Adelina POV:
"I swear to god-"
"What are you going to do?" Valentino cocks his head.
Today is Saturday. From the past five saturdays I've spent here, in this house, I've learnt that Valentino is one of the three early risers of their family. In true Valentino fashion, he's insisted for the past five weeks that I wake up at the same time as him.
When I get up at the same time as him, I get an hour and a half of sleep a night. It's easier to sleep with sun.
The nightmares haven't subsided, I've only fallen back into the habit of having them. I was in the middle of one, seeing Micheal's dead eyes, when Valentino shook me awake.
"You look like shit," he says.
I stop to glare at him. My patience had been thin the past couple weeks, and he would do better to tread lightly.
"Do I look like a fucking mirror to you," I grit out quickly.
"Language!" I hear Angelo call out from the top of the stairs.
"Kiss my ass!" I yell back. Angelo looks at me with a dark gaze before I'm pulled into the kitchen by Valentino. He scolds me about talking to our brothers like that, saying that they won't put up with it for much longer. We come to the table and sit down.
"Let her get in shit, maybe she'll learn something," Valerio, our last early riser says.
"Suck a dick," I mutter while his eyes go darker than Angelo.
"I dare you to say some shit like that again little girl," he challenges with a dark glint in his eyes. An intimidating smirk makes way to his lips and his jaw clenches.
"That a challenge tough guy?" I whisper,leaning forward in my seat while Valentino tries to diffuse the situation.
"Do you think we need new light fixtures..." he says looking up, speaking about nonsense.
"When's the last time you got laid, Valerio, you seem a bit tense," I taunt. Suddenly, his chair goes flying backwards and he abruptly stands up leaning forward while his white,clenched fists rest on the table. He's supposed to be intimidating, yet I don't think he's trying to be. This is simply his natural reaction.
Within seconds I'm flying out of my chair and assuming almost the same position. My own hands lay flat against the table and I apply most of my weight onto my arms. A cold expression takes over my features.
"Will both of you shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down? It's barely 8 o'clock. Much too early for this shit, I should've goddam known you would both be easily irritated fucks in the morning," Valentino huffs rubbing his eyes.
I look at him with a little smile raising at my lips, not being able to remember a time where he swore so much. I chuckle lightly and realize my irritability level is in fact quite high. Both Valerio and I stare at each other for a moment longer before falling back into our chairs with smirks and amused glints gracing our faces.
"Thank fuck," Valentino curses once again, sounding more like a sailor than anything else.
Valerio reaches his hand out, waiting for something to be handed to him, and I observe in confusion.
"Pay up, bitch," his voice rumbles.
"Ah shit," Valentino groans and reaches into his pocket. A wallet is soon found between his fingertips. He pulls out bills upon bills and I'm too busy gaping at them to see the hundred dollar mark on them.
Never had I seen so many at the same place, in the same wallet, in the same hand. Well, that's a lie. The situations very different, this is casual. There are bills stacked upon bills as he counts them before handing them to a smirking Valerio.
They had apparently made a bet on how long Valentino could go without letting out a string of curse words infront of me. Before I had arrived, they didn't know what to expect. Therefore, Valentino wanted to make an effort to not corrupt my language.
Obviously there was nothing left to corrupt.
Valerio didn't think he would be able to do it, and he was correct, but I still think he lasted a long time. Five weeks isn't nothing.
The boys quickly realize they're hungry and in desperate need of food. I know well I can cook, but I don't offer seeing as I don't want to. Valentino quickly bounds up the stairs, looking for Angelo to make food. Lord knows if they were left alone to mke food the house would go up in flames.
Angelo's smiling figure comes down the stairs a few moments later. He seems to have forgotten about our slight altercation.
They chat for a while, Valerio and I staying pretty much silent. My reason being that I don't want to talk to anyone and his being his nature.
With the food finally on the table, I must say it looks delicious but I don't dare touch it. Something doesn't allow me. The three throw me weird glances as I don't take the food, but are used to it now as it's been a common occurence.
Raffaele soon walks in, sitting down opposite me. He reaches for the food, muttering a quick good morning to everyone. He must be starving because he quickly starts to inhale his food without paying me a second glance.
Very suddenly, he stops and looks up while the others are mid conversation. He stares at me before his eyes move down to the empty place mat in front of me. A soft look forms on his face before he looks back into my eyes.
I look away, avoiding his stare. I begin to hate the way he looks at me with more and more sympathy each time I eat. From the corner of my eye, I see him turn the fork in his hand and poke me with the handle trying to gain my attention.
I look at him, finding his behaviour slightly funny. He looks to the food then back at me and gives me a small smile and nod. I look towards the food, but today I sheerly did not want to eat. My blood stained hands were to prominent in my mind and disgust had settled itself in my stomach before hunger could.
