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:) little lies - Fleetwood Mac (:

TW 🚨 there is a moment where Emilia talks about sexual assault and being abused so this is your warning. I will put a == so you know when it's happening. Thanks

🌳on🪓with🪵the🕯chapter🔥

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✨Emilia's POV.

Yawning, my eyelashes bat open and take a long glance up at the pink net curtain wrapped around my bed that has butterflies infested into the curtain folds. I could see very little of the plain white ceiling so I felt like I was trapped in a prison.

In search for my phone, a drop of sadness falls over me as I did something again. I searched for my non existent phone. Is it rude of me to ask for one? I'd feel rude.

Swinging my legs over the bed, I trudge to the bathroom and stare at the maze of curls levitating in the air. My shirt was half way up torso and one leg pant was all the up to my thigh as the other trailed fit be floor. I looked a mess. A perfect mess - just the way I love it.

Should I cut my hair again? It's gotten much longer again. No! I'm just being spontaneous and crazy.

Twisting the knob to the shower, I let it heat up as I get my clothes ready. Loose paint stained jeans and a brown long sleeve shirt/ blouse that was too big for me. We don't want to distract boys now do we.

Of course, I put in long black socks too because I don't want boys staring at my ankles because they're too much of a distraction. I also couldn't show my shoulders so I let the collar strangle me. Preppy. Again.

So today I decided I will be a dishwasher for all the men my family and make them food in the kitchen where I belong obviously because that's woman's job right?

I just love men that much that I want them to spit on me and cat call me when I walk past. Oh my did I tell you I love men? Male power!!

Sarcasm: noticed.

As if, I'd never let a man do anything like that to me. But yes, I did wear this hideous outfit that because it was comfy and the idea of paint on my clothes made me feel like a real artist.

After my rushed shower, I rub my hair between the itchy material of the towel then pat my body dry before changing quickly.

"Morning," Mia announces when I enter the kitchen, but she frowns when I wasn't the person she was looking for. When she does meet my gaze, she doesn't hesitate to divert it to my shoulders.

She was looking at someone over my shoulder so there entered Axel who was fully dressed and gaited triumphantly to Mia to plant a few oscillations forcing a giggle.

Rolling my eyes, I glance to the floor as a distraction, there was a wet droplet of water on the floor that I pressed my big toe into regretting it soon after.

"Breakfast?" Shockingly, I look up to Axel who was looking at me happily with a chuffed smile.

"I'm fine." I mumble and stand there awkwardly pressing my big toe on the tiles leaving a little bit of wetness behind.

"You need to eat, do what do you want?"

"Felix." I mumble again feeling down like someone pushed me under water. I missed him too much.

"You can't eat Felix. That's mean!" Luca stammers, so I gave him a half hearted smile that soon faded away.

"Look, bamb-

"Emilia." I cough into my hand correcting him. He sighs for a moment before colliding his hands together - lacing his dangers through.

"-Emilia," he recollects himself in a swift action movement, "you just... can't im so sorry."

"I can but no one is letting me other than-

I slap a hand over my mouth remembering Blade and what he did for me two nights ago. He lets me use his phone (which was approximately every few hours) to call Felix.

"Other than who?"

"Myself. Why can't I see him anyways? Felix is not like other boys simply because he has the maturity of someone your age," I point to Axel in his face. Suddenly I was extremely hungry and so I stole a slice of toast from Luca leaving him whining. I didn't even see Tyrone say next to him, I forgot he even stayed last night and the night before.

He couldn't help but let out a snorted chuckle but tried to hide it in Luca's arm.

"Trust me, I know, Princess but I'm tired of the constant arguing so just to keep peace you aren't seeing him." He finals with a large dragged out sigh ensuring I heard it.

"Because of Mr Mystery?" I look up at sorrowfully hoping I can guilt trip him into letting me see my friend.

"Is that my name now?" Mr Mystery walks in with his sweaty work out clothes clung to his body tight. Yucky.

"Well I don't know your name so yeah it is. Got a problem?"

"My name is Romeo. And yes. With your attitude. Give me your phone," he demands with a hand held out waiting for a prize. I could spit in it.

"I guess you ain't really a Romeo if my mum left your sorry ass. Plus, I haven't got one. Axel broke it," my eyes turn into slits and my brows furrow darting to Axel who looked away guiltily.

