๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฝ๐บ
"Goddammit." I groaned to myself and tore my eyes off the screen, dropping my phone down to the bed.
Olive has left me on 'read' for the last eight minutes, and all I've been doing is staring at the one message she did send me.
Not that it made things better, anyway.
Ever since she stormed out this morning, Alessandro and Amadeo have been constantly fighting.
It's usually either Alessandro and Riccardo or Alessandro and Rivo, sometimes even Riccardo and Rivo, but never Amadeo.
He's usually the one who breaks everyone apart when the yelling gets too much, but not today.
Alessandro and Amadeo were the oldest when our parents died eight years ago, so they both felt like they had to somehow replace them.
Alessandro had to take charge of dad's position as Don, making him spend days with our grandfather and uncle.
Dad trained him before, that I can clearly remember, but no one expected him to become the new Don at eighteen.
So, while Alessandro worked day and night, Amadeo knew somebody had to be there for us emotionally.
And he was.
It's actually embarrassing, the amount of times I cried on his shoulder. Even Rivo used to do that.
But, now thinking of it, I don't think I've ever seen Riccar-
"Do you have earplugs?"
Speaking of the devil.
I slightly raised my head, watching silently as Riccardo pushes his head into my room, leaning against the door.
Now that the door is open, it's much easier to hear them.
"It might worked with the rest, but you have to realize she's not like any of them! Olive doesn't respond to-"
"So what do you want me to do, Amadeo? Let her go anywhere she wants until it'll get her killed or-"
"Close the fucking door." I rolled over, burying my face inside the pillow. I can't take it anymore. They've been fighting nonstop about everything that happened, and even hiding in my own room doesn't help.
"What? Can't hear mommy and daddy fighting?" he mocked as he closed the door, and I turned my head towards him.
He looks like he just came out of the shower, only wearing sweatpants.
I furrowed my eyebrows in annoyance and sat straight. "You're the one who came asking for earplugs."
Riccardo dismissed me with a wave of his hand, walking farther into my room until he reached my desk. I rolled my eyes when he started to dig through the papers, making even more mess than there already is.
I checked my phone once again, but no text. Great.
"Why are you drawing a dick?" He snorted, turning around to show me my personal sketchbook, a teasing grin over his face.
"The only dick here is you." I jumped off the bed, snatching it from his hand and putting it on the top shelf. "This is the Eiffel Tower."
"I'm not so sure about that." he mused, pushing past me to look through my books.
I followed him with a frown, putting back every book he takes out. Is he seriously here just to be annoying?
"My Eiffel Tower looks nothing like a dick." I crossed my arms, and he finally stopped messing my things up.
Riccardo turned to look at me with a smirk, the one he always gives you before saying something irritating.
"Whatever you say, man. I bet you know more about dicks than I am, right?"
There it is.
I pursed my lips and breathed out angrily. "Stop talking about dicks."
He laughed and sat down on my spinning chair, putting his bare feet on my bed. "You started it."
"How did I started-" I exclaimed, but cut myself off shortly after. Riccardo has this special gift of making literally anyone he interacts with lose their minds.
"Why are you even here? I don't have earplugs." I pinched the bridge of my nose.
He hasn't been to my room for ages. It's either locking himself and Duke in his after he gets home, or... never getting home.
"Why so hostile?" he began to spin around with a grin on his face. "Can't I check how my baby brother's doing?"
I raised my eyebrow, not even close to believing his words.
Don't get me wrong, I love Riccardo. I really do, ever since he beat up Jamie Elrod after he gave me a black eye in the third grade.
He's cool and weird, but checking how I'm doing? That's another level of weird.
It just that all of us, we had to go through some really rough times together. Losing Olive, watching how our parents devoted themselves to destroy Viktor and his own mafia in New York.
Losing them.
I never wanted to get involved after... everything, but not Riccardo. Not at all. Sometimes I think shooting people is his coping mechanism.
