Elegance with Expense

46. Life is Beautiful

Everyone's phone went off, everyone's except mine. I double checked my notifications as my relatives turned on their phones to check their most recent message.  No message for me.

I didn't speak up, I didn't even peer over Sam's shoulder to see what he had received. However, I did notice that he tilted the phone just enough so that it was discreetly out of my view.

Nobody looked up from their devices, their eyes were glued to the screens. An uncle had his finger over the corner of his mouth, and nearly spoke up, but he stopped himself when he was given a sharp look from Armani and Romeo. The latter stood up and slid his phone into his pocket.

He made his way to me and beckoned for me to follow him to the other side of the room. As I got up, Samuele reached out and traced the visible scar on my arm, his hand falling to his mouth as I moved away and towards Romeo, confused.

'What is happening?' I asked, attempting to look past his body. He was stood in front of me, one hand in his pocket, the other on the back of his neck. 

He groaned, then spoke in the most straightforward way. 'They were all sent videos, different videos.' 

My eyebrows creased, what I was hearing could not have been true. Those videos should have been erased a long time ago.

'Which videos?' I silently prayed that they were not the ones that I was thinking about, I needed some sort of confirmation or denial. 

'The videos.' He spoke with more emphasis, giving me all the answers I needed to piece it all together.

'Everybody?' I whispered with dread. 

'I'm sorry sorellina. What can I do?' His voice was softer than usual, his hand took my shaking one from my lips and bought them down. 

'There really isn't anything any of us can do. They have seen the videos; they know everything, everything I didn't want them to know.' The feeling was hopeless, and I was experiencing the same unwanted sentiment that I felt when I first arrived. I was burdening them, and their night. 'I'm sorry this happened.'

'Jesus Alessa, stop saying that you're sorry. This isn't your fault, none of this is your fault. I swear it, if there is even half of an uncertain thought in that fanatical mind of yours, I will make sure you are never taken out for doughnuts again.' He threatened lightly. I managed to force a small laugh through my once sealed lips, that was enough for him to send a reassuring nod back to himself.

If only he knew. If he somehow jumped into my head, he would find everything he doesn't want in his little sister's mind. The horrible, doubtful thoughts would be swirling around like a tropical storm.

For each thought, I wouldn't be having doughnuts for several hundred lifetimes.

He was trying to cheer me up, and under different circumstances, it would have worked; it was off-putting knowing that there was a large crowd behind me, probably eager to continue with their evening.

Apparently my discomfort wasn't difficult to sense, since my brother actually asked if I wanted to stay here.

'Of course I want to stay.' My stomach clenched, knowing that he was willing to halt the planned New Years evening over a stupid, stupid video. I couldn't stop this, I didn't want to either.

'You're sure you want to stay?'

'Questions will be asked regardless, and nobody but myself can give honest answers.' I hummed.

'It can be made sure that nobody speaks on this, just say the word.' He offered as if he was the most powerful man in the world.

'Even if they don't ask questions, their curiosity will continue to swell, then they will start to assume.' I rubbed my cheek. 'It will all be left in the past once the new year comes.' I hoped and silently prayed to the stars.