"He never paid me back either. It'a either a phone repair or I want the money," my cheeks tug into a mischievous smile. "I'll buy you another." I ignore his attempt of repurchasing my phone. I'd rather be without if anything. My life has been much better without a phone. But I guess it's still handy to have in.

"Oh my gosh I completely forgot about that. I'm sorry."

Sure phones have their perks but most of the time they just make me sad and anxious that someone is watching me through my webcam.

"Well... then you have to do the dishes after dinner and then you go to bed straight away," his eyes stare back into mine.

"The dishes I don't mind, but my sleeping routine is already fûcked up because of living in this house. Going to be early will only benefit me. Thanks, darling," finally, I sit at the island with my head slumped lazily in my arms.

From the corner of my eye, I Dee how it infuriated him when I called him 'darling.' For some reason I feel like he didn't like it because it made him feel smaller and belittled.

"And I'll make sure to add no screen time to that too," he begins to pull a knife out of the cutlery draw.

"For what?! 'Answering back?' Cry me a river, aren't you the biggest piece of shîtty rain on someone's parade!" I throw my arms up with exaggeration.

"You're only making it worse for yourself."

"I'll get Blade on you again. Remember last time? You got battered by someone who is less than half your age," I purposefully laugh but stop when he stand the knife in the chopping board.

"Do you want me to wake you up early as well? Because I will," he gives me a serious look asking me if I'm willing to continue.

"Nope because I ain't letting you in my room-

Romeo was prepared to swing his hand back far enough to give me a whack on the cheek with the back of his hand but I screamed and forced myself backwards until I hit the floor.

"ENOUGH!" Alessandro booms with a deep rumble of his voice silencing the kitchen.

Romeo proceeds to hunt through the fridge and pulls out mushrooms and tomatoes and slices them evenly. The only sounds were the elegance of the ravenous knife.

"You were going to hit me," I release with a nervous and shaky voice as it cracks in multiple tones and pitches.

Silence overtook him; he didn't say a word and all he could do was look at me then turns back to viciously slicing his mushrooms.

"You were going to hit me," this time, it rolls off of the tip of my tongue slower and with more realisation of what was going to happen. He fails to look at me once again.

"Say it."

He avoids my look. Everyone in the kitchen silent. Even Blade and his new arrival to the kitchen was silent as an ant. He just stood by and observed. Slowly, he was inclined to help em but Tyrone shakes his head no.

"Say it!" I raise my voice. I take two leap and push him many times to get his attention. His skin was hit and damp from his work out but that didn't stop me.

"SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY YOU WERE GOING TO HIT ME! YOU WANT ME TO HURT YOU?!" My closed fists hammer into his back and arms as I plead for his answer.

I understand I'm extremely difficult and undeniably bîtchy but everyone wants to hurt me all the time.

They all want me to die.

Still, yet, he fails to be a dad and be honest with me. Wow, now I really understand why mum left. None of them are better than Shawn except for Blade and the twins and Felix.

"HIT ME THEN! YOU WANT TO HIT ME?! SO FÛCKING DO IT, YOU COWARD!" I fists we're still clenched until they turned and pale white and my chest was rapidly heaving up and down with a struggle to absorb much oxygen. I'd felt so tense and stiff around him, I was releasing the bad energy he pushed into my body.

"That's enough," Alessandro takes a step forward pulling me back by my torso harshly.

"Don't you have another psychotherapist to screw?" He gasps at my savagery with a palm pressed to his chest in an offended manner. He slowly backs away to make himself a cup of coffee.

"You gonna hit me?! Huh?! You want to hurt me like everyone else does?!" I begin by shoving Romeo again until he drops the knife and pins me up against the wall crushing my throat. Ladies and gentlemen, here we have it.

"HIT ME THEN! YOU WANT TO TAKE A SWING AT ME TOO?! Do it!" I could feel a strained tear stroll down the small crevices of my face and dribble off my chin and into his hand.

"You might be able to do this to your brothers but I won't let you get away with this next time," he lets me go and shoves me hard against the wall until I slump down to the ground gasping for air whilst piping hot saltiness streams down my face.

"You're supposed to be my dad! Why do my dads have to hurt me all the time," I fumble to crawl to my feet; I was that shaky I needed Blade to balance onto.

