Bellissimo Lotta (Beautiful Struggle): Companion Novel to Bellissimo Fortuna (The Family Trilogy Book 2) Read Free

young age. I question Callie all the time about how she can be sure. I want to explore my options, nothing serious for a long time.
    Our entire existence involves some sort of danger or a pressing issue that lingers around us because of what my father does. I want to throw caution to the wind, for once. I get it; I just don’t like it and can’t wait to break free from it. So until the day comes that I can be free, I will keep all my possibilities open and play the field.

 
    Without a struggle, there can be no progress.
    ~ Frederick Douglass
     
     
    Chapter 2
    Dakota
     
     
    Damn, Bronson’s sister is gorgeous. I’d seen her in passing at their house but never paid much attention. What a mistake that was. Her long caramel-colored hair against her deep tan coloring is stunning. But her eyes . . . their gold color and sparkle are so unusual. She knows she’s beautiful, and I can tell she likes to play games. Ones I don’t have time for. Anymore.
    Bronson and I have been friends for a few years, but the last few months our friendship has solidified. After being absent from school for two weeks, he approached me the day I returned. Never asked me what happened, just invited me to the gym to spar. It’s like he knew I needed the outlet, and I found out later that he’d heard the gossip at school.
    My sister was murdered. No leads. No developments. Dana was my best friend. Even though seventeen years separated us, she was with me in every life choice I made. My parents were so much older, both in their fifties, when I came along, so having Dana made my life easier. They waited before having Dana and referred to me as a miracle, an unexpected surprise. More like a mistake. I wasn’t made to feel that way, but with them both at retirement age, I felt like I was holding them back.
    Dana’s death rocked us all to the core. The help she offered my parents, to step in and support me at activities, and give me an outlet to speculate about my typical teenage tribulations was sorely missed. My mom retreated into a zone, drew into herself instead of offering me strength, and my dad was lashing out over every little infraction. Both had reservations with Bronson and I hanging out, but they couldn’t give me a valid reason, and since I was seventeen they could only oppose it for less than a year. They stopped caring. They seemed to give up when Dana was taken from us.
    The housekeeper greets me as she opens the door. “They are all in the media room,” she tells me. The staff is always at the house, but it’s not formal or stiff. Just like extra help, because God knows his dad doesn’t keep normal hours, and I’m sure Mrs. Agosto could use another pair of hands.
    “What’s up, man?” I watch Bronson stuffing pizza in his mouth.
    “About time you got here. Those two are driving me crazy.”
    “Who?”
    “Bianca and Callie. They’re bored. They don’t like my choice of pizza. They don’t like video games. They want to watch a movie. They want to go for ice cream. Name it, it’s been suggested.”
    I can’t help but chuckle. “They keep your ass on a short leash, huh?”
    He just glares at me. “It’s not like that. I’ve got to keep an eye on Bianca; she’s my sister. Callie, well . . .” His voice is longing but full of conviction.
    “Your sister’s best friend. Like two for the price of one. Or in your case, a bigger headache.”
    “Nah. Callie isn’t like that for me. She’s not just Binks’s best friend. She’s mine, too. We all grew up together.”
    “You interested?” He’s closed off when talking about relationships, but the shift in his stance, the far off sound of his voice, makes me think there is something more.
    “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested. It’s complicated.”
    “Most relationships are, especially when you add a female to the mix.”
    “Nah, she isn’t like that. A lot of shit happens at her house, not my story to tell, but it’s not good,