Keeley's POV
"Okay... I think I have everything," I mumbled to myself as I unconsciously patted my hands over my pockets and purse.
It's been a couple of days since my last nightmare and since I told Luca that I loved him, and I'm finally feeling okay. Being out in the open with my feelings towards Luca hasn't been easy. I'm terrified and constantly looking over my shoulder for Adrik, just waiting for him to pop up out of the shadows and take Luca away from me.
Today, though, I wasn't focused on any of that. I had asked my father if he would take me to the next town over so I could do some shopping for the guys. He still hadn't let up on any of the restrictions he placed on me, so he was really my only resort.
I smoothed down my cream-colored sweater and pale jeans then tied up my converse before grabbing my jacket and walking downstairs.
The house was quiet, which was weird considering it was eight in the morning, and nobody was supposed to be at work until nine. Sam and Donnie were the only exceptions as it was the last day of school before winter break, but they only had a half-day.
I walked down the long hallway to my father's office and gently knocked on the door three times before entering. He was sitting behind his big, mahogany desk flipping through piles upon piles of papers. His suit was perfectly unwrinkled and not a hair was out of place. So far, a good morning.
"Keeley," he spoke without glancing towards me. I pulled my jacket a bit tighter around myself as I continued towards his desk.
"You ready to go?" I asked while staring at his favorite mug filled with steaming coffee next to his hand.
"Go where?" He continued to browse through the papers as his eyebrows furrowed together.
"You told me yesterday you would take me to the mall so I could Christmas shop for the boys," I told him slowly. We had this whole conversation yesterday, and he was perfectly fine with this idea.
"I don't remember having that discussion, and even if we did, I can't go."
I stare at him blankly for a moment, watching as keeps flipping through those damn papers filled with who knows what. I could tell my patience was slowly waning and I hadn't even been in the room thirty seconds.
"And why can't you go? Why would you tell me you could go if you couldn't?"
"Keeley," he sighed while removing his glasses and looking at me for the first time since I walked in here. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the desk, slightly creasing one of the papers. His eyes were cold and slightly annoyed as he spoke.
"I can't go. I have a lot to do today and the time for one of your little shopping sprees isn't there. Maybe if you wouldn't have gone and gotten into a fight, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now."
"So this is my fault?" I laugh at him. "I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who can't keep a fucking promise."
I shook my head in disbelief as I turn and begin to walk towards the door, already pissed off at the day.
"Dammit, you're just like your mother," he said almost as if he was realizing something for the first time. I abruptly turned around and gave him the same look he had given me earlier: cold, blank, and a bit pissed the fuck off.
"Don't ever compare me to that poor excuse of a woman. I am the furthest thing from her," I snapped. He let out a humorless chuckle as he slowly stood from his chair and rounded the desk. My father stood in front of me and stared down at me with his cruel, blue eyes.
"That poor excuse of a woman was my wife and your mother. Lose the attitude and show some fucking respect, would you? And for the record, you are just like her. You look like her, you talk like her, and you've got the damn-near same attitude that she had." His voice was growing louder and more frustrated as he spoke to me, the right side of his jaw ever so slightly twitching.
"Yeah, the only difference is that you loved her and you couldn't care less about me."
His body tensed up at the words I spoke, like I had just thrown a bucket of freezing water onto him.
"Is that what you think?" he asks me quietly but still with that underlying coldness I'd always seen from him when he talks to me, but never my brothers.
"It's what I know," I tell him while gently shaking my head. "Am I supposed to think differently after years and years of being ignored? Of being looked down on? After being thrown into the hands of somebody else because you didn't want to deal with your only daughter who was grieving over a mother who never loved her? Tell me: am I truly supposed to believe that you love me?"
"I do love you, Keeley-" he starts but I'm quick to cut him off.
"No, no you don't!" I stepped back from him like I had just been burned.
"Listen to me!" he shouted as his hands slammed onto the desktop, his anger taking over just like mine was. The bang echoed off the walls of the room, the only other sound coming from the fake fireplace in the wall.