"You're no better than Shawn! Why can't I just have a dad like Felix's?"

"Who's Shawn?" He asks with bewilderment.

"You. You're the same man as him. The same man that tortured me after my mum left you for the exact same reason!" Technically speaking I had no knowledge of how he treated mum other than he wasn't the best dad. It made sense in my head as to why she left: violence and brutality of his formal nature.

"Just... I want someone to love me," I slump down down in my seat wiping the fresh tears away.

"Can I have my toast back," Luca asks me innocently after five minutes of deadly silence that drowned us.

That's when I saw a half eaten slice of toast on the floor that belonged to Luca. All I could do was ignore Luca because if I muttered a single vowel, my voice would shatter like a thousand suns.

"Tawww," Luca whines frowning at the floor where the juicy buttered toast rests dead. Tyrone muffled a chuckle under his clasped hand over his mouth.

"Lu, just eat this," Tyrone pushes his slice of toast to Luca. Seeing his eyes brighten did make me smile for a little, it didn't last long because it faded away after a while.

"Fanks," Luca says with a muffled mouth of toast.

Biting my lip was the only strategy I had to stop myself from crying my eyes out; being around everyone in the kitchen would just make it embarrassing for me.

"Here," a large bowl of fresh cereal is placed in front of me with a spoon dunked in the middle. My eyes look up to Romeo who'd quickly turned away.

Do I eat it?

Reluctantly and shakily, I take the cold golden spoon into my hand and take a few small bites at a time.

Pushing the around the cereal was fun, I'd wasted too much time pushing it around with the tip of the spoon. It was now soggy and foamy so it all floated to the top and the milk had turned into a honey, saffron colour from the cereal diluting it.

"Do I need to do the aeroplane?" Axel tries to joke with me just as Diego rolls his eyes by everyone's presence. He always seems so irked at nothing. Kinda like me and Blade - always irritated and frustrated with everything and everyone.

Lifting the spoon into his hand, he makes aeroplane sounds with a flying hand aiming for my mouth. I see milk dribble quickly from the curve of the spoon as it resumes closer and closer to my skin contact.

Furiously, I twist my head from side to side to avoid the soggy mush of breakfast entering my tummy. "Nah ah."

"You need to eat something," Axel shakes his head like he's given up.

"Why don't you eat some chocolate?" Mia suggests. Why is she speaking to me? Though chocolate did sound good. What sounded better was Felix. I wanted to see him.

"I know what she wants," Diego suggests.

"Yeah?" Axel and Alessandro question with a raised brow and a pointed look that didn't make them look very approachable.

"She wants me to take her to the shops," he suggests. Going outside was the last thing I wanted; all I wanted was to see Felix.

Before I have time to process anything, Diego winks at me to suggest he wasn't being serious so I play along nervously hoping I didn't ruin what he was planning. Whatever it was, it sounded better than staying here.

"Oh yeahhh," I nod my head slowly and drag out my words whilst exchanging glances with Alessandro and Axel.

"Really? That's what you want?" Alessandro squints at me seeming unsure and disbelieved over my act.

"Yes!" I said too adamantly, "I mean... I want to spend some time with my brother. Are you really going to stop me from doing to one thing left I can do?"

I hear many choruses of sighs and huffs before a simple 'fine' filled my sense of hearing. I'd never so happy to hear a simplistic word in my entire life.

"GREAT!" As quick as a flash of striking lightning, I call hand hands together and sequel before quickly jumping from my seat and tugging on Diego's and pulling him to the front door.

"GET A COAT ON!" I hear an ear splitting command from Alessandro. Reaching up at the coat rack, I swipe Blade's coat that was way too big for me but it was the warmest coat ever.

"Are we driving? Where are we going? Are we seeing someone? Which shop are we going to? Can we get a McDonald's breakfast? I'm very hungry," I was dancing and skipping in the strong summer wind withy own laughs surrounding myself.

"Umm I can't drive," is all he says nervously whilst clutching my hand as we exited the grand gates after typing in the pin.

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"Don't even tell them," Diego mutters bitterly forcing me to glance up at him curiously. I'd been kicking the stones in the ground so I hadn't a chance to see where we were going.

We were in Felix's street. "Are you being for real?" I think I almost tackled Diego to the ground as we approached Felix's house. I'd wasted no time opening the door not bothering to knock.

