THE BADDEST PRINCIPESSA

Chapter Twenty Seven - Open Book

ARIA POV

"Someone better start fucking talking right now or I swear to god," I announce

"What would you do? Runaway? You've done that before. We found you and we will find you again, and this time I will throw you over my shoulder."Laughs Enzo.

"Damn, man, chill" I taunt him.

"Well, what were you going to do instead then? Enlighten me." A smug smile appears on Enzo's face as he stares at me in anticipation of my reply.

"Shut up" I wined. Prick

Someone wants to fill me in as well about this fucking tension I have walked into" During his remarks, Brio spoke disrespectfully.

"Doesn't concern you," Alessandro says leaving no room left for discussion.

"Oh, it doesn't concern me. It's not like I just punched in the face because you pissed him off," he mimics, chuckling slightly.

"You pissed him off actually. You should have never taken Aria to the laboratory!" Andrea grumbles under his breath.

"What?! I did nothing wrong. You all are just being too damn dramatic. It wasn't dangerous. I'd never put my baby cousin in danger" Brio yells.

"Considering how many chemicals are present, it could turn out to be dangerous," Alessandro replies

"Like what?!" he rolls his eyes.

"Oh, what about the place being attacked, a chemical explosion, a chemical leak? Also, she might have gotten scared. She's still learning about this life, and it doesn't need you to make her anymore anxious."

"STOP SPEAKING ON MY FUCKING BEHALF! I AM SO SICK OF YOU ALESSANDRO! WILL YOU STOP CONTROLLING MY GODDAMN LIFE," I yell at Alessandro.

"Watch your attitude. Like it or not young lady, I'm the grown-up and your legal guardian, and your welfare is one of my top concerns as well as your brothers. So yes, I will speak for you because believe it or not I care about you," says Alessandro authoritatively.

"Fuck this! I'm going to Zoe's house."

"No, you are not young lady," he demands.

"Yes, I am. We have a project due tomorrow" I grit my teeth. I start to walk out and no one tries to stop me. I slam the door on my way out.

I arrive at Zoe's house unexpectedly. Hopefully, she doesn't mind, but the others are away this week except her as she had to catch up with homework and well there is no way my family would ever let me go alone with my friends in a lodge in the middle of nowhere.

I walk up to the door and knock. An older woman in her 60s answers the door and looks down at me with disgust. "Who are you?"

"Ehm. I'm Zoe's friend. Is this her house?"

"I am her foster mum. She's upstairs. Go ahead" she, rolls her eyes and opens the door wide and steps aside to give me room to enter.

I carefully make my way upstairs. I shouted Zoe's name to warn her I was coming up.

She met me at the top of the stairs and walked me into her room.

Her little sister Franny was sitting on her bed with her stuffed bear snuggled in with a Minnie mouse blanket watching Frozen.

"Is that Franny?" I ask.

"Yeah. We share this room."

"But there is only a single bed. How do you both fit comfortably?"

"We take turns. She kicks in her sleep, so we can't share it."

"It must be hard. I am sorry."

"It's okay. We do just fine. We have a roof over our head and we are just grateful for that." she says and kisses Franny on her forehead.

"I am sorry for coming unannounced. I needed to get out the house"

"Want to talk about it?" she asks and gestures me to sit down next to her as she is in the middle of me and Franny.

"Just a stupid fight with Alessandro. He got into a fight with one of our cousins about me. I just hate him controlling me all the damn time."

"Must be nice to have someone that cares that much to argue that hard with you"

"It wasn't always like that."

"Franny, can you go play in the garden?" she turns to her little sister who was cuddled up beside her.

"It's boring though, I want to stay with you," she whines.

"Franny, remember I bought you a sandbox yesterday. I set it up for you while you were having a nap. Do you want to show our guests a beautiful sandcastle you made?"

"Yes!" she squeals in excitement and runs downstairs. Zoe locks the door behind Franny.

"Talk, she demands. Catching me by surprise.

"My mum and stepdad were abusive. They were addicts and often I would get in the way."

