Page 143 of Vicious Behaviors

“Enzo doesn’t spend much time at home either. Ever since Alejandro quit the priesthood, andMammàbought them a house far away from prying eyes so they can live their lives in peace, I rarely see him anymore.” She sighs, then turns those eyes on me. “And then there’s you and Izzie. I’m happy for you, Mar. Truly. You deserve happiness. But I hardly see you anymore except for Sunday lunch.”

She’s right. So much has happened in the last couple of months that I had to step back and concentrate on my mental health, leaving one of our father’s bodyguards to drive Annamaria home from school. I didn’t realize how much my absence weighed on her until now, or how all our absences affected her.

“And now Stella’s being inducted, which means she’ll leave me too.”

“Stella will never leave you.”

Anna shakes her head, drying her eyes. “Of course she will. That’s just life. And I’m okay with that, because it gives me so much joy to see you all so happy. Everyone’s found their purpose. More so, you all found someone to love. I’m just sad that I’m not part of it. I feel selfish even saying it.” Her voice cracks. “I’m ashamed to even feel this way, but it’s true.”

Another tear slips down her cheek, and my heart splinters for my melancholic little sister.

“What can I do? Tell me what I can do to make this better.”

“Nothing, Mar.” She straightens, brushing her cheeks dry. “It isn’t your fault I feel left out. It’s just the way it is. The way it’s always been.”

“Anna—” I start, but she cuts me off.

“No. Today is Stella’s big day, not mine. I won’t ruin it with childish feelings. I’m here to support her, like I’ve always supported everyone else.”

She forces a smile, walks away, and slips back to Stella’s side. Her smile looks real enough, but the puffiness of her eyes betrays her.

“Is she okay?” Izzie asks, suddenly appearing beside me.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Anna’s always kept to herself. Sometimes it’s hard to know what she’s really thinking.”

“It’s not that hard,” Izzie says softly, shaking her head. “She’s lonely, Marcello. I see it every Saturday in class. No one talks to her—like they’re afraid to even get close. And now with Frankie and the twins graduating from Sacred Heart next month, she feels even more alone than before. That’s a hard place to be for a girl her age. How can she discover who she is if she never has any real experiences? Any friends to engage with?”

“She has us,” I insist.

“Does she?” Izzie frowns. “The people she loves are all living rich and full lives, while she remains standing still. She must feellike a porcelain doll locked away in a golden cage, watching the world move on without her.”

“That’s not how we see her. Anna is the heart of this family.”

“But what good is a heart,” Izzie asks, “if she can’t use it to love someone outside her family?”

“You think this is about not having a boyfriend? Anna’s never been the shallow type.”

“She’s sixteen, Marcello,” Izzie reminds gently. “She’s never even been kissed. That’s not shallow. That’s just being human. She’s got a big heart and an empty space inside it. She just wants someone to help her fill it. Even if it’s just a friend.”

“But I’m her friend.”

“No. You’re her brother. That’s different.”

I chew on Izzie’s words as I glance back at Anna. She beams at everyone, congratulating Stella, as if there were nothing wrong at all. But beneath that smile, I see it now—how selfless she’s always been, and how lonely it must feel to watch the world pass her by.

“Let me talk to her,” Izzie says, her voice steady. “Maybe I can organize a girls’ night out. A little fun will go a long way to pull her out of her melancholy.”

“Thank you,” I breathe, pulling Izzie close.

My gaze remains on the front of the room, where people continue to line up to toast Stella’s induction and graduation, until a dark figure strolls in as if he owned the place. Fury explodes through me as his eyes lock onto my sister.

Kirill-fucking-Petrov.

“Well, this party just turned awkward,” Izzie mutters beside me as we watch Kirill greet my parents. Even from across the room, I can see the venom in my father’s eyes as he grips his hand.

“Is that bastard really hard launching his relationship with Stella, today of all days?” I growl, squeezing Izzie’s hand. “Doeshe have a death wish or something? My father looks like he’s about to kill him where he stands.”

“First of all, kudos for finally knowing whathard launchingeven means, babe,” Izzie teases. “Second, I’m more worried about the psycho twins’ reaction than I am of your father’s.”