"did you guys have fun" Mason asked, he had just been about to enter the living room when his dad, Matteo and Emilia came back

"Yeah it was alright" Matteo said first.

"Gosh it must have been exciting for you to tell me it was alright" Mason sarcastically said.

"Can't you see I'm busy" Matteo said holding up the bags he was carrying.

"Fine, Emilia come tell me about your day, let's leave them to unpack" he said refering to his dad and brother carrying the shopping.

"Yes that's a great idea" Alesandro encouraged seeing Emilia was hesitant.

Once they got in the living, Mason sat down and beckoned Emilia to sit.

"Am I in trouble" she dared ask.

"No of course not, why do you ask"

"Just the past few days you have used Lia now your calling me Emilia again, and right now you seem serious" Emilia explained as she sat down.

"You prefer when I call you Lia?"

Emilia hesitated not wanting to admit it but she nodded.

"Very well Lia it is, or maybe you would prefer li li" he said adding the last bit to see how she would react.

"Don't you dare" she warned.

"Li li" he said.

"God you're annoying"

"Me? Annoying? That's just mean li li"

Emilia picked up a cushion and threw it at him. He let it hit him, "that wasn't nice li li" he threw it straight back.

You would never have guessed that mason had been almost as phsycotic as Damon earlier. Mason was back to his usual self, he didn't acknowledge what he had done this morning and maybe a small part of him still felt guilty for it but he pushed that side of him and focused on his normal self.

"I'm telling dad" Emilia said pretending to be upset.

"Go for it, he's more reasonable I'm sure he will understand why I did it" Mason said.

"I will" Emilia got up. She made it to the doorway but decided against going out as she saw Damon going to the kitchen where Alesandro most likely was.

"Hey why aren't you going? what's wrong?" Mason asked coming up to her.

He saw Damon and put it together.

"Emilia you don't usually avoid Damon, what changed" he asked becoming serious.

"Nothing, I'm not avoiding him " she said.

"Then why don't we go to the kitchen and get a snack " he suggested.

"I'm not hungry"

"Emilia it's just us, you're avoiding him aren't you"

"No I'm not, he just hasn't been in, and when he was this morning, I went out with dad and now I'm with you"

Mason knew she was probably right, it's not like they had seen much of him, only at breakfast but something told him there was more going on.

At breakfast usually Emilia would sit next to him or at least near him, she would pas him notes, they would joke. He understood Damon was not in the mood to joke about but he had been in a bad mood before with Dante and she still would at least sit near him.

At breakfast she avoided looking at him completely. Sure she asked where Lexi was but that wasnt directed at him. She had asked the table that.

"Okay Emilia I'll drop this for now, I know he's in one of his moods but if you are avoiding him, you can talk about it with me, I won't say anything to him"

"I'm not avoiding him"

She was avoiding him.

She felt guilty for lying but she wasn't prepared to talk about it because he definitely would get Damon involved and then she would be forced to confront her fears.

"I am rather hungry though so can we please go get a snack" Mason asked.

Emilia couldn't say no, she had no reason now that she had lied to Mason.

"Fine"

They went to the kitchen but as soon as they entered, the conversation ended between Matteo, Alesandro and Damon.

"Did we interrupt something" Mason asked.

"Why are you here" Damon asked coldly.

"Last time I checked I lived here, I'm in this room specifically because I'm hungry" Mason replied.

Alesandro watched Emilia carefully, he wished he could tell Damon but he told Emilia he wouldn't. He wouldn't go back on his word.

Damon glared at Mason before speaking "I'm going out" he stated.

"Where" Alesandro asked.

"I need a drink" Damon replied thrn left.

Emilia shuddered when he left. She was afraid to even speak to this Damon.

"Right I'll make you all something to eat, what would you like" Alesandro said.

"I can make it"

"But dad's food is better" Matteo added.

Alesandro smiled at hearing this "cheese on toast?" he asked his three kids.

Matteo and Mason nodded.

"Emilia would you like some" Alesandro asked.

"Oh right, yeah sure"

"Are you ok" Alesandro asked.

"Yeah fine" she was not fine, she couldn't help wonder how often Damon really is like this considering her family don't even mention it and act like it's normal behaviour for him.

"One of you go and ask Dante if he wants one" Alesandro said as he began preparing the food.

"I'm not disturbing him" Matteo said first.

"Emilia he likes you the most why don't you go, he's probably in his room gaming and he doesn't seem to mind you in his room" Mason suggested, he had noticed she didn't talk to Dante much. She was definitely avoiding him, it was obvious from last night.

"If she doesn't want to go, you will go mason" Alesandro said.

"No it's fine I'll go and ask" Emilia said in order to prove to Mason she was fine.

She left the kitchen and made her way to Dante's room, she was just glad it wasn't Damon or she probably wouldn't have even agreed .

She knocked on his door and received a "come in".

She hesitantly entered. All she saw when she saw him was how he had the dark menacing look when he found out the truth and how he didn't talk to her, he just left her. He believed Lexi most likely. It would explain why he snapped at her.

"Are you going to talk or just stand there" Dante asked.

"Dad wants to know if you want cheese on toast" Emilia asked, her nerves caused her to stutter slightly as she spoke.

"No"

"O.... okay"

"Emilia why are you stuttering, you're not scared are you"

"I should go" Emilia said quickly and walked out.

Dante was quick to follow "no, get back here Emilia, anwser my question" he called following her.

"Emilia come back here" he said again but louder.

Emilia stopped and walked back to him, not wanting to anger him.

"Emilia tell me you're not scared of me" he asked.

She didn't anwser.

He reached his hand out to move some hair from her face but when he did, she flinched so hard that she ended up tripping and falling on the floor.

"Emilia" came a shout.

Dante looked down and saw Mason, his dad and Matteo all watching below.

He silently cursed knowing how bad this looked.

"I didn't touch her, I wouldn't ever I swear" Dante told Alesandro when he came upstairs.

"We know, come here Emilia"

Emilia was quick to go to Alesandro and hugged him tightly. "You're safe bambina" he whispered.

"Why is she scared of me" Dante asked.

"Your behaviour" Alesandro said.

"Fuck. Emilia please believe me, my anger was never meant to hurt you, I'm so so sorry, please believe me. I've just been angry at the things they did to you. Not at you" Dante said, he was desperate for her to believe him.

"You don't hate me then" she whispered taking her head out of Alesandros chest.

"Hate you? Why the hell would I hate you"

"Because maybe you believe Lexi" Emilia whispered.

Dante's eyes darkened at hearing her name. He was glad he was done with her because if Emilia was like this now, god knows what she would be like if she found out.

"No of course I don't believe her, I know she's a liar" Dante said.

He walked to her, she was still sort of hugging Alesandro but she was looking at him too.

He knelt down besides her so he could be more level with her. "Emilia I believe you, I could never hate you. Remember when you told me that you believed me, well believe me now"

Emilia nodded, she was still weary but he seemed to be telling the truth. "Next time please talk to me sooner okay, i apologize for being so off with you, I didn't mean to come across that way, it just never crossed my mind that you could think like this considering how close we are"