The drive back home was quiet. No one said anything to each other. Rosa sat in the back sit of Marco's SUV, fast asleep. Athena and Marco talked quietly amongst themselves.
Returning home was also quiet. Andrea asked what happened to which Rosa broke down crying, telling her madre everything that she needed to know, to which she responded in wrapping her arms around Rosa and hugging her softly, rubbing her back and telling her everything is going to be okay, no what matter what happens next in the future.
After all that crying, Rosa was fast asleep once again. But she deserves that rest after everything she went through. Marco placed Rosa down in her bed and covered her up, letting her sleep the peaceful sleep that she deserves.
~~~~~~~~~2 years later~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rosa Romano
I had just finished taking the orders of a few tables. Athena had came to visit me, watching me work at the local family owned diner, not to far from where I stayed.
I'm still stayed with my madre and Marco. Athena moved in with Carlos and is now filling out an application for a clothing store. I had just finished giving out orders when my manager, Nico, told me to go take a break, since I've been "overworking" myself lately. I laughed it off and clocked out, grabbing my bag and walking over to Athena, sitting down with her.
"How's the application coming along Athena?" She looked up at me.
"I'd just finished it actually and sent it through. Hopefully they hire me. As much as I loved stripping and making drinks, I found a place that fits me and it's a clothing store." I smiled softly, nodding.
"Does Carlos still work there?" She nodded.
"Oh yeah, he says he loves working there. I don't blame him. Yes the pay is great, but he's been there for years, I understand if he doesn't want to leave." I nodded, agreeing with her.
"So, what are you doing after work Rosa?"
I looked at her. "Probably go home and sleep honestly. I think Nico is right, I've been overworking myself for no reason whatsoever." Athena nodded. "I think that's your best bet. Besides, you have no reason to overwork yourself yet alone stressing and worrying about whatever it is your worrying about."
I nodded my head knowing she's right about everything she is saying. I guess it was just hard. With everything that happened two years ago with...him...my mind still wanders to that very day. Why didn't he say anything? Why did he just stare at me as I poured my heart out to him. I was a fool.
~Flashback~
"Look Alessandro, I want to forget everything that happened that night, it hurts me to even think about that happened. I don't want to think about that night anymore cause it just brings me down and hurts me more and more to the point of tears coming out of my eyes." I sighed and took a deep breath, not wanting to cry right now.
"Listen Alessandro, working here has been fun, but I don't want to be here for the rest of my life. Sure it's great money and the tips are amazing, but this isn't my life Alessandro. Working at a strip club, no! I can't do that forever Alessandro, I want you to understand that for me please!" I pulled on my hair, stressing over this stupid conversation that should've have to happen, but it is.
Alessandro said nothing. I sighed and backed up away from him. "Look, I think we should get a break. I mean I feel like I barely spend time with my best friend or my madre, I'm always with you and not that that's not a bad thing, but I want space sometimes Alessandro and I want you to understand that. I'm not saying that I don't love you or I don't want to be around you, I just want to spend with other people in my life too."
~Present~
Athena wrapped her arm around me. "Don't think about it Rosa. It won't make it better. You have to learn to forgive and forget about it alright. How long is your break?" I looked at her. "I don't know, I'll go ask." I got up to ask Nico how long my break was. He turned to me and smiled. "Go for an hour, okay?" I smiled. "Thanks Nico!"
Just then, a little girl ran up to me a hugged me tightly.
"Rosa!!!" I turned to see a familiar face and voice. "Alice!" I smiled and picked her up, spinning her around. "Oh my goodness, look how big you've gotten the last time I saw you." She squealed, hugging me back tightly. "I missed you!!" I sat down with Alice in my lap. Athena smiled softly and looked at me. In her eyes, she saw that I looked like a mother with her child. Alice was hugging me tightly. "It's been so long since I've seen you Rosa. It's been so long, I thought you forgot about me." She pouted. Both Athena and I laughed softly. "Aw sweetie, I could never forget about you honey. How could I forget this cute little face?"
I squished her cute little cheeks as she squealed in my lap.
I remember meeting her for the first time. She was the cutest little girl I have ever met. I saw her like a little sister. Now look at her. She's much bigger now. The last time I saw her, she was about 6-7 years old. Two years later, she's now 8-9 years old, that's what it looks like.
