Author's POV:
Carl just came back to his house after buying food for Erin. He still has no idea why would anyone wants to eat junk food, especially the jalapeño burger. He remembers the first time she makes him tried habanero burger; he nearly saw the hell fire.
He could never understand Erin' obsession with peppers and burgers. She's on a mission on trying all the combos of hot peppers and burger the world has to offer but Carl forbids her to do so. That's the reason he goes himself to buy her the 'mild' one, only because he doesn't want her to get sick.
He knows spicy food is not healthy he just can't prove it to her. Especially when she looks so happy eating it, he couldn't bring himself to stop her. As long as she eats chemical free food. She was telling him about how it tastes delicious and Carl was thinking no amount of money could make him eat that hell's food again. He even once thought to torture his enemies by making them eat raw peppers. Ha ha!
"What are you thinking, Valenti?" She asked with her mouthful, giving a quite unladylike look.
"I... nothing. Why?" He - like always - paused when she called him by his surname.
"Umm, it's just that you kept staring at my plate so I thought you wanted it too. You want to share."
"Hell no!"
She tried to hide her smile. She loves to tease Carl, only sometimes, whenever he seemed to be in a normal mood - which was a rare possibility but still she never let the opportunity go in vain.
.
She was staring at her cell phone as if she was memorizing something.
"What are you doing?"
"Nn-nothing." She stammered while making sure Carl couldn't see the screen of her phone.
He stares at her a little more than a second, she thought that he would snatch her cell phone at any moment but...
"Sure." She was surprised when Carl steps back.
'Maybe he finally learned how to give some space and respects to others privacy.' She whispers herself.
While on the other side of the room, Carl was sitting and waiting for her to go outside the room or to the bathroom or literally anywhere so that he can check her phone secretly.
He noticed her behavior all day. She was secretly exchanging message with someone. At first, he was kinda jealous but then he noticed that she seems quite worried and kept mumbling to herself. Something is troubling her, but what?
He was lost in his thought when his phone vibrates. Screen shows a new message.
From Nero:
"Golden advice:
It'll be better if you bring some HELP to handle Vin."
What the hell! Carl was going to put his cell phone away when it vibrated again. Another message.
From Enzo:
"Carl! I don't know about you but I'm sure Erin wanted to see Vin in his college uniform.
Robert told me that she keeps texting him all day, asking about Vin and some other college stuff.
She asked for Vin's schedule and not just that she even asked for professors' name and qualification who will going to teach Vin. She told Robert to see if any of them have any history of violence with students. Can you believe that!
So I was just wondering if you can bring her with you. That would be a win-win for everyone. Then you don't have to handle Vin much, maybe after seeing Erin, he would follow you on his own.
Just think about it."
After reading the message Carl glance at Erin who was still engrossed in her cell phone. So this is what Nero was talking about. Carl left the room just to laugh out. Because his Erin was freaking analyzing things for that crazy Vin.
How long she wanted to take care of his first cousin's sanity?
___
Early morning:
"Hey Erin. Wake up."
"What... what happened? Are we under attack!?"
"Wha- No. Nothing happened. Just get ready we have to go somewhere."
"Where?"
"Lucchese's residence."
"Wh... why? What happened? Is young master, okay?" Her eyes flew open.
"Yeah, maybe... I don't know." Carl shrugged.
"..."
"Come on, get dressed we are going to see crazy cousin and then drop him off at college." He explained unlike his personality.
For a second, she couldn't believe her ears. Is she heard right? Is it a dream? Is Carl having a fever or something?
"Come on, hurry up." Carl snapped his fingers a few times in front of her face.
Her eyes brightens when she smiled from ear to ear and ran for her closet as fast as she can just in case Carl changed his mind.
.
He was patiently waiting in his car for Erin and his crazy cousin to get in the car. But Vin being Vin was busy throwing his usual tantrum.
As expected Vin ended up carried by his guards from everywhere while he was kicking in the air like a stubborn kid.
Erin's photo, Erin's photo, Erin's photo...
He tried to keep his cool while chanting the same words in his head over and over again.
"I can't believe I am waiting for the crazy cousin!" He closed his eyes to relaxed himself a bit.
Erin sat with Vin in the backseat. And Carl almost went blind when he tried to see them through rearview mirror, as sunlight reflected Vin's Golden outfit. He almost threw his damned cousin outside the car. Hell with the deal with Enzo. He will just send someone to steal that photo.
He sighed under his breath.
Erin's photo, Erin's photo, Erin's photo...
He reminded himself for the thousandth time.
But as always, they didn't last for more than two minutes and started fighting. It's all because of that crazy Vin. He always speaks some nonsense about taking Erin back as if he own her, 'as if that's ever gonna happen'. But still, it makes him angry.
He was mad at Vin, and in his madness, he started driving rashly just to scare the hell out of his crazy cousin. Mu Ha ha ha.
He knew that Erin is quite used to as well as strong enough to endure this but for that lousy idiota... He kept screaming like crazy.
Carl was satisfied as hell but Erin looks disappointed so he has to threw all the fun outside the window, and slow down the driving speed.
Then - like a psychiatrist - she had to deal with not only Vin's unsettling condition but also his crazy outfit.
She proves to be a really great help as she makes Vin obedient and more humanlike. Carl can't do that alone for sure.
They were arguing like kids. Suddenly bloody Vin ran out of his car. And then she followed him. And Carl was on the edge of losing last of his patience. "Should I just shoot crazy cousin...! Maybe not. That would make my Erin sad." He thought to himself and took a deep breath before running out after them.
When Carl reached them his crazy cousin and some random guy was arguing. Actually, it was one-sided argument because for some reason Vin was quiet. Something was off... about the situation.
Then Carl saw a.... Girl!
That guy was shouting, Vin remain silent, and Erin - like a responsible adult - was ready to take action. But she doesn't want to make a scene so she just stands besides Vin and smiled awkwardly. Then Carl had to step in.
It's not even ten minutes and his crazy cousin found himself trouble. Great way to start first day of college!
Now he realized why Enzo asked him to take crazy cousin with him. As soon as that stupid guy sees Carl, he ran for his life. Well, that's good. Erin looked at him and smiled because she knew the ghost that scared that guy off.
Now only these three and that girl remains. Carl and Erin were standing as if they were waiting for Vin to say something first. Then Carl noticed his line of sight.
Is he checking that ragazza out? Carl didn't have any idea how to react at first, then it hit him.
Bloody love at first sight!
That girl stands in front of crazy cousin and smiled at him. 'Is she wooing him? Maybe not...' Carl wondered. She was smiling like... Erin! Then she tried to set her bangs and that's when he noticed her hand.
'Don't tell me that fool from earlier hurt her! If only I see him again... Wait, why would I care...?' Carl was thinking, still observing people in front of him.
"Does my sparkle burn your eyes?" His crazy cousin asked a bit haughtily. Carl was slightly scoffed, what a pick-up line!
"What are you mute or something?" Vin said again. Bloody King of idiots. Carl almost slapped his own forehead. 'That's not how you talk to someone you're interested in. stupid!'.
Erin tried to stop him while smiling awkwardly at the girl. Weirdly enough that girl didn't seem to mind, she even smiled back at Erin and turned to leave. Vin seemed a little uneasy as if he doesn't want that girl to leave. Well, well!
"Where are you going, you ungrateful brat!" Vin yelled and hearing this Carl almost, almost cut his voice box out with his pocket knife.
That girl stopped and said thank you but she didn't seem to be thankful at all, she didn't even look at his face. Haha! Serves you right!
"Who gave you the permission to leave." Vin shouted again but this time way too loud that the girl almost tripped.
What happened next was a quite spectacular sight. She yelled back at crazy Vincent Hart, the first born of Lucchese famiglia, leaving him speechless. People around them also stopped in their tracks to watch. Carl low-key wanted to record everything in his cell phone. But then he saw a CCTV camera. He makes a mental note to take the footage of this out-of-the-world dramatic scene and then played it in home theater of Lucchese.
When the girl was done scolding, Vin came back to his normal self, if that's okay to say. He was blabbering like a spoiled child and Erin was making him stop.
"Interessante." Carl couldn't help but admire out loud. He didn't realize that he was smiling at her this whole time. She heard him and... smiled back at him. Wow! that's something new. Except Erin and his little brother Gage no one smiles at him, not a genuinely at least.
Erin was still trying to calm crazy Vin down. Then the interesting girl looked at Carl and promised him to say 'hi' in the future if they ever met (which they definitely would) then she turned to Erin.
Carl almost burst out laughing when she ignored his crazy cousin while giving him a beautiful poker face. That was enough to burn Vin alive.
What a memorable day!
But before she was gone, she whispered something to crazy cousin. Carl was not that curious to know what had she said but after watching Vin's reaction both Carl and Erin were dying to know. The way Vin was staring at her back for some reason he doesn't look like the same crazy cousin who goes around shouting all day long.
Carl was finally felt happy that he came. Both Enzo and Nero have no idea what they had missed. As for crazy Vincent Hart... Well, he met his match at last. And that unique ragazza has no idea that her life is not going to be peaceful anymore.
****