Ethereal

Mistakes

There was yelling and banging coming from the other room. Me, Maya, Derek, Blake, and Coven were clustered up into one of the rooms. After Emilio's slip up, everybody went berserk. Despite Matteo seeming calm, he went to the gym and started throwing and breaking things. Leonardo locked himself in his room while his twin began yelling havoc over Emilio in the other room. Enzo and Mr. Moretti were also arguing, but trying to calm down Lorenzo at the same time. The girls, I'm not sure where they pranced off to. 

And as for my twin, he punched Emilio square in the face.

We were trying to listen in to the chaos ensuing in the other room when there was a knock on the door. I frowned and opened it, revealing Celeste, Mrs. Moretti, and Amara who was holding Primo in her hands.

"Auntie Diavola!" he sobbed, leaping from Amara's arms to mine. 

"Hey, kid, I don't think it's a good idea for you to call me that right now, okay?" I said softly. He buried his face in my neck, not responding. He was probably so terrified with everybody yelling and breaking things.

I opened the door wider and stepped aside so the girls could come in. They made themselves comfortable, sitting on the bed or the couch.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes, we just wanted to check up on how you guys are doing. There hasn't been this much...well, chaos, since my daughter passed away." Mrs. Moretti said sadly. I winced under the mask, sitting on the bed and allowing Primo to lean against me, rubbing circles on his back so he could stop crying.

"I see. We're fine, but I do apologize if we caused any problems. It wasn't our intention." 

"Oh, no, my love, it's not your fault at all. The men in our family just have short fuses, that's all." 

Fuck my life. My love? Now that my heart has been chipped away of every piece it feels like my soul is next. She would call me that all the time years ago.

I cleared my throat before continuing. "Either way, we should be out of your hair soon,"

Celeste frowned at this. "Wait, what do you mean? You're leaving?"

"Yes. My men managed to find a large house suitable for me and my friends somewhere nearby enough."

"So soon, though?"

"We don't want to invade your family's privacy. We've done enough damage already."

Celeste sighed and the room was silent before she continued, "I want you to stay until the baby is here."

Derek choked on his water, spitting it out right onto Maya's face. She gasped loudly and took a nearby hardcover book that Coven was reading and started to bang it repeatedly on his head. He shrieked like a little girl and ran behind Mrs. Moretti, who gave Maya a look, causing her to put it down and sit back down, grumbling.

Acting like little kids.

Amara went to the bathroom and came out with something in her shirt but I didn't pay much attention. That's my first mistake.

"That's months away, Celeste. I certainly can't intrude more than two weeks here, it's just bad manners when I can get a house for myself." I explained, grabbing a blanket and pulling it over me and Primo. I got comfortable.

That was my second mistake.

"I would feel safer with you here. The Greek are powerful people altogether, but you are a powerful person as one. And with your friends, you guys are absolutely amazing. My husband came to ask for help from you for my unborn child, and this is one way that you can help me." 

I sighed, dwelling it over. "I want you to talk to your husband and father-in-law. Even better if you talk to all of the boys. If none of them have a problem, we can stay a bit longer. Just a bit."

Coven scoffed in disbelief. "Are you serious, Anastasia? Are you doing this for them, or for yourself?" 

I took a sharp breath and Blake slapped him upside the head, muttering to him quickly in French. Coven sighed and nodded, saying a quick apology and leaning back into the couch. I would have to talk to my friends about exposing me because they have been doing a shit job at keeping my secret.

"What does he mean?" Amara asked curiously.

"He's a bit tipsy right now, don't mind him," Blake responded, and Coven got the hint, slowly putting a goofy smile on his face and acting like he was in his own little world.

Celeste was beaming. She came up to me and gave me a hug, careful to not wake Primo up. I tensed under her touch, wondering where this sudden change of heart came from.

For a moment, for a moment I really thought that maybe I had my family back. Maybe I fit in. Maybe I could fix everything, tape my heart back together. And maybe they would help.

Just maybe. That was my third and final mistake.

Well, that was my thought process until I felt my mask get ripped off my face. 

I buried my face in my hands quickly, not caring to wake Primo up anymore. I heard commotion and yelling, but most of all I could hear my heart beating fast and loud.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Maya screamed, and I peeked through my fingers. I saw Mrs. Moretti looking at the scene in shock and Maya stomping up to Celeste with an angry look. Blake went to the bathroom to grab my other mask and came back out, shaking his head frantically.

"Where's your damn mask, Ana?!" he asked angrily. 

"BATHROOM!"

"IT'S NOT!"

I thought back to when Amara went to the bathroom and tried my best not to get up and punch her square in the face. She had grabbed my mask and hid it under her shirt. She knew Celeste would do this.

I stayed sitting, my face buried in my hands. Maya and Celeste began screaming at each other, while Derek and Coven tried to convince Amara to give them the mask. Mrs. Moretti was sobbing and ran out of the room, while Primo began crying on the bed. 

Fuck everything.