Chapter 2 - Home Truths.

                               'Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood'

                                                                                                                                                     ~ Helen Keller

Isabella's P.O.V.

You know the saying some things are better left unsaid, well, in my opinion, some things are also better left unheard as well, or at least, that's how I felt at this particular moment in time because in the end, I was actually really happy and grateful to have heard what I heard from a man who I once thought was the love of my life.

I'm currently at a college party with my brothers and all of our friends which is the last place that I want to be because I hate this kind of scene but my friends convinced me that we'd have fun, so I came but now I'm tired and just wanna go home.

I just need to find one of my brothers first to let them know that I'm leaving.

"Hey Mercy, have you seen my brothers anywhere?"

"I think Xavier is outside with some of the guys and Vito and Xander are upstairs with Santi in the mancave, why? what's up?"

She asks me as she takes another shot of some brightly coloured drink.

"I'm going home and I wanna let them know so that they won't worry"

"Aww, why are you leaving? we're having fun"

My cousin says whilst taking another shot which made me chuckle.

"You're having fun, not me Mercy"

"Whatever, kiddo"

She says while rolling her eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ok"

"Bye Izzy, call or text me when you get home to let me know you're safe"

"Will do"

I said before walking away and weaving myself through all of the bodies in the frat house.

I then headed upstairs and went looking for the mancave room which wasn't hard for me to find considering there are signs on the doors.

Say what you want about frat boys but these guys are very organised and efficient, either that or they're dumb and they need signs to help them find where they're going.

Anyway, I headed towards the mancave where the door was slightly ajar and I came to a sudden stop when I heard the annoyed voices of my brothers Vito and Xander and also their best friend Santiago and what they said left me feeling heartbroken, hurt and devastated.

"Stop scowling, Santiago"

"Yeah, chill out dude, you're acting like your whole world has ended"

"That's because it has, homes"

Santiago growled in annoyance and frustration.

"For Christ's sake, I'm only twenty one and already my life is over and done with thanks to the old man who has tied me down with your little sister for the rest of my life"

Huh, what's he talking about?.

"Aww, come on man, it's not that bad"

"Isn't it?"

"No, I mean..."

Vito drifted off as he took a tug of his cigar.

"It could've been worse, brother, nonno could've arranged for you to marry Mercy instead"

He said and they all chuckled as I glared at the door in both anger and confusion.

What the hell is he talking about? who's getting married?.

And what's wrong with marrying, Mercedes, idiota? she's a great girl.

"I'd rather marry Mercedes over Isabella, man, she's so fucking annoying"

Santiago groaned as a pain shot through my chest.

He thinks I'm annoying?.

I thought to myself as Xander came to my defence.

"Watch it, ese, that's our little sister you're talking about here"

He said and Santiago scoffed.

"Yeah and you guys call Izzy annoying all of the time"

"What? no, we don't, homes"

Vito tried to defend himself and Xander but unfortunately for them, Santiago came with plenty of receipts.

"Oh, really?"

Santiago asked with a chuckle.

"So, you guys have never complained or bitched about how fucking annoying Izzy is or how unbelievably frustrating and tiring it is to have her follow us around everywhere, it doesn't matter where we're going, she's always there with us"

Yeah because you guys always invite me to hang out with you all, that's why, asshole.

"Or what about when we have to lie to her and the other principessas about where we're at because we've gotta be sneaky and secretive about where we're going so that we can have some peace and quiet from her but somehow, some freaking way, Isabella always manages to find out where we are and she follows us there anyway like the little stalker that she is"

Santiago growled with some amusement in his tone.

"That's enough, Santiago, you're going too far now"

"Am I, Xander?"

He asks in exasperation.

"Yeah, we are man, Izzy's not a stalker"

"Are you sure about that, Vito?"

Santiago asked sounding smug and annoyed.

"Because she follows us around everywhere like a goddamn stalker, she even followed us to the same university and takes the same classes as us as well"

"We're studying business, Santiago, of course, we're all gonna be in the same classes as each other"

Xander says in a duh tone.

"And as for college, you know damn well that it was the hierarchy who made all of us go to the same school so that we can look after and protect the principessas"

Vito explains to Santiago who sighs in frustration and annoyance.

"Ok then, what about parties? or nightclubs?...she follows us to every single one we go to, ese and she freaking cockblocks the shit out of me when she does because she's so fucking obsessed with me and can't stand to see me with another woman"

"Well, yeah but..."

Vito said but was cut off by Santiago.

"And what about our football games, our UFC fights and our street races, eh? she's always there at every single one of them screaming and cheering my fucking name at the top of her goddamn lungs like I'm her man and she's trying to stake her claim on me...I mean, for Christ's sake, she even auditioned to be a freaking ring girl so that she can be close to me in the octagon and stop the other girls from being anywhere near me"

What?.

No, I didn't.

I mean, it crossed my mind when my cousin said that I should do it but I never actually did it.

"And don't get me started on the fact that I've gotta chauffeur the little principessa around everywhere because she refuses to get her own car"

Well, that's not true.

Santiago drives me around because HE offered to do it because he wanted to make sure I was safe at all times and in his mind, I'm only safe when I'm with him or one of the guys but mainly when I'm with him.

It's not because I refuse to get my own car, if anything, I want my own car and have done for a while now but my dumbass papa won't let me because he doesn't see the point since I've got Santi and my brothers.

For Christ's sake, I may be a mafia principessa but that doesn't mean that I want or expect to get principessa treatment from my loved ones.

"Is there anything else that annoys you about her, ese? I mean, you may as well get it off your chest now while you're on a roll"

Vito said sounding amused.

"Everything about her fucking annoys me, Vito"

Santiago growled as he downed the rest of his whiskey.

"The way she talks, the way she walks, the way she gets excited about stupid shit, the way she dresses and acts like she's this beautiful, confident young woman when we all know she's hella insecure about herself"

Wait, what?.

I'm not insecure.

"What makes you think she's insecure, brother?"

"The way she dresses is a big giveaway, Xander...she always dresses for comfort, she never wears any nice or stylish clothes"

Oh, so because I don't dress like a slut, then that means I'm insecure, got it.

"But the most annoying thing about her is the way she always calls me Santi"

He said with a shudder.

"So? what's wrong with that? everyone calls you Santi"

"Yeah but it sounds cringey when Izzy says it, in fact, it makes me shiver with disgust whenever she says it"

Is that so?.

I'll remember that, asshole.

"She's just a kid with a crush, Santiago, she'll grow out of it eventually, I promise you"

Xander says as I felt hot tears fill my eyes.

"But it won't though, homes, if anything, her crush on me is gonna get worse, especially when she finds out that we're getting married after we've graduated from school"

Santiago said sounding fed up and angry as I stood there feeling confused.

Why does he think we're getting married?.

Where's this thought process come from?.

"Can I ask you a serious question, Santiago?"

"Sure"

He says with a sigh.

"What do you want to ask me?"

"Can you ever see yourself falling for Izzy and having feelings for her?"

Vito asked Santiago and my breath hitched as I waited to hear his answer but I never expected for his answer to completely shatter me and also the last shred of hope that I had left in me for him.

"Hell no, homes, the girl is like my little sister, for Christ's sake"

Fuck.