Three years and a handful of days, and here I was again. Lake Haven, at the airport. 

Three years gave me more than enough time to sneak around in Italy, hiding from my brother and his husband. They were relentless when it came to looking for me, since I had gone missing, but that was the thing I hadn’t. I had chosen to leave. It was the best thing for me at the time. 

I had sent text messages every now and again from an encrypted phone so that Alessio and Lev couldn’t track me down. He always sent back messages begging me to tell him where I was so he could come and get me. But I never could. Instead, I told him I was safe and doing well. Which wasn’t a lie. I really have been doing well. But I knew I had to come back finally. I was sure now was the perfect time. My inheritance unlocked at eighteen, but I haven’t touched it at all, worried that Alessio would find me that way. 

I worked and went to a very private college the whole time I was in Italy. Using the money I had, I lived in our grandfather’s nearly empty house with the rest of the people that stayed in Italy. It was how I managed to avoid Alessio the few times Lev and him come to check on the house. 

With my degree now, I decided to return. Which led me here. Standing in the parking lot of the Lake Haven airport, unsure of my next move. Calling Alessio was out of the question. I couldn’t do that right now. My mother was the same way. I knew they both would have potent feelings about what I did, and would want to punish me for my actions.  

I knew one person who would pick up, but whether not that was a good idea remained to be seen. Taking a breath, I pushed the button, and when I heard his voice say hello, I panicked and hung up on him. Andrei wouldn’t have my new number, and I knew that. But when he was called back only a moment later, I watched it ring. 

“Fuck‌. Fuck. Fuck. What should I do?” I whispered to myself. 

Picking it up before he hung up, he spoke. 

“Hello? Can I help you? You called this number, and it’s private.”

“H...Hi.”

“Matteo, is that you?”

I heard crashing on Andrei’s end and yelling. Alessio yelling for Andrei to give him the fucking phone now. Panicked again, I hung up the phone and wanted to pull out my fucking hair. The phone rang again. This time, Alessio’s number flashed over the screen and I silenced the call. I couldn’t deal with that right now. Besides just the calls, he was spamming my phone with dozens of texts and they were both threatening and not. 

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and grabbed my suitcase, and just started walking from the airport. Alessio was smart, and the longer I stayed there, the more he was going to become aware of where I was. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lev and Him were already on their way here to find me. 

I left a lot of things I didn’t need back in Italy, but that was fine. I didn’t need any of them, and I wasn’t going back. Finding another bench along the way from the airport, I sat down and pulled out my phone. Alessio was still sending me messages and calling like a psycho. Muting his texts and calls, I called Andrei back to beg for his help. 

“Hello.”

“Are you with him?”

“Him, as in my child, your brother?”

“Yes, that fucking psycho.” I hissed. 

“Nope. Alessio is livid and determined to hunt you down, Matteo.”

“Fuck. I need you—-”

“Where are you?”

“To close for fucking comfort now!” I yelled. Panicking about Alessio. 

“Ok, so I’m going to grab my keys and head out to my truck, and you can tell me where I can pick you up.”

“Just keep me on the phone. I’m walking with my suitcase.”

“Matteo, that’s not safe to—---”

Something cut Andrei off, and I spoke.

“Hello? Are you still there?”

“Matteo Concetta, where the fuck are you?” Alessio barked out. Having stolen the phone from his father. 

“I’m not telling you. Put Andrei back on.”

“If I have to find you on my own, I will make you regret it.”

“I don’t want to see you!” I yelled. 

“I could careless what you fucking want.” Alessio hissed. “Tell me, Matteo, How’s the weather at the airport?”

My mouth went dry. 

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You sure do. Sasha tracked your phone to the airport, and just now sent me a message. But I’ll give you a chance to tell me where you are before I come and find you—--”

“I’m going to get him, Alessio. He asked me to. Stay here Alessio.” Andrei said, having taken his phone back from Alessio. “Are you at the airport, Matteo?”

“Yes.”

“Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”

“Ok.”

He got off the phone with me, and Alessio dialled my phone, but I didn’t pick it up. He texted me a bunch more times, and finally I broke down, answering his next call. 

“You really don’t get the hint, do you, Alessio?”

“No. I really don’t care what you want, Matteo. You caused so many problems when you just disappeared. Do you even know how badly you hurt mom, Matteo? She still blames herself for you going missing.”

“You don’t know anything about what happened, Alessio.”