Grandpa trained him himself, so it's not surprising he turned out to be the amazing shooter he is.
But it also drove him away from everyone else. Instead of taking his old psychologists' advices and talking about his feelings, he drowned himself in work and pushed them away.
Pushed everyone away.
"Fine." Riccardo stopped spinning in my chair after I didn't say anything. He gave me a tight smile and pointed at the phone in my hand.
"Did Olive text you?"
Ah, there it is. Riccardo's sweet spot. Olive. I'd say it's cute if it wasn't so... sad.
Everyone knows what happened, well, everyone except for her. She asked me about it for days, but someone else telling her about it other than Riccardo just feels wrong.
But if I know something about him, is that he'll never just tell you something. But then again, Olive is his sweet spot.
"Why?" I felt my lips twitch upwards. "You worried?"
He rolled his eyes, but didn't deny it. I snorted and opened my phone, throwing it down onto his lap. "She sent me a message fifteen minutes ago."
He glanced up to me once before taking the phone in his hands. I waited patiently for him to give it back, so my eyebrows furrowed when it took him way too long to read the one sentence she wrote.
Hold on.
"Stop reading our conversations, asshole." I yanked my phone out of his hand and narrowed my eyes at the screen. The son of a bitch scrolled all the way up to five days ago.
And he has the audacity to laugh.
"You guys are texting at night, that's sweet." he smiled teasingly and got up to his feet. "But you do realize she's one wall away from you, right?"
"I don't need an advice from a fucking sociopath, excuse me." I huffed and pushed him to the side, walking towards my closet.
"I'm not a sociopath." he defended himself from behind me, and I internally rolled my eyes. Right.
"I do care about stuff. I care about all of you and-"
"Olive." I cut him off by throwing a black towel on his head. "You're dripping all over my floor."
"I was going to say Duke, but whatever." Riccardo chuckled and lowered his head, drying his hair with the towel.
I gave him a blank look, and he rolled his eyes. "I obviously care about Olive."
"But you're still gone almost everyday, and you tell her nothing. Everybody tells her nothing." I crossed my arms and leaned on my closet, watching him frown.
"I'm gone because I work, and I can't just tell her."
"Because you're scared."
"Of course I'm scared!" He threw his hands up, and I was slightly taken aback. Definitely wasn't expecting him to admit it.
"Everything that happened to her was my fault, if she'll know what happened... God, she's going to hate me."
"It wasn't your fault, and she's not going to hate you." I shook my head and took one step towards him. I then pursed my lips. "Well, she might hate you."
"Gee, thanks." he smiled tightly and ruffled my hair. I swatted his hand away before speaking again.
"She'll hate you if she'll find out from someone else. If you tell her, you'll be able to explain everything."
Riccardo wrapped the towel around his neck and looked at me silently.
I know he blames himself, everyone knows. No matter how many times our parents tried to make him realize it was Viktor's fault and no one else's, he refused to believe it.
His as stubborn as Rivo, and that's something.
"Come on, dude." I groaned and fell back onto the bed. "Loosen up a bit and move, you're blocking the TV."
"Oh, am I blocking the TV?" he mocked and took a few steps towards the bed until I couldn't see the screen at all.
Riccardo raised his eyebrow, challenging me. I forgot how annoying he really is.
"Move." I tried to throw a pillow at his head, but he caught it. Of course.
He sat down on the bed, and I realized what he's planning a second too late. "That's not a way to talk to your beloved brother." he taunted, pulling me into a headlock.
"Get off me!" I groaned and tried to push him away, but it's no use. He's annoying and strong.
He let go of me after a few seconds, and I immediately kicked his leg.
Riccardo chuckled and rolled over to lie down next to me, getting comfortable. "What are we watching?" he tried to snatch the remote out of my hands, but years with four brothers prepared me for that exact moment.
"I am watching Star Wars. You," I narrowed my eyes and turned to look at him when he groaned dramatically. "Can stay only if you promise to shut up."
