Not His (Sequel to Not Mine)

4

Chapter 4

"And the three musketeers reunite!" Tate hollered as he entered the Mills's household with Galen, Angelo and his sister.

The girls, Venezia, Bella, and Chandler sat in the living room looking through binders of wedding designs and colour combinations when the four entered. Tate and Rose are Galen and Ven's cousins. Rose was two years older, 28 and Tate was the same age as Ven and Galen, 26. 

Venezia, Bella and Rose were as tight as a drum; they grew up together and confide in each other for everything making the rest of the family dub them as the three musketeers.

"Rose!" Venezia exclaimed, the two girls running over to hug each other. "You're here!"

"I'm always here," Rose chuckled, squeezing her cousin tightly. "You're the one who disappoints me when I expect to see you here every Christmas."

The two pulled apart, Venezia chuckling sheepishly.

"That makes two of us." Bella laughed, walking up and hugging Rose herself.

"Hey come on now, I agree with my sister but share some love Venny." Tate laughed as he indulged Venezia into a tight, tight hug.

"God, I missed you." Venezia exhaled.

"I missed you too, Venny, I missed you." Tate smiled lightly, holding on for one more moment before the two pulled apart.

Rose and Bella may have been Venezia's sidekicks but out of everyone in her family, including Galen, Tate and Venezia were the closest since day one.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with all of them bonding and making random conversation.

Later that night Venezia was sitting outside on the veranda with a cup of tea in her hands when Angelo came outside.

"Oh hey." He muttered, closing the house door behind her. "I was just heading home."

Venezia nodded as Angelo slowly started leaving. Just as he got off the veranda he stopped, sighed and then turned around to look at Venezia.

"Are you okay?"

Venezia let out a weak and distant chuckle. "I'm fine."

Angelo hesitated for a slight second before he went over and sat down beside Venezia. "Now we both know that's not true."

"I'm okay, Lo." Venezia tilted her head and looked at him in a sideways manner, smiling lightly.

"No, you're not, Zia." Angelo retorted, a smile resting on his face. "What's going on? Aren't you glad to be home?"

Venezia sighed, "Being back home has been weird, to be honest."

"Why?" Angelo inquired. He tilted his head and looked at Venezia intently. "You use to love home. You never use to leave this city."

"Use to." Venezia forced a small laugh.

"So, what changed?" Angelo was confused, he had no idea she felt this way nor did he understand why.

Venezia shrugged lightly, staring up at the starry and dark sky. "I just... I missed a lot, things have changed, my brother is getting married, I haven't spent Christmas with my family in five years. I don't know. Being back home just feels so... amiss." Venezia spoke slowly thinking about each word as she said it.

"Missing out on a few things doesn't mean it can't be home." Angelo defended, not thinking Venezia was being reasonable.

Venezia laughed lightly. She could see what he was trying to say but she felt differently. As much as she wished she could believe what Angelo was saying, she just doesn't. "It's everything. I don't think I belong here anymore."

"Don't say that..." Angelo said slowly, looking at her with the slightest tinge of disappointment and sadness in his eyes by hearing that Venezia feels that way. "It's home, you can't say that."

"Angelo," She finally looked at him now, giving him an oblate look. "This place hasn't been home since I decided to leave five years ago."

"That doesn't change the fact that you were born and raised here." He argued. It felt as if he didn't want her to stop believing that this was home. "It doesn't get rid of the stories and memories-" he paused for a second, "-and feelings."

"But those things don't matter anymore." Venezia spoke softly, looking at him when she said that but then looking back to the sky as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Why not?" His eyes never left her but she didn't have it in herself to look at him.

Venezia licked her lips that were starting to feel chapped, "Because I left."

"Then come back." Angelo said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

That comment caused Venezia to look at him again. She gave him a look of disbelief. "How? My life isn't here anymore, its there, in Costa Rica."

"Nobody is stopping you from coming back, Zi." Angelo said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. When she looked at him, he slowly let his hand drop back to his lap.

She looked down at her half empty cup. "Vincent has lived there his whole entire life, he can't just leave-"

"You lived here in Philadelphia your whole life but you left." Angelo cut her off, arguing. He didn't know where that defensiveness came out from but in the back of his mind his subconscious was telling him it was Vincent. He just didn't want to admit that he was in a way threatened by Vincent.

Venezia sighed in defeat before taking a sip of her tea. She knew Angelo was right. "It's different now, I'm married, I can't just do what's in best interest for me."

"Right." Angelo muttered, finally looking away from her and at the sky. "So, does that mean you think he won't move here? Even if you wanted to?"

Venezia sighed once again and turned her head to look at Angelo. She gave him a "knock-it-off" mixed with a dismayed look. "Angelo... I - I don't know, okay? Moving here was never really a thing that we ever talked about."

"That doesn't mean it can't happen." Angelo retorted seriously.

Venezia looked away, "Angelo don't." She said weakly, her voice barley above a whisper.

"Venezia," He exhaled lightly.

"No, I can't."

"What? What can't you?" Angelo inquired, his voice a bit pushy because he didn't get it. He stared at her but she looked the whole other way, not being able to gain the courage to look at him.

"Stop," her voice was barley audible.

"Ven, stop what?" He asked again, slower.

She turned her head and looked at him, a small, weak and sad smile resting on her lips. "Don't give me a reason to stay, Angelo."

She then stood up and gave him one last look before heading back into her house.