- A m a r a R u s s o -
A week has passed, and I still haven't brought up the subject of going to Elena's house to Salvatore just yet. This was because I knew that I had been acting out lately, and that Salvatore would never let me out with the attitude I had on.
This was why I made sure that I have been on my best behaviour the past week, studying my ass off all night to bring home good- better grades.
It's not that I didn't try to get better grades though. I always do. It's just that I tried even harder to get my grades to go up. I'd stay up until midnight, studying until my eyes shut down on me. It may seem like a bad thing, pushing my body to its limits, but I honestly loved it.
Why I love it is actually not even related to my grades though. It's more because sometimes my body and brain would be too tired, no nightmares would be plaguing my sleep and I would actually have a decent number of hours I could sleep peacefully.
it might not be healthy, but who cares these days, except for Salvestro of course. Salvatore wouldn't care. He's too busy working on his business to care. Sandeo is too oblivious of my feelings to care. And don't even get me started on the twins.
I'm literally ninety-nine point nine percent sure that they'd laugh at me if I told them my problems.
Now, if you're wondering why I don't tell Salvestro, it's actually very simple.
Salvestro would tell Salvatore everything, and I didn't want Salvatore to know my problems. Sure, he may be my brother, but it's safe to say that I still have a great amount of fear of him.
Furthermore, Salvestro is too intrusive. He may want the best for me, but I can tell that every question he asks is meant to be asked to get the most amount of information out of me.
As you can probably see, I still don't trust my brothers after months of staying with them, just proving how damaged my trust is. The only person I feel like I can trust is Elena, and I'm not joking.
It's not because she's my best friend, but more because Elena is ignorant to my problems, and doesn't ask any questions when I act weird, just accepting me for who I am on that particular day. I think the word for this is that she's not suffocating like my brothers. I feel like I can breathe properly around her, and it's depressing to just think that I feel more comfortable with my friend than my brothers.
"You still haven't asked your brothers yet?" Elena frowned, and I shook my head.
"No, sorry." I apologized, "It's just that they've been so busy recently, and I don't exactly want to bother them, Salvatore especially."
Elena gave me a sympathetic look, her head nodding her understanding at my situation.
"It's fine," she murmured, "It's just that the exam in is three weeks, so we have to start studying soon. Maybe I can come to your house?"
"I don't know," I answered, "I think you coming to my house is the better option to be honest with you, but who knows? I'll ask Salvatore tonight. Promise."
"Alright," Elena said, her bubbly attitude back in full force. "Let's get to P.E before we're late." she giggled, and started dragging me to the gym.
~
- S a l v a t o r e R u s s o -
"Salvatore?"
A tiny voice broke into my thought process as my fingers worked furiously over my keyboard as my brain sprouted out what I wanted it to say to Ace.
"Yes?" Absentmindedly, I pressed the 'send' button, I closed my laptop so that Amara doesn't see all the illegal websites I've been on that could help track where the Irish were. Looking up, I see the image of Amara in front of me, picking at her nails as she looked around my office with a look of wonder on her face.
"I was wondering if..." she talked quietly, and I could barely hear her. Where did all of her spunk go?
Realizing that, all of her features came into my mind as my brain processed what my eyes were looking at.
Amara's eyes had huge bags under them, and she looked thinner than before. Her usual bright brown eyes were dim, as if something was haunting her, and that thought had my mouth pulling into a thin line.
What in the...
"Amara." I interrupted, "Speak up. I can barely hear you."
Amara gulped, her throat bobbing up and down as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face, just showing how nervous she was talking to me.
It's not like I could blame her though. I barely interact with her on a daily basis, and with my name on social media and the radio calling me a 'cold-hearted bastard' it is not helping my case... Not that they aren't true though.
I could be that, I admit it, but I wasn't that bad when with my family, right? I mean, I could tell that all of them had a healthy amount of fear in them, but the amount of terror Amara was radiating right now, it was making me rethink my actions.
However, my face still remained unmoving. That must be why she's so afraid. Maybe it's because she can't tell what I was thinking or feeling? Who knows.
"I umm," Amara looked anywhere but me as she spoke. "I was wondering if I could, like, maybe go to my friend's house?"
It was meant to be a statement, but she made it sound like a question, as if the question was going to cause me to put a bullet through her skull.
She should not be this scared when talking to me, even if the answer to her question is something she already knows the answer to. She's a Mafia princess for god's sake. I could never stay angry at her like I could with the twins and Sandeo.
It's not because we think that she's weak though. But more because we couldn't bear to see her cry, as each heart-breaking sob felt like daggers twisting into my already bleeding heart.
She reminded me of someone who I loved with all my heart, and I couldn't protect her. I'd be damned if I let another person I love die because of my stupidity and incompetence.
"No." I stated firmly, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Please?" she wedged, "I want to get good marks, and Elena invited me over to her house to do some studying together."
Hmm, let's see. Her safety or her grades? Obviously the former. It shouldn't even be a question.
"No," I shook my head, "It's too dangerous right now, and I can't risk it."
"But-"
"Maybe," I sighed, "I'll tell you my answer by tomorrow."
