"Wait, wait." Ares chuckles, his hand coming up to make me drop the fork full of the chocolate cheesecake I got for dessert. I pout at this and turn to him in question, only to be kissed gently. Pulling away my giant grins as I giggle and lightly kisses me once again before settling back in his seat at the booth. "Just wanted to do that before you tasted like chocolate."

Rolling my eyes I playfully make a show of eating the chocolate cheesecake, "Mhh, tastes so good. I don't think anything could ever be better than this."

"Oh?" His hazel eyes turn playful and I suddenly regret my course of action while out to eat with his family -him having no shame while I'm easily embarrassed. "I can think of a few things, all including you-"

"So Camilla." I interrupt loudly, making Ares and Angie chuckle at my topic change. "What was is like raising Ares?"

"Oh Dio," Cami groans, but a soft smile graces her features despite it. "It was a constant racket of noise y broken things, those crazy friends of his, him and his hermana fighting. It was also very fun, and I'm so orgullosa of how he turned out."

"And the orgu-something is like mio orgoglioso in inglese, or a um? Orgoglio is um, proud? In italiano non é, or uh, rather, suo proud in english. I mean, is that word you said, were you saying you're proud? Giusto, right?" I stammer, completely demolishing any correct sentence in English, Italian or otherwise. My cheeks flame red, and my hand instantly flies to grab Ares's forearm in comfort. "Explain?"

Everyone is looking at me like a deer in headlights, not expecting the explosion of Italian to come from me.

"Mamá, she's asking if orgullosa means proud- -which it does- -and probably compared that to the Italian version of the word, which sounds similiar." At this very moment, I'm quite grateful Ares knows me this well. "I told you all that she's from Italy, and speaks Italian."

"I know, I just never heard her or anyone else do it and when she was asking me something head on I got confused. Hijo, trust me, after all you've told me I know a lot about this girl." His mother says, turning to wink at me. Sadly, I only blush further. "So, what was it like being raised for you, in foster homes, I mean."

My entire body tenses, I drop my eyes the moment she asks the question -the giant puts his large hand over mine, the message clear: You don't have to answer.

This is Cami, and though others can hear I know if they said anything both Ares and Angie would jump to my defense. So I say, "It was very...tense, never really a stable environment at all. Homes were mostly always bad, the orphanages were even worse. It was hard going to school, but I got good grades since it came easy to me but I also had a lot of tough after school activities I was forced to go to. It wasn't...none of it was ever okay." in the most neutral voice I can muster.

"Do you mean like," Donovan gulps, wide eyes. "...drugs?"

Ares beats me to it, eyes narrow. "She didn't do drugs."

Well I smoked pot a few times...

I decide not to mention that and instead stick with telling him, "It was more of illegal racing, gang activity, bets and um, just stuff like that a child shouldn't go through."

"Oh." For some reason Donny seems disappointed for a second until something I said seems to click for him. "Racing? I hope that means you got really cool cars!"

"Yeah actually," I grin, loving the car I have let and the race track I payed for -the guy who now owns the place grew up with me and Val and owns over twenty of the fastest cars you can buy. All of which I bought him, just to go and race legally in a sweet ride whenever I feel like it. Most times I break my baby out of storage, she being the best car out there. "It's so much fun behind the wheel when it's not an illegal life or death race. I can take you to a track, get you behind the wheel if you want. I can take all of you."

I haven't even shared this part of myself with Ares yet, and here I am offering it up to his entire family.

"Seriously!" Donovan explodes, making Nice and Liv shush him. "I would love that, how soon?" He looks like a happy little kid, it's amazing.

"Whenever works for all of you, but just know I'll win every race and you guys can't race each in bigger groups than two if you're first timers." I say, making the slight competitive blunt in Ares's eye fade away. "And my best friend Val would come, to supervise."

In all honestly, I've never gotten behind the wheel without Valentino there and I'm a little scared to break that tradition now.

The family quickly agrees, and I can't help but to wonder just what I got myself into.

First I met with my old friend from foster care and Valentino, we were both really excited to see him and race together without any danger. This worried Ares, since he knows Val can be careless and he's never met Anton before -and he knows I don't like being confined by men.

Anton is a good man though, despite the way we grew up. The three of us came over from Italy at the same time, as part of a failed program started by a woman who was trying to get all the un-adopted children in Italy to get adopted in America. But all it did, was get us abused.

In Italy only one in a hundred children are abused. Where in america more than 3 out of a hundred are abused, and one in ten children out of those 100 are sexually abuse and seventy percent of those one hundred are neglected. Italy isn't nearly as bad, and the adoption system isn't nearly as fucked up as it is here.

Here, almost every child in that system is hurt.

Including Anton.

We've all been through a lot together, but only up to a certain point as when we were all 17 Anton got adopted by his grandparents and went back to Italy for a year. When he was there, they died and he came back to try and find us all -having enough money to set him up for life he figured he'd adopt us. Val was already out, at 18 and I was adopted by Uncle Francesco at the time and when they let me go that time I was already enrolled at college.

It would only be three months after that I would meet Ares, and start a life for myself. 

During this time Anton found me, and instead of wasting his life away I set him up with this place and the ability to foster children until they got into good homes. His started his own orphanage that is helping a lot of kids now, run by my money.

I'd give all that money up if every kid could be safe.

