Preface
When I was younger, there was a saying my father always used to tell my brothers and me. “Non si puo avere la botte piena éla moglie ubriaca.” Which is Italian for, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
And he was right.
I always knew it would come down to this.
That when it got too hard, that I would have to make the choice once and for all.
Between my loyalty to my blood…
"Where were you?" Joe screamed at me, his expression flushed with burning anger that had been hinted about for the past few weeks. He got in my face, his neck straining against itself, the flesh turning red and stretching against his bones of his neck as he glared at me. "Where were you, Alexie? Our brother nearly died and you were no place to be found!"
…and the enemy I've fallen in love with.
"I'm sick of this!" Taylor cried. "I'm sick of this feud. I'm sick of hiding and worrying if the two of us are going to caught together!"
"Well, what do you expect me to do about it?" I demanded, throwing my arms in the air. "We're on opposite sides of this and we can't unveil the truth once and for all."
And it wouldn't be for myself.
Protectively, Kevin moved in front of me, facing Joe. "Stop it." He hissed. "This isn't the time or the place."
Joe glared at him. "You don't care that Nick almost died and his own twin sister didn't show up to the hospital until six hours later? That the one person who could've helped him wasn't here?"
No.
Taylor took my hand in his. "Alexie," he began seriously staring down into my eyes. "I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry but I can't. I want you to go away with me."
My mouth dropped open. "Go where? Why?"
He waved offhandedly. "Wherever, so long as we can be together."
It would be for the ones I love.
"She should've been here at his side using their bond so we would know whether he was going to be okay or not!" Joe snapped. "She is the only person who can. Yet not only she wasn't here, she didn't even notice that something was wrong!"
My eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry," I answered knowing full and well he was right. That Nick could've died and I wasn't here because I was with him.
××××××
"And what about-" I began.
Interrupting me, Taylor shook his head, pressing his finger to my lips. "Forget it. Forget it all. Forget the feud. Forget family. Come away with me where we'll never—never have to worry about hiding our love again. Come with me, Alexie."
Remembering the moments that had brought me to this inevitable choice, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. I was trying not to cry, trying to forget everything I was about to give up. I swallowed hard, and shakily opened my mouth and whispered, "I know what I have to do."
Not for myself.
No.
For the ones I love…
I have to choose once and for all.
When I was younger, there was a saying my father always used to tell my brothers and me. “Non si puo avere la botte piena éla moglie ubriaca.” Which is Italian for, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
And he was right.
I always knew it would come down to this.
That when it got too hard, that I would have to make the choice once and for all.
Between my loyalty to my blood…
"Where were you?" Joe screamed at me, his expression flushed with burning anger that had been hinted about for the past few weeks. He got in my face, his neck straining against itself, the flesh turning red and stretching against his bones of his neck as he glared at me. "Where were you, Alexie? Our brother nearly died and you were no place to be found!"
…and the enemy I've fallen in love with.
"I'm sick of this!" Taylor cried. "I'm sick of this feud. I'm sick of hiding and worrying if the two of us are going to caught together!"
"Well, what do you expect me to do about it?" I demanded, throwing my arms in the air. "We're on opposite sides of this and we can't unveil the truth once and for all."
And it wouldn't be for myself.
Protectively, Kevin moved in front of me, facing Joe. "Stop it." He hissed. "This isn't the time or the place."
Joe glared at him. "You don't care that Nick almost died and his own twin sister didn't show up to the hospital until six hours later? That the one person who could've helped him wasn't here?"
No.
Taylor took my hand in his. "Alexie," he began seriously staring down into my eyes. "I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry but I can't. I want you to go away with me."
My mouth dropped open. "Go where? Why?"
He waved offhandedly. "Wherever, so long as we can be together."
It would be for the ones I love.
"She should've been here at his side using their bond so we would know whether he was going to be okay or not!" Joe snapped. "She is the only person who can. Yet not only she wasn't here, she didn't even notice that something was wrong!"
My eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry," I answered knowing full and well he was right. That Nick could've died and I wasn't here because I was with him.
××××××
"And what about-" I began.
Interrupting me, Taylor shook his head, pressing his finger to my lips. "Forget it. Forget it all. Forget the feud. Forget family. Come away with me where we'll never—never have to worry about hiding our love again. Come with me, Alexie."
Remembering the moments that had brought me to this inevitable choice, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. I was trying not to cry, trying to forget everything I was about to give up. I swallowed hard, and shakily opened my mouth and whispered, "I know what I have to do."
Not for myself.
No.
For the ones I love…
I have to choose once and for all.