“Oh but I will, Matteo. I will know everything, even if I have to do things I don’t want to.” Alessio hissed. 

“Don’t threaten me, Alessio.” 

Not waiting to entertain him a moment longer, I hung up on him after I finished speaking. There was a reason I didn’t call him. His fucking temper. Sitting on the bench, I ignored the constant flood of messages from Alessio. It was worse now that I hung up on him. My patience with this behaviour from him was running out, and I was debating giving him back what I received from him. Attitude. 

Andrei pulled up to the curb, and got out, Lukas too. They both just looked at me before Lukas crossed his arms, speaking first. 

“What exactly do you have to say for yourself, Matteo?” 

I knew this was what I was going to get from them. It did not surprise me. They had treated me like their child too, before. Hell, I had stayed with them a couple of years ago when Alessio was just Alessio. Not Don Alessio Concetta-Mihail. 

I let my shoulders sag, and I just sat back down on the bench. Pulling a hand through my hair, not sure what to say to Lukas, or even Andrei. 

“Lukas, we can grill him in the car. Let’s go, Matteo. Get in.”

Looking back at the airport and checking my wallet. Lukas was the first one to speak again. 

“Don’t even fucking think about it.” He grabbed my suitcase and shoved it in the backseat. He stomped over and grabbed my upper arm, and yanked me to the car. 

“Get in, don’t make me, make Andrei make you.” He hissed. 

I looked at Andrei, and he frowned, speaking. “You heard him, Matteo.”

Getting into the back of the truck, Lukas slammed my door and stomped around the truck, getting in. When I tried to open my door just to see if I could, it was child locked. Lukas’ actions amused me wholeheartedly. Andrei got in and he closed his door. Pulling his hand through his much more grey hair. 

“You children are going to make me go grey.”

I would have snorted if I had the energy to find it funny. 

“How is my mother?”

“Like your brother, hurting. They looked for you for months. Until the first text. After that Alessio just grew angry, then he doubled down on having any lead of you found.” Andrei said. 

“None of you would understand.” I muttered. 

Andrei stomped on the brakes, and I was glad I had the seat belt on. 

“Try me Matteo, I’m sure whatever it is, doesn’t mean you had to run off.” He snapped.

“My mom and Caio.” I hissed. 

“They aren’t a couple and they never will be. But your mother is entitled to be with whoever she wants to be with, Matteo.”

“I knew you wouldn’t get it.” I groaned, looking at my phone, messages still rolling in.

“Then please, enlighten me, so I can get it.”

“Forget it.” I hissed. “I’m just going to go back to Italy as soon as I can. I should have just stayed there.”

“Alessio isn’t going to let you go, Matteo.” Lukas said. 

“I’m a fucking adult. I dare him to try me.” I hissed. Earning a glare from Andrei. Lukas looked away from me and I felt bad. “Lukas, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken that way to you.”

They were both ignoring me, and didn’t say anything until we got to the complex and Andrei opened my door. I closed it again. Lukas turned to me. “You have to get out of the truck, Matteo.”

I could see the new complex and medical building, along with a couple of other small houses. So much had changed. But Alessio hadn’t. I spotted him through the windshield, stomping our way. 

“Alessio is going to force you out of the trunk, Matteo. You really should just get out of your own choice.”

“Fine.”

Andrei opened the door again, and I got out. Alessio was in slacks and a dress shirt, and he looked good. He looked better than I had ever seen him. Lev wasn’t far coming from Maddox’s complex. 

He was trying to calm Alessio. But it clearly was not working. Alessio stopped a foot away from me. I had such a funny feeling he was going to hit me. As soon as Andrei moved, thinking it was safe, Alessio backhanded me. 

“Hold this, please.” I muttered. Shoving my phone, wallet, and family ring into Andrei’s hands. 

“Wait, let’s just—” Lukas started to say. 

I shoved Alessio out of my space, and it was all hands on then. Alessio definitely had more muscles than me, but Lev trained him. But height wise, we were finally even. Training was the one thing I had kept up with, hell it had kept me sane most days. 

Rolling around in the dirt now. Someone yanked me off Alessio, but I punched him and split his lip and that was good enough for me, since I was sporting one too. 

“I’m not fucking done with you!” Alessio hissed. 

“Well, I am, so fuck you and fuck off!” I snapped, shaking off whoever was holding me. I dusted off my pants and yanked my suitcase out of the back of Andrei’s truck. I pulled it behind me as I stomped off down the driveway. Anywhere was fucking better than here.