~ Matteo's POV ~

Ignoring the calls of my name I walked straight past the living room heading towards the kitchen. The first thing I did was grab a glass and fill it with whatever alcohol was closest.

By the time I'd finished my second glass I heard someone come into the kitchen behind me.

"Matteo? What's wrong? I was calling you. Leo really misses you..." Jordan's sentence trailed off, probably because she saw me drinking the alcohol. I cleared my throat before I turned around to face her.

Although it had been two years since she had her third child and eight years since she met Adrian in London, she looked exactly the same as she did back then. The only difference was that she had cut her hair.

"What are you doing here?"

"I brought the kids over to see Adrian. Why are you drinking? Did something happen?" She pushed the door closed slightly behind her before she came closer to me, a soft frown on her face. She was so different to Adrian. He would always try and give me his opinion and make me do the right thing whereas Jordan would just let me tell her whatever happened. She would only give me her opinion if I asked her for it.

She's never judged me for anything I've ever told her. Even some of the worst things.

"I hurt someone. Someone who didn't deserve to be hurt."

Jordan took another few steps closer to me before she gently pried the glass from my hand. "Who?"

The room fell silent for a second while I hesitated knowing that if I told her the truth it would definitely open up a whole conversation I wasn't sure I wanted to have.

"Matteo?" Of course she wasn't going to give up.

"A girl." Her mouth formed an 'o' shape and she put the glass down on the counter. "Like a girl girl? Or just a girl?"

"Uh...what's the difference?" The look on her face told me she thought I should have known exactly what she meant.

"Well is she a girl you like? Or just a girl you know?"

"Oh. I don't know...both?" Now it was her turn to be confused at my response. This is exactly why I didn't want to tell her.

"Hang on, let's start this again. How do you know this girl and what did you do?"

Now she wants all the details.

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes when she sat down waiting for me to start. Before I could start story time, both of us turned around when the sound of the kitchen door opening behind us caught our attention.

You'll never guess who it was.

"What are you guys doing?" Unsurprisingly it was Jordan who seemed more annoyed at Adrian's presence than I was. Considering they're married and very much in love they're really freaking petty.

"We're about to smoke a blunt, what do you think we're doing? We're having a conversation Adrian."

You see what I mean?

"Well don't let me stop you." Adrian leaned against the counter a few feet away from the where Jordan was sitting on the stool.

"The girl is Carlotta's hairdresser, I met her the other day at her hair appointment." Adrian scoffed at this probably because he was remembering the argument we had when I was late for our meeting that same day.

"Do you have to do that? Matteo is talking." I couldn't help but smile when Jordan snapped - again. It may have been annoying for Adrian but it was funny for me to watch. "You're the one interrupting him right now Jordan."

"Okay both of you shut up. Anyway, I snapped at her at the end of the appointment so I sent her a bracelet to say sorry and I left my number on the card."

"Wait, what kind of bracelet?" Of course Adrian had a problem with Jordan's question.

"Is that even important?"

"Yes, if you want to know how sorry he was." Adrian just rolled his eyes at her response before they both turned to look at me again. "It was a diamond bracelet. But I wasn't really that sorry, that's the point."

"He just wanted to have sex with her." I had to resist the urge to comment on Adrian's bluntness before I carried on with the story.

"Anyway, she messaged me and said she couldn't accept it so I went to see her. I could have just taken it back and left her alone but instead for some stupid reason I spoke to her for a while then I asked her out for coffee."

"That was the plan you had today?" I nodded my head in response to Adrian's question before continuing. "It actually went really good, we just talked about random things. Of course I screwed it up when we got back to her apartment. I should have just left it there, if I had just come back none of this would have happened."

Usually I didn't have a problem with telling these two the bad things I've done, maybe it's a lack guilt or just how close I am to them but it never really bothered me. But for some reason this time I didn't want to say it out loud.

"I kissed her and it got pretty heated. Then she realised what my plan was and she got upset. Then I left."

The room fell silent for a moment before I spoke again. "I never really wanted to hurt her. Like Adrian said when I spoke about this with him earlier I just screw everything up before it can become good."

I kept my head down, my eyes focused on a spot on the floor in front of me while I waited for one of them to speak.

"You just don't want to get hurt, we get that Matteo. For someone like you, it's pretty normal."