I was fuming. This morning has only gotten shittier thanks to a woman who's not even living.
"Your mother was going to leave me and your brothers," he began. His voice quiet, but yet still held an authority to it that he uses when addressing his men.
"Good. You should have let her lea-"
"Would you just close your damn mouth for one moment?!" he shouted at me. I flinched at the tone he was speaking with and tried to hide my discomfort by crossing my arms over my chest. I kept my mouth shut.
"She was going to leave, but then we found out she was pregnant with you. She didn't want another child, but I begged her on my hands and knees to not only stay, but to keep you as well. I promised her the world and more if she would just do this, and she agreed. And then we found out you were a girl." My father's voice had softened as he reminisced on my mother's memory.
"Did you know your mother had two sisters?" He looked at me and I softly shook my head no. I was always told my mother was an only child whose parents died when she was young.
"She was the middle child, and her sisters were terrible to her. When we first got married, she told me she never wanted a girl for fear that that child would turn out just like them. But me, I'd always wanted a daughter. A little princess, I would tell your mother, who I could spoil and protect, somebody who I hoped would need me. I was excited, but she wasn't, and she made me promise I would never love you more than I loved her. Yet again, I agreed."
I felt a small lump begin to form in my throat. I'd always wanted answers, but I'm not sure I wanted them anymore.
"You came along, and I and your brothers loved you from the very moment we set eyes on you. You had the blondest hair I'd ever seen, and your eyes looked and still do look like my grandmother's amber ones. You were perfect to me." He paused and took in a shaky breath, looking at me with a look of contentment I'd only seen him give my mother.
"It was only about two years till Loren told me she wanted to leave again because she could see that I and your brothers loved you, maybe even more than her. And I was selfish, I didn't want to lose her. So I did what she wanted."
I knew what he meant by that: he stopped giving me the attention he did. He cut me off completely and so did my brothers just so he could keep the family intact. Except he didn't, because I wasn't there.
"That's a nice story," I mumble. "That's a really nice... fucking story."
I go to leave but he stops me. "Keeley, I-I-"
"You what?" I turn and shout while throwing my hands up. The emotions I've been trying so hard to keep down are beginning to push through. The anger I feel towards his decisions, that gut-wrenching pain and embarrassment from being thrown aside, it's all bubbling out. The lump in my throat feels like it's suffocating me.
"You think that just because you told me what happened makes things better? Because it doesn't!"
My father was stammering over what to say, and at this point, I wasn't even going to let him speak.
"All the shit that has happened to me, the scars, the pain, the trigger-happy teenage girl I am, is because of her. I didn't have anybody growing up because of her actions and your selfish decisions! Just go right ahead, choose the witch that's willing to leave you at the drop of a hat over somebody who has done absolutely nothing to you! You selfishly decided to keep a woman who was the cruelest of the cruel with the way she treated people over your own child."
"Keeley, please-" he begged, but I wasn't hearing any of it. If I didn't get out of this fucking, claustrophobic room soon, I was going to lose it.
"Just shut up!" I shouted as I picked the mug up off of his desk and chucked it against the wall. Coffee splattered across the bookcase and little pieces of black porcelain rained all over the floor. I tugged at the ends of my hair and bit back the tears that were threatening to spill.
I took in a deep and shaky breath and looked directly at him, allowing every emotion running through my body to prevail in my eyes.
"I held my mother as she died, and you know what she told me? She told me that she never loved me, but was grateful she wasn't dying alone. Do you know what it's like to be just a kid, to be just twelve years old, and hear from your dying mother as she lays bleeding in your arms ... to hear that she doesn't love you? To actually hear that the one person who's love you have always pined for, doesn't actually love you back, not even a little bit?"
My father continued to stare at me as regret and sorrow plagued his face.
"And then to top it all off, to be sent away from the only people you've ever known. To be left for the dead and to experience shit that no person, and especially a kid, should ever go through. Because that's what I was, a kid. I've grown up on my own teaching myself what's right and what's wrong, what's good and what's bad, and how to deal with what seems to be a never-ending pile of problems. I appreciate you telling me what happened, but none of this changes anything. I can't just forget everything and move on. I have to deal with my life and problems, by myself, because I don't know how to accept help or love because no one ever showed it to me besides a select few people. And you know what, the better half of those people are either dead or gone from my life. How convenient."