"Alice, how old are you now?" She looked up at me and smiled softly. She showed me her fingers. Her fingers showed me that she is 8 years old. Athena smiled softly. "So cute." I nodded my head in agreement. "That she is. Yes, yes that she is. For an 8 year old, you are so adorable." Alice smiled softly. "Yeah I am!" Athena and I laughed.
We ended up ordering something from the diner instead of going somewhere else. We didn't want to leave Alice, let alone take her, without her brothers knowing. Alice was sitting next to me as Athena was sitting across from us.
"So Alice, are you in school?" She nodded, drinking her vanilla milkshake. "Yeah! I have made lots of friends Rosa." I smiled at her. "That's good, I'm glad your making friends. No one is bothering you right?" She giggled softly. Athena smirked. "Found any boy crushes~?" I coughed almost choking on my food. I grabbed my drink and chugged it down like an idiot, while coughing up a fucking storm.
"A-Athena! You can't ask her that! She's a child!" Athena smirked softly. "What~? She's gotta learn at some point right?" Alice was giggling, holding onto my arm. "It's okay Rosa." I shook my head and patted her head. Nico walked over to us and leaned against my side of the booth. I looked up at him and smiled softly. "Hey Nico." He chuckled softly. "Hey ladies, and oh who's this beautiful little girl?" Alice smiled softly. She waved at him. "Hiii, my name is Alice." Nico chuckled softly. He grabbed her small hand gently and kissed the top of it. "Buon pomeriggio tesoro."(Good afternoon sweetheart) Alice smiled. "Aww." I smiled softly as Alice leaned against me. I looked at her. You could tell her eyes were getting heavy. I smiled softly as Nico chuckled. "Looks like someone is getting tired on your side over there." I picked her up and placed her on my lap as she leaned against my chest. I kissed her head. "Are you getting sleepy my love?" Alice nodded and stretched in my lap. "Yeah, I getting sleepy Rosa." I nodded. "Try to stay away for me alright Alice. Let's go find your brother okay?"
She nodded as I stood up, holding her in my arms. She cuddled against me. Athena stood up, throwing our trash away. She looked around. "Do you see any of her brothers?" I shook my head. I remember them. Antonio..Angelo...A-Alessandro... Shit... Alessandro, it's not that I forgot about him, it's just that we haven't spoken to each other in 2 years. I don't know if he even remembers me. I remember him very much and everything that happened between us. It's like it happened yesterday. I don't want to remember it, it was torture. It was painful. I was depressed for a while up until we moved into a house closer to my job away from where Alessandro lives, away from the penthouse, away from the strip club, away from the past.
I don't want to be around the past anymore. The past caused me so much pain, I don't want to relive it at all. I looked around and noticed a familiar person. It was Angelo! I turned to Athena and nudged her. "Look. Over there. It's Angelo, the youngest brother." She looked over and smiled softly. "Yeah it is." We walked over to him. I tapped his shoulder. He turned around and looked so different. Back then, he looked like a little brother to me and now, he's much more than that, though that sounded really weird.
Angelo smiled at us. "Rosa, Athena, hello you beautiful girls. It's been awhile. I smiled as we hugged, well kind of, since I'm holding Alice. "I found Alice. She ran up to me and ended up wanting to eat with us." Angelo chuckled softly and took her from me. "Thank you so much for finding her though. Well, thank god she found you. We were honestly scared until Antonio and someone else saw her with you and we left since we trust her with you." I smiled and stretched my arms a bit since I was carrying her.
"Well of course Angelo. I love Alice like she's my own little sister." He chuckled softly. "Would you two like to sit with me? Antonio had some errands to run so I'm by myself for a bit." I looked at Athena and she nodded. She didn't think much of it. We sat down with Angelo. Alice was fast asleep on Angelo's chest.
We ended up talking the three of us, catching up. I could feel Nico watching us, more of watching me and Angelo. He had jealously in his eyes. I don't know why. Though I've noticed that every time a guy speaks to me in a what he calls a "too-friendly" manner, he tends to glare them down, which causes them to pay fast and leave before happens, but Angelo just shrugged it off like it was nothing. I have to remember; the Bianchi family is quite a dangerous family. I don't think anyone glaring them down scares them unless it's someone else from the family doing the glaring at them.
I smiled softly. Just then a familiar, beautiful, deep voice that I haven't heard in the last two years spoke.
"Rosa?" The sound of the r rolling of their tongue sent shivers down my spine.
I turned to see those beautiful dark, green eyes looking down at me. That gorgeous jet black hair that covered his face slightly
"A-Alessandro?"