Summary~Alex's dad dies in a car accident two weeks before she turns 18. On her birthday she runs away to live in Italy without telling anyone. She finally feels like she can be happy. Her old life is left behind in New York. So what will happen when that old life finally comes back to her? What happens when a familar someone finds her? Will she forget her new beginning and go back to her old, miserable life? Read and see

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"Thanks again Vito. I could've never fixed that on my own." Alex hugged the man again and he smiled.

"No problem Miss Russo. It was my pleasure." He said in a heavy Italian accent. He had just finished patching a leak on the roof of her Villa. He walked back down the cobblestone path, drinking in the sweet smell of Tuscany. Alex walked back inside her home. She bought a small Villa in Italy, just outside of Florence, several months ago, just after her father passed away. She left New York the day she turned 18 and moved to the beautiful country. She wanted to discover her father's people. He had always said how he one day wanted to take them all back to Italy but he never got the chance.

Her home was very old-fashioned Italian. She loved every little bit of it. Alex truly felt she belonged here. Her dad died two weeks before her 18th birthday, he was driving home and was hit by a drunk driver head-on and died on the scene. Alex needed nothing more than to escape. To leave. She made all the arrangements secretly and took off on a flight the day she became a legal adult. She didn't tell anyone she was even leaving.

Alex went to her large window and looked out across the beautiful vineyard that was practically in her backyard. The owner were a big family that invited her over for dinner at least once a week and allowed her to walk about the vines whenever she pleased. She got a job at a fancy hotel in a busy part of Florence and had a fair income. She may not be living the luxurious life but she managed to get by happily. The phone rang, echoing off the walls of the house and she bounded to answer it.

"Ciao?" she asked in Italian.

"Alex. What are you doing today?" Her newest love interest Marco asked in a smooth voice.

"You tell me. I have the day off and Vito just finished up."

"Excellent. Have the perfect thing in mind. Be ready in half and hour. I will be there shortly." He hung up the phone swiftly and Alex checked herself in the mirror. She sighed when she gazed at the picture of her and her father she had wedged in the frame.

"I love you daddy." she said to it and touched it lightly. Not long after a car horn honked and she ran outside to meet Marco. He was handsome. Tall with wavy brown hair and soft brown eyes and a dazzling smile. His smooth, velvet voice was drenched in an accent that sent shills down Alex's back. He had a rose for her.

"What's this for?"

"For being you." he said sweetly and kissed her hand, then her cheek. She smiled softly.

"So, where are you taking me?"

"Have you ever been to Pisa, love?"

"Not yet. I was planning on it but haven't gotten around to it." she said happily.

"Well, you must come see the leaning tower. It's an essential part of living in Italy. I cannot believe you've yet to see it." He said jokingly. She chuckled.

"Well, then thank you for telling me. I don't know what I would do without you." she joked back. They got into the car and drove off. Talking the whole time. It seemed that, in Italy, even though it's quite large, everyone knows everyone else. They had spent many hours in the past talking about some of the people they've met. The car ride was not as long as Alex had expected it to be. The tower was fun to visit and they took pictures and had lunch in the grass on which it sat. They laughed a lot and their sides hurt by the time the sun started going down.

"We should probably start heading back, amore" he said.

Alex sighed "I don't want today to end." she said lightly. She had to work tomorrow.

"Nor do I but, alas it must. But that does not mean tomorrow doesn't hold another great day."

"Yeah, at work. Right," She laughed nonetheless and they walked to the car. When they arrived back at her villa, it was late. If he had been with an American, he no doubt would've invited himself up but Marco was a very respectful man. They pulled into the drive and noticed a black rental car parked where Marco had been this morning.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Alex wondered aloud. She began to feel a little nervous. "Will you come with me to see?"

"Of course" he said and got out of the car. He walked in front of her and opened the door, stepping in before she did.

"È là dentro? Is someone in there?" he asked. The light was on in the dining room and a figure appeared in the doorway. Marco stopped and held his arms back to protect Alex.

"Who are you?" he asked the silhouette.

"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong house." he said, turning to get his keys. Alex recognized that voice. She pushed past Marco and saw the back of a familiar person.

"Justin?!" she asked, her heart pounding hard in her chest. Justin dropped his keys and whipped around.

"Alex!" She ran at him and hugged him tightly. Marco stiffened a bit.

"It's okay, Marco. This is my brother, Justin." He relaxed and exhaled.

"Well, I'll leave you two to catch up. Goodnight, love." Marco said backing out of the door.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Alex said and she heard the door close behind her. She lead Justin over to the table and finally looked into his face. He looked tires and much, much older.

"What are you doing here?" She asked breathlessly. His face hardened a bit.

"I could ask you the same thing." he said coldly "We've been looking for you for months. Mom thinks you ran off and killed yourself. What were you thinking Alex? Two weeks after dad dies you just take off with no warning? No explanation? What did you think that would do to us?"

"I'm sorry. I needed to leave. I couldn't be there anymore. So I left. I went where dad always wanted us to go. And I'm happy here. I belong here." She reached out for his hand and squeezed it. "I know I should have said something but I wanted to start over."

"And after all this time you think we would've just forgotten about you? We've been worried sick, we didn't know what to think, where to look. We would've never guessed Italy." He said. All of a sudden he stood up and pulled her out of her chair. He held on to her for what seemed like hours. He found her and he didn't want to let her go. He felt like he could finally breath again.

"I've missed you Lexi." he said. Alex smiled when he used her old nickname.

"I've missed you too. And I am sorry. Even if I don't regret it." they let go of each other and sat down again. "Now what?"

"Now we go home. Where we belong."

"I am home. This is where I live now." She said defiantly.

"This isn't your home. This is a runaway hideout. Your home is where your family is and your family is back in New York."

"No."

"What?"

"I'm not going back there. I'm staying here. I'm happy here and you can't make me leave." He had expected this but he wasn't going down that easily.

"I promised Mom I would bring you back."

"Well that will be an unfortunate phone call. She's welcome here anytime but I'm never going back to New York." She stood up from the table.

"The guest room is down the hall, third door on the right. Bathroom's right across from it. Sleep well." She said turning to leave for her own bedroom. She stopped in the doorway. "Justin?" she asked

"Yeah?"

"I love you and I'm really, really glad you're here." there was a pause.

"Same here." he said and she closed her bedroom door.

Tell me what you think!!! should i continue??? REVIEW or i won't update....

***Sorry if my Italian is a little rusty. I haven't spoken it in ages. & if my geography is a little off. just go with it. lol***

MUCH LOVE____Charli___(aka lisa)