after they met her

thirtynine

i v a n a

I woke up to a lot of noise coming from downstairs, my father's booming voice easily recognizable as he nitpicked at my brothers.

Hearing my father's voice echo through the house sent a shiver down my spine.

I wasn't ready to face him again.

The mere thought of seeing him brought back a flood of memories I wished I could forget. I glanced at the gift he had left me, but all it did was remind me of his hand hitting my cheek, the sting still fresh in my mind. I shook my head, trying to dispel the fear and anger that welled up inside me. This wasn't the homecoming I wanted.

I didn't care. Who needs a father anyway.

I have my brothers.

I have my friends.

I have Ray.

I giggled at the thought of seeing Ray again.

The memory of his lips on mine was intoxicating, like a sweet secret only the two of us shared. It was kind of disappointing that it wasn't an actual secret anymore.

Yet Ray was everything I dreamed of.

It was the kind of first love you read about in books, the kind that made your heart race and your thoughts spiral into daydreams. He was my knight and I was his princess.

Naive, perhaps, but it felt so wonderfully thrilling.

I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a braided ponytail. After changing out of my pajamas, I headed downstairs, curious about the commotion. As I reached the bottom, I could hear my father's voice grow louder.

"I've been away for only two weeks, and this is what I come back to? The school called me, the hospital called me, and a boss from the Moretti organisation called me to say my sons trespassed into their territory with a bunch of my men to do what? Hm? What the fuck were you idiots up to?"

I peered around the corner, trying to stay out of sight.

He really was a former mafia boss. Tall, stood he in the middle of the room, his face red with anger. Matthew, Logan, Asher, and Gray were standing before him, looking tense.

As always.

"Dad, please calm down. Let me explain everything to you," Matthew tried, his voice soothing, but it didn't work.

"Oh, you think your little explanations will solve everything?" My father's sarcasm was cutting. "I left you in charge, and this is the chaos I come back to?"

I bit my lip, feeling guilty.

Gray was visibly agitated. "We had to act, Dad. We couldn't just sit back and let things happen."

My father's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly did you achieve? More enemies? More trouble? I expected better from all of you."

I felt a pang in my chest. I wanted to step in, to defend my brothers, but I knew he wouldn't listen to me.

"Dad, listen-" Asher wanted to say.

Their father cut him off sharply. "You've put everything we've built at risk."

Gray looked tense but remained silent. Matthew, normally sweet-natured, was visibly stressed. "We did what we thought was necessary. We had to act."

Their father shook his head, his disappointment palpable. "Had to act? Without consulting me? You'll both face consequences for your actions."

I was standing nearby, feeling a rush of guilt. I wanted to step in and take the blame, but just as I was about to, Logan's frustration boiled over.

"Can you all just shut up for a second?" Logan snapped, his voice filled with exasperation. "Ivana was hurting. Gray and Matthew told us, and we couldn't wait for you to come back. You're never around when we need you!"