Defender's Heartbeat 2

Chapter 7

Manuel

"Is Papa abusing me?" Enzo suddenly asked as we were heading home. It felt like someone had kicked me hard in the stomach.

I glanced at him through the rearview mirror. I didn't know what to say, and I saw him lift his head to meet my eyes in the mirror.

"Is it a yes?" he pressed.

"Yes," I admitted. "I thought you knew," I added quietly. The words barely made it out of my mouth.

"So, other parents don't beat their children?" he asked, as if he'd just stumbled upon a revelation.

"Unless they're... strange," I replied.

"Weird like Papa?" he asked.

"Hmm," I murmured, feeling a pang of sadness for him. But at that moment, I also felt utterly useless.

"What about you?" he asked, catching me off guard.

"What about me?" I asked, confused.

"Do you hit your kids?" he asked bluntly.

"What do you think?" I replied.

"I think you must," he said, anger simmering in his voice.

"And why's that?" I asked.

"Because I don't like them," he snapped.

"You haven't even met them," I said, trying to stay calm.

"I never want to meet them. And I don't want you to either. After I turn 18 and start working with Papa and earning my own money, I'll never let you go back to them," he said, his voice filled with bitterness.

I was stunned. "I'll quit then," I said, matching his anger.

He looked at me, wide-eyed with shock. "You can't quit! I won't let you quit!" he yelled.

"Enzo, don't act like a child. You're not a child," I said, my frustration spilling over.

"But you—"

"We'll talk about this when we get home," I cut him off firmly. He kicked the back of my seat in anger.

"Enzo, stop it! I said we'd talk about it at home," I scolded, glancing back at him.

I don't like blaming him, but sometimes I have no choice when he acts like this—like a kid trying to provoke me.

I knew he was furious, but I also knew how to calm him down. He just needed a hug. Then he'd be fine.

As soon as we got home, I hugged him tight until he calmed down. And, as always, it worked.

"I only go home for three days after three months. That's not a long time," I said.

"It's a long time for me," Enzo replied.

"But I'll always come back," I said, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "Don't be jealous, Enzo. They're my family. They need me. I'm staying with you more than I'm staying with them."

"Hmm..." he muttered, looking down.

"I'm the only one who has no one," he added, and it hit me with sadness.

"You have me and Pedro," I said, trying to reassure him.

"You have your own family, and Pedro has his own family. I don't have anyone," he said, and I could see the pain in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. You always have me. You know that," I said, pulling him close in a comforting cuddle.

"What the hell? Don't cuddle him. Why do you always baby him, Manuel? He's 17," I heard Louis snap.

"Go to your room. Don't be sad, okay?" I whispered to Enzo. He grabbed his bag and started to walk away. As he passed Louis, he kicked him and ran.

"Enzo..." Louis shouted, furious, and started chasing after him.

Oh, God! I'm so tired of these sibling fights.

As usual, they ended up wrestling on the ground until I stepped in and pulled Enzo away from Louis.

"Let's go to your room, Enzo," I said, dragging him away. I couldn't bring myself to say anything to either of them.

Mia

Enzo suddenly appeared and took my hand, leading me into an empty classroom. Without warning, he leaned in and kissed me.

"Enzo, you smell like whiskey," I said, startled.

"So what, baby? Come here," he murmured, pulling me closer and kissing me again, more passionately this time.

"You are too young to ...."

"Bullshit," Enzo muttered, pulling me into another kiss.

"Enzo, I'm serious," I protested, trying to pull away.

"Are you trying to control my life?" he snapped, stopping the kiss, his tone laced with frustration.

"No, I'm not. I'm just worried about your health," I said, looking away, feeling hurt by his sudden rudeness.

I could feel his eyes on me. He chuckled softly. "You look cute when you're angry," he teased.

"I'm not angry. I'm just worried about you," I replied, my voice tinged with sadness.

"Oh, come on. Don't be upset. It's just a little whiskey. We all drink," he said lightly before kissing me again. But he still didn't promise to stop.

"Don't worry about my health. Look at me! After going through all those horrors, I still look perfect," he said with a grin, spreading his arms wide and spinning dramatically.

"What horrors?" I asked, confused.

He smiled at me but didn't answer.

"What horrors, Enzo?" I asked again, more insistently. His smile faded, and a shadow crossed his face.

"Shut up," he whispered and started to kiss me again.

Enzo

Mia worries that I smell like whiskey. Yeah, I indulge in a bit now and then—it helps ease my head. Noah is our supplier; he sneaks stuff from his Papa and brings it to us. I don't want to get into the whole drinking and smoking thing with Mia. She says she cares about my health, but I'm healthy as hell. Can't she see that? Still, she's cute. Her cheeks turn pink whenever she looks away, trying to hide her anger. It actually makes me feel bad for making her upset.

I kissed her. I love her lips. Then I kissed her soft neck, and she pulled back shyly, looking down, her face turning a deep blush. Wow! I love it when she does that. She gently touched my face, and I ran my fingers through her smooth hair. It smells nice—like cheap shampoo, but I don't mind.

When the bell rang, we headed back to class.