Riccardo pulls up in front of my crumbling apartment complex and I let out the heavy breath I've been keeping in for so long.

The car ride has been quiet and very awkward, and with Vincenzo rubbing my thigh for the entire ride, it didn't make the situation any better.

There's a few people walking about the street, way less than usual. There's mostly a lot of foot traffic on this side of my neighbourhood because most of the gangs' prostitutes live in the buildings around mine.

I think there are girls in my building who work for the kingpins, but I could also be mistaking girls who dress a bit too showy for prostitutes.

Not much gang violence goes on in this neighborhood, mostly screaming from the various rooms of the apartment buildings, and I don't mean screams of fear.

"Why do you live here? Your father is rich so you could be living in a penthouse right now," Lorenzo laughs while turning in his seat.

"I just wanted to experience something other than the 'silver spoon' life," I explain with a slight shrug of my shoulders.

With a father like mine, I've been spoon fed ever since I became a Manson. Everything I've ever wanted and things I didn't even want were handed to me on a silver platter.

I'm my father's little cinnamon bun so I'm the spoilt brat and because I'm the spoilt one, Jessica, my adopted sister, hates me with every fibre of her being.

She has made it very clear that I'm the adopted one and that I will never be loved the way a real child should be loved.

Jokes on her, our father loves me more than he does her.

"I don't like you living here," Vincenzo words his thoughts, but I could care less of what he thinks. "It's not safe," he continues his rant that I give zero damns about.

"I think I need to get you a safer place," Vincenzo says while looking around.

His nose scrunches up with disgust and I scoff.

Privileged scum.

"You will do no such thing," I grit while folding my arms.

Now he's trying to make me move because he doesn't like where I live? This man has been doing everything wrong ever since I got into this car.

"It's not safe here," he groans while turning his head to look at me.

"Well, live with it Vincenzo," I spit while sliding across the seat and closer to the car door. I pull the handle and push the door back as I jump out.

Vincenzo calls my name out from inside the car a few times, but I ignore him as I keep walking to the entrance to my apartment complex.

I'm not moving because he wants me to. I've lived here long enough to know that I'm safe enough. No one has tried to hurt me so moving somewhere else would be pointless.

"Nyx," Riccardo calls out this time and I sigh to myself. I stop walking but do not turn around.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and my head snaps up in the direction of the owner of the hand. His empty hazel eyes stare down into my eyes and for the first time, I can see some emotion in them.

"You know my brother is trying, right?" The worried and saddened look in Lorenzo's eyes is masked with fake happiness. "He likes you and he's trying."

"He just met me and–"

"And he couldn't stop talking about you last night," he interrupts me with a slight smirk on his lips.

The thought of Vincenzo talking about me last night makes me feel all weird in my stomach, a good weird.

"Give him a chance, he isn't that bad. I'm his brother so I know him."

He's asking me to give the same man who can kill me for talking back without batting an eye, a chance?

"And the guy has been too busy to get some," Lorenzo laughs as he shakes his head. "He just needs some affection and attention, even if he won't admit it."

"It sounds like he wants a fuck buddy," I groan while folding my arms.

I knew he was just trying to get me into his bed.

"That's not what I meant," he quickly says as he notices the look on my face. "I might be reaching here, but I honestly think you are the girl for him."

Lorenzo sounds like he wants nothing but the best for his older brother, but who is to say that I am the best for him?

I'm just some random girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Giving him a chance might either be a good thing or it can ruin my life. I don't think I can give him the love he needs nor can he love me the way I want to be loved.

"All I'm asking for is a chance. Maybe you'll end up liking him," he says while looking up at me.

Lorenzo wouldn't be trying so hard to convince me if Vincenzo was looking for just a fuck buddy.

"One chance," I mutter as I lift my eyes from my shoes.

Lorenzo smiles at me and thanks me for doing this. I roll my eyes as I turn around.

"Vincenzo!" I shout and fold my arms as I wait for him to climb out of the car.

The car door opens and he climbs out of the car. A blank look paints his face and I'm already regretting this.

He quickly walks up to his brother and I, and stares down at me with those empty hazel eyes of his.

"Can you walk me up?" I ask him with a slight smile.

His lip tilts up for a second before going back to a neutral state and he nods in response. Lorenzo walks back to the car with a victorious grin on his face as he leaves me with his brick wall of an older brother.

I walk into the building and he quietly follows behind me. We climb up five flights of stairs in utter silence.

We quietly walk down the narrow hallway. "This is my stop," I say while pointing to the grey door of my apartment. I pull my key out of my back pocket and stick it into the lock.

The lock makes a clicking sound as I turn the key to unlock the door. I turn the doorknob and push the door back as I step inside.

Vincenzo awkwardly stands outside the door, his eyes anywhere but on mine. "Do you wanna come in?" I ask quietly, hoping he says no, as I pull the door back to give him space to walk in if he chooses to come in.

He slowly shakes his head, his black curls gently waving to one side, as his eyes meet mine. "No, I have to get back to work," he says with a slight grimace and I slowly nod.

"Well... I'll see you later then," I whisperas I slowly close the door.

He nods and stands there, saying absolutely nothing and I take that as permission to close the door on him.

I step back to close the door fully, but something forces it to stay open. I look down to see a black shoe sticking between the doorframe and the door.

Scared that I'm hurtimg him, I quickly pull the door back and Vincenzo moves his foot away from the door, not a single trace of pain on his face.

"I'll come see you tomorrow, if I'm not busy with work," he says with an almost invisible smile, but I'm close enough to notice the small tilt of his thick, pink lips.

He leans to the side of my face and places a quick kiss on my right cheek, the feeling of his lips almost nonexistent against my cheek because he did it so quickly.

My eyes widen at his sudden move, but I quickly recover and put on a blank expression.

He straigtens up and puts his one hand in the pocket of his dress pants.

"I'll be leaving now," he announces and I nod.

Vincenzo quickly turns and walks down the hallway. I gently close the door and stare at the floor for a few seconds before shaking my head and kicking my shoes off.

————

A chance he shall be given...

Will he screw it up?

————

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