The Ones Who Saved Us

Chapter 40

Avalee's POV

I knew it was a bad idea to leave those boys alone for too long, especially when Aunt Scarlett was napping and the twins having left the house. But they were driving me crazy. First they had made their way through the cookie jar even when I specifically told them not to because it would spoil their lunch. Then they decided to play with matches, wondering if they could really snuff out the flame by running the matchstick across their tongue.

I blame that completely on Naina for putting the idea in Teddy's head last week.

I should've been suspicious when I emerged from the guestroom only to be met by silence, but I decided that ignorance was bliss. There was no need to trouble myself any further.

Instead, I let boredom consume me. It had been weeks since I had my phone in my possession, and with Nikolai still out there, it was unclear when I would get it back. Luckily, Papa had left his at the house, and I had taken the liberty of going through his photos, particularly the album labeled Amori.

It was filled with pictures of Mom and me. Old pictures from when they were dating where Papa was peppering kisses all over Mom's face or when they want on vacation to the Alps where Papa proposed to her.

There were pictures from my childhood, my childhood that was cut too short by the cruelty of humanity. Photos of Papa reading me bedtime stories with Matteo and Emilio on either side of me. There were pictures of me with my older brothers as a toddler, always smiling and giggling and surrounded by such enormous love. Not a hint of worry or sadness in those little eyes.

What if Papa had never sent us away, what if...

When I felt the first hint of burning tears, I turned the phone off. No, I wouldn't remind myself of the what-ifs. We were on vacation. These emotions could wait until therapy.

Finding myself bored once again, I called Alessandro hoping to talk to Papa and find out when they would be back. I was in desperate need of company.

When Uncle Michael requested me to look for the boys, I went down the stairs, and the sound of the oven beeping led me to the kitchen. My jaw became slack at the sight of the room Almost every single inch of the island was covered in flour, egg shells littered the floor, and the smell of burnt food filled my nostrils. And the boys were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh shit," I said. "Guys, I gotta go before the boys burn the house down. Love you."

Dumping the phone on the cleanest surface, I grabbed an oven mitt and opened the oven door. Black smoke wafted in my direction, eliciting a fit of coughs from me. Seeing that there was no fire, I took the baking pan out and brought it to the sink, spraying water on the burnt brownies Teddy and James had attempted to make. With smoke still evident in the kitchen, I opened the windows before going to look for those troublesome boys.

I walked through the hallways, stopping at a door when I heard the sound of yelling. Opening it, I saw Teddy and James playing Call of Duty on the Xbox. "What the hell, Teddy?" James shouted. "We're on the same team, and you killed me!"

Teddy simply shrugged his shoulders and brushed the hair from his eyes. "I thought it would be funny."

"You're dead, Russo."

I cleared my throat, and the two boys turned in my direction with a sheepish grin on their lips. James's green eyes held innocence in them, and being barely a year older than Teddy, it made sense. There were hints of flour on his fair skin as there were on Teddy's cheek. Even though I was annoyed with the duo and knew that I had to be the adult in this situation, I couldn't help the smile that tugged on my lips.