We stared at each other for what seemed like forever. A mafia man whose wife was shot and killed and who was left to raise six children, and his only daughter. A girl who doesn't even know how to begin dealing with her emotions due to her less than kind upbringing. Both wanting things to be okay, but neither one knowing how to make that happen.
"Keeley-" my father whispered, his icy blue eyes going soft, but I couldn't take it. My mind was running itself in circles trying to figure everything out.
I looked at him one last time. "I'm not my mother."
I walked out of his office with the sound of his voice calling behind me. I got to the end of the hallway and there I saw the rest of the household standing in silence, watching me with wary eyes.
"Tigrotta," Stefano tried as I walked past him and the family. I didn't even try to hide the wave of grief and frustration that was hitting me like a ton of bricks. I just held up my hand and continued walking.
"Not now, just... not now."
I pushed my way to the front door and grabbed my keys off one of the hooks mounted to the wall. To hell with the rules.
I slammed the door on my way out and rushed to my car. I jumped in the driver's seat and closed the door, quickly buckling my seatbelt and speeding out of the driveway, away from my problems, and just because of my luck, probably into a whole new set of ones.
***
I pulled into the back of the mall parking lot about forty minutes later and turned the car off. I raised a shaky hand to my eyes and wiped the last few tears away. It didn't take long for me to start crying once I had gotten on the road.
This morning wasn't supposed to be terrible, it was actually supposed to be fun. My father and I were supposed to have fun and work on our relationship, not argue and talk about a woman who obviously left some pretty serious scars on both of us, just in different ways.
I gathered myself together and slid my purse onto my shoulder before stepping out of the car and locking it behind me. I stiffened my posture and kept my face black as I walked towards the entrance.
I had forgotten how big this place actually was. The last time I was here, Callan was with me and now I was just by myself. But you know what? Today's supposed to be a good day of buying gifts for the people I care about most, and I'm going to make the damn best of it.
***
Ya know? Maybe shopping wasn't the best idea for today. I've been at the mall for a few hours now, spending probably more than I should have, and I've bought something for everyone, but not without a struggle. I've almost partaken in what I now think is about three old lady beat-downs and have just about stabbed somebody with the dagger stashed in my waistband.
All I wanted, was a giant cherry slushie, a salted pretzel as big as my face, and to go home.
I let the smell of fried food guide me and my bags to the bustling food court filled with about ten different food stalls. I spotted the small pretzel shack in the corner and pushed my way through the crowd, the whole time receiving dirty looks from snarky moms and their screaming children.
I eventually got my food and took a seat at one of the outer tables of the food court so I could watch the crowd. I was surrounded by bags and probably looked crazy as I shoved the gargantuan pieces of salty dough into my mouth and washing it down with frozen red sugar, but I didn't care. It was the first time all morning I finally got to take a breather.
As I took the last bite of my pretzel, I glanced up and my whole body stiffened. Aubrey, Herb, Alex, Luna, and Xavier were sitting down in the middle of the food court, laughing away at something one of them had said. It seems like forever ago, but in reality, it's only been about two weeks since I had last talked to any of them. I didn't realize how much I truly relied on and cared for that group of people, but I did. I understand why they're hurt and upset with me, but I think I at least deserve a chance to explain.
Aubrey looked away from the table and her eyes immediately met mine, her smile instantly vanishing. Her flaming red hair was pulled out of her face, and even though I'm far away, I could see the hurt in her eyes. We stared at one another for a minute and just as I was getting up the courage to go talk to her, her face shifted into one of confusion. And when I realized her gaze was set just to the side of me, I felt the hairs on my neck stand up and my body stiffen, automatically my face goes blank.
"Keeley, what a pleasant surprise."
