013 - WHO'S FAMILY OR NOT

013

WHO'S FAMILY OR NOT

NOVA

This is it. This is literally it. He's here. My brother is here. Enzo is also here. I mean... I have to face them right now and after this confrontation I can go back home, right?

I inhale and slowly walk down the stairs, clutching the banister as I do. I can see Noah's face as I reach the last stair. I glance at my feet. I can't stare at his face and try to decipher the look he has on.

"I'm here." I murmur.

Nobody says anything for a while. Everybody's tense. Like so fucking tensed. I'm just here standing and thinking, just get the fuck with it already.

"Do you feel good?" Noah asks, folding his arms and tilting his head to the side. "Do you feel good about what you've done?"

I shake my head. "I'm sorry."

"I don't fuck with a sorry." He immediately retorts.

With my head still low, I nod. I get it. I get it if he doesn't want to hear the word sorry. It's fine. I would be pissed off too.

"Do you know what you did? Do you know how many problems we're in this season just because you couldn't get over your stupid fucking obsession of journalism?"

I swallow a large lump, not daring to look at my brother as his voice gets higher and higher. I deserve it. I deserve whatever word he throws at me. I should be lucky that he's not putting his hands on me.

"I said I'm sorry." I manage to say it again.

"And I said I don't fucking fuck with a sorry." He yells again. This time, I flinch moving back a little. My breaths turn shaky and my shoulders are shaky as well. I'm trying not to fucking cry.

"You know what? I'm so fucking disappointed in you."

The first roll of tears leave my eyes. I shut my eyes at his words to not let any tears escape them. That'll make me look fucking pathetic.

"Dude, it's enough." I hear Marcus say and he's beside me he next minute. "She's sorry."

Oh no. Noah's gonna be mad if someone tries to intervene. And Marcus is already doing it and...

"I'm more disappointed that you left... to come hide down here than the fact that you let that snitch get her hands on something you knew would destroy me and Enzo. How could you?"

Wow. So Noah's choosing to ignore Marcus. Great. The last thing I want is the both of them having a beef over me. I've caused so many problems already.

"I know you're mad at her..." Marcus starts again.

I have to look at him now. "No, please. Don't." I whisper but he's not gonna listen to anything I'm saying.

"She made a mistake."

"Marcus, I'd like you to stay the fuck out of this. I'm talking to my sister." Noah says bluntly, not minding the fact that Marcus is way older than he is. One and a half year, if I can remember correctly.

"You're not talking to her like you're talking to a sister. I would never talk to me sister that way no matter what." Marcus says.

"Fuck you and what you think. This is family business. I'd rather you don't meddle."

"If it's really family business, ask your friend to step out and let us talk about this like a family."

What. The. Fuck? Marcus didn't just say that. I look at Noah who glances at Enzo and then at me. I quickly avert my gaze, and put them back on my feet.

"Enzo's more family than Nova will ever be."