Lost Lombardi

Chapter 33

Dino got into the car on the weekend to go to Kacper's place. Kacper had invited him to his house since his mom and stepdad were on a long vacation. Kacper felt lonely at home, and Dino couldn't wait to see his place.

Dino drove up the long, winding driveway, sunlight spilling through the trees as the house came into view. It was the kind of place that demanded attention—a massive stone mansion with ivy creeping up its walls, giving it a stately, timeless feel. The morning light reflected off the tall windows, glistening them, and the whole place had a quiet elegance. At the center of the courtyard, a fountain gently bubbled, its water catching the sunlight as Dino pulled his car to a stop, taking in the grandeur of his friend's home.

He stepped out of the car, stretching his legs as he looked up at the towering front of the house. It felt like something out of an old novel—rich, classic, and utterly impressive. The stone steps leading to the front door were smooth and slightly worn, a testament to years of use. Dino couldn't help but smile.

"Wow, this feels like stepping inside an old novel," Dino said. Dino used to read a lot of books when he lived at Johnson's place. While he was there, he didn't have the chance to watch TV, movies, or even have a phone. So, one of his favorite hobbies at the time was reading. Since moving to Don's house, he hadn't read anything yet. Now, he could watch movies, TV series, and even had a phone.

Dino ran to the main door with excitement and rang the bell. He waited until the door opened.

"Wait, it's for me. It's my friend," Dino heard Kacper's voice from inside, and the door opened. A girl his age stood there, with long, dark brown hair down to her hips and light brown eyes. She was wearing denim shorts and a white crop top. For a split second, Dino forgot to breathe.

"Dino!" Kacper came up behind the girl and gently pushed her aside. Dino snapped back to his senses. "Come, let's go to my room," Kacper said.

"Did you ask Dad before you invited someone over?" the girl asked Kacper.

"No, I didn't," Kacper replied.

"I'll tell Dad that you invited people without his permission," the girl said.

"Your dad told me this is my house too," Kacper replied, nodding for Dino to follow him. Dino followed Kacper up to the second floor, stealing glances at the girl while pretending to check out the house. He noticed the girl caught his eye and blushed, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips before she quickly rushed away, looking shy.

"Don't look at her. She's mean," Kacper said.

"I wasn't looking at her. I was just checking the... furniture," Dino replied.

"Yeah, yeah," Kacper said with disbelief.

"Is she your sister? She doesn't look like you though," Dino asked.

"That's my stepdad's daughter from his previous marriage. She comes here sometimes. She lives with both her dad and mom. It's like she doesn't really have a specific place to stay," Kacper said.

"Or you could say it in a positive way—she has two places to live," Dino said.

"Would you like to live in two places until you turn 18?" Kacper asked.

Dino thought for a few minutes. "I don't think so," he said, realizing something. "Anyway, she looks sad, just like you," Dino added.

"She's not sad. She invites her friends over every weekend. They shout a lot. I don't like them much. They're too noisy, and they treat me like trash because I don't have friends," Kacper said, opening the door to his room.