We drove in silent.

Rivo gripped the steering wheel tightly, not glancing at me or at Santo once. I have no idea where the mall is, so I don't know how long I'll have to suffer in this car.

We didn't talk about this morning's fight, and I was actually grateful for it.

A couple of minutes into the ride, I spotted a sign. We're near Jace's Neighborhood. I need to figure out which house is his, because this is the only way I'll be able to see my friends again.

God, I miss them. I miss being able to drop my guard, to be able to stop over-thinking about everything.

I feel like that's all I've been doing since I came here. My thoughts are nonstop, and I have no one to share them with.

I miss Theo's and Ares' snarky comments, their ability to make me laugh even in the worst situations ever. And I miss our hugs. I miss our talks and our drunk parties.

I miss everything about them.

The car stopped, and I got pulled out of my bitter thoughts. They both opened their doors simultaneously and stepped out. Reluctantly, I followed.

"Damn." I muttered, looking at the building in front of me. This place had to be the biggest mall on earth. It was so big, i couldn't even tell where was the entrance.

God, rich people.

I hate to admit it, but every time I get a glimpse of what their lives are like, I get jealous. How is that fair? Growing up, they had everything I wished for as a kid.

"Let's go." Rivo gestured towards the mall impatiently. "I have stuff to do."

I feel like a broken record, but what is his problem?

It's not like I want to be here, and Santo clearly looks like he'd rather get hit by a fucking truck, but like normal people we pretend that everything is alright.

Rivo definitely doesn't fall into this category.

He's infuriating and gets on my nerves. He wants to start a fight? That's fine. He Just has to remember it takes two to tango.

I turned to face him with the fakest smile I could master. "Lead the way, princess."

In a second, his jaw clenched. "What did you just call me?" he took a step towards me, his eyes narrowing as he does so.

But I just smirked. Putting a hand on my heart, I looked at him with big eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did i offend you, your highness?"

"You little--" He seethed. Rivo managed to take a few more steps before Santo made his way between us, blocking my hulk of a brother. "Okay, I think we all need to take a deep breath." He spoke firmly, pushing his twin away.

Rivo's eyes burned into mine, and the vein on his forehead was very visible.

He's so easy to annoy, it's amazing. I shot him another smile behind Santo's back.

He muttered something under his breath and turned around. My smile only grew.

This is going to be fun.

°°°

Guess what? It was, in fact, fun.

Rivo insisted on being irritating throughout the entire time, and I enjoyed making him lose his shit over and over again.

Santo was quiet and kept his distance, but sometimes he would bring me clothes he thought, and I quote, won't look ugly on me. It was a small gesture, but a nice one nonetheless.

It's been a few hours, and we are currently walking aimlessly, looking for a place to eat.

"I'm gonna starve to death." I mumbled, trying to spot a restaurant in this huge mall.

"Good. Die." Rivo glanced down at me, hands full of bags.

The three of us are carrying way too many clothes, but what can I say? Alessandro gave me his card.

"Shit, finally." Santo exclaimed, nodding his head to the right. I found myself letting a relieved sigh. There, in all its glory, stood a McDonald's.

We almost ran there. Dropping our bags onto the table, Santo volunteered to keep them safe while we order. I think he just wanted a break from our bickering.

°°°

"Wait, no! I specifically said no pickles, jerk." I called out, trying to stop Rivo from sending our order through the screen.

He slapped the back of my hand away and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But I like pickles. You can just take them out and give them to me."

I stared at him for a few seconds, trying to understand if this man shares the same genes as me. "Are you serious? My burger is gonna taste all pickley now!"

Rivo's face gave no indication of actually caring, and his words proved it. "Not my problem." he said with a smirk, and in a swift motion sent our order to the kitchen.

I breathed out angrily, watching him walking towards our table nonchalantly. "Asshole." I mumbled.

The chair next to Santo was full of bags, so I had to sit on the couch next to Rivo.

I made sure to elbow him while doing so.

He shot me a look of warning which I returned with a sarcastic smile and a middle finger.

Every second I spend with him, I feel like my patience is running out. One day I'll punch him, that's for sure.

Santo was too busy typing on his phone to even notice we sat down. Or he simply chose to ignore us.

I don't know anything about him. He gives absolutely nothing away, and it makes me wonder what's his story. I mean, that scar is enough to make anyone wonder.

Is that what people think about me once they see mine?

Santo is quiet, but not in the mean way. He observes, and that makes me feel a bit strange.

How can he and Rivo be twins?

"So," he suddenly put the phone on the table and and looked between the two of us, until his eyes rested on mine. I raised my eyebrow. Finally, it doesn't hurt anyone. My wound is starting to close.

"What do you think about Riccardo?"

I choked on literal air. That was not what I was expecting. Rivo tensed besides me, and for the first time, I related to him. Plus, Santo's question seemed like it had a deeper meaning I didn't understand.

"Uh," I stuttered, not sure how to respond. They were both looking at me hesitantly. "I don't know, I've only seen him twice." I responded hurriedly. For some reason I felt attacked.

Santo's eyebrows furrowed, and Rivo twisted in his seat to face me completely. "Wait, this morning wasn't the only time you two met? There was a second time?"

"Yes, that's what 'twice' means, dipshit." I shot, too aggravated by their sudden reactions. Rivo closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. "When?" he seethed.

I glanced towards Santo who was looking at me intensely. "Why are you being so weird? I mean, more then usual." I asked them, trying to read their faces. So what if I met Riccardo before?

"Why can't you just answer the question?" Rivo threw his hands up angrily. "Why can't you answer mine?" I replied, matching his tone.

"Riccardo is a bit off, always has been." Santo was the one to answer. "Don't get me wrong, he's not crazy." He added quickly after seeing my confused face. "He's just... off."

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why?" I glanced back at Rivo, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Some stuff he had to see years ago, it really fucked him up." Santo continued cautiously, thinking before every word he speaks. "He's our brother... Yours too, so just know that stuff like this morning are normal."

I could see Riccardo's tired face in my mind. What happened to him?

"Our food's ready." I mumbled, pointing at the screen that showed our order number. "I'll go get it."

Getting out of my seat, I couldn't stop thinking about what Santo just said.

Maybe this family is different than I thought.

Chapter 15! I'm sorry I didn't post for three days, but I am going through some hard stuff, so I couldn't really concentrate. I hope for better days <3

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