𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 • Lorenzo Zurzolo

22

I don't know what I really expected to be honest.
Maybe a group of armed men who were going to shoot at us resentfully without a second glance.

Or just an old lady asking if we have enough eggs to spare her one.

What I do know is that I could feel my blood pump through my veins faster and faster making me worried if they'll explode any second.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, feel it on my skin while the adrenaline hugs my mind and body like a warm blanket.

I'm alarmed and cautious and when Christian grabs the handle just as tense as I am and opens the door revealing no old lady and no armed guys I can't even be relieved.

Instead greets us a business man in a suit his eyes looking crazy, his face in a furious mask.

"Dad?" I ask surprised while I step out beside Christian to look at him.
Even though my tense posture is gone Christian is still on high alert beside me and I shoot him a small glance to see a hateful look on his face.

Did he take it so much to his heart that my dad kicked him out? Maybe I shouldn't have told him about my mom and that she was killed.
No it was the right thing to do.
I trust Christian.

"Why do you sound surprised?" His voice is deep and he actually looks like he wants to murder someone which makes me take a step back and bump against Christians chest.

He immediately winds his hand around my arm to steady me and it feels good that he haves my back.

"I should be the one to be surprised because as far as I know my daughter was grounded and you still know what that means right? It means you stay at home all the time besides going to school. It means you don't sneak out to have rendezvous with a poor excuse of a guy."

Christian tries to step up but I stop him shooting him a look.
My dad is mad at me and I don't want him to get even more involved in this mess.

"You're acting ridiculous dad. As if you didn't sneak out when you got grounded? Just scold me and we're finished." I say actually not understanding why he's this mad. How did he even know where I was?

"Don't make this about me Sofía. I don't even recognize you anymore. You broke up with Zayne and don't tell me about it? You sneak out, skip class to be with this boy?"

"How can I tell you that I broke up with Zayne when you're never home dad? You don't recognize me because you don't know me! You never did how could you?
Since mom is dead you became even worse and I know it's not easy to handle a teenage girl after you lost half of your heart and I was understanding.
But you just didn't lost a wife I lost my mom too!" My eyes already sting with tears because it feels so good to finally tell him this.

"You are old enough to be alone at home without trashing your whole life!" He shouts back and it makes my anger boil even more.

"I am seventeen! I'm not an adult and I make mistakes that's normal! But Christian isn't one and if you can't handle that I don't care! You've been lying to me this whole time and now you lecture me because I sneaked out?" I let out a humorous laugh and his mouth drops open for a few seconds shocked.

"What do you mean I have been lying?" He asks and I bite my lip because that part slipped and I didn't want it to.

"Sofía.." Christian says and puts his hand on my shoulder and I almost forgot that he was still standing there.
The whole building is probably listening to the crazy neighbors who are fighting in the hall currently.

"No, it's enough with the lies Christian. He has no right to keep things from me. He says I'm an adult but treats me like a child." I hiss exhausted from all this fighting.

Christian shoots me an empathic look and I relax for a second.
I should snap at him this isn't his fault.

"Maybe if you would listen to your daughter more you'd understand why she's acting differently these last weeks." Christian speaks now to my father and I'm impressed how he's keeping his calm.

"Don't tell me how to treat my own daughter I know you Christian Verona and you know me don't act like we don't know each other." My brows furrow at my dads words.
They know each other?

"I'm not acting like I don't know you Ryan. But for the sake of Sofía I'm acting mature which you are not. Just because you're holding a grudge against me you don't need to punish her."

"Wait why is he holding a grudge against you?" I speak up but they both ignore me while Christian rounds me to be eye on eye with my dad.

Christian is a bit taller than my dad but I wouldn't underestimate my dad because I believe more and more that he's capable of anything.

"I punish her whenever I want because she is my daughter. I will not let her ruin her future because of a poor little boy that can't seem to let go of anything."

What?
I am utterly confused by their words and I'm guessing that this is not about me sneaking out anymore.

"You're ruining her future enough Ryan. She is such a smart and kind hearted girl but because you couldn't handle your wife's death she's falling apart."

"Don't you dare speak of my wife you don't know nothing about it how it feels like to loose a person. Oh wait no you do! And I know you're working for them so don't act like a saint you stupid boy."

Work for who? Marcelo? How does my dad even know him?

"I know how it feels like because of you and I swear if Sofía wouldn't be your daughter I would make your life even more miserable than it is." Christian hisses and this is one of the times I am really scared of him.

There is so much hatred and revenge laying in his voice that makes him seem a lot more dangerous.

This is not the soft Christian anymore that tells his younger brothers to take an umbrella with him or the Christian who watches a movie with me, stays with me so I don't feel lonely.

"What the hell is going on and what are you talking about?" I speak up now grabbing Christians wrist to turn him around to me.
Both of them look at me my dad looking angry and Christian vengeful.

"Your father is the one who killed my dad."