I proceed to cast my eyes downwards, trying to send the message but he didn't seem to understand. I wouldn't look at him, so he gets up and comes to crouch next to me.
Confusion is clear in his eyes when I turn to him and by now we have gained everyone's attention. The room is quiet, the only sound coming from chirping birds. He switchs his focus between the food and myself, silently asking me why.
I just shake my head, showing I didn't want to eat but he is having none of it. He stands up and fetches a plate from the cabinet before filling with what has been laid out on the table, setting it infront of me and going back to sit down.
"What kind of communication was that?" Valentino's oblivious voice snaps me out of my thoughts. With all that's in me, I hesitantly pick up a bit of food. Chew, swallow, repeat. Chew, swallow, repeat. Chew, swallow, repeat. Chew, swallow, repeat. Chew, swallow, repeat. Chew, swallow, rep-.
The food never settles in my stomach. I put the fork down as a familiar and uncomfortable feeling swirls in me. I can slowly feel whatever I ate disagreeing with me and I stand up to walk out of the room.
The rest of the boys had gone back to conversation while I had battled to swallow my food and now try to speak to me as I make my way out of the room. I put on my classic stoic face and as far as I know, none of them follow me out.
As soon as I'm out of the kitchen, my pace quickens as I feel the bile raise in my throat. I walk into the nearest bathroom and have just enough time to shut and lock the door before I'm spilling the contents of my stomach.
I'm hunched over the toilet for what feels like forever and tears start to burn my eyes. I'm trapped in a whirlwind of images of that night, seeming more on edge all the time since the dinner incident. Meeting Sebastian had helped me, he takes my mind of things at the creek everytime I need him to.
The tears that had started to form in my eyes soon fall and a small sob escapes me. I manage to stand up, even if my legs feel unstable. I grasp on to the sink and hoist myself up. I stare into the mirror and look into my honey brown eyes that some of my siblings share and wipe my tears whilst taking a breath.
I urge myself to calm down and my eyes find my cheek. The scab that had formed soon after that night is slowly disappearing leaving only a mark behind. I divert my eyes when I start to think of Michael holding the piece of glass.
I take a few deep breath and rid my face of emotion when I open the door. To my surpise, there, sitting by the door, is Raffaele who is staring at his hands. Once he notices me, he stands and quickly moves towards me.
Worry shines clearly in his eyes and my guard immediately goes up as does the walls of my facade.
"Are you ok?" he hesitantly asks.
"Yup," I stare at him, no emotion showing.
"I heard you-"
"I'm fine, really, thanks for caring" I attempt to move past him and towards my room but he blocks my path. I look at him in annoyance.
"Are you feeling sick? Should I go get-"
"No," I cut him off "this stays between you and me. It was nothing, no need to worry. No need to talk to anyone about it,"
"What's the big deal if I tell someone?" his eyes scrutinize me and I realize I've said the wrong thing. This is probably the longest lasting verbal conversation I've had with him and it somewhat irks me that it's unpleasant.
"There isn't," I recover "I would just rather not," I stick out my hand towards him in offering. His skeptical gaze travels between my hand and my eyes and he doesn't seem to believe a word I say.
"If it's nothing, there's no issue with them knowing," he turns to walk out. I don't know why I fight so hard, it makes me look even more suspicious, but there was an alarm bell sounding off in my head.
"You're not going to tell them," my voice comes out strong. He looks slighlty intimidated and his resolve weakens. I could tell he was trying to act tougher, but it's not who he is.
"Adelina," he sighs "if it's got to do with your health, I have to," his eyes beg me to understand.
"No," I say while he turns around, a soft look covering his features. Panic overtakes me and I forget I'm not speaking to one of the boys who are harder to convince and instantly jump to my plan B.
"I'll tell them about the painting if you do," I still haven't figured out what it is about the painting that he didn't want me to see but I know he didn't want anyone seeing it. He instantly circles back to face me and takes a very sudden step in my direction.
I very harshly flinch backwards and he instantly freezes, holding his hands up.
"No," he whispers, fear gripping him too.
"Then I guess we see eye to eye," I reply and with that I finally go to my room.
My nerves were getting the best of me and before thinking twice I pop an edible into my mouth while picking up my phone to text Sebastian to meet me at the creek. I would proably show up high as shit but I don't think he would give a fuck.
Before sending the message, I walk into my closet to find a hoodie to wear. I faintly hear knocking at the door and my eyes go wide.
"Yes?" I call out to the person on the other side. It was Valentino, apparently we were having a family movie day.
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Hey lovelies!
I'm so sorry for posting this late but there were just a lot of school things that came up. I feel awful but a break is coming soon, so hopefully I'll have less things to procrastinate about and more brain space to write.
I've also had quite a bit of writers block.
Anyways, how was everyone's week?
How did you find the chapter?
Comment your thoughts!
See you all next week!
Bye loveliessssss