Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
“ T o the grave,” I whisper, joining pinkie fingers with Mabilia.
“To the grave,” she echoes.
We’re about to face the firing squad, so to speak.
Both of our phones have been blowing up and we’ve been summoned home.
Mabilia’s parents are at my house waiting for us.
We had Tommy drop us off out front, because he does not need to be caught in the crossfire.
We knew this would happen, and we did it anyway.
Worth it. I saw a totally different side of Connor last night.
He was in his element, in the city he considers home, surrounded by his friends. I’ve seen him hanging around with Kenny and Kenny’s friends, but I don’t think Connor has made an effort to really make any of his own. Well, besides me. Then again, I do tend to take up a lot of his time.
The minute I open the door, I hear the yelling. Mabilia and I share a look. Recognizing the voices immediately. Our fathers. It stops when we walk into the living room.
“Oh, thank god you’re home. Where have you been?” My mom wraps her arms around me tight. “Do not say anything smart-mouthed. Now is not the time.”
I nod slightly, acknowledging her warning.
“Where the fuck were you both?” This comes from my Zia Izzy. “Seriously, do you two have any idea what happens to young girls like you when you run off on your own?”
“Yeah, nothing because we’re not helpless, Mama. We can and will defend ourselves,” Mabilia says. “We just went to a party. It’s really not a big deal, and we kept the rule of two.”
“ Just went to a party ? You hear that, Mikhail? Our daughters just went to a party ?” My dad paces up and down the living room, while my uncle stands perfectly still with his hands in his pockets.
“Whose party?” Zio Mikhail asks.
“I don’t remember. It was some random kid,” I tell him.
“A random kid? You ran off for an entire night, lied to us, for a random kid?” my dad questions, and suddenly I feel like I’m on the stand in his courtroom.
“It was stupid. We won’t do it again,” I huff. “It’s just… exams are coming up and we were both stressed and wanted to have fun.”
“Mabilia, you’re stressed about school?” My uncle turns to my cousin.
“A little,” she replies, going along with my lie.
“Homeschool can be arranged,” he reminds her.
“It’s not that bad, Papa. We just wanted to have fun,” Mabilia says.
“You know what else is fun? Being able to go to bed knowing where your children are,” Zio Izzy hisses.
“Okay, I think we all need to take a breath. The main thing is that the girls are safe. They’re home and nothing happened,” my mom, ever the voice of reason, tells everyone.
“Nothing happened, right?” Zio Mikhail asks, looking at me and then over to Mabilia.
“I might have stabbed a guy in the balls.” I lift a shoulder.
My dad’s lips tip up before he forces them to drop again. “What do you mean you may have stabbed a guy in the balls?”
“He said something crude to me, so I stabbed his balls,” I explain. “He’s not dead. He’ll be fine.”
“Who is he?” Papa asks.
“I don’t know. I didn’t stick around to ask his name.”
“Okay, Mabilia, we’re leaving. We will talk about this at home,” Zia Izzy says.
Once Mabilia and her parents are out the front door, my dad turns to me. “Really, Aurora, the balls?” He shakes his head.
“You didn’t hear what he said he wanted to do to me, Papa.”
“If I did, he’d be dead,” my dad grunts. “I swear to God I’ve aged fifty years over night.”
“And somehow you don’t look a day over thirty.” I give him my most innocent smile.
“Cute, but it’s not going to work this time. I’m taking your credit cards and car.”
“How will I get to school?” I ask him. “And what if I’m hungry or thirsty? How will I buy food?”
“Fucking hell.” My dad turns to my mom. “Savvy?”
“I think our daughter knows what she did was wrong and she’s not going to do it again,” she tells him.
“I won’t,” I agree, even though I probably will.
“No, you won’t, because I’m going to lock you away and throw away the fucking key!” my dad yells.
“Okay, Matteo, calm down. Aurora, go upstairs,” Mom intervenes. I give her a grateful look. My dad is overreacting. It was a party and I didn’t even kill anyone.
After showering and changing into a pair of tights and an oversized shirt, I plop down on my bed and pick up my phone. There’s a missed message from Connor.
Charming:
You still alive?
Me:
You worried about me, Charming?
Charming:
Not so much you. You’re a survivor. I’d be more concerned about whomever you’re up against. Seriously, though, how bad was it?
Me:
My mom is calming down the situation. And by situation, I mean my father.
Charming:
Is he going to let you see the light of day again?
Me:
I’d like to see him try to stop me.
I add a laughing emoji to my message.
Charming:
Patty told me I should marry you. His exact words were: wife that girl up.
Marry me? He can’t be serious. He’s joking. I think. My heart starts to speed up.
Me:
I’m not wife material. I don’t like being kept or told what to do.
Charming:
That’s what I like most about you.
There’s a knock on the door, and I drop my phone as my mom walks in. “Hey, how is he?” I ask, seeing as I left her to deal with the mess I made with my dad.
“He’ll survive,” she says, rolling her eyes. “But you really need to not do this again, Aurora.”
