Their Wife (Reverse Harem)

79

Sofia.

It had been almost a week since we talked.

A whole goddamn week of not talking to them made me feel like I was going crazy. Scratch that, I was on the brink of mania at this point.

Restlessness and grimness stuck to me like an ugly dark shadow constantly hovering over and deflecting every happy thought I had into a million broken ones.

The trio and I weren't on good terms. And with what you might ask? Well, I was going home. Temporarily, of course, but according to Nikolai and Nadei that wasn't happening because it was too dangerous.

Nial didn't even bat an eye and left the second I agreed to go which hurt more than it should've and hasn't talked to me since.

And when I said home, I meant Italy. Milan to be specific. My parents and brothers asked me to spend a few weeks with them to introduce me to the family and I was no idiot to refuse.

My family meant everything to me, now.

I wanted to learn more about them and as far as I could tell, they did too, want to get to know me and make up for the last and lost nineteen years we had been apart and replace them. 

However, I wasn't going to leave Russia without trying to make amends with the trio even after going against them. Fuck, I just couldn't leave just like that. Especially after getting the cold shoulder from my gentle giant, Nial, and the mountain-sized human golden retriever, Nikolai, for a whole, long, ferocious week.

Nadei and I were a whole other mess. We argued, a lot. And I didn't have it in me to refute him anymore or even look at him.

I was a coward when it came to confrontation but what could I say, we all had our vices. Just some more than others and mine sometimes overthrew my good qualities.

Knowing that they were too busy to accompany me to Italy was bittersweet as I'd have some Me time without having them hog me all day but my clinginess had me thinking like I was going to die just missing them. Okay, I was exaggerating a...little but so were they.

"Psst, Sofia."

I lazily met Aurelio's bright eyes and nodded. We had dinner an hour ago and decided to hang out after Nadei, Nial, Luca and Papa got called in for work. The illegal variety wasn't something that I was curious in hearing about.

Mama and Lorenzo had gone back home three days ago. The boys had their own businesses to manage and being the responsible man that he was Renzo decided to head back home. My mom needed to get everything ready for my arrival-- Whatever that meant.

Valentino went out with Nikolai, so it was just me and Aurelio in the trio's mansion, hanging out.

"Sofia, stop daydreaming and listen." Jack Frost's lost twin whined pulling me out of my musings.

Not fully able to function for a minute without zoning out and overthinking my choice. I felt a little too bad about something that I deserved and made me happy and that mere thought created a whole new mess in my head.

"You okay?"

I nodded again despite the tears sitting along my waterlines waiting for their ascension. Impatiently waiting to expose my inner turmoil. "I'm fine."

Just...why the hell was I so weak?

"I don't think you are." My brother noted, ever the considerate, extroverted, bubbly person I had known him to be. "C'mere," long slender arms warped me in a comforting embrace. Our knees bumped slightly as we kneeled from our crisscrossed positions on the carpeted floor. Nadei's laptop where we had been watching TikToks and  Rebal-D's reaction videos, was long forgotten.

And I felt even worse for ruining the happy and obnoxiously giggly mood we were in. Aurelio and I had so much fun but I just had to spoil it and mess everything up like I always did.

Nothing too surprising because it always was my fucking fault.

"I-I don't know w-what's wrong with me." I cried clutching his shirt as fat tears forced their way out of my eyes. Bad habits kicked me down and self-doubt was the worst. "Why a-am I like th-this?"

It didn't even make sense to me. My words came out shaky and garbled as I could almost feel as if I choked on my stupid useless feelings and vomited them out.

Lio sighed softly squeezing my arms and bending to my eye level. Our identical colored eyes peered into each other's. "First, there's nothing wrong with you." He kissed my forehead. His nimble fingers stroked my hair softly as my tears skid and turned into soft sniffles. The heartache still probing at my sanity.

He took me by the shoulders suddenly, shocking me. His eyes hardened a smidgen, "Second, it's okay to show your vulnerability. I won't judge you. I'll never will. But just know that if someone does say something that hurts you just point me at them and I'll beat a bitch up for you. You're my only sister and God fucking forbid someone decides to mess with you." He flexed his almost nonexistent biceps making me chuckle softly. I hiccuped clutching my sleeve as it dampened with my saline and runny nose.

"Thank you. I-I," I sighed feeling deflated. "They're mad at me and d-don't want me to leave but I want to. I really, really, want to." My lips quivered, again. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I think that you should talk. Tell them why you want to go. Let them hear your reasoning and if they don't listen, then, try a different way. Compromise and work this out."

"Plus It doesn't have to be an argument when it came to prioritizing your happiness over their overprotectiveness because it always came first. You, come first." He explained, affirmative and stern. "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. God these damn relationships are so difficult." Aurelio confirmed with an eye roll making me giggle at his obvious irritation towards the whole Love concept.

"How am I giving you relationship advice when I've never been in one?" My brother bopped my nose and plopped down next to me. "I'm like, the most single person I know minus Renzo's geeky ass but that's cause nobody wants him."

Laughing at his words, I sighed and grinned leaning against the end of the bed, kicking at my feet with a bashful expression just to be reminded of what Renzo told me about him. "I don't know. You tell me Mr. I'm a manwhore and I like it."

"Hey! I'm no-"

The buzzing of my phone was heard interrupting whatever Aurelio had to say. I held in a cackle as he huffed grabbing his own phone. Profane words mumbled under his breath.

Picking up the blaring device, the first thing I caught was Nikolai's grinning face on his contact info. Hesitation struck me warping its cold fingers around my heart and I was lost. It had been days since we talked but felt like years somehow.

"Hello," I answered, curtly.

"Baby," the blond hunk's voice sounded slurred as he stretched the word out and was that pain I heard in his voice? Desperation maybe? I couldn't read tell by the loud sounds in his background. "I- I need you and I--" Nik hiccuped and groaned. "I miss you."

Exhaling a harsh breath, I asked, "Where are you? Where's Vale?"

"Адский," was the last word he uttered as a  distant feminine giggle was heard. The line went off at the same time downing the loud music and panic rose within me.
(Hellbound)

My heart stilled with shock. My hands trembled but whether it was anger or sadness, I didn't have the time to find out. But what I desperately hung onto was the feeling of protectiveness.

Nikolai needed me.

"Fratello, I-I, we gotta go." Aurelio instantly leveled his eyes with mine. "Nik and Val are drunk and possibly in trouble. He said they're in some place called, uh, Hellhound."  I cringed but was still hoping for the best.

Fuck a duck.

It was my fault for driving the trio away but I didn't think that Nikolai would go as far as get shit-faced drunk and cheat on me. Wait, was he even cheating? No, no. That definitely wouldn't be it, right?

He knew how insecure I was and how much I despised infidelity, so, how could he do this? Be this irresponsible and drag my brother into it as well.

Then again, I could be wrong.