I lifted my head to look at Adrian when he said this, a hard glare on my face as I spoke. "Someone like me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Before Adrian could dig himself deeper by trying to explain what he meant, Jordan spoke up. "Shut up Adrian. Matteo do you actually want to hear what we think? I don't want to say anything that might upset you."

"No it's fine, just don't let him talk again or I won't be responsible for what I do next."

Adrian just rolled his eyes before he reached out, taking my glass and the bottle off the counter next to me before taking a seat next to Jordan. I watched him fill it up before handing it to me.

Well he tried to give it to me but before I could take it Jordan reached out and grabbed it.

"He's had enough." She put the glass down, rather loudly, on the counter before Adrian just picked it up again. Jordan turned to look at him with an incredulous glare causing him shrug. "Well I'm not going to let it go to waste, am I?"

I just watched the two in amusement while Adrian knocked the drink back and Jordan shook her head.

"Anyway. Matteo, you need to give her some time and then go and apologise. If you try and explain some of the things you've gone through, maybe she'll understand. I mean, we do. Not just because you're family but because we know what's happened."

Instantly I shook my head at the thought of going to see her again. She already asked me once why I couldn't leave her alone. I didn't want to keep pushing myself into her life for no reason.

"No, I don't want to upset her again."

"But you like her."

"That doesn't matter-" I quickly cut myself off when I realised what just happened when Adrian's head shot up to look at me.

"Matteo..."

"Just forget it Jordan." Deciding I was done with the conversation I tried to get past the two of them but before I could Jordan stood up and stepped in front of me.

"Giving her an explanation is the best thing you can do. If you like her then you need to try. If Adrian or I had given up on our marriage we never would have had our children. Just think about it. If things work out, maybe in a few years you'll be thanking me for not letting you give up."

After a moment I finally nodded my head, mostly just to end this conversation there and then. "Fine, I'll think about it."

"Good. Now come on, there is no way Carlotta is coping with the three of them in there." She gave me a small smile before making her way back into the living room, ignoring Adrian who was still sitting there watch us.

Mostly watching her, actually.

"Don't give up on her Adrian, I don't know exactly what's going on with you two but I know you'll get through it." He turned his head from the door where Jordan had just walked out to look at me again.

"This is supposed to be your damn therapy session, not mine." With that he stood up to leave the kitchen too, but I quickly put my hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Hang on." He rose an eyebrow at me in question while I got another glass out the cupboard and poured us both a drink. When he saw what I was doing he just let out a soft laugh before picking up one of the glasses and putting it to his lips.

Once we'd downed the drinks, Adrian put the glasses by the sink while I put the bottle away before we left the kitchen together.

"You know, I can't remember the last time we went for a drink together Adrian." I followed Adrian out of the kitchen and towards the living room, stopping in front of the door when he did.

"Maybe I'll come with you again if you stop being such a-"

"Papa!" Before he could get out, what I'm assuming was his choice of a very colourful word, his two year old daughter came running out of the living room, crashing into his legs causing me to laugh.

"Hey baby." Adrian picked his daughter up and once she was in his arms she turned her head in my direction. "You!"

Both Adrian and I laughed at the way she acknowledged me. The cutest thing about Caterina was the way she could never remember my name. Even though I see her a lot, for some unknown reason she would just never remember.

"Hello Caterina." When I said the word 'hello' she instinctively waved her hand at me causing me to smile. She really was the cutest little girl.

Eventually we finally made it into the living room which was, as usual as when the kids were here, covered with toys. When we walked in both Leo and Mario stood to their feet and ran over to us from where they were sitting with Jordan, but it was the expression on Carlotta's face which caught my attention.

Her eyes were slightly narrowed in my direction as she studied me before she eventually turned away. Of course I didn't get a chance to ask her what it was about because I was suddenly attacked by my two very affectionate and very annoying nephews who I love very much.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<

~ Gabriella's POV ~

"What the hell Em?" I let out a tired sigh as I moved aside allowing my sister Emilia to come in, she was carrying her 1 year old daughter and pushing the stroller inside with her 9 year old son in tow.

"Okay what happened? Because you already promised you would take them today and you look like you just got hit by a bus."

I really did feel that way after what happened earlier with Matteo. In this very spot.