Besides Conner, he's the only one who I've told the doctor story to. Angie already knew what it was like, and Ares -well he knows the ways I've been abused. I trust Anton completely, just like I do with Valentino. The things we've been through together, it created a bond I doubt anything could destroy. 

Though he strictly goes by Anton his real first name is Angelo-Enea and his middle is Nataniele, which led him to make his own nickname. I don't think anyone who went through the system came out liking their name. 

I know I don't.

So when I see Anton's built body leaning against the door, propping it open while he waits for us to get here, I open the door to Val's car before he even parks and bolt straight to him. "Anton! Anton!" My shouts for him make him smirk and raise a eyebrow, but easily catch me as I throw myself at him in a hug.

God I haven't seen him in forever.

"Hey Ever," Anton chuckles and sets me back on the ground. "You ready to corsa?"

One of the things I love about my relationship with Anton is that no matter how much time passes, he'll treat me like he saw me the day before. The same thing happens with Valentino, though being around him still takes a little time to get used to.

"Diavolo si! I can't wait to race. Have you gotten all the cars out of their spots? What one did you give everyone?" I ask this, knowing he has the key to my storage space and my amazing car was probably the first one he got, and I know he loves looking at the Mustang's bright orange fade into the deep red along the exterior. Just looking at someone, he gives them the best kind of car for them.

"I haven't decided, I'm going to meet them all first. I pulled up five of each kind and mine and your Mustangs. Plus Val's Firebird, the Camaro. That's the one he usa, guisto?" 

"Si. Valentino's stupid Firebird, that he loses with every time." With Valentino's brown eyes a black hair, it's only fitting that his Camaro is matte black. Behind me, still walking up to greet Anton, Val scoffs. "You know we need nine new cars, si?"

"Of course, I'm not noioso Ever and -Val!" The two men laugh and hug each other,  Anton clapping him twice on the back. "How have you been, amico?"

"Pretty good actually, e tu? Good, io spero."

It's at this moment I'm overwhelmingly glad that together we kept our knowledge of Italian intact, that alone surrounded by English speakers we'd all lose part of ourselves that keeps our family's history intact -something that we can rarely do after being away from our family's home country for so long, and after our families died. Well, mine and Anton's families died but after Val's mom died his good for nothing dad gave him up at nine. Anton got placed in here when he was eight, the same time I came at seven.

We need each other, that much is true.

To catch up, we each grab a beer- -though none of us will have another and I doubt any of us will finish it since we're going to be driving- -and sit down at the couches he has pushed in the middle of the giant garage like space.

This building is perfect, the orphanage is only a two minute walk away from it and the second floor is an apartment where Anton lives. The first floor is a giant garage, where Anton fixes up cars and stores all the ones that are about to be raced -since three of the garage doors lead to the mile long race track. 

Spreading his long frame out over one couch, being only a inch shorter than Ares at 6'4 and taller than every other one of my friends, Anton relaxes as he interacts with us more than he does any other time in his life. 

Sooner than I thought, the overprotective Ares is calling me. Though I've been in such deep conversation with my two friends that I didn't even notice the language shit. "Ehi Ares, stai arrivando o stai solo effettuando il check-in?" I ask, making him instantly sputter on the other end. "Stai bene Mars? Sembrava che tu stessi soffocando."

"Ev, English, please." For some reason he sounds strange -distant.

"Che cosa? Io -oh, I was talking in italiano? Scusa, me e i due guys avere, I mean, we've been talking for awhile. Are you okay?" I ask, sitting up straight. Valentino and Anton quiet down, knowing something must be going on on Ares's end. "Ares?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. I just found out that my dad...I -you know what I'll tell you all this later. I'll be on my way in a few minutes, just don't let the twins or Saint in before I'm there. Please." My heart drops at the sounds of his voice, and I know Ares isn't okay. I've never heard him speak about his father before. "I love you Ev."

He doesn't -he doesn't sound like Ares.

So frowning I respond, "I love you too, M-"

Just then, he hangs up on me and I'm left gaping at my phone. 

"Did he just do what I think he just did?" Valentino asks me, eyebrows raised. "Has he ever done that before?"

"I...don't think so." I slowly respond, looking to Anton. "Sorry about this. I know on one of the few days we have together, bringing relationship drama into it isn't cool."

"It might not be cool but it sounds necessary, and it also sounds like this is new. Do you know if he's just um...um...what's the word for this, uh quando sei arrabbiato e you are arrabbiato know and you're not arrabbiato con la persona giusta e tu come spento cosi a complete asshole. You know?" Both me and Val frown, trying to piece together when it finally clicks for me.

What is it called when you're mad but you're not being mad at the right person?

"Having displaced anger?" I question, and instantly pulled into Anton's arms as he smothers me on the couch. "Ahh, Anton lasciami andare! Voi cretino." I exclaim, bursting into painful giggles as he begins to tickle me.

This jerk!

"Qualcuno suona il campanello!" I say, hearing the doorbell ring around the echoing space. "Salvato by the bell, ha."

Grunting out his loss, Anton releases me and I bounce past the standing Val and straight to the door where I go on my toes to peak through the peephole.

Donny, Nicolettá and to my disgust Saint show throw -sending a jolt of the this is going to be bad feeling straight down my spine.

And shit.

I think this is going to be bad.

I SWEAR TO GOD I PROMISE IM ALREADY WRITING MORE I KNOW THIS WAS A FILLER CHAPTER IM SORRY!!!
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