"I get that. It must be hard for it to be a parent. My last foster family was like that. I am here, and it is a lot better but still not amazing."

"Okay, tell me everything" I squeeze her hand gently. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Can I start at the very beginning? I want to tell you everything."

"Of course, I am not going anywhere."

"I came from a caring loving family. We were the picture-perfect family until Christmas Eve my parents left Franny and me all alone. I woke up and couldn't find them anywhere. Later that morning my Grandmother came round to celebrate with us and I told her I couldn't find them. The next thing I knew it the police and social workers were round asking questions. They concluded my grandmother couldn't look after us as she had just been diagnosed with cancer. She was planning on telling the family after Christmas but little did she know this would happen. She died three years ago. She visited us all the time. She was the only family I had left" I pulled her in a tight hug. She cried in my arms for a while.

After she had stopped crying, she got up to go to the bathroom to sort herself out. I looked at my phone and noticed I only had 1% remaining.

"Hey, have you got a charger I could borrow?!" I called out."Yeah, in the first drawer near my bed. I reached in and immediately saw a...

Strap on dildo. Is she a lesbian?

Just as I was about to shut the drawer, she came in and saw my face. She knew at that exact moment what I saw.

"I can explain. Please let me explain. You weren't meant to see that. Please don't leave," she was rambling uncontrollably.

"Calm down, I like you," I blurted out and gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. What the fuck did I just say?

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. I panicked" I rambled too.

"I like you" she walked up to me and pulled me into a kiss.

This is better than I dreamt.

She pulled away and laughed. Did I say that out loud?

"Yes you did" she confirmed my fear.

"So you've been dreaming about me? So what I have been doing in those dreams," she whispers seductively in my ear. "Was I a bad girl?".

This girl is going to be the end of me.

I'm sorry but can we be serious for a second?"

"Yes," she smiles at me. "Can I ask you out on a date?"

"Yes"

"Did you have a girlfriend before?"

"Yes, If you are going to ask if I am a virgin next then the answer is no."

"Oh, I had a boyfriend?"

"Are you just wanting to experiment with me then?" she asks with hurt laced through her voice.

"No, I think I am bisexual. Also, I didn't even sleep with my ex."

Eventually, Franny knocked on the door to break up the awkwardness. She wanted to show me her sandcastle. She pulled me along with her, skipping the entire time. Such a cutie pie.

When she was showing me the sandcastle, I noticed Zoe gazing at me with a smile on her face.

It all came to an end when my idiot brother demanded I came home immediately before he sent out a search party.

Once I got home. All my cousins were gone, and Uncle Ricardo was nowhere to be seen. All the suitcases that were in the hallway were gone.

"Where is everyone?" I saw Alessandro sipping on Whiskey in the living room at the bar. He sighed as I walked over to sit on the stool next to him.

"Uncle Ricardo decided to leave and he took your cousins with him back to Italy.

"When will they be back?" I asked.

"I don't know. Don't worry about it they will be back"

"What happened?"

"He came back and just told our cousins to pack. Barely spoke or gave a single goodbye."

"Why would he do that?" I asked nervously.

"I don't know. Just go to your room please," he said tiredly. Nodding, I headed upstairs. Seeing Gabriel's room open, they were just lying down on their bed staring at the ceiling.

Upon knocking, they looked up and gestured for me to join them.

I cautiously walked over. Everyone In the house seemed on edge. How did things turn so fucked up this damn quick?

"Can you tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know Aria. Alessandro never got on with Uncle Ricardo but it was never like this. He would never get as mad to ever hit one of us."

"Who else did he hit?"

"I overheard Andrea and Alessandro talking and found out he hit Ales."

"Your joking? Please be joking?"

"I wish I was."

"I don't understand why he was so protective of me when Brio took me to the laboratory. Now he just leaves without saying goodbye. I always wanted to get to know my family. I didn't have any cousins or Uncles when I was growing up, and now I have them again." I tear up.

"You have me and will always have me."

My childhood was messed up; I just want to be normal for once. I know I should be grateful for what I have, but I want what everyone else has.

They pulled me into their arms, and we both lay there in silence.