Ignore Her

Elena

Running a hand through his dark hair. My older brother is six feet tall, with lean muscles and brown eyes. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told over the years that he’s attractive.

I think if I looked at it from a perspective outside of my siblings, I’d agree. But I would never admit it to him. The man has an ego the size of Texas.

Tony is brash, cocky, and prone to fights. But he also has the biggest heart, even if he tends to hide it.

“I thought you were going to get drunk somewhere,” I say, taking his bowl of ice cream.

Just because I hate that shit doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy taking it away from him. Unfortunately, he pushes it away from me, narrowing his eyes in warning.

“I would have, but Roma kicked us out, and Mikey’s no fun,” he pouts. “He’s upstairs, sleeping.”

I smile. Of the three, Michael is probably my favorite. He doesn't talk much and can usually be found hunched over his computer. I'm pretty sure he's a hacker. He has a secret room in the De Luca house filled with gadgets. I stumbled upon it once, but I've never admitted it.

Michael is the only one who included me when we were younger. He'd ask me to play video games with him or just talk. He's Román De Luca's cousin, but his parents died when he was younger, and Maria and Ricardo practically adopted him.

“He has the right idea. I am tired. Good night, brother.”

“Sister, I think you should talk to Dad before you go to bed.”

“Why? What is it?”

He looked pretty rude when I left him. He is in the observatory with a bottle of whiskey.

My heart sinks. Tonight, everyone finds solace in a bottle of whiskey. I nod and give my brother a small smile before heading up the stairs to the attic that my father had converted into an observatory.

He did it for my mother, who loved to watch the stars. And he loved her so much. I'm sure he would have done anything for her. Eventually, she left.

When I arrive, my father is standing in the middle of the room. He takes a sip of whiskey from his glass, looking towards the telescope with a blank expression on his face.

"Hi, Dad," I say, catching his attention.

He turns around, and when he sees me, his face breaks into a smile. I walk forward, and he immediately hugs me. We haven't spoken much since I arrived. He's been too busy with his family duties.

"This is my favorite little girl," he says, ruffling my hair.

I push his hand away with a smile.

“I’m your only daughter, Dad.”

“And you’ll always be my favorite,” he counters. “Come on, let’s sit.”

He leads me to the sofa in the room and I sit down next to him. His arm goes around my shoulders, and I lean against his chest, feeling content. We don’t speak for a few minutes.

“Are you okay, Dad?” I ask quietly.

“I’ll be okay, my dear. Eventually,” he sighs.

He lost both his friends at the same time. Ricardo’s death and Vincent’s betrayal must have hit him hard. But my father is the strongest man I know. My mom left, but he didn't break. I know he can handle it, too.

***

Roman.

I met the Legans when I was fourteen. A family of four, they moved to New York from Detroit. Salvador is a lawyer. I don't know how he and my dad met, but soon after, Dad hired him to be our family's consigliere.

He was very good at keeping most of us out of jail and our illegal activities. Salvador is a negotiator, good at getting us out of sticky situations. And it helps that he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty sometimes. He and my dad have become especially close over the years.

Tony and I hit it off almost immediately. We're the same age, which has helped us become fast friends. When I met him, he was pretty normal.

I remember he liked to talk a lot. It irritated me, but it was also kind of cute. Then his mother left, and he changed. He became a brash, hot-tempered kid who refused to put up with anyone.

Their mother doesn't exist for me. She left a year after I met the Legans. And then there's Elena. To be honest, I barely noticed her at first. She was Tony's younger sister, and other than that, I didn't care.

Like her brother, she too had undergone a radical change when her mother left. Suddenly, the sweet twelve-year-old with the sunny disposition had turned into a cold person who was intent on pushing everyone away.

I understand that she was hurt and didn't deserve to be affected by her mother's rejection. But I hated the way she treated Tony in those early years. He tried to help her, but she was there every step of the way.

Maybe their relationship is better now, but part of me will always see Elena as a spoiled girl who wanted to do whatever she wanted without caring about anyone else in her life.

“Roman?” Someone snaps a finger in front of my face, and I look up. “Are you listening to me, son?”