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“Girls, females. If you want to date, find a girl. Way better than any scumbag.” He smirks.

“Aw, well,ifandwhenI find someone worth dating, I will make sure you never find out.” Pushing up on my tiptoes, I kiss my brother’s cheek. “See you later. Don’t wait up,” I tell him. “Oh, and try to get a life sometime between now and tomorrow. It’s sad how much you’re all up in ours.” I shove him out of the doorway.

“Aurora, if you ever start dating, do me a favor and don’t fall in love,” Enzo says.

“Why?”

“Because I’d hate to be the reason your heart gets broken when I tear the head off the fucker dumb enough to touch you.” He smiles as if he’s picturing doing just that.

“Yeah, guess I’ll have fun cutting the heart out of whatever poor woman ends up falling for your… lack of charm.”

“What the hell are you arguing about now?” My father’s voice booms down the hallway as he approaches us.

“Nothing, Papa. Enzo was just telling Mabilia and me how much he wants us to be lesbians.” I smirk.

“What the fuck? Nuns, you both can become nuns,” my dad says.

“Yeah, too late for that,” Mabilia mutters, shaking her head.

“For you, maybe. Not for my princess. Right, Aurora?” Papa looks right at me.

I swallow. “Of course, Papa. We gotta run. Tommy is cooking us dinner.” Taking hold of Mabilia’s hand, I drag her out the front door before closing it behind us. Then I turn my glare on her. “What the hell was that?”

“What was what?”

“You basically just told my father I wasn’t a virgin.”

“You’re not,” she says like she doesn’t see the problem. “Besides, you’re the one who told him your hymen wasn’t intact, remember?”

“That was different. It was coming from me, and he doesn’t take what I say seriously half the time. When it comes from someone else, it’s more believable.”

She shrugs. “I still don’t see the big deal.”

“Oh, okay, let me call Zio Mikhail and let him know what you’re up to tonight, then.” I dig my phone out of my clutch.

“Okay, stop. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Besides, your father is blind when it comes to you. No way is he going to think you’re not his innocent little princess.” She laughs.

“It’s not that I care if he knows I had sex. It’s the questions that will come with it. Like thewhotype of questions.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t date the enemy then,” she tells me.

Have I mentioned how much I hate parties?I’ve messaged Connor five times to find out where he is, and he hasn’t responded yet. So here I am, making my way through the crowds, looking for him.

I don’t even see his cousin, and Kenny is usually one of the loudest people at these parties. I can’t exactly ask anyone if they’ve seen either of them because I’m not supposed to be looking for them. It’d help if Connor would answer my damn texts.

“Hey, you look like you could use a drink,” Krystal says, handing me a red Solo cup.

“Hey.” I take the cup but don’t drink from it, because I’m not a fucking idiot. “I didn’t know you would be here?”

My and Krystal’s friendship has been strained ever since I poisoned her at lunch a few months back. She deserved it, though. I don’t remember what she said to Dante, but she wasn’t nice. And nobody is an ass to my family.

“Yeah, well, here I am.” She smiles. “Why are you here? You hate these things.”

“Change of scenery.” I shrug. “Thanks for the drink. I need to go find my cousin,” I lie before walking off.

I don’t see Connor anywhere, so I head upstairs. I might as well secure a room, because as soon as he does make an appearance, we’re going to need one. When I find an empty bedroom, I walk over and close the door behind me. Sitting on the bed as I mindlessly sip at the liquid in the cup I’m holding. Beer. Gross. Even though I know I shouldn’t, I scull the contents and pull out my phone.

Me: