Mafia Princess: Secrets

Chapter 2 JACE

JACE POV

Two years ago I would never have pictured this life. If it wasn't for Eros I would still be a busboy at Tony's. My mom is still mad at me, what did she expect. I am my fathers son. She tried though but that night having to work on my birthday then going home to her drunk was the last straw. I called Eros and he came early the next morning. She stayed, she keeps her distance but I check up on her at least once a week and each week we the conversation was less and less now she doesn't say anything.

On my sixteenth birthday two years ago I was working at Tony's restaurant, I remember seeing Emma walking toward me, I thought I was dreaming. Her bangs were covering her eyes so I did not recognize her at first. She stopped shook her hair from her eyes and as soon as I saw those baby blues I froze. Maybe she was unsure it was me but then as if something clicked in her, she slowly stepped toward me, slowly raising her hands and me bending until she touched my face. Her tiny hands cradling my face as I leaned into it, my eye I held her gaze afraid if I closed it she would disappear. What was merely a minute seemed like forever until she said my name "Jace" I barely heard her but recognized my name when her lips moved.

I was a little scrawny then .. hmm... listen to me it was only 2 years ago but still back then my diet consists of Ramen noodles and leftovers from Tony's. Now I don't worry about anything, there is an in house chef and if I don't want to eat home I can order or go to any restaurant not worrying about the bill. Eros takes good care of me and mom every though she refuses to acknowledge it. I have been living with them since the morning after my sixteenth.

My room was the same when I got here. I could believe he didn't get rid of anything, redecorate or turn it into a guest room or something. We're on the 3rd floor with only 5 rooms. Eros's, Emma's, the room my parents stayed in when my dad was alive, a guest room which never have or had any guest and mine. My room is huge, lets face it is is bigger than most of the apartments we staying in over the years, hell the closet was bigger than some. I have my own en-suite, a walk-in (which I can't seem to fill) and because Emma's room is next to mine we share a balcony. It was a little hard to adjust at first. Emma barely spoke apart from a few pleasantries but she's warmed up a bit since then.

The first month it took me awhile to fall asleep, not sure why maybe I was worried about my mom, I don't know or maybe I missed my dad, all the memories of us here when he was alive. Sometimes I would notice Emma on the balcony checking on me in the middle of the night. So one I went to her, trough the balcony door, before she could come check on me. At first I didn't know what to say to her, but it was clear to me, I had to tell her I was here to stay and I was never leaving again.

"I missed home ... I missed my family ... I missed my best friend ... you Em's."

Hearing that her eyes widened, she hopped of the bed and wrapped her tiny arm around my waist, and I returned her hug by wrapping my arm around her shoulder. Day by day she started opening up not that she says much. She's always reading or on her laptop. Back then if you told me she would turn out a bookworm i would of laughed in your face because she was such a fireball. 

"Anything you can do, I can do it JJ" is what she use to say to me. She always though we were the same age growing up, seeing as we're born on the same day and always celebrated together. She loved to go skateboard in the park with me and when we  on vacation at the lake she would want to go on the jet skis by herself, thank god Eros was always there to stop that from happening, she was only five or six and he was the only one who said 'NO' without a temper tantrum. Now she says next to me Google is her best friend. She like my little sister I never had, I maybe a little over protective of her but she doesn't seem to mind.

I grab my phone. 2 Messages: opening it up I see it's from Summer.

"Am I seeing you today"

"I wanna go to the mall pick me up at noon we'll grab lunch while we're at it"

Before coming back I wouldn't have had time to enjoy summer like I did... both of them if you follow. My lips curve up to form a smile and I rub my hands together thinking about her. First thing I noticed in Summer was her C cups then her full lips and brown eyes, she has brown hair with blonde highlights that land just under her shoulder blade. She's nice but I don't see it lasting, there is nothing other than a physical attraction. The end of summer will be the end of Summer. That's what happen with a summer fling. Plus I'm to young for that forever s**t. And if I'm honest Summer only like me because she thinks I'm loaded. One looks at the R8 and she was hooked.

Sometime I take Eros cars to the car wash for him and after go for a drive by the Mall or anywhere I think I can pick up girls. I meet Summer on a take out run to Trini Pot, the Caribbean place on Woodhaven, I jumped out of the car and there she was. Hmph ...she was predictable, one look from me to the car, and she flashed that pearly white smile and I know I was in. But hey I'm not complaining, I'm single, Heather said she thought we should take a break over the summer. I took Summer over the break. (Laughing with myself)

Anyway I'm not sure what things with Heather and I will be like when school in, so it's best I end things with Summer before, school starts next Monday and I don't need Heather blowing me off if she finds Summer hanging around. Heather and I have be on again off again for the past year. She like me for me, at least that's the vibe I get and I often question myself. Why?

I mean I'm not to shabby I'm about 6' 2" and still growing semi-built, green eyes, my brown hair is in a quiff. Ohhh... maybe it's the hair .... hmmmm... or my tattoos. I have two full sleeves and at the beginning or summer I got a lotus on my neck it represent my rise from the hardships and struggles. 

 Summer can not get enough of my tats especially the one on my neck and when I told her I wanna fill out my back she loved the idea. Heather often says my tattoo make me look like a bad boy but she knows better, that I'm a softy. If she only knew, something's are better left unsaid. I wonder if that's what Eros means by when he says "A still tongue keeps a wise head". If Heather and I make up before my birthday maybe I'll invite her to the party and introduce her to Eros. I don't know maybe.

Anyway there's not much to do around the house. Just have a few errands and a meeting for Eros tonight and maybe I can squeeze in Summer today too and get it over with. Its now about eight, better get an early start.

I slip on a black tee shirt, already wearing my khaki colored jeans, and I grab a black hoodie. Deciding to head to the kitchen so see what's for breakfast.