I turn my head slowly and feel panic start to seep from my body as Tommy smirks down at me. His head cocks to the side as a look of satisfaction takes place on his face, probably because just like Adrik, he can see right through me.
"Tommy," I whisper back. To anybody else, my voice would have sounded, cold, rigid. But to him, I knew it sounded weak.
"Why don't I help you with your bags, darling, and walk you to your car, yeah?"
It wasn't a question. He was telling me exactly what he wanted me to do, and unless I wanted him to tell Adrik where I was, I knew I had to agree. I prayed that he hadn't already, but if he's anything like Adrik, I knew he would keep his promise.
I gave him a stiff nod and stood up. I grabbed a few of my bags as he carried the others, and we began to walk out of the food court. Before leaving, though, I looked one last time over my shoulder at Aubrey. Aubrey always wore her heart on her sleeve, and right now, I could tell she wasn't angry at me but rather concerned. And if I'm being honest, I was too.
"Come along, Keeley. I believe you have places to be." I reluctantly turned my face away from Aubrey and led the two of us through the crowd of people and eventually out of the mall. He didn't speak to me as he helped me to my car and load my bags, but after shutting the trunk, Tommy gave me an unsettling smile before pushing me harshly into the side of my car with the handle digging deep into my back.
"How's my favorite little Harris doing today, huh? It seems like forever since I've seen you," he breathed out, slowly pressing his body closer into mine.
"The hell do you want, Travis?" I spit out, not even the slightest bit amused.
I didn't register his hand as it flew up and backhanded me across the temple, the rings on his hand leaving behind small, bloody cuts. A gust of cold wind rushes around us and causes them to sting.
"I told you," he chuckled humorlessly while shaking his head, "to not call me that. I thought I made that quite clear last time we talked."
I took in a shaky breath as flashbacks from Xavier's fight flooded back into my mind. Tommy had left a collage of bruises across my neck that pained me every time I turned my head. It took me a while to recover from that and I had no intention of that happening again.
I looked at him again, this time with a calmer expression that told him I wasn't going to do anything.
"Huh, smart girl. Now, I'm not here to ask anything of you, nor am I going to do anything else unless you give me a reason to," he told me smoothly. His eyes that were so similar to Adrik's stared at me with a sense of control that made me anxious.
"I just came to remind you that I'm still watching you, I'm not going anywhere; and next time, if I shall ask you to do something, you will do it. For you know the consequences that come with going against what I ask of you. Do you understand, darling, what I am saying?"
I slowly nodded my head at him as I was unable to actually speak. My body was frozen in fear for what he could actually do to me. I think that it's safe to say he has been added to my list of people that actually frighten me.
"Good girl," he whispered as one hand reached up and stroked the side of my face. His eyes narrowed in on mine and it was like his demeanor had totally switched. Tommy's face had calmed and looked down at me with such compassion, that to anybody driving by, it would have looked like we were just another teenage couple.
His thumb brushed over the small cuts on my temple as he wiped away the blood that was there.
"It's a shame Adrik found you first," he mumbled almost as if he didn't realize he was saying it out loud. "You are beautiful, inside and out, and I would have loved the chance to be with you."
I watched him warily as he slowly stepped back and took one last final look at me, and then he was gone, just like that. He turned and vanished to who knows where, but I didn't care. I stumbled into the driver's seat of my car immediately locked the doors. I was trembling.
Just when I thought I was finally getting better of my little "Adrik" episode from earlier this week, this just had to happen. The similarities between the two are uncanny: the instantaneous switch of emotions, the dark eyes, their confidant and prideful demeanors, they're the same person. Adrik may not physically be here, but a complete copy of him is, and this one holds my life in the palm of his hands.
I drew in a deep breath and pulled down the sun visor to look at myself in the mirror. Three cuts ran across my temple, blood slowly trickling from them. I reached over and opened the glove box where I had a small First-Aid kit. I cleaned myself up before shakily putting the car in reverse and peeling out of the parking lot.
I needed to be home.
***
It started to flurry as I pulled up into the driveway before two o'clock and parked my car. I had slightly managed to calm my nerves on the drive home so that, hopefully, nobody would question me. I hopped out of the car and opened the trunk just as a familiar black Camero pulled up behind me.
