11. Daniela

ELEVEN

Daniela

S ?o Paulo is beautiful and tio Daniel is amazing. Spending time with my family has always been something I've treasured, but it's still not home. Each day I spend here is filled with longing, I want to see Tali and Val and go back to my life

Tio comes out on the terrace and takes the seat beside me. Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he kisses my head and takes a deep breath getting ready to burst more bubbles of my life.

"I've spoken with the lawyers. Unfortunately, we can't get your inheritance back from Carly, unless you press charges."The last part holds hope I'll change my mind.

I don't care about the money. I care that her lies took me away from the only family I had and now they won't be able to look at me. Seeing their plans to steal from Vlad were sickening, all over $50,000. It's not even a large enough number considering the amount of debt we had. He doesn't try to argue for me to say different as I refuse, yet again.

"She can keep it, it's not important. "

It's been the same conversation ever since I found out – he thinks I'm being too nice — but money and greed have already taken everything away, I'm not going to fall into the same toxic cycle.

Speaking softly as my cousin Isabella comes out, he tries to make me feel better as he gently suggests, "Maybe you could visit your friends, Isabella has always wanted to go to New York."

She's a year older than me and more of a sister than Carly ever was. If I go back home I'll only have to leave it. They used me, made it look like I was in on their scheme and Vlad won't let me anywhere near Tali and Val. He's scary enough when he was trying to be welcoming.I have no idea how he'll act now that he thinks that I was going through his house when I was staying there. I hate her more for that than taking my money. They were all I had, and my throat constricts.

Isabella doesn't come to sit with us seeing the one sided conversation currently going on. Tio kisses my head again and hugs me closer.

"You know you were born on this property? Lucas came for one of his rare visits and I've never seen my older brother as happy as he was that day."

It's nice that he finds comfort in lies and I don't have the heart to break his illusion.I wish he was my dad, that I grew up here with tia Elsa as my mom. Both of them are kind, warm, supportive, and constructive. The best parents and the scenery is better than the city. When I don't add anything to the conversation he gets up and goes back inside. Isabella doesn't move and starts her laps in the pool, she's like a fish always doing lengths until she decides she's sick of my moping.

Taking out my new phone, I create an anonymous email address. Val will be angry with me, he always sides with Vlad after he's got his argument off his chest. But Tali won't, he'll listen to what I have to say and maybe he'll convince them that I didn't have anything to do with what Carly did.

Hey Tali,

I'm sorry for what Carly and Leno did. I didn't know, she told me some messed up story. That doesn't matter. I'm sorry anyway. I miss you, and Val. Even Vlad and Dima.I know it's crazy, but I got used to seeing Dima's grumpy face and hearing him grumble back at me when I said good morning.Have you watched any new movies? Did you do anything for Val's birthday? I bet he was insufferable about finally being 18 and kept calling you a kid.

Are you angry at me?I get it if you are, I would be if you had done something to my family. I was when Carly made me think Vlad beat the shit out of her. I found out it wasn't him and Leno owed money to someone. We don't know who yet, or I don't, but it seems like I'm the only person in my family who isn't in debt. It's kind of funny when I think about it. Or I'm laughing because I'm scared that if I cry I won't stop.

I miss you more than my parents or sister. That's really fucked up, not you, I mean me. I should miss them more, right? But all I keep thinking about is that it's your birthday soon and it's going to be the first one I miss since we were 7. I've already missed Valentin's. I hope you get everything you want.

I know we won't ever find out where Vlad disappears to, and if Val will ever grow up. I hope he doesn't. I hope you don't either and maybe one day we'll still be the same and it will be like nothing has changed.

I love you, all of you Vartanovs.

Dani.

I close it before I send it and sound like an even bigger fucking loser with nothing to say. I have to sit on my hands to avoid the temptation. It's unfair that I'm left without my comfort when I didn't do anything wrong. I'd do anything to have them back and I last two seconds before I grab my phone again and try to stalk them. Nothing comes up when I search their names online other than the usual social media sites. I haven't logged into mine since the videos were posted of Zoe and Chelsea kicking the shit out of me. Somehow that was when life was good, I still had them with me.

I create a pseudonym account, unable to stop myself from following Val, but his profile is private. I never realized it before and keep refreshing hoping he accepts it. Going onto Tali's profile, his is obviously open. He's a cocky shit and there's only one new photo. Him and Val with their arms hooked around each other. My smile is genuine seeing Val's and my laugh comes out at Tali's tongue poking out exaggeratedly. I can imagine them as it was taken.

Valentin would be pushing him away, saying he's got crumbs on his hands, and Tali would stick his tongue out pretending to breathe on him. The caption gets my attention and I scroll through to work out what it could mean.

Who's the daddy?

His comments are off which is weird as fuck because he's an attention whore. Taking my stalking a step further, I check his tagged images. They're inseparable so wherever Tali goes Val will be, at least in the background and I find him easily. He looks tired and he's always checking his phone unless he's aware of being in the shot. I'm a fool and get happy seeing no girls around him. My foolishness doesn't end there. It fully invades my thoughts.

Is he waiting for a message from me? Or is there someone else?