𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀

20.

I felt alive.

Seeing my family, Alec and Landon, smiling and laughing in front of me. The rest of the Torres, Maya, Shanaya, Vincent, Alissa, Anita, Cesar, Mason, everyone.

They all came, once they found out I was back. They landed in the morning and Alec called us to tell us to move out of our cousin's safe house and meet at our family vacation house.

I hadn't been there in so long as seeing it again today really made me happy.

"What's the plan for tonight?" Alec asked with a smile on his face, looking at me and I shrugged, a similar smile on my face.

"Club!" Firstly, why is Gus here?

"Who brought him?" Flavio asked and I laughed, but no, seriously.

"He knows everything," Landon shrugged. "So I brought him." Of course. Those two are attached at the hip, more than ever now it seems.

I'm glad Landon found such amazing friends, taking him out of that boarding school is the best thing I've done.

"Club it is then." I agreed with Gus and both him and Landon did a 'bro shake' and rushed off quickly.

"Are you sure we should let Gus enter a club?" Alec asked me and I laughed. "He's for sure gonna get kicked out." He laughed with me.

"Oh, I missed you Alec." I hugged him tight and Alec seemed taken aback for a quick second but his hands met my back as he rubbed it, a soft kiss being placed on the top of my head.

"I missed you too, little sis." His voice was low and I just dug my face into his chest.

"He used to cry like a bab—"

Alec nudged Grey and I looked between them, then my eyes lingered on my brother.

"—Listen, I'm a man..." He sniggered. "I cried like a man." Grey and I laughed at Alec, who shrugged with a smile on his face.

That's my brother, the silly, unserious, dopey man. I missed him more than ever.

"Okay, lets go get ready," Flavio patted Lorenzo on his back and then they looked at me.

And about twenty minutes after that, we're in our room, me doing my makeup with a towel wrapped around my body, hair rollers in my head.

It wasn't long till Lorenzo came out and started getting ready, I was soon done and we both headed downstairs to see almost everyone there.

"It's been a while, huh?" I spoke first, I don't even remember when the last time we all went out was.

"Sure has," Flavio came into view and I smiled up at him, his arm flung across my shoulders and Lorenzo walked over to the table where there were bottles of alcohol kept. "Amara..." I looked up at Flavio again to see his eyes twinkling, it looked like sorrow yet it wasn't. He looked like he had something to say, like it was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't get his words out.

I glared at him in confusion, eyebrows scrunched, I was about to say something but Lorenzo spoke.

"Everyone," He caught everyone's attention. "Grab your glasses." He was pouring shots of Jack Daniels into glasses for all of us and I shuddered just thinking about taking shots of whiskey.

We all did, passing the glasses around so everyone had one.

"Here's to the strongest woman ever," Lorenzo smiled, his eyes soft as he kept his gaze on me. "Cheers."

"Cheers!" And with that, I felt my throat burn as the warm liquid dripped down my throat, into my chest and the burn followed.

We all made faces, expect Flavio who had backed his shot and grabbed the car keys ready to leave.