"Em?!" Felix's responds looking up from the premier league table displayed on the television. Wasting no time, he drowns me in a heart warming tackle planting sweetened kisses on my cheek.

"HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?!" He remains rested on top of my with his arms still engulfing me in his embrace.

"Not good. I missed you," I quiver my lip playfully and shove him to the side so I can crawl up to my feet again. Still, again, Felix wrapped two arms extremely tight around my shoulders until it was hard for me to breath again.

"Hey!" Diego points a finger at him. "No touchy feely with my baby sister." Felix mumbles a 'sorry' and an appreciative nod Diego's way.

"Oh I didn't know we had guests," Karen walks out from the kitchen with a joyful Tay balanced on her hip.

"Yeah Emilia and her brother Diego are staying for dinner right mum? Right?" Felix couldn't contain his excitement; he was giving his mum this look of innocence with two palms pressed together.

"Oh yeah sure. You and your brother are welcome anytime. What's your name again, sweetie?" Her head props to the side in bewilderment.

"Diego. Pleasure," he holds a nonchalant attitude to his façade with an effortless hand out prepared to shake.

"Welcome, Diego." She smiles for a split second before passing Tay over to Felix and rushing to the kitchen.

Stiff and still like a statue, Diego shifts uncomfortably with his hand shovelled in deep of his green hoodie pockets.

"Sit down," I pat next to me where Tay was sat with flaring arms. Hesitantly, he shuffles over all tensed.

"Hi, son," Mr Smith, Edward, squeezes his shoulder making Diego squirm because he's ticklish.

"You good?" Mr Smith inquires sceptically with his eyes investigate Diego deeply.

"Umm yeah," he didn't sound too sure. His hands kept combing through his dirty blonde locks.

"Gimme a go," I snatch the control pad from Felix with a slight smirk cupping my lips cheekily.

"So who's this guy? I already hate the guy," Felix rolls his eyes and annoyance falls from his tongue.

"My dad apparently," I take a glance at Diego who was playing with Tay's headless Barbies.

"Since when did your dad exist? A little weird don't you think?" He watches me play Mario Cart with his eyes following my game play.

He did have a point. Since when did I have a dad? That's not something I can process as easy as a flick of the finger is it?

"Yeah. He's not my dad though. Apparently he used to be a meany to my mum," I take in a shark breath just as someone almost over takes me near the finish line.

Felix doesn't respond, he just wraps his arms around my shoulders and hugs me with his eyes closed shut tightly.

After a few minutes of Tay's laughter and pulling in Diego's hair, I feel Felix's arms drop from my shoulders and light snores siren in my ears peacefully.

Looking across the room, I see Mr Smith still staring at Diego like he wants to kill him almost with the deadly look circling in his eyes; pupils pulsating.

"Your brother still doing the loan-sharking crap?" Mr Smith taps the too of a cider can then pulls the tab releasing a fluffy foam to bubble on the surface. He laughs before inhaling the foamy, white substance.

"Let's not-

"What's loan-sharking?" I push my curls behind my ears to look Diego in his hazel swirls of emotion.

"Nothing, sorry," Mr Smith dismissed me and my curiosity.

"No I'll tell her, it's where you can hire a shark for special events. That's it," Diego explains with an aching sound when Tay pulls on his hair too hard.

"Well that's the obvious answer so what is it?" I refuse to accept his last answer, it was clearly a lie considering Mr Smith also refused to tell me what it was so why would Diego tell me?

"You're too young. I'll explain in the future," he practically grits out trying to pry Tay's stubby fingers from his hair gently. He definitely didn't have the patience for this.

"Oh... okay, you sure?"

"Yes! Definitely. Let's just drop this conversation," he stares intently at Mr Smith with his brows knitted together and jaw locked.

Taking a good look, I examine the beauty of a sleeping Felix. He had striking feminine feature with prominent cheekbones that jutted out. A plumper looking bottom lip. He was the perfect best friend for me.

I loved the way his eyes twitched when he was trapped in an episode of sleep, so I shut my eyes and join him by resting my head on top of his since his head occupied my own shoulder.

I could hear Diego laughing along with a climbing Tay alongside the clinking of the pans in the kitchen. At least we know he's good with kids.

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