Brotherly Love

36. Warnings

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Iris's POV

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Time, such a fragile thing.

Time passes quicker than we'd like though we never really realise until we are looking back hoping we only had more.

Though in the moments of pain, boredom or anything relatively close to that time passes agonisingly slow.

I remember when my life used to feel like that, time wasn't an aspect of my life because I had nothing to countdown to nor work towards.

I felt like the side character in my own life, I served no purpose, had no control over my life but I was there whenever someone needed a punching bag.

Though I thought I'd left that behind, found my so-called 'happily ever after' and all that jazz.

I guess it was naive of me to think that I would've happy for this long and nothing would happen to change that everyone knows happiness is and always has been inconsistent.

Everyone knows that our past always catches up to us; though I never understood how true it was until I was sat here on my bed with a letter from my old foster father.

Panic had crawled up into my chest and decided to reside there, I knew it was from him without even opening the envelope after all the times I'd had to bring his mail to him and put it in post. He always decorated his letters with a slanted 'p' in the bottom right-hand corner.

I couldn't bring myself to open the letter I had so many questions pounding in my head. So many questions were left unanswered.

The main being, how the hell did he find me?

* * *

It was now 8:00 am, I hadn't slept, I hadn't opened the letter. I just sat there and let my thoughts spiral out of control, overthinking was a killer.

And right now I was sat here drowning myself, it was as if I was trapped in a glass box as endless amounts of water filled it up. I was banging in the glass, screaming to be let out but the water just entered faster and faster. I was stood outside of my body and watched myself run out of oxygen; even though I had the key in my hand.

Begrudgingly getting up, I sauntered into the dining room where the boys were with their mindless chatter filling the air.

Nario was the first to greet me as he gave me a small hug, well my leg a small hug. When I didn't hug him back I felt horrible as a small pout made its way onto his face. He's just a kid, he's not going to understand that I'm not mad at him.

So I ruffled his head before saying, "Hey little man," though my voice was quiet.

He pulled at the end of Lorenzo's hoodie getting me to crouch down.

"I'm sorry if I made you mad, if I give you some of my sweets will that make you happy with me again," he questioned innocently.

Well done Iris, you better apologise right now.

" I'm not mad at you," I sent him a small smile, " just not feeling well so I probably shouldn't be eating any sweets either,"

Satisfied with my answer he shot me a big smile and told me to get better soon before jumping next to Valentino and talking wildly about a girl called Maddie who irritated him.

I played with the cereal in front of me hoping that no one would pick up on my behaviour but that was never going to happen.

"What's up?" Enzo asked.

"Yeah, normally your fatass would be on your third waffle by now," Valerius joked.

At this, the others looked in my direction.

"Iris are you okay?" Nazaire asked.

I hate that question.

I gave a nod but I could already feel the water from behind my eyes.

I got out of my seat and pushed it back in before racing up to my room ignoring the calls from them, though I could hear Nario just explain that I wasn't feeling well.

As I closed my door I picked up the letter and ripped it open and the papers fell out as my eyes ran over them I felt sick. It was pictures of my room, some with me in it. Just mindlessly reading or watching a movie.

Some showing off my amazing gymnastic skills.

But what made fear ripple through my body is that they looked as if they had been taken from the inside of the house.

As I turned the note around, there wasn't much writing though what I did see was enough to instil fear in me.

Dear Iris,

Have you missed me?

Don't worry if you have I'll be seeing you very soon. I was quite angry when I had woken up and found that you had gone, even more, mad that my favourite punching bag was missing. But now that I know where you are it won't be long before your back with me.

The Italian Mafia huh, they don't love you before you get any ideas, your unloveable remember, don't worry if you forgot I'll remind you of that fact rather soon.

Until then consider this your warning.

- Paul

He was wrong they did love me - right? - no this is what he wanted for me to doubt myself, doubt them but I couldn't not anymore. I'd grown attached to them, I trusted them and until they gave me a reason I would continue to trust them.

My hands were shaking, the pictures were scattered everywhere but all I was focused on my steadying my hands.

It tried repeating the words 'I'm safe' in my head over and over but it didn't work because I wasn't safe, I still didn't know who took the pictures how he found me.

I didn't hear the door opening I just heard Nazaire's voice.

"What's all this?"

He took in my state before moving close to me, he took my hands in his and pressed them together slowing the trembles.

"I'm scared Naz."

- x -

Author's Note: who the heck is watching Iris, it better not be anonymous.

Me to the person watching Iris: