⇰ Seventeen-year-old Alora has spent her life in the shadows of pain and betrayal. When she's torn from the only world she's ever known and thrust into the arms of a family she never knew existed, healing feels impossible. But as she fights to rebui...
♫"LAUGHING TILL OUR RIBS GET TOUGH"♫ ⇢ RIBS, LORDE
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The house was already alive with voices by the time I made my way downstairs. The scent of syrup and coffee lingered in the air, mixing with the warmth of morning light pouring through the windows. As I stepped into the dining room, I paused, slightly taken aback.
Giovanni was here.
He hadn't been home in days, and seeing him now, sitting casually at the table with a cup of coffee in his hand, felt almost surreal.
"Gio!" I called, a smile breaking across my face as I rushed over to hug him.
He chuckled softly, his arms wrapping around me in a firm but calm embrace. "I missed you, Lora." His voice was steady, familiar, grounding. He pressed a kiss to my forehead like it was second nature.
When I pulled away, I caught the looks my other brothers were giving me—subtle, but noticeable. A mix of surprise and something unreadable. I wasn't usually this outwardly affectionate, and they weren't used to seeing me like this. But for once, none of them commented on it.
Dominic strolled in next, rubbing a hand over his face, his hair a mess. "What's this? A family banquet?"
"Shut up," Xander muttered, clearly in no mood for Dominic's antics this early.
I ignored them both, turning instead to Dominic. "Good morning."
He mumbled something back, yawning as he grabbed a plate.
Then Elias walked in.
In his Spider-Man pajama pants.
Shirtless.
I froze.
Fuck.
His hair was still slightly damp, the morning light catching the droplets on his skin as he stretched. Before I could embarrass myself by staring any longer, he grabbed a black T-shirt and tugged it on. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Morning, Blue," he said, his voice warm, a small smile tugging at his lips.
I scrambled for a response, my brain short-circuiting. "Uh—yeah. Good morning."
It was a train wreck of a reply, and I could feel my brothers' eyes on me, silently dissecting my reaction. I pretended not to notice.
"Thanks for the food, Leone," Elias said as he sat down, his tone polite but casual.
"Anytime, Williams."
I watched Elias cringe at the use of his last name, though he didn't correct Leone.
"This is so good," Dominic mumbled, his words muffled by the ridiculous amount of food in his mouth.
