The Other Half [ON HOLD FOR REWRITE] / MAFIOSA

Chapter Fifteen

A/N: Get ready because big things are happening! If you haven't read the last two chapters, I suggest you do.

Don't forget to leave a vote or a comment if you enjoy this chapter, it's a long chapter!

Happy Reading!

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"Hey I'm going to the kitchen to get some more wine." I let Sebastian know as I get up from my seat.

"Can you bring me another bottle of Corona please?" He asks me and I nod, giving him a warm smile then make my way to the kitchen.

I've never been one to hang out with a large group of friends, let alone did I ever have that many friends to begin with to actually have one of these group hangouts. This goes back to when I was younger, granted I never sought out to form large amounts of friendship, it was just never something that came naturally to me.

Unlike Gustavo who was a social butterfly, I was very reserved, keeping to myself and letting very few people know the real me. It's not that I didn't like people, it's just that many of the kids I hung around with always befriended me in order to get to my brother, I was their gateway to him. They thought that if they won me then Gustavo will give them attention, moving them up the "social ladder."

Many succeeded in using me until one day I stopped being blind and saw what was happening. I closed myself off until the summer before my eighth grade year when a tall young boy named Ruben Martinez came into my life and broke down all my walls of insecurity and distrust. He helped me out of my shell and in return I rewarded him with pieces of me until one day he had all of me. I fell for him, and hard.

Ruben was my first love whom I lasted an entire year with, we were each other's first kiss. He never pushed me to do more with him, the farthest we've went were hot makeout sessions and a bit of touching, nothing more. He made me feel important and confident, helping me along with my brother on how to ignore bullies and think of myself higher. But like every other person who tried to get close to me, he used me and I was completely blinded by love to see it.

Gustavo, however, wasn't oblivious and picked that up after I decided I wanted to take our relationship a bit further. One night Gustavo confronted me about it, being blunt and honest of the situation I was in, but I couldn't believe it. I lashed out on him, taking out all of my anger and confusion on him. It didn't stop there, my brother fought back and tried to make me see the truth but I was too stubborn and naive to believe anything he told me. I thought he was mad because I was finally happy and was slowly not needing Gustavo's help to get bullies off my back. My anger was boiling inside me, turning into complete rage, making me lose control over myself. I eventually blew up, calling my brother nasty names and telling him I hated him.

When I was done with my rampage, I fled the house and ran away into the town. Gustavo repetitively texted and called me, leaving me with hundreds of concerned voicemails. Finally when I was no longer angry, I called Gustavo to pick me up, not knowing what I had just done...

"Alarice?" Xavier's voice breaks me away from my thoughts, standing next to the refrigerator door where my hand is holding it open.

Man, how long did I space out for?

"Oh hey, I must have zoned out for a good while there, ay?" I say lightheartedly, crooking my head towards Xavier and giving him an embarrassed smile.

He nods and chuckles, setting his drink down on the counter then crossing his arms in front of him. "If you don't mind me asking, what's on your mind?"