We came to Italy to get back at my father, but because of my ankle we didn't have a chance too.

Vincenzo and I decided to be just friends. Although it was mostly all me.

"You want to be friends?" He exclaimed.

After the gang saw us kiss, they were wondering what we were. I knew I wasn't ready for a relationship just yet, so I told them we were just friends.

Later on, Vincenzo brought me aside and talked about it.

I nodded my head. "I think it's best if we were just friends for now," I told him.

He came towards me, his face leaned towards mine. Was he going to kiss me, even after I friend zoned him?

"We could still do this, right?" He asked, softly. His voice was husky and sexy. I couldn't help, but feel my knees wobble.

I snapped out of my trans and pushed him away. Does he not know what 'I just want to be friends,' mean?

"No, Vincenzo, I'm being serious," I told him.

He scoffed. "Just like that? You're going to make me your friend?" He snarled.

He was angry at me, or something. I didn't mean for it to happen like this. I thought he would be understanding.

He was being the total opposite of how he was when I first got here.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

I needed to get out of here. I felt the room become smaller and my throat become tighter.

"I just feel like it will be better off if we're friends," I explained. I tried everything to get my breathing back on track, but it was beginning to become irregular.

He scoffed. "So, that's it? You give up before we even start dating?" He asked.

I nodded. "I guess," I shrugged my shoulders.

His eyes held confusion. "I don't understand, I thought everything was going well," he said. He was furious at my decision. I didn't know he liked me that much.

"It was," I softened my voice. "Everything's great, I just . . . I don't think I'm ready to take that step into a relationship yet."

He grunted in response. "Vabbè." (Whatever)

I wasn't ready to share that part of me that it took to be in a relationship. I was still healing from what was taken from me. I was still incapable of relationships.

I couldn't give myself to him. That's what he really wanted and I couldn't give it to him. He deserved someone else. He deserved someone who would give his everything. I was held back. I had to much baggage attached to me. He wasn't the person who could handle all that baggage on one person.

I couldn't even handle it sometimes.

He left the room and slammed the door behind him. He was still angry. I started to feel bad. I always tend to stop things before they become serious. I guess, it was mostly because I was scared.

I didn't want to open myself up to anyone. I was a closed book and I kept to myself.

The only one who tended to see through me was Giovanni. The only person who could get under my skin. He could read me so easily, though it was so hard to read him.

I heard a string of Italian curse words coming from Vincenzo as he stormed away from me.

That's how that went down. It wasn't that fun for me. I still haven't talked to Vincenzo since. I didn't even see him around the mansion. He was taking his time to avoid me. I ruined our chance of even having a friendship.

I hadn't run into Giovanni in a while and I felt relieved by that. It was like he would go out of his way to make my day miserable. He always found the worst things to say to me.

I would take everything he said seriously. He really scared me. He still does. I knew he would've killed me already if he was going too, but I couldn't help but get this current fear that he would pop out a gun and shoot me with it.

I was sitting by the pool while the rest of the boys were in the pool. Giovanni was in his office as always.

I was trying to tan from the sun peeking through the pool area. I was in a black bikini. My hair was up into a messy bun and I was laying on my back.

The chair was inclined into a straight line and I was reading a book with my elbows at the top of the leaning chair.

I wore sunglasses that made me read the pages, easier, since the sun was so bright.

"Chanel, why don't you ever come in?" Valeria asked.

"Why are you always in the pool?" I retorted back. She scoffed in response.

I smiled, mischievously. She didn't have anything to say back to that.

I suddenly feel pressure against the chair and somebody embraced me in their arms. I thrashed in their grip. I looked up to see Tobias lifting me up. He brought me toward the pool and I panicked.

"Wait!" I shouted. "Stop, Toby, don't do it!" I pleaded with him.

He smirked, dangerously and took off of the pool patio. We fell in together with a splash. A pitched scream escaped my lips as I went in.

I gasped when I reached the surface. There was a cheeky smile on my face as I charged towards Tobias. I grabbed his head and shoved it under the water.

He came back up gasping for breath. "That's what you get," I snarked at him.

He laughed. He swam towards me and I tried to swim away. I went into the deep end and was trapped in the corner.

He came towards me and I panicked. I jumped out of the pool and tried to run away from him.

What I didn't realize was someone coming towards me. Before I knew it, I bumped into their chest and lost my balance landing in the ground.

I looked up to see . . .