I turned around just as Ryder Bennett himself stepped out of his car and sauntered over to me. I leaned against my car and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Blondie, I was actually starting to miss you," he laughed as he reached out and pulled me into a tight but gentle hug. It took me a second, but I hugged him back and buried my face into his jacket. It's been a shitty day, and I think I actually need a hug.
He went to pull away, but I held onto him for just a moment longer. A deep chuckle escaped him as I stepped back and his arm still hung around my shoulder.
"Woah, hold on, it actually looks like you missed me," he laughed.
"Don't get carried away, pretty boy, but I did miss you. Now help me carry these bags upstairs," I told him with a small smile.
Ryder actually did help and we chatted the whole time. It was good to catch up with him considering I haven't seen him in what seems like forever. He told me that his sisters and mom are doing well and that art has been boring without me, which I could have guessed now that he can't continuously pick on me.
After we had set everything down in my room, I began to walk down the hallway and to the stairs, but I noticed he wasn't behind me.
"Ryder?" I asked while turning around and walking back down the hall. I stopped when I saw him surrounded by my drawings and paintings.
"Whatcha doing?" I walked hesitantly into my art room to where I saw Ryder staring at one of the newer paintings I had done that was hanging on my wall.
It was of me, although only I knew that. To anybody else, it would look like just another girl falling from the clouds and down to earth. The canvas I had used had been quite big, so a lot of detail had gone into it. White, puffy clouds with undertones of blue and purples filled the top half and slowly faded to darker greys and blacks. Little yellow stars littered the background, but what you really noticed was the girl. She was dressed in all white, yet her dress was sprinkled with little splotches of red. Her hair, to anybody else, would just appear messy, but I knew that it was knotted and matted down with blood caused by somebody she used to love. Her wrists were darker with little bruises from chains, but again, to anybody else, they'd just be shadows.
I had only finished this painting yesterday after working on it for weeks. It had been slow-rolling, but after all the drama and tears from these past few days, everything just poured out onto the canvas. I titled this one "Me," but if anybody asked, I would tell them it didn't have a name. This was me falling from the cruelty of Adrik back to earth and where I'm at now.
"This is really good. When'd you do this one?" Ryder mumbled to me, still captivated by the different paints on a simple canvas.
"I've been working on it the past couple of weeks. I just finished yesterday, so it's probably still wet, but I just really wanted to hang it up," I explained to him. He continued to stare at it and I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer we stood in here. If you looked, and I mean really looked, all of my life is painted on these canvases. You just have to put them together.
I awkwardly cleared my throat and this seemed to snap him out of the trance he was.
"Oh, sorry."
The two of us left the room and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.
"You want something to eat while you wait for the two idiots I call my brothers?" I laugh as I pull a couple of things out of the fridge. Ryder had told me that he was supposed to meet Sam and Donnie here at two, but they were running late.
"Sure. Whatcha got?"
"Ryder," a smooth, deep voice spoke. I didn't even have to look up to know who it was. It was my Gnocco.
"Ah, the Italian eye candy that Blondie chose over me. How great to see you." I couldn't help it as I snorted at Ryder's comment.
"Can't help it that I'm better," Luca fired back as he came up from behind me and turned me around. I didn't have much time to process what was happening as Luca leaned down and kissed me. His hands gripped my hips and pulled me impossibly closer to him as his tongue licked the seam of my lips. I have no idea what had gotten into him lately, but I didn't mind. I tightened my hands around the lapels of his suit jacket and lost myself in him, which with Luca, is never hard to do.
"Ah, why don't you just piss a circle around her, you caveman," I heard a different voice whine. Much to Luca's disappointment, I pulled back and looked around him. Brady walked into the kitchen and grabbed the block of cheese I had grabbed out of the fridge in his hands. He pulled a chunk off of the block and popped it in his mouth before looking at Ryder.
