Swapped

Chapter 13: On the way

"That's all, you can leave now" He says as I just feel happy this conversation is over.

"Also one more thing, you're going out shopping with Enzo so be ready in 20 minutes" He says as I respond with an okey. 'Man I hate shopping but at least it's with Enzo' I say to myself.

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After putting on some ripped jeans and a white hoodie I make my way towards the living room, waiting for Enzo.

"I see you're looking ready as ever" Enzo says as he enters the room. I study him, noticing he's wearing jeans, white t-shirt and a dark brown leather jacket. 'First time i see this guy without a suit, he looks more

"normal" this way' I say to myself. "Something wrong?" He says as I stare at him.

"N-no, i'm sorry" I stutter as I snap out of thought.

"Don't worry about it, let's get going," He said as I followed him outside. I stop in my tracks as I see a bunch of expensive cars/sport cars at the front porch. My parents lived on an average salary but never prioritised a nice car resulting in me sitting in, not so good looking car.

"What, never seen a car before?" He asked with a chuckle as he noticed my surprised expression.

"These cars look really expensive and there are so many of them. Mom's car was okay looking i guess but my dad always had old cars that could randomly stop working sometimes. Not to mention it was always dirty with spiders that would appear sometimes" I say feeling a bit more comfortable with Enzo compared to the others.

He had a genuine laugh which was the first time I saw one of my brothers have. I smile in response feeling grateful that I at least have one brother who can laugh.

"We'll be riding in the car over there" He says pointing at a shiny black BMW with tinted windows. In fact, it seems like all the cars have tinted windows.

I hope in the back seat as I feel more comfortable in the background than in front. Even as I feel more comfortable with Enzo compared to the others, I still don't feel like lowering my guard yet, probably never. Enzo doesn't seem to mind me sitting in the back seat and doesn't even question it.

I stare out the window seeing trees pass by and dark thick clouds without the sun shining through. My mind processes everything that has happened lately and my thoughts on Enzo. Even though Enzo seems like a good brother, I still feel constant fear at the pit of my stomach which I doubt will ever go away. Even with my old family I was always worried about everything and feeling afraid of the world and the people in it.

I don't trust in people and think everybody has bad intentions. It was always extremely hard for me to feel safe even in my own bed. The monsters in my head were always present and reminded me never to lower my guard.

At a young age my father constantly reminded me that people are evil and that nobody will ever help me if I was in need of it.

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'Nobody cares for your well being Aria, everybody is selfish and only thinks about what they want. If someone ever tries helping you, you must be suspicious and wonder what they will gain' 'Aria, why are you listening to music while going for a walk, you know you must always have your guard up as well as your eyes and ears noticing everything around you.

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I remember my fathers words clearly as he made me fearful of the world around me. But that fear may as well have saved my life without me knowing.

Even if it had held me back in many situations like choosing not to trust people or declining social events with my friends, it made my social circle smaller which i don't mind. After about 20 minutes of driving we arrived at a huge mall.

"There are some things you need to know when going out with me and our other brothers," Enzo explains with a serious expression after he parks the car.

"Always keep yourself close in my sight of view. Also, if you ever feel something is wrong like someone is staring or following you, I need to know immediately" He says as I nod at him in response.