Innocence

Chapter Twenty-Two-Meet The Parents

Long time no see. I've missed you guys! LOL. Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to emmshutchinsonxx don't forget to check out her book!

P. S. short chapter.

You know those awkward moments in life? The ones where everyone is just silent and you feel like throwing yourself off a fucking cliff? Yeah, that's happening now.

My dear parents were staring at me, mouths agape and denial in their wide eyes. Mom's hands were slightly outstretched as if she wanted to reach for me.

"Eris...?" her soft voice croaked.

I nodded.

As if my voice were the gunshot at a race, both my parents hurried over to me with bear engulfing hugs. I buried my face into dad's Hunter green sweater and grinned to myself. I hadn't realized I missed them this much. I could feel my blue eyes glossing over with a warm and salty liquid.

"Oh God, I thought I'd lost you." mom grasped my face in her hands.

"Your welcome." Vince shrugged.

Slowly, mom and dad looked up. An expression of realization crossed their faces. "Vincenzo."

"Mr. Romano." Vince replied with a short nod.

"I see you've grown into a young man. What do you want?" I glanced from my dad to Vince and back to my dad.

"Oh, it's not me that wants something. It's her." he jabbed his finger at me. I glared.

"Eris?" I backed up frombthe people that raised me and thinned my lips.

"Mom. Dad. I'm leaving." Their eyes grew. "After Vince kidnapped me-" cue unnecessary fake cough from Vince. "-I've gotten to know some of the mafia world. It's horrible. You two kept me from it in hopes of keeping me safe. I'm thankful for that..."

"But?" Mom crossed her arms.

"But...I want to stay." I looked down.

"What?" dad said at the same time mom shouted, "No!"

"It's who we are! Who I am!"

"No it isn't!" Mom shouted back, her face reddening. "You're a sweet girl with good grades and a perfect life ahead of you! You don't run off to join gangs-you stay at home and live like a normal girl would!"

"Maybe I don't want to be normal! Maybe I don't want to live out the life you've always wanted for yourself!" I breathed. "I'm not you, mom. I don't want to marry some decent, handsome guy like Max." Vince looked at me oddly.

"Eris...is that what this is about? Maxwell?"

"Not entirely." Dad rubbed his temples and mom say down in her armchair.

"I'll never win over your forgiveness." A salty droplet rolled down her cheek.

"What? Who the fuck is Max?" Vince shouted. Bryce clenched his teeth and Penny looked at me forlornly.

I sighed at turned to Vince. "Max was my first boyfriend." I stopped myself there. The rest could wait until we returned to the plane.

"There's more, isn't there?" He took my silence as a yes.

"Do you really think you should go?" Dad quietly spoke up.

"I wouldn't be alone. Bryce said he'd be my guardian." Dad looked at his eldest then back to me.

"Are you sure you're ready for a life like his?"

"Donovan-"

"Let me talk, Vittoria." she bit her lip. "Eris, I love you more than anything. If this is what you want, then so be it. But I'm warning you now, doing this will change you. I don't want to lose my only daughter."

"You won't." dad looked at Bryce.

"You do know that if she gets involved, you have to, too. Right?" Bryce sighed.

"Yeah..."

"Then you better take good care of her and yourself." Bryce nodded.

"I can't believe you're actually letting this happen." Mom glared at dad. "They're just kids, Donovan."

"No they're not. Bryce is 22 and Eris is almost 18. Not kids anymore."

"But... I don't want to lose them."

"You'll have Carter." I butted in. "Mom, I'll really miss you."

"Um, sorry to interrupt this whole... Family Reunion...but we need to leave soon so, Eris, gather your things and let's go." I glared at him. Just because he doesn't have a good relationship with his family doesn't mean he has to ruin mine.

"Fine." I jogged upstairs to my room. The door was cracked open so I pushed it. I had to take a deep breath as memories came travelling to my head.

Quickly, I began grabbing clothes, pictures, jewelry, and other sentimental things before walking out.

"Eris!" I looked at mom. A distraught look hung in her usual, warm eyes. "Please..."

I sighed and looked down. "I-I have to go. I love you." Then I walked out.

Just before getting back in the black SUV, I spoke my solemn goodbyes to Penny. Bruce just offered and awkward nod and stood by the truck. I frowned at my childhood home.

"Ewri!" I glanced down. Carter. How could I have forgotten it Carter? "Ewri, don't leave." The little boy hugged my legs.

I knelt down to his level and squeezed my arms around his much smaller structure. "It's okay. I'll be fine. Bryce will be fine." I kissed his forehead. "You'll be fine."

"But who's gonna take care me to the movies?" I looked up at mom and dad who had just left the house.

"Mommy and daddy will. And Penny." The last part put a smile on his face.

"Will you come back?" I leaned in to his ear.

"Always." A bead of water rolled down my cheek and I quickly wiped it before anyone had time to notice.

Bryce opened the truck door and Vince got in. As I began following after him, Bryce said a couple things to our family trio. I pulled myself in and Bryce jogged after us.

Our driver awakened the engine and my house began to slowly disappear. I quickly glanced back at my waving dad, my sobbing mom, my lonely brother, and my smiling bestie.

Goodbye.

I turned back around and leaned my head against Bryce's shoulder. He comfortingly wrapped his arm around me. The tinted windows showed my neighborhood as we drove on bye.

I took a breath.

I hope I'm doing the right thing.

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Boom! The End!

Yeah, I know it's short. Yeah, I know I left it on a cliffhanger. But only because I plan to make a book 2. A sequel! It's going to have more action and it's going to be longer!

Whoever stuck with this book from my first chapter to now, thank you. This story might not be number one(insert Spongebob's 'He was number 1!' scene), but I really did put my ideas into it.

So, thanks. Thanks for your votes and everything. Bye!

XOXOXO