One word. Chaos. That's all Nico Valore had brought to my life since the moment I met him.
Despite all the pain and heartache, if you asked me to do it again, my answer would be yes, if it meant having him for one more second.
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In a new state, miles away from home, I was now living the small-town life. It was an early Monday morning when I stepped out of the vehicle, standing in the driveway with a small carry-on suitcase. I looked up at the large two-story house that stood a few feet away. I felt nerves building up in my stomach, and I simply couldn't find it in me to move and take a step forward.
That was until the taxi driver coughed and said a quick goodbye before slowly pulling out of the driveway and out of the neighborhood. If it wasn't for the drenching rain, I probably would have stayed there much longer, but feeling the cold wind touch my skin and the rain drip down my face was uncomfortable as I grew cold.
I had finally worked up the courage to knock on the front door. To my surprise, a little boy opened the door. "Mila?" he asked innocently.
I nodded, and he returned with a big smile on his face before engulfing me in a big, bone-crushing hug.
"Alexander! Now what did I tell you about personal space? Sorry, Mila. " A soft voice apologized. I took a step forward from the doorframe and walked in, only to be greeted by a tall, blonde lady. I couldn't help but notice how tall she was, the gold jewelry she wore, and the new set of acrylics she had.
"Alex is just super excited to meet his sister," his mother remarked, emphasizing the word "sister." I debated whether or not to correct her by saying "half sister," but ultimately didn't.
The boy nodded excitedly, and I returned the smile. It was strange to think that this 5-year-old boy was my brother, his blonde hair and blue eyes contrasting with my brown eyes. Although we had no physical features alike, it left us with only one thing in common—our father.
Speaking of my father, Dan approached us as he walked down the stairwell. When he noticed me, his smile faded, but he quickly replaced it with a fake one. He looked the same as when I had last seen him. He still had his usual five-o'clock shadow—the only difference now was the more apparent wrinkles around his eyes.
"Welcome, Mila." He greeted me with a stiff handshake. He wasn't much of a talker and kept the conversation to a minimum. It wasn't surprising that he acted the way he did. If anything, I expected it, especially when you could easily see in Dan's eyes the look of regret, not for being an absent father, which he was guilty of, but for the constant reminder of his one mistake. Me.
Alexander broke the awkward silence, grabbed my hand, and fiercely pulled me around the house, with Wendy following along and giving me a tour. I remember meeting Wendy. She was always kind to me. It was one of the things I disliked about her at first; she was always nice to everyone she met, which surprised me that she would end up with Dan, who was the polar opposite.
Alex, Wendy, and I reached upstairs, and they showed me my large room; it was much bigger than the one I had back at home. This one had a large queen-sized bed, a white vanity desk, and a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. On top of that, it was nicely decorated with gray tones, and the bed was stacked with many pillows. It really was a nice room.
