Heart and Soul [bxb]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Christmas was loud, and chaotic, and for once Carter didn't mind.

Seth came over for Christmas Eve and he stayed the night. Tony's brother and his family joined them for the meal as well, so the whole family could open presents at midnight, which was apparently a tradition. As was a variety of seafood recipes, in accordance to Italian tradition. 

On Christmas morning, Tony video called with his relatives in Italy, who were just finishing lunch on their end. Seth left early too, so he could visit his sister at Morningtide.

Richie Santoro was staying in Mike's room in the attic, but Jack had set up his makeshift bed in Bella's room this time. A third camping mattress was rolled out on Carter's bedroom, for Seth, who stayed the night on Christmas day as well.

On the day after Christmas, Bella's friends, Lauren and Roy, came over. Carter and Seth ended up spending the afternoon with them and Jack, in the Santoro backyard, before they all went out to get something to eat in the evening. 

Joey invited them over the day after that, and Seth brought Bella with him. She seemed to get along nicely with Jenna and Mel, while the boys passed a football around on Joey's lawn.

On the twenty-eighth, Carter and Seth went out with the others alone, while Bella spent the day at Lauren's. At the end of the day, Seth dropped Carter at the Santoros' and went to his own house, though Carter told him to prepare a bag with clothes so he could stay the rest of the winter break with them. 

When he opened the door and walked into the living room, almost all the Santoro siblings were scattered across the room. Jack, Richie and Mike were sitting on the couch, a little tightly seen as they were all big guys, while Bella was comfortably sprawled across the armchair. Frankie and Luca sat on the floor in front of her, setting up a board game on the cleared out coffee table.

"Hey, C-man," Luca greeted.

"Your timing is great," Frankie said. "We were just about to start a game of Monopoly. It's a big Santoro sibling tradition we kind of skipped on Thanksgiving."

"Wanna join us?" Jack asked.

Just as he made the invitation, Frankie and Luca looked over their shoulders at Bella behind them. She looked up from her phone, taking notice of their stares, and rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Why is everybody looking at me like that? It's not like I'm going to tell him he can't play!"

"We were just making sure, Belz," Frankie said.

Bella huffed. "For fuck's sake—"

"Swear Jar," Richie called from the couch.

Luca grinned. "You missed that, admit it."

Bella shot them a glare. "I was going to say he can play on my team," she deadpanned.

"Oh, damn. Plot twist," Frankie gasped.

"You're always with Jack," Luca exclaimed. "This is a tradition game. We can't shit all over tradition."

"Swear Jar," Jack said. "Also, I call Mikey if I can't have Bella."

"But Mike's my dude," Richie complained.

"Not anymore," Jack shot back, sliding his arm around Mike's shoulders.

Charlie came charging into the living room from the kitchen then, with a Twizzlers in his hands. "Can I play?" He asked, before jumping onto the couch, between Richie and Jack's thighs.

"Yes," Richie said, grabbing his youngest brother around the waist and pulling him onto his lap. "Yes, you can, little man. You're on my team. We'll teach these backstabbers how to play."