Benjamin met me at the door of Castle Volterra. Heidi had printed out my evidence of ticket purchase and she told me I only had to show these papers at each stop.

Demetri came back with my bags and I took my sloth bag from him. He packed away my luggage into the car.

"This is farewell then. Contact me when you reach home."

He stretched out his hand. I glanced at it but then I tackled him with a hug.

"Woah," Benjamin said.
"Thank you," I said teary eyed.

He was stiff for a minute before embracing me warmly. His cheek on my hair and his hair covered my face.

"Nonsense, I was all but happy to help. Stay well."

His eyes smiled at me, shining bright like a comet. A diminutive smile complemented it.

"I will."

We parted ways then. Benjamin and I had a relatively quiet ride together except one thing he said to me stood out.

"Makayla, you seem like a good person...a little naïve but good."

I scowled at him. I wasn't naïve.

"Before you shout at me hear me out. You should know that Marcus never goes against his brothers. He had a reason for helping you, and it wasn't totally selfless.

If you come back to Italy, watch your back...there are people out there who have put you on their hit list for no fault of your own."

I never said a word afterwards. He spoke with my airline and I was boarded on; he ensured my baggage was packed too. I gave him a goodbye but then I realised I didn't have Marcus' contact details.

"He doesn't have a phone," Benjamin said after I asked for Marcus' cell phone number.

"Ok, then give me his e-mail address."

"He does not have that either."

I glowered at his dark face.

"Marcus doesn't have an e-mail either, huh?"
Benjamin laughed musically. It grated on my nerves

"He and his brothers are not into technology. Besides if I were you I would minimise my contact with them to be on the safe side."

I pinched my nose.

"Then give me your cell phone number and the desk number."

He raised a fluffy brow.
"Benji, please. He insisted that I call him!"

He refused and refused and I begged him; it caused a few head turns.

"Please, you are causing a scene..."

"Then give me what I want."

He sighed and pinched his nose as well.
"Fine, fine but you have been warned."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Flight Q567 has arrived from Paris at 6:58."
A shrill voice said over the intercom.

I bobbed my legs and I was not sure he would be there. Jamal was reliable in a pinch but maybe this was stretching it. I walked out to the terminal for arrivals.

I hadn't charged my phone or called him when I was in Paris, then again, the time zones were totally different; so, he had to have been asleep then. I swayed, feeling nauseated, in my navy green frock. I tugged at the belt.

I pulled the grey and black jacket tighter around my shoulders, feeling the chill of the early morning.

I scanned the uncrowded waiting bay and I saw a paunchy man dressed in denim, a Huskies shirt and a thrift store worthy cap. The cap's blaring amber colour beckoned me to him. I slid my bag firmly to my shoulder and ran.

"JAMAL!"

The man's round face darted to me and his eyes were cantaloupes. His plump lips fleshed out into a broad beam that animated him further. I hugged him tightly. He kissed my curls as if I was still an infant.

"Kayla, God don't ever scare me like that! I thought you'd never get back. Next time l'll tell mom not to let you go off to the other side of the world."

He lovingly embraced me. He took my backpack and I dragged my mini suitcase along.

"I missed you; I never thought that I'd say that." I laughed.

When I went to Italy the idea of being an ocean away from my big, goofy brother and my controlling mother seemed a dream.

"Me neither, but when five days passed and you weren't back; I started worrying."

I bowed my head. He smiled, his dark lips curling up.

"I wanted to shout at you but mom's gonna do that plenty, so I'm just gonna interrogate you."

I nodded.
"Fair enough."

"You got here early. Did you leave Italy in the morning?"
"If I did I would have got here at night, Jamal."

He gave me a wide- brown eyed stare.
"Oh? So, what you left at night?"

I nodded robotically.

"I actually left, right after I called you."
He looked at me piteously.

"You must be beat."
"Incredibly," I agreed.
"Did you even eat?"

"I had the best airline snacks, courtesy of Marcus and Heidi. ...I don't know how they did it but I got food from their personal chef and the food from the connecting flight wasn't as fancy but it beats McDonald's and Burger King!" I exclaimed; arms extended.

We were one of the few people there that time of year.
"What flight were you on?"

"First class."
My brother's jaw slackened.

"Damn, you really saved up, didn't you?"

"No, this flight was cheaper since it was a red-eye plus I didn't pay; Marcus did."
My brother became silent. I looked at him and he stared listlessly at a tree.

"Where's your head at?"
He shook his head as if trying to clear a fog.
"This Marcus..."

"Yeah..."

He looked lost momentarily before he shook like a retriever and snatched up my suitcase.

"You seem to like him and since he paid for your flight I can only assume you found an Italian boyfriend!" he teased.

I tried to slap him but he tore down the street, towards the red Beetle. He drove us to a McDonald's Drive Thru, because he knew I was hungry and I just wouldn't admit it. We both got Big Macs, Pepsis and large fries.

He slugged down his Pepsi from the cup using the bendy straw.

Rap serenaded us we drove through the neighbourhood, with its bass-hitting beats and lude lyrics.

"So how was Italy?"

I wiped my face with a napkin, the sauce had smeared all over my brown cheeks.

"The architecture was picturesque, the food to die for..."

"The people?" he said turning into our driveway.

I remembered, Ms Bianchi's false smile, Caius' burning glares, the red-haired apparitions who were too perfect and lastly Aro's odium towards me.

"The people were too weird for me, but some of them were ok," I shrugged.

"Will you be ok, alone? Mom is working this weekend and I'm going out then."

I sighed. I was always alone, nothing new...

"But I'll bug you the whole week, no work this time!" He started dancing in the car seat.

I smiled reluctantly, his friendly, dark face bringing it out from its hiding place.