"I remember you. I saw you the other night when eye candy here took Keeley on a date. Ryan, right?" Brady spoke in his normal hoarse voice. I held in a laugh as he shoved another chunk of cheese into his mouth. Ryder looked at him in disgust, probably because not only were bits of cheese spewing from his mouth, but his shirt and pants had dirt and what I think was dried bloodstains on them. He must have been working today.
"It's Ryder, actually," Ryder tried to explain, but Brady didn't care.
"She rejected you too, huh? Welcome to the club man. Keeley's quite the heartbreaker."
"I am not!" I gasped while staring at my two tattooed friends. Luca's arm was draped carelessly on my waist as he pulled me into his side.
"You kinda are," all three of them spoke at once. My mouth dropped open and I threw grapes at Ryder and Brady and resulted to an elbow in the side for Luca. All three of them shouted in protest as I turned and started putting stuff away, no longer feeling like being nice to them.
"Oh c'mon, Keels. Don't be sour," Ryder laughed while popping the grape I had thrown at him into his mouth.
"I will be sour!" I told them while grabbing a bottle of water. The three of them continued to chatter as I took a drink, and I found it hard to believe that the three most alpha-male people I knew were actually managing to have a civilized conversation.
"Could you be any more annoying eating like that?" Luca sneered at Brady as he yet again put an unhealthy amount of cheese into his mouth.
Well, I guess I spoke too soon.
"Could you not be so territorial and fancy, Mr. McFancypants?" Brady snapped back. An unamused look crossed my face as I let out a deep breath and leaned against the counter.
"Haha! He got you!" Ryder clapped while laughing to himself.
"Please, Keeley loves my Fancypants. You can't even say she's ever been close to your pants," Luca shot back and I swear water about came out of my nose. I started to hack in the corner while the three of them bickered back and forth over various things about each other and me. And once I could finally breathe again, I shook my head and left the kitchen, extremely annoyed and utterly embarrassed.
I cared for each of those boys, but Lord help me, I couldn't stand to hear them insult each other again and again. It's like watching preschoolers fight, except this has more profanity... and violence.
I climbed the stairs and down the hallway into my room where it was quiet. All of the stress and drama of today had taken a toll on my body, and I couldn't think of anything better than a nap right now.
I slipped into some pajama shorts and one of Luca's t-shirts before sliding in under the covers. I finally let my body relax, and soon enough, I was fast asleep.
***
I stared up at the little white stars that filled up the sky. It had stopped snowing earlier and now I was just sitting on the little balcony overlooking the backyard. I was bundled up, but still undeniably cold as it was nighttime in December.
I turned my head as I heard the door slide open, and out walked Callan. My brother was wearing sweats and a hoodie, looking way more casual than I had seen him in a long time.
"Munch, it's too cold out here. You need to come inside," he spoke to me like I was actually going to listen. I liked it out here. It was quiet and gave me a chance to think of everything that's been happening lately. Plus, I didn't actually mind the cold.
"Nah, I'm good," I told him while patting the seat beside me. "But you could sit with me if you want."
He looked around for a second before letting out a sigh and joining me on the cold porch swing.
"What happened to your face?" he asked while brushing a hand over the scratches Tommy had given me.
"Nothing," I tried. "It was just slippery outside the mall and I fell down."
"Do you really expect me to bel-"
"Yes, I do. Now just sit here with me and enjoy this sibling moment that we rarely have together."
He chuckled as he pulled me closer and I tucked myself into his side, automatically feeling warmer than I was five minutes ago.
Callan had always been the brother I relied on. Growing up, none of my brothers ever cared for me, now I know why, but Callan would try. Every so often, when things got bad, he would come to my room and hold me just like he is now to make me feel better, to make me feel protected. Callan had been my rock for so many years that it killed me when he stopped sending letters to Mount Reform.
"I'm sorry," he spoke after several minutes of us sitting here together. I furrowed my eyebrows and gave him a strange look.
"Why are you sorry?"
It took him a moment before he responded. "For the way we all treated you growing up. We all heard the fight you had with Dad this morning and I could hear the hurt in your voice. I just- I'm really sorry."