"Gee, thanks sis." I rubbed my sore eyes before straightening my hoodie a little to look more presentable but honestly it didn't help. She was right. I was a mess.

"What's up Gab? Why have you been crying?" I shook my head and took Lilly from her arms, kissing my niece on her forehead as I did. "Nothing, just boy trouble."

"Don't you need a boy to have boy trouble?" I glanced over at my nephew Justin who stuck his tongue out at me before looking back down at the games console in his hand. "When you end up lonely in twenty years don't come and complain to me."

All he did was stick his tongue out at me again in response. For anyone who is concerned, I do love him very much, this is just our relationship. He's super annoying and I have a super short temper. Also if you're wondering why they have English names and not Italian it's because my sisters husband is American.

"Do I need to kick someone's ass for you? Because I'll gladly do it." I couldn't help but laugh at her words but I shook my head to decline her offer. "Let's face it Em, you couldn't hurt anyone if you tried."

She just frowned at my response while Justin laughed from his place where he was now sitting on the stool next to the kitchen counter. "Don't worry I can still look after them tonight."

"Are you sure?" It may sound like she was being caring but she asked me this as she slowly made her way over to the door, dropping Lilly's baby bag on the floor as she did.

"Yeah..." I watched her edge towards my apartment door before she smiled. "Well I really appreciate it, thanks Gabriella. Now, Lilly is just waking up from her nap so she's a bit tired and Justin, you make sure you behave, okay?"

With that she was gone and I was now stuck with two children who ruined my evening plans of crying into my pillow and eating ice cream.

"So..." I turned to face Justin who was still busy playing away on his device. At the sound of my voice he lifted his head before he started walking over to my couch.
"So I'll be over here."

"You're really leaving me alone?"
He glanced over at me before waving a hand in my direction. "You have Lilly to keep you company."

"She's 1 and she's also half asleep..." He wasn't even listening any more.

We ended up sitting around for a while in my apartment watching random cartoons on tv and having a snack. Once Justin got bored of the games he was playing he started bugging me even more so eventually I decided it was in all our best interests to get out of the house especially before I started crying again.

So after I put Lilly in the stroller and a stern word to make sure Justin wouldn't be running off anywhere, we walked to a park in the centre of Milan.

We must have been walking for almost half an hour by the time we reached it and it was a lot busier than I thought it would be.
"Gabby I'm going to go and play on the swings."

"Be careful!" Although he'd already ran off by the time I managed to shout those words, he still gave me a thumbs up. Since he'd now left me alone again, I decided to go and find a seat near the playground where I could watch Justin.

While I walked to the benches I was busy cooing at Lilly who was starting to become fussy in her stroller when I accidentally bumped into someone. I quickly came to a stop and turned around to see a brunette standing next to me with a young boy holding onto her hand and an older boy standing next to her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." All she did was smile and shake her head dismissing my apology, instead her eyes were focussed on Lilly in the stroller.

"I remember when mine were that young, time really does fly."

"Oh wow, you're English?" This time she turned to look at me giving me a small nod. "Sorry, I was just expecting an Italian accent, you really look Italian."

She chuckled at this and nodded her head again in understanding before she reached out to stroke Lilly's cheek. "I get that a lot, but I'm not. I met my husband in London before I moved here - he's from Milan. Is this little one yours?"

"Oh, no she's my sisters. I'm just baby sitting...but I don't seem to be doing a very good job." Once again she gave me a smile showing off her perfect teeth.

"Maybe just find somewhere to sit and hold her in your arms for a while. Sometimes they can get a little fussy in strollers if they're in there for too long."

Before I could thank her for her advice the older boy started tugging on her free hand. "Mama let's go."

All she did was let out a carefree laugh before nodding at her little boy. "Leo, don't worry the park will still be there in two minutes."

I couldn't help but smile at the way she was so calm and easy going, especially with two young boys. I only have to look after one and it's hard enough for me.

"Well, I better go before they really lose it. It was nice talking to you." With that she started walking again, saying something to the boys before they all started laughing.

There was something about her - a feeling I got when I watched her with her children. It was like you knew just by looking at her that she was happy and content. Maybe she'd been through something before, I mean everyone has their own story. But whatever it possibly could have been, she didn't show any signs of it now.

She was just happy...and it was so heart warming to see.