A small smile lit up her face, and she gave me a dip of her head. Honestly, I shouldn't even be telling her that. I should've given a firm no and let her be on her way. Now, I just made it worse for her and myself when I tell her no again tomorrow.
"Okay." she whispered softly, "And thank you, even if you didn't give me an answer yet."
Damn. This is why you should always stay upfront with your intentions. Actually, forget what I said, as that would make me a hypocrite.
~
"Salvestro."
"Yeah?"
"I have something I want to talk to you about." I muttered, swirling my glass of whiskey.
Salvestro perked up, and he immediately came to my side, ignoring the men who grumbled their annoyance at him as they reshuffled the deck of cards.
"What is it?" he whispered.
"Amara wants to go over to her friend's house." I murmured, and a puzzled expression came on his face.
"She wants to go to her friends house?" he repeated, and I nodded my head.
"Well isn't the obvious answer supposed to be no?"
I didn't answer, suddenly finding the whiskey sloshing around in my glass so much more fascinating.
"Don't tell me you said maybe." he groaned, and I lifted my shoulder in a shrug.
"Maybe?"
He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.
"Salvatore," he grumbled, "Well? What do you want me to do?"
"Find a solution to the problem." I said simply, and he gave me a scowl as his eyes glared daggers at me.
Oh well.
I heard Salvestro curse at me silently as I chuckled on the inside. It has been a long time since I've bantered - even if it is just a tiny bit - with my siblings. I missed it.
"Well, I mean, you could maybe have her best friend come over to our house?" he suggested, and I cocked my head to the side to stare at Salvestro.
"You want her to come to our house." I blinked, and he nodded.
"It's safer than Amara going to her house," he shrugged.
"But is it safe?" I frowned, and he gave me a playful expression.
"I don't know," he drawled in amusement, "Her best friend is thirteen years old. It definitely isn't safe."
"Stop being so damn sarcastic." I muttered, downing the glass in my hand and slamming it onto the table. "I'm just worried."
"Sometimes, I think you're more of the worrywart than I am." Salvestro laughed, "I may seem like the one who constantly worries, but you're probably the one who worries the most out of all of us. You just never show it, unlike me."
He has no idea how much truth was in his words.
~~~
- A m a r a R u s s o -
"Alright, I've decided." Salvatore declared as he came into my room in the morning.
Lucky me, today I had a day off from exercising because the twins forgot to do their homework last night and were busy typing away at their laptops, their breakfast forgotten.
"Yes?"
"You cannot go to her house," Salvatore started, and I felt my hope plummet to the ground, "But, she may come over on a few conditions."
I nodded my head eagerly, already excited at the prospect of her coming over, even if it is conditions.
"It is best to write it down by the way," Salvatore advised, "I'm not going to repeat them, and if she breaks even one of these, she won't be able to come over, ever again."
"Got it," I was giddy with joy as I bounced up the stairs, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen as I raced down stairs back to the dining room where I prepared to write down everything Salvatore tells me.
"Alright, you should start writing." Salvatore cleared his throat, before starting to list off so many rules.
Rules:
Do not tell anyone of you coming over.
Do not tell anyone of anything you see in our home.
Do not go into any rooms other than the first floor, and Amara's room.
Do not touch anything unless given explicit permission from one of us.
Do not take part in any illegal activities.
Do not take advantage of your time here and do stuff other than studying.
Do not lie when talking to us.
Give a phone number just in case of emergencies.
"Easy enough to follow," I murmured when I was done. "Is there anything else?"
"Not at the moment, no." Salvatore replied.
"Okay!" I said, and put my things back into my bag. "I'll give this to Elena when I see her today."
Salvatore hummed his acknowledgment, but otherwise didn't say anything as he got out his blazer, swinging it over his shoulders.
"Stella." he stated, and the maid came scurrying over.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Salvestro is busy today." he told her, "I'm going to need you to drive the four of them to school."
"Of course, Sir." Stella replied dutifully. "I'll do that, Sir."
"Make sure to bring them to school on time. If they don't listen to you, just give me a call."
"Got it, Sir." She bowed her head in understanding as Salvatore left the room, the twins still not registering anything they heard as their fingers typed furiously over their keyboards.
Just then, a bleary eyed Sandeo came over and he slumped into the seat.
"Good morning." he mumbled, before his face smashed right onto the table.
I winced at the noise and how much that wouldn hurt, but Sandeo made no sound of pain as Stella brought over two cups of coffee.
"Here you go," she murmured quietly to Sandeo. "Your morning coffee, Sir."
"Stop calling me that," Sandeo muttered, "You've been here for years before I was born."
"Yes bu-"
"Just don't." he scowled, and Stella wisely shut her mouth.
Sandeo was still grumpy from waking up in the early morning, so his attitude was not the best. Maybe his girlfriend can help cheer him up a bit.
"Cheer up," Salvino muttered absentmindedly as he clicked a few buttons with his mouse. "Maybe your girlfriend can help cheer up your horrible mood."
Look at the telepathic ability we have!
"Maroline is not my girlfriend!" Sandeo snapped, and an amused Santino raised a brow.