"Star Wars, again?" he complained, stretching his arms above his head. "You watched this shit a thousand times already, which means I watched it a thousand times too."
"Do you need me to spell the words 'shut up' for you?"
"You're so mean."
"Talking about mean," I patted my pockets in search for my phone. I spotted it on the bed a few seconds later, and immediately grabbed it.
"I promised Rivo to see Star Wars together."
I ignored Riccardo's groan and quickly sent Rivo a text, checking if Olive sent me anything while doing so. She didn't.
"You invited Rivo to our sleepover?"
"We're not having a sleepover." I lied back down on the bed, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know. I mean, we're both in our PJs and planning to watch a movie. How'd you call it?"
I felt a smile crawl its way into my face, and his own smirk widened at that. We haven't had a sleepover in years.
"I brought something to eat-" Rivo kicked the door open. I mean it, he kicked it. His hands are full with snacks, he even got some of Olive's chips.
She'd kill him if- once she comes back.
He was about to turn around and close the door behind him, but as soon as his eyes caught the sight of Riccardo, they narrowed.
"What is he doing here?"
"He is here to have a good time with his sweet little brothers." Riccardo smiled and got out of the bed just as Amadeo started yelling again.
It's definitely not going to end soon.
He walked past Rivo and closed the door with an eye roll. "Took him long enough to snap."
"I bet you like that, huh?" Rivo scowled, and I started to regret the decision of putting the both of them in the same room. "Finally a mess that isn't your fault."
"Exactly."
"I was being sarcastic, asshole. Alessandro is right and you know it." Rivo hissed and dropped the snacks onto the bed.
He gave me a pointed look as if saying 'why the hell is he here?', but I just shrugged.
Rivo and Riccardo are complete opposites. While my twin is an explosive anger bomb in denial, Riccardo is the most uncaring guy I've ever met.
They never agree, and if by some miracle they are, Riccardo will simply change his mind just to see Rivo gets angry.
It's kinda funny, though.
Riccardo merely smirked and reclaimed his position on the bed, taking a bag of hot cheetos as he does so.
"First of all, Alessandro is never right." he raised one finger up.
Riccardo and Rivo are not the only ones who can't find common ground, oh no. With Alessandro it's even worse.
Shortly after our parents passed, Riccardo stopped seeing his therapists. He was thirteen and said he didn't need them, but Alessandro obviously disagreed.
He made him go and sit through hours of sessions, and that's when the fued between them started.
It got really bad a couple of years ago when Riccardo started drinking a lot, and Alessandro had no other choice but send him to rehab.
He still drinks, sure, but nothing like before. You know, I once found him passed out in a mudpot.
Naked.
"And second," Riccardo continued and raised another finger, giving Rivo a pointed look. "All you had to do to prevent this situation was tell someone what happened to her last night."
"Yeah," I carefully nodded my head, looking at Rivo curiously. "But... what even happened?"
He glared at me, probably for not taking his side, but still sat down on the bed. "As I said a hundred times before, her scar opened up. That's it."
"And it's as believable as the first time." Riccardo commented, and I had to agree with him. No scar just opens up.
Although I do remember standing hours in front of a mirror, imagining what'd be like if the scar on my face will suddenly open up, but just the thought of it made me want to throw up.
I don't want half of my face to be all bloodied again. One time was more than enough.
"The fuck is this? An interrogation? I gave you an answer, deal with it. Move." Rivo gritted out and pushed me towards the middle of the bed. He lied down on my right while Riccardo was on my left, and I realized I'm nothing more than a wall between the two of them.
In my own room.
"Could you not push me on him?" I snapped when Rivo tried to make half of the bed his. He looked at me with narrowed eyes and a glare I'm too familiar with. "You invited him, you share your half with him."
"You're such a baby."
"You both are." Riccardo said.
"What are you even doing here?" Rivo raised his head to look at him. "You hate Star Wars."
"And yet here I am. It appears I hate you less than those movies." Riccardo leaned on his elbow, looking past me at Rivo.
"He's here because he wanted to know if Olive texted me." I tried to hide my smile by answering Rivo, who suddenly tensed.
"And? Did she?"
"Yeah. Said to stop texting her or she'll get herself kidnapped again."
"Wow." he whistled, dropping his head down to the pillow. "She's such a piece of shit."
"Hey." Riccardo leaned forward to smack Rivo's head, and I didn't stop him. If anything, he's the only piece of shit here.
"Show some compassion, would you?" I said. "At least she texted me."
"Why did she text you?" he asked, and even Riccardo turned to look at me.
"Because she actually likes me, unlike the two of you." I snorted, but the looks on their faces made me glance at them in disbelief. "Is it really that hard to believe we get along?"
"Uh, yeah." Rivo furrowed his eyebrows. "Since when are you two 'getting along'?" he mimicked with his fingers.
"They even text each other at night." Riccardo smiled, but I think it was slightly forced. Rivo shot him a look.
Okay, what?
"No way." I sat up, looking at the two of them with mouth slightly opened. "You're actually jealous."
"No." Rivo said immediately, shuffling in his spot while Riccardo stayed quiet. Oh my God, this is fucking gold.
"You're so jealous! I can't believe it." My smile widened. "No, we're-" Rivo started, but one shrug from Riccardo made him reconsider. "I'm not."
"Sure, man." I rolled my eyes, but I'm sure they could still see how amusing this whole thing is to me. "The two of you have no right to be jealous, anyway."
"And why is that?" Riccardo crossed his arms, leaning back against the headboard. He looked curious, and I asked myself for the million time how am I the only one who got some smart genes in this family.
"You're shitting me, right?" I asked, just to make sure. "She's been here for a month, and I can count on one hand the number of days you've been home for more than dinner."
He straightened himself, suddenly getting defensive. "I'm not- look, I told you I have work-"
"Bullshit." Rivo called before I could. "You're scared shitless she'll never talk to you again after she'll find out. Which is ridiculous, by the way."
"Oh, you think this is ridiculous?" I emphasized, not letting Riccardo an opportunity to comment. "Because you're the one who's been nothing more than a dick since she got here."
"You're fucking blind if-"
"Oh my God." I groaned and got off the bed, snatching the bag of chips Rivo was just about to open from his hands.
"I'm blind?" I placed it on my desk, ignoring his protests. He doesn't deserve to eat Olive's chips.
I turned to look at Riccardo, who was watching everything silently. "Tell me you've noticed he's been a pain in the ass."
"I don't mean it to sound offensive, yeah?" he cleared his throat, looking between Rivo and I cautiously. "But from the day you were born, the two of you have been a giant pain in the ass. In fact, I can even remember asking mom to put you back in her stomach."
I bit the inside of my cheek and took a deep breath. "You're useless."
"No, no." Rivo scowled and held his hand up, looking back and forth between Riccardo and I. "Thank God you didn't mean it to sound offensive. Really dodged a bullet there."
"Come on, man. You're just proving my point." Riccardo sighed and shook his head.
If I want to smack his head with a pillow, I can't imagine what Rivo's feeling right now. And I definitely don't want to find out.
"Shut up." I pointed at Riccardo, and he raised his hands up in mock surrender. "I was in the middle of making a point."
"You were on about how I'm a pain in the ass." Rivo deadpanned, narrowing his eyes at me.
"That's right." I nodded. He can glare all he wants, I'm already used to it. "You're a pain in the ass, and you," I turned to look back at Riccardo.
"You are completely avoiding her. No, shut up. A daily conversation of two minutes doesn't count." I added quickly when he tried to speak.
"Well, what do you suggest? You know, seeing as you're such an expert." Rivo asked sarcastically, and I fought so hard against the urge to roll my eyes.
"You can start by tuning down a bit your infuriating nature, you know? Just try to walk past her without saying the first thing that comes up to your mind."
"It's called thinking, by the way. And I know," Riccardo joined in, nodding his head slightly at Rivo. "I know you're not too familiar with the concept, but everyone can do it. Even you."
"Why are you like this?" Rivo snapped and turned around to look directly at him.
Oh, man.
"What? Am I annoying you? Getting on your nerves?" Riccardo taunted. He knows just how to make Rivo lose his mind, and he enjoys doing so every single time.
I usually find it to be pretty amusing, but right now he's getting on my nerves too. The two of them are.
"Just-" I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Let me talk, okay? Like, can you let me speak for a whole minute or is it too much for you?"
They both rolled their eyes.
"Thank you." I smiled tightly and started to pace around the room. How do I say this to them?
"You know how Olive is, right? I mean, you saw her this morning and even before... It's like she can't get that we care about her. And while I try to talk to her and yes, 'text her at night', the two of you are ruining everything." I ran a hand through my hair.
"You act like you don't care, but please." I narrowed my eyes at Rivo. "We all saw how worked up you got this morning, going all like 'you can't leave when you're hurt' and stuff."
He rolled his eyes, but remained silent.
"What are you laughing at?" I snapped my head to Riccardo. "Maybe if you were a little bit more honest with her instead of pretending to be chill and letting her sit at the passenger seat of your car which, by the way, she has no idea means so much to you." I pointed at him and scoffed.
"Maybe than she could have had some kind of emotion towards you. At least she despises Rivo, you know? It's something."
"Hey!" "I am chill."
"Shut up!" I picked up a pillow and threw it at them. Why can't they just listen?
"What I'm trying to say is that she doesn't realize how much it means to you because she wasn't here. She grew up in a whole different place, and she feels like she doesn't even know us! And instead of trying to help, you two are making her think she'll never fit in!"
It was so frustrating. Rivo is being a dick and pushes her away, and Riccardo is simply pushing himself away like he always does.
I want her to trust us enough to tell us about herself, but I just feel like it's never going to happen.
And plus, I'm curious as hell.
But that's not the point.
"I can try to be..." Rivo mumbled and clenched his jaw. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes were glued to the wall behind me. "Nicer."
"That's good." I smiled.
I turned my head to Riccardo, and we were patiently waiting for him to say something. Well, I was waiting patiently.
"Just say you'll be more involved in her life so we can get this thing over with." Rivo said, and I rolled my eyes. It's their own fault we're doing this.
"You don't understand." Riccardo chuckled, putting down his bag of cheetos. "I can't be 'more involved in her life' because I don't know how."
He scratched his nose, darting his eyes between us. "It's possible you haven't noticed it because I'm so awesome at everything, but apparently, according to people, I'm not so great at human interactions."
Rivo and I exchanged looks.
"No, we..." I cleared my throat. "We may have noticed."
"See?" Riccardo let out a sigh. "It's better for everyone I'll just keep my distance, you know?"
"What? No." Rivo scoffed. "You're the most annoying person I know, and honestly? I want to kill you most of the time."
"Thanks, but-"
"But you're still my brother." Rivo raised his voice slightly to shut him up. "And you're Olive's as well. She should be able to feel like killing you too."
Riccardo wants to be in her life, that much is as clear as day. But he's just too scared she'll hate him once she'll know what happened, so he prefers to play it safe.
All Olive can see is a reckless biker with a dog, not a brother who cares about her. One who spent years killing everyone who took place in her kidnap.
I love Riccardo, and I know Olive will love him too eventually. Even Rivo loves him.
Deep inside. Like, really, really deep.
"Alright." Riccardo nodded his head, looking unsure. Still counts as something, I guess.
"Great!" I exclaimed, slumping down onto the bed. Convincing them to act like normal human beings is simply exhausting.
"Now that we achieved a breakthrough, we can see Star Wars peacefully."
"Thank God." Rivo took the remote from where I threw it on the bed. He turned on the TV and started the first movie, not wasting any time.