“I know,” I tell her.
“There is so much in life I want you to experience, enjoy. And you can’t do that if your father locks you away, which he will,” she says, sitting down on the edge of my bed.
“I know,” I repeat.
“Whoever he is, I really hope he’s worth the trouble.”
“I think I might be in love.” I sigh. “I mean, I don’t know.
It’s stupid.” I have no idea what it feels like to be in love, but I do know I like Connor a lot.
I mean, there’s not really much not to like about him, once you get past the whole Irish thing.
I’d be lying if I said his accent wasn’t a turn-on, though.
Also, he’s just as unhinged as I am. Okay, maybe not. But he’s not afraid to fight and he doesn’t back down. What he did at the gas station, how he handled that whole situation, that was fucking hot.
“It’s not stupid, baby, but you need to be careful. And make sure he really is the one before you take on that fight with your father and uncles,” she says. “And brothers.”
“Well, Lorenzo is on the other side of the world. He doesn’t get a say.” I smirk, finally finding a positive outlook on my brother moving to Australia.
“Don’t underestimate what your brother would do for you, Aurora. If you think an ocean would stop him, think again, sweetheart,” Mom says.
“Maybe I’ll just do what you and Papa did, and run off to Vegas and get hitched. Then it’ll be too late. They’ll just have to accept it,” I joke.
“Don’t you dare do that to me, Aurora Valentino.
Promise me right now that you will not get married without me there.
I’ve had one kid do that, and you’re my only daughter.
I need to be there for all of it. And as much as he might be a grouch about it, it will break your father’s heart if he doesn’t get to walk you down the aisle.
Promise me you won’t do that to us.” Mom sounds genuinely stressed.
I hold out my pinkie finger. “I promise,” I tell her.
“Thank you. And don’t go MIA again,” she adds before pushing up from the bed.
“I love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, sweetheart. Just try to stay out of trouble,” she says.
“Always.” I smile. We both know I won’t.
I’m about to pick up my phone and check if I have any more messages from Connor when my door opens again. This time, my dad walks in.
“You doing okay?” he asks.
“I am. Are you?”
“I’d be better if you didn’t make me worry about you every second you’re out of my sight.”
“You taught me everything I know so you didn’t have to worry, remember?”
“I taught you too well. You can’t go around stabbing guys in the balls, Aurora,” he says.
“Why not?”
“Because you just can’t. What if he hit back? What if he had a knife too?”
“I’d still come out on top. Don’t worry, Papa, I will always come out on top.”
“That’s what everyone says before they end up at the bottom of a hole, Aurora. You need to be more careful.”
“Okay. I will.” I nod my head. I have no idea what to say to my dad to put his mind at ease right now. So I climb up on my knees and wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m really lucky you’re my dad.”
“You are,” he agrees.
“And I’m sorry I made you worry. But I really did just want to have fun. We’re teenagers. You can’t tell me you didn’t go to parties as a teenager.”
“I…” He starts and then stops. “I get it. I do. And I’m not trying to suffocate you, princess. I’m just trying to keep you in one piece.”
I lower my arms and rest my back against my headboard. “I know.”
“You are my greatest achievement, Aurora. I am so fucking proud of you.”
“Even if I’m stabbing jerks in the balls?” I ask.
“Especially when your stabbing jerks in the balls. But don’t do that again.” He points a finger at me.
“Got it.” I really don’t, but I’ll pretend I do. “You know, one day soon, Lorenzo and Kyla will give you a grandchild to worry about and you won’t need to spend all your time worrying about me.”
“A grandchild?” My father shakes his head. “No, nope, I’m too young for that, and I will worry about you until I take my last breath.”
“Thank you. I love you, Papa.”
“Love you too, sweetheart.” He turns to leave. “No more parties with Mabilia, though.”
“Why not?”
“Because you two together are bad news. Take Dante… or Orlando.”
“You do know Orlando spends all night chasing girls and Dante is Josie-obsessed. They’re literally the world’s worst chaperones. But sure, I’ll go to parties with those two from now on.”
“Take your brother,” Papa says, changing his mind.
“Oh, college parties, even better.” I laugh.
“No parties,” he says firmly before walking out of the room.
I finally pick up my phone and read the missed messages from Connor.
Charming:
Breakfast in the library tomorrow?
Charming:
I’ll bring actual food.
Charming:
Or not?
Charming:
…
Me:
Sorry. My parents were talking to me. I’ll be there.
Charming:
You in trouble again already?
Me:
No, I’m the favorite child. I did have to promise my mom I wouldn’t ever run off to Vegas and get married, though.
Charming:
Damn, there goes my plans for next weekend.
I stare at the message. He’s joking again. I know that. But why is my heart racing so damn fast?
Me:
Funny you’d think I’d marry you.
Charming:
You will one day.
A stupid smile forms on my face and I toss my phone aside. Nope, I am not getting love-drugged. I’m not falling down that rabbit hole.