𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑥 ✔︎ || 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑

53

~ phoenix ~

Restrained to the same chair for what felt like days, my entire body felt numb. Throat screaming and stomach aching, I bounced in and out of consciousness.

The other side was better. I dreamt of... a life where I wasn't a headstrong fool. I almost forgot... everything. But too soon, I was torn back into reality.

Perhaps my mind was too exhausted to race so every thought sat in my head before it flittered away. Now, I thought of my mother. With only a handful of half-truths, I didn't know what to assume. Surely, my own Mom wouldn't— but then so did Gia— and what if I'm wrong again?

My mother and I had never been so close, not even when I was a child. I remembered talent contests, where the only familiar face in the crowd was Dad... and even homecoming, she had to rush away before I was ready in my dress. At one point, I had to consider: was it me? until I realised even Ryder had the same, maybe even worse treatment.

She and Dad were perhaps the most boring couple I'd ever known of, never arguing, never... loving — but they were functional. I wondered now how she could possibly have eloped with him. Apart from chaste kisses on the cheek or brief embraces for the sake of my paternal relatives, I'd never actually seen them being intimate.

Then again, clearly Mom wasn't an intimate sort of woman.

Having hopeless parents, I looked for family in my friends. Which clearly fucked me up.

Tabitha had to leave, before she knew too much. Ilya had advised as such before an enemy had the idea that she was something important to us. Last summer, before she left, I acted like— was a bitch, keeping a cold distance. I wanted to protect her, keep her safe and I couldn't do that by being the girl she loved.

And then there was Gianna.

Again and again, I'd denied that she was not Gia anymore... she was now a Fioretti, ruthless and cold. She'd slipped right through my fingers and I didn't even realise it. Not until it was too late.

I wanted to laugh.

But what happened was I began to cough, first slowly and then violently. I fell forward, heaving dry air. Hot tears began to leak from the corner of my eyes and my own wretching was deafening to my ears.

One... two... I tried to count.

My lungs were burning, throat clamping up. I looked up to find darkness and it was growing closer, closer, closer...

A scream was building, but I couldn't get it out.

I didn't register the sound of fast approaching footsteps, nor did I feel the splatter of wetness on my burning neck. Soft hands were pressed on either side of my cheek, forcing me to look into a familiar set of brown eyes.

"Phee..."

The whisper was barely audible past my laboured breaths... but I heard it.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "So sorry, Phee."

Again and again, she whispered, eyes bloodshot. I stopped shaking, falling against the cool silk.

"Here," Gia urged, pressing something cold against my lips.

Water. I sipped warily at first but then I couldn't stop myself from crushing the bottle to my mouth.