"The fact that your mind immediately went to Maroline is suspicious." Salvino had a teasing tint in his tone as he smirked at a red-faced Sandeo.
"You two are so annoying," Sandeo growled, taking a cup and gulping it down in one go to distract himself.
"Just admit it." Santino drawled, "You love the cold-hearted bitch."
"Don't call her that." Sandeo snarled, and both of the twins' smirks widened at his protective instincts.
"Aww," Salvino teased, "Protecting your girlfriend aren't you?"
"Damn it, guys!" Sandeo shouted, slamming the cup on the table. The glass shattered, and shards of glass cut into his skin as I jumped back to get away from the flying glass.
The twins looked shocked at what Sandeo just did, and I was too. I've never seen Sandeo this angry before, and it was shocking. A vein was bulging in his neck, and his biceps were flexing as he clenched and unclenched his hands.
What caused such a big reaction?
Normally, Sandeo took the twins' teasing in stride, taking everything as a joke. What was so different about today?
"Fuck." Sandeo groaned, and Stella soon came running into the room, a panic look flashing across her face.
"Si- Sandeo!" She rushed over to his side, a concerned look on her face.
"Don't bother." he mumbled, waving her off.
"But-"
"Stop." he stated, and an unsure Stella went away, probably going to get a broom to get the shards of glass off the table.
"What happened?" Santino frowned when she left.
"Nothing happened," Sandeo replied, "I just lost control."
"No, seriously." Salvino insisted, "What's wrong with you? You usually take our teasing like a champ. What was so different about today's topi-"
He cut himself off as his eyes widened.
"My God, are you saying that Maroline is actually your girlfriend?" Salvino's voice went high in the end, as if we couldn't believe the words he was sprouting.
Sandeo's face flamed red, and he started picking up the shards of glass on the table, completely ignoring his brothers.
"No way," Santino gasped, "No wonder you took the fact that you couldn't play basketball with your friends that seriously. You just wanted to spend time with your girlfriend!"
A look of mischief completely overtook both of their faces as they gave each other meaningful looks. Oh no.
"I can't believe we were right though, right Santino?" Salvino announced loud and clear for all of us to hear. "I always thought that Sandeo never had the guts to ask her out."
"Yeah," his twin agreed, "Sandeo, why wouldn't you tell us sooner? Maybe we could've helped you ask her out!"
"You did tell Salvatore right?" Salvino continued, "You know that Salvatore doesn't like us dating without him knowing because of safety risks an-"
"SHUT UP !" Sandeo roared, and the glass shards he picked up flew out of his arms as spit flew out of his mouth. "Fuck, you guys pry like there's no tomorrow when it is none of your fucking business!"
"No need to get so angry," Santino muttered, raising his hands up in a surrender position as he regarded his older brother. "It was harmless teasing. Didn't know you'd get so worked up because of it."
"Just shut the fuck up." Sandeo scowled, "Don't stick your nose into things you don't know about."
"Geez, no need to be so defensive." muttered Salvino, "We won't do it again, happy?"
"It's none of your business what goes on in my life," Sandeo's mouth pulled into a disgusting sneer. "I'll tell you if I want to, and I certainly don't want to tell you guys anything."
That must hurt their pride, a lot.
"Got it," murmured Salvino, as he and Santino both shared another look.
Sandeo was hiding something none of us wanted to know about. That was for sure.
~
That lunch, while sitting with their friend group, I made sure to keep an eye on Maroline and Sandeo.
Both of them interacted like normal. No meaningful looks, no signs of codes passed between them, just pure friendship. What in the world?
Was Sandeo just protective over his best friend and I was just reading the situation wrong in the morning? Or is something happening right under my nose; something I just don't know about?
"Yeah," Maroline agreed to whatever Sandeo was telling her. "I know what I'm doing, don't worry."
"You sure?" Sandeo asked, and he gave her a worried look.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
"Alright," he relented, a hint of uncertainty in his tone. "So can we talk about what happened? Like why-"
"Don't." she warned, "Not now. We'll talk about why I did it later."
"But-"
"Not now."
Just like that, the conversation was shut down and a disheartened and confused Sandeo went back to his full plate.
He didn't have his usual twinkle in his when he saw food though. Right now, he looked anything but hungry, which was saying a lot.
Why? Because Sandeo is never not hungry. He's always starving, so the fact that he isn't even touching is food is pretty concerning.
I turned to face the twins, to see them and their four other friends conversing with each other, sending glances at Sandeo and Maroline from time to time.
It seems like I'm not the only one who noticed his stranger behaviour, and that just had me even more intrigued at what drama was brewing right under my nose.
***
It's almost Christmas... In only about two weeks! I can't believe how much time has passed, and that I've been writing this book for about three months already, almost four.
Thank you to everyone who is currently reading this Author's Note, and if you did, please comment 'Snooderdoodle'. It's a test to see who actually reads my Author Notes. Also make sure that you spell it right, or else it won't count, lmao.
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the Chapter and the update will be within the next 72 hours! As always, stay safe guys, and remember to protect yourselves from our famous COVID-19!
~ CRAZY40429 💋
QotC: What was your favourite cartoon when you were 5 years old?
Vote | Comment | Follow | Share