Lissy Romano

90| Adopt me.

Lissy Romano

It was just a fever.

After being stuck in bed for five days straight, eating soup and drinking tea, I was finally well enough to return to volleyball practice. It had been a while, and I missed it.

I wasn't sure if my spot on the team was due to my talent or because of Vincenzo's financial contributions, but honestly, as long as I could play, I didn't care.

I put on my sportswear, then threw on Giovanni's oversized hoodie. He'd told me not to walk around in shorts that short, which was probably his way of looking out for me, even if I didn't always agree.

Dario drove me to school, sticking to his role as my bodyguard, as promised to Vincenzo. I spotted Vi waiting for me outside, looking just as excited to see me as I was to see her. Next to her was Cole, who had come to cheer us on. He'd also brought some gossip with him—something about Mia rejecting a date from another guy, which had made Cole's day. He was practically grinning ear to ear about it.

We made our way to the gym, where I was greeted by my coach. He didn't exactly seem thrilled to see me, but he slapped on a fake smile and gave me a high-five anyway.

During the breaks between drills, I texted Vincenzo:

Me:
Everything's great. Thanks for letting me come. Dario's here, watching everything. I love you.

A moment later, I got his reply:

Vincenzo:
Glad you're okay. Have fun, but don't overdo it. I love you too, Lissy.

I smiled at his message and sent him a heart emoji before slipping my phone back into my backpack and sitting down next to Vi and Cole.

"Brothers?" Vi asked with a roll of her eyes.

"One. Vincenzo," I replied, smiling. "He's okay now. Not so harsh anymore."

"Harley's a pain in the ass," Vi shot back. "I'd rather be an only child."

"I'm not gonna lie," Cole said with a grin. "I like Harley. He keeps you safe."

Vi shot him a glare. "Why are you even here?" she asked.

"Because I missed you guys," Cole replied with a laugh. "And I need to spill the tea."

Vi rolled her eyes again, as if it was her default expression now. She took a swig of water and added, "Cole's been snitching on me, making me do my homework and running to Harley whenever I try to go to parties. They're basically best friends now."

I turned to Cole, eyes wide in disbelief. "You? Really?"

"What?" he shrugged. "I don't want you getting into trouble, especially not with those parties. Some of those people are bad news."

"I get his point," I said, nodding. "But it's still not cool to snitch."

Vi groaned. "All I want is to do something fun, but either Harley or Cole treats me like I'm five years old."

I laughed. "Welcome to my life, 24/7."

Vi sighed dramatically. "I don't get how you do it, living with the Romano's. They're just... too much."