a lot more. Does that make sense?"
"No."
Sighing deeply, Ben grabbed an armful of Evie and pulled her back to the bed. "Let's just go back to sleep," he said as Evie groaned and squirmed. While she kicked, Ben just smiled and laughed. A knock on the door stopped all their squirming. Anthony appeared, the angel version of the devil inside of Nino.
He wore a linen white pants suit and blazer with a light blue shirt underneath. He looked like someone threaded together him by summer. "What are we doing?"
"Ben's crying," Evie said.
The pity in Anthony's eyes made Ben want to throw himself out the window. "Are you really?"
"No," Ben said, technically not lying because he already stopped crying.
Anthony chose violence and twisted the knife. "Is it because Nino looked that handsome?"
"Careful. I'll tell Nino you gave him a compliment."
With a grin, Anthony shook his curls around. "Do it. If Nino is handsome, that just means I'm handsome. We have the same genes."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Where are you going so dressed up? Are you meeting your fiancé, too?"
"Are you asking if I'm single, Benjamin?" Anthony laughed, but quickly corrected himself. "No. No. I had some business in the city, but I was able to stop by a store and pick out your outfit."
Studying Anthony again, Ben's stomach refused to settle. If it was any other event, Ben would already try to get out of it. There was nothing quite like the euphoria of canceling plans, but Lincoln and his husband Freddy would never let him. Today was going to be a cruel and unusual sort of social torture.
Lincoln had probably told Ethan and all their friends all about Nino by now. And whatever awful things he said were only going to be proven right.
It dawned on Ben finally as Anthony pulled out his phone. "Evie, you're going to behave, right? You have plenty of blood in the fridge."
"You're going to follow Nino," Ben asked, "aren't you?"
Anthony paused. He glanced up from his phone.
"Dante asked you to, didn't he?"
A small laugh puttered out of Anthony. "You've really blended into this family, haven't you? Yes. I'm going to check on Nino. Just to make sure he's going. I won't be a part of it for long. Unless..." He titled his head with that same evil, wicked glint. "Unless you want me to eavesdrop for you again."
"No," Ben said. "I've learned my lesson."
"Then I'll see you guys later."
With that, Anthony rounded the doorframe and disappeared. Ben glanced down at Evie. "Well... it's just us." That finally made him actually smile. "What should we do?" Evie smiled back up at him and he realized maybe this day wasn't a total waste.
***
Evening came rolling much faster than Ben wanted, like an eighteen-wheeler, and Ben was the squirrel who couldn't get to the other side of the road fast enough. Ben certainly felt like roadkill. Evie and Ben spent the day watching movies and painting each other's nails, and it was becoming clear to Ben that Evie might grow into a perfectionist. Learning and excelling both interested her. Eventually, Ben received a text from Lincoln.
Lincoln: Focus on your deadline. We're not letting you go home until late tonight.
This man had no idea how much he was kicking Ben while he was down. Ben just couldn't handle the fact Nino had read his books and now knew that his hero, Luca, was just Nino in a different wrapping. It was too late to change now. Evie was kind enough to entertain herself by writing her own story.
Ben wrote something awful and glanced at Evie. She was scribbling away, and Ben caught himself looking at her so fondly. She might've bitten him, her fangs might grow, and her father would absolutely murder him the first chance he got, but having Evie around just made Ben feel at ease.
A knock on his bedroom door made Ben jump. Anthony waltzed inside, singing, "Hello, hello! I've brought you some clothes for your date night."
Ben huffed, tossing a button up onto his bed. "It's not a date. Nino didn't make it back in time."
This didn't deter Anthony at all. He raised up a handful of hangers covered in plastic. He must've just gotten them from the dry cleaners. "Oh, whatever. I'm going to dress you so well. You might find a date while you're there."
"Now you're just being mean."
Anthony smiled again. He was like an excitable puppy, always eager to have fun. But just as mischievous as one, too. Anthony draped the clothes over the bed, nearly blinding Ben with bold patterns and the excessive fringe. Anthony held both up to Ben's chin, examining him. "Don't worry. I'm not going to rip you completely from your comfort zone, but I think this is nice."
"You shouldn't have."
"Doing something I shouldn't is my favorite thing to do."
Ben shook his head as Anthony laid those options down to pick up two more with more neutral colors that Ben wouldn't admit he actually liked. Ben stared at Anthony like an unsolvable math equation. "Why are you doing this?" Ben asked.
Anthony held a shirt to his chin, his dark eyes analyzing every detail of Ben's face. "Can't you see? Haven't you noticed? I'm rooting for you."
"But why?"
"I think you're good for Nino."
Before this summer, Ben might've been flattered. Before meeting the Ventura family, Ben might've been delighted that Nino's family approved of him... but now that Ben knew this family, he knew better than to trust Anthony at face value because it wasn't just about Nino finding a partner. It was always more with this family.
Ben pushed the clothes away and crossed his arms, refusing to fall for it. "Because you want him to give up modeling? Because you think this will bring him back home?"
A small smile curled Anthony's lips. "Because my brother hasn't cared about anything for five years. Not about his family, his life, or himself, but he cares about you. He smiles when he's with you, when he's here. I don't think you understand what that means for me, how amazing it is..." Anthony sighed. "I would do anything for the coven but..." He looked into Ben's eyes, striking right through his soul. "Family comes first. Family must always come first."
Ben's chest clenched. In a funny way, it was just another glaring difference between Nino and Ben. Nino's big family and Ben's lost father. Nino's siblings that loved him and the family Ben made himself. Ben fixated on having Nino with him because he didn't believe in unearned relationships. Without Ben choosing to let Lincoln in, Ben would have no one. Nino always had someone in his corner, even if he didn't want it. That included Ben.
"Try this," Anthony said, pushing an outfit into Ben's hands. "I think I've got the measurements right."
Although Ben couldn't trust anything Anthony said, he couldn't think of a reason why Anthony would lie. In a few minutes, Ben pulled on a vintage brown and burnt orange knit polo and corduroy pants. He wore the boots from Anthony, but skipped the accessories, except for the belt.
Ben checked his phone. He was already running late. He couldn't wait for Nino any longer. Checking himself in the mirror, Ben wondered if Anthony also purchased him an extra layer of skin. His skin didn't seem thick enough tonight. He felt more fragile than usual.
Walking downstairs, he said his goodbyes to Anthony and Evie.
"Be safe," Anthony said. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do... or would do. Just link up with your friends and chill."
That got a laugh out of Ben. "I'll be fine."
"Bye," Evie said and waved her hand.
Ben gave them both a quick hug and walked into the warm summer air. He thought Nino would at least find a way for Anthony to go with him, but Ben was on the city streets alone, begging for one of Gabriel's men to attack him. Sighing, Ben took out his phone again and told Lincoln he was on his way.
A car horn blared, and Ben thought he was going to spit out his heart. Jumping, Ben lost grip of his phone and had to fumble with it before securing it again. Ben spun around, his heart racing, and tried to figure out the quickest way to get back to the apartment, until he heard Nino's voice.