Older Brothers | Mafia Overprotective

chapter five - someone new

Vincent shook me gently, and I opened my eyes slightly, smiling and waving at him while rubbing my eyes.

"Hey," he said softly. "The others are at work or school. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," I replied groggily. "What's the time?"

"It's 1 PM," Vincent answered.

My eyes widened. "1 PM? I can't believe I slept that much."

Vincent laughed. "After how late we stayed up, it's only natural. I just woke up five minutes ago." He handed me a disgusting-looking drink. "Here, I made hangover juice for you."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm not hungover. I know how much to drink without getting one."

Vincent chuckled. "I seriously didn't expect you to be so good with your drinking."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "So, is everyone gone?" I asked.

"Yeah, Nero's gone," Vincent replied.

"That's not what I asked," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"I know what you meant," he responded, smirking.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I insisted.

Vincent's expression turned serious. "I want to talk about everything that happened at the hospital."

"Nothing happened," I said quickly. "I just hit my head trying to visit my friends."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "That's not what I asked."

I started to stutter, feeling cornered. "I... I get stressed, that's it."

Vincent sighed. "I know Nero did something. I know he yelled, but I also know it caused something else. You passed out at the hospital, and one doesn't pass out just from getting yelled at."

I swallowed hard, trying to maintain my composure. "I just get stressed."

Vincent looked at me intently. "One day, I'll figure it out."

I laughed nervously. "Sure, Vincent. One day."

He let it go for now and asked, "You want to come down and eat lunch?"

"I'm not really hungry," I admitted.

"That's fine," Vincent said. "But you should come down anyway. I want to show you around the house."

I nodded, agreeing. I hopped off the bed and realized I had slept in Vincent's room. I remembered that Lucian and Dante had fallen asleep in my room.

I took a moment to look around Vincent's room. It was the average teenage boy's messy bedroom, clothes strewn everywhere, posters of bands and sports teams covering the walls, and a gaming setup with a cluttered desk. While looking around, I spotted a tiny Polaroid on his desk. It was a picture of Vincent and me when I was younger. The caption was written, "One day, you'll join us."

I was kind of confused and grabbed the picture to get a better look at the background, but Vincent snatched it out of my hand. He laughed slightly, scratching his head and smiling nervously. "It's just an old picture of us."

"I'd love to see it," I said earnestly. "I've never really seen my old pictures."

Vincent smiled but shook his head. "Later. First, I need to do the house tour."

I nodded, still curious about the picture but willing to let it go for now. As we walked out of his room, I felt a mix of curiosity and comfort. Being around Vincent, despite his tough exterior, made me feel safe. I wondered what secrets the house held and what more I would learn about my brothers.