"Turn off the lights." I elbowed Riccardo. He groaned and got out of the bed dramatically, making sure we know he hates doing it.
And he called me a baby.
"Hey, remember when Olive kicked you in the balls?" Riccardo laughed, coming back to us. After she left, Rivo had to lie down on the couch for like ten minutes. It was pretty funny.
I smirked and turned to look at Rivo just in time to catch him shift uncomfortably in his side of the bed. "Don't fucking remind me."
"Don't worry, I don't think she really despises you." Riccardo reached forward to ruffle his hair, and for once, Rivo said nothing.
"Can the two of you keep quiet? I'm trying to read the opening crawl." I used both of my feet to kick them.
Rivo grumbled, but shut up anyway. He's here to watch it just as much as I am.
"Psssst." Riccardo whispered in my ear, but I ignored him. He's definitely not here to watch Star Wars.
"Santo!" he continued, and when he started to quietly sing my name, I couldn't take it anymore. How am I supposed to concentrate like that?
"What?" I hissed, not taking my eyes off the screen.
"How can I be more involved in Olive's life?"
I sighed and turned my head to look at him. His head was slightly tilted, and I could tell from the look in his eyes he was serious.
"I don't know. I mean, maybe check up on her from time to time, see if she's fine. Oh, and please just tell her already." I said. He can knock on her door and start a conversation, ask about stuff, you know? Maybe actually give her the answers she's looking for.
"Hmm." he nodded, bringing his attention back to the TV. "Sounds cool."
I grinned and looked at him for a few more seconds. He's actually going to try.
ยฐยฐยฐ
"Riccardo?" I whispered and opened my eyes, only to find him getting out of the bed. I used my right hand to rub my eyes as I tiredly sat up.
What time is it?
I remember Rivo was completely knocked out even before we finished watching 'the phantom menace', and I think I managed to survive until the end of 'attack of the clones'. Did Riccardo ever fell asleep too?
"Shit, did I wake you up?" he turned around, and I could barely see him in the dark. "Do you need me to sing you a lullaby or-"
"Funny."
"Just go back to sleep, I'm going to take your advice."
"What advice?" I furrowed my eyebrows, and reached mindlessly to my phone on the bedside table. It's almost 2AM.
I need to kick Rivo out.
"I'm going to check up on Olive." he whispered, but immediately cursed loudly after tripping over something on the floor.
"Right. You're going to this guy's house? At 2AM?" I chuckled, trying to pull some of the blanket off Rivo to cover myself. He's such a parasite.
"Yeah."
I snapped my head to him and froze. What?
"You weren't joking?" I asked, disbelief clear in my voice. Is he fucking insane? "Riccardo, this is so not what I meant."
"Don't worry, I'm just going to see if she's fine." he shushed me, opening the door. No light came in, and I guess even Alessandro and Amadeo decided to call it a day.
Well, not Riccardo.
"And then what?" I raised my eyebrow, trying to keep up with his stupid plan. "After you wake her and everyone else up, in the middle of the night, I mean."
He turned around to look at me for a few moments, pursing his lips in thought.
"I'll just improvise, see where it goes." he waved me off eventually.
I shook my head and lied back on the bed. He's absolutely insane.
"Sleep tight, Mr. Knight." Riccardo smirked before leaving my room, closing the door behind him.
I chuckled and closed my eyes. Dad used to say this dumb phrase to us every night.
"Where's he going?" Rivo mumbled, and with one harsh pull, the entire blanket was off me.
If I wasn't half asleep, I would have killed him.
"Going to see if Olive's fine at Jace's." I replied, feeling my eyes closing up again.
"He's fucking insane."
"Yeah."
Chapter 36!
I finished my crazy week full of tests! It was so exhausting and I just couldn't find time to write.
But it's over for now!
Don't forget to vote and comment, it makes me feel good :)
Love you so much, and welcome to the new readers! 131k reads??? Wow.
See ya soon <3