I looked up at my big brother, who although might have been the scariest-looking of all of us, he definitely had the biggest heart. I knew that whatever happened wasn't his fault, it wasn't any of our faults.
I wrapped my arms, to the best of my ability, around his torso and gave him a tight squeeze. I felt him slowly return the gesture as I was engulfed by his massive arms. "It's okay, Bubba. It's okay."
Callan opened his mouth to say something more, but we were cut off by our father opening the door and stepping out. He cleared his throat and looked at Cal.
"Would you give us a moment?" my father asked nicely, although we all knew it wasn't an actual question.
Cal gave my father a stiff nod before kissing my head and telling me goodnight. I watched as he ducked through the doorway and left just our father and me alone.
"Can I sit?" he asked me. I nodded my head and moved towards my end of the swing. A cold gust of wind blew by as he leaned back and took a deep breath.
"I want to talk about this morning."
"Yeah, I don't really want to talk-"
"I'm sorry." My body froze as the words I never thought my father would speak to me, for real, were spoken. I slowly turned my head to him, but his tired eyes were already staring at me.
"You were right, everything you said this morning was right," he began and I could tell all of this was hurting him to say.
"Look, you don't have to apolo-"
"Would you just listen?" he laughed tiredly while running his hands over his face. I slowly nodded my head and sat back on the swing.
"I did choose your mother over this family, and looking back, I wish I would have changed things. But ultimately, I can't. Loren died, you suffered, I pushed everyone away. I can't change that, but I can change how we move forward. I don't want it to be a constant battle between us, Keeley. I want us to get along and be a normal, dysfunctional, mafia family where no matter what, our family is stronger than any troubles thrown at us. I want to give you what I never did, Kid. I'm very sorry I forced you to grow up as you did, and I know I'm asking a lot, but I want to start over. I want a clean state and I want the daughter I always dreamed of having. But most of all, no matter what you decide to do, I want you to know that I do love you. I really do."
I stared at my father, thoroughly confused, but extremely awed at the same. Forming an actual, functional relationship with my father after all these years would be difficult, but it's what I've wanted for as long as I can remember. And no matter the pain and troubles we would have to go through, I knew that this was the right thing to do.
"Does this mean I'm not grounded anymore?" I ask with a small smile. My father's head falls back in laughter at my words. His laughter dies down after a minute and all that remains is a smile I rarely see. He turns and looks at me, and for the first time, I think he actually sees me as a daughter and not as some troublesome girl that just so happens to live in his house.
"Yeah, it does. And if I'm being honest, I was going to un-ground you or whatever it's called anyway. The men at the Big House have been slacking off since you left. I think it's time they got back into shape."
I smiled at him as I leaned into his side and gave him a real hug. We sat there in the quiet for a few minutes. The wind was blowing and it was quiet. No lights were on, so the only light was from the moon and the stars shining down. It was actually nice.
"You know," I timidly spoke up after a minute, "I am sorry for breaking your favorite coffee cup."
"Eh-" he brushed off. "I never really liked it anyway."
I gave him a questioning look. "The other day, Nick literally tried to use it and you held a knife to his-"
"It's a little cold out here. Why don't we go inside?" my father asked, successfully cutting me off. He stood up and walked to the sliding glass door. He turned to look at me.
"You comin'?"
I shook my head as a small smile graced my face. I stood up from the swing and walked through the door that he had opened for me.
I was halfway to my room when I heard him shout. "Goodnight, Keeley."
I turned around and looked at him. His hair was wild and so was his beard. His hoodie was baggy off the shoulders and his glasses sat perched on his nose. My father looked normal like he was just some ordinary guy you would see in passing on the street. And this made me realize that maybe not everything had to be tied back to the mafia and our never-ending problems. Sure, that's a big part of who we were, but it wasn't everything. I smiled at him.
"Goodnight, Dad."
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Oh my gosh, I absolutely love this chapter. We got an update on so many characters and got to see so many interactions, I just love it! Tell me what you think and see you in the next chapter!
Happy Reading!
Final Word Count: 6623