Parallel lives [COMPLETE] [BXB]

Chapter 45

#CONFRONTATIONS

Manon looked at Lucas out of the corner of her eye as she poured the coffee, he took the cup and poured some milk into it, stirred it and brought it to his lips. Manon fixed her gaze on him but her brother didn't seem to notice her, he focused his gaze on the newspaper in front of him as if he was reading it, although his sister knew for sure that he was only thinking.

"You're very quiet."

Lucas raised his head.

"You were saying?"

"Nothing, is something wrong?"

Lucas shook his head and looked serious.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Lucas answered as his mind wandered back and forth to the phone.

"If you don't want to tell me..."

Lucas ignored the comment and opened the newspaper. Manon looked at him evidently angry, why did he have to be so reserved all the times?

"Have you seen Giovanni?"

Lucas looked up, and just thinking about it made him feel bad.

"Yes, on Friday..." he answered in disgust, "Numa and he had a fight."

"What happened?" She wanted to see if her brother would finally open up, because that breakfast was unbearably boring.

Lucas instantly regretted having made that comment.

"I don't know what Giovanni said to him, it didn't sit well with Numa and he almost beat him up and that's all, before you ask again."

Manon nodded.

"Speaking of the devil..."

Giovanni was leaning out the dining room door.

"Good morning," he said in a somewhat gruff tone.

"My head is splitting, so please don't shout," Lucas said dryly.

Giovanni made a gesture to his cousin and this one let escape a chuckle. His cousin entered, took a cup and a plate and sat down at the table next to Manon.

"Before I forget, aunt called on Friday, you should call her back, it is something urgent.

Giovanni looked at her smiling.

"Don't worry, I already talked to her. Family matters."

"Right"

"Since when do you read the newspaper in the mornings?" asked Giovanni surprised.

"That's none of your business," Lucas replied, folded the newspaper, took a last sip of his coffee and got up from the table, "You can't have breakfast in peace in this house anymore.

He pulled back his chair abruptly and left the dining room, Manon motioned for him not to pay attention to him.

"I think he's in a bad mood."

"He lives in a bad mood, though, this time, I know why"

Manon did not wait and listened attentively while Giovanni told her what he had seen.

"Now I understand why he is like this, they had a fight."

Giovanni nodded while he poured himself some coffee and took a croissant to spread it with butter.

The young woman realized that she had to talk about a certain subject with the boy, and she had to do it at that moment. She decided that the best way was to do it her way.

"Gio," the young man turned to look her in the eyes, "I've been thinking and the best thing to do, since you plan to stay here, would be to look for an apartment downtown. Are you going to study? What are you thinking of doing?" she spoke slowly to avoid giving the impression the situation was being uncomfortable. The dark-haired man evidently did not expect that.

"You're already kicking me out?," he added, laughing.

"No, this was temporary, you know that very well."

"Although you have plenty of rooms in your place."

Manon nodded her head....

"I know but you know me well, I don't make excuses, I'm not going to tell you that I need the place for something. If you are thinking of staying for a few months, we should look for a new place"

"Is it because of Lucas?

"To be honest, yes. I don't want neither fights nor arguments and even though he didn't tell me I know he still feels uncomfortable, and that's the way it is."

It was obvious that he didn't agree but Manon preferred to continue with her attitude.

"You're not going to tell me anything? Do you want us to look for an apartment together or do you prefer to look for yourself?"

"I'll look for something in the area where Leon lives, it's central and I like it. Maybe the best thing would be for me to move to his place this week and look then for an apartment"

Manon looked at him evidently surprised.

"I was expecting another reaction from you, look, do what you want. I'm not telling you to leave today. I'm just telling you how things are, I'm not going to beg you to stay and if you want to play the little game of wounded pride, you'd better find someone else because I'm not into that kind of stuff.

"Perfect, now you are the angry one!"

Manon picked up her breakfast things.

"Of course, I'm talking to someone my age and I get an attitude, I would expect from my brother, not from you."

"Yes, it's true," he smiled at him, "which by the way is the reason you are inviting me to move out. Because your little brother is throwing a tantrum as he doesn't want to see me in this house."

Manon had enough of that.

"You know what? If you're going to continue with that attitude then you'd better leave as soon as possible," she paused, "You're talking to me as if I have an obligation to accept you in my house and put you before my brother's wishes, when YOU don't contribute to anything. I'm still the one in charge of everything and I'm not willing to take on another one. My two brothers are enough work for me. This is not Italy, and I am not going to take care of any male who decides to move into my house and live like a prince. If you ever need help, I will always be ready to give you a hand within my possibilities. "

-If it were the aunt...
-Gio! Please don't say stupid things, I'm getting really pissed off. The aunt would have kicked Lucas' ass and left him lying in the street, and you?" she leaned on the table and approached his cousin looking at him in those dark eyes "And you? What would you have done if it has been Lucas who was now in your place? Stop fucking around Gio, as if we didn't know each other."

Her cousin looked at her evidently surprised. Manon dropped the cup in the sink and stormed out of there, enraged and disappointed at how it all ended. Let's see if she ever learned to bite her tongue. She knew perfectly well that if she stayed there it would be for the worse. It would start to bring up other issues that she didn't want to talk about, not at that moment, not ever.