Page 5 of Arianna

She means cake pops.

The first time Mila had a confetti cupcake, I had a chocolate fudge cake pop. Nonna dropped by on her last visit with treats for us but only because we were left unsupervised.

Those are the best days.

When our parents are gone, we are left alone with the house staff. We can pretend we are not Parisis and we are just three normal girls who are loved and free.

Free to choose their path in life.

Free to love whom their heart chooses.

Free to live without the fear of what awaits us once we come of age.

“Yeah… pops for me.” I feel like crying, but the tears don’t fall. I think I am broken, or maybe I have no more tears left to cry.

“We go everywhere,” Mila says before yawning. It is late and way past her bedtime. I hug her tiny body closer to mine and inhale her sweet baby scent.

“Yes, stelina.” I kiss the top of her head without taking my eyes off the ceiling. “One day, we’ll go everywhere and have everything. You’ll see.”

I don’t believe in much.

Not in our parents.

Not in God.

However, I believe in my sisters and the burning fire within them.

I believe in myself.

One day, we will get there.

We just have to survive the cold first.

* * *

The soft click of a door wakes me from a deep sleep. Slowly opening my eyes, I spot my sister, Kadra, climbing on the bed next to Mila.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.” She mumbles absently, and my body immediately tenses. “Go back to sleep.” Her voice. She sounds in pain.

Crack.

Another to the heart.

Turning my head, I look at her face in the dark, noticing that she is looking up at the ceiling as she always does when she comes into my room. “Look at me, Sirius,” I whisper.

“Don’t call me that,” Kadra says between gritted teeth.

“I will call you whatever I damn well, please. Now, look at me.” I hiss, trying not to wake Mila.

My sister does as she is told and turns her head in my direction, but her eyes look away from mine until I reach out and force her to look at me. Her eyes are dry, but her bottom lip is split open, blood trickling down her chin.

Goddamn him.

The urge to cry is there, yet not a tear falls from my eyes.

I am in pain.

I am in pain every hour of every day.

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