Mr. Mafia's Bodyguard

Chapter thirty-two

Sophia and Stephanie were discharged from the hospital earlier in the afternoon yesterday, Stephanie was getting better and her injuries were healing. Sophia was quite alright but I could always feel the great tension between her and Stephano whenever they were in the same place at the same time. They refused to make eye contact with each other most of the time.
Like when we were having dinner today, they reached for the bowl of food at the same time and they quickly let it go, and none of them tried to take it again for the rest of dinner time. Stephanie just sat, observing them quietly, she looked quite pale though. Grandma was very worried about her and stuffed her with fruits and vegetables throughout the day, she did steal occasional glances at Stephano and Sophia but she never uttered a word.
I tried to show my own affection to Stephanie by smiling softly at her whenever our eyes me. I eventually did the dishes alone as another way of showing I cared, she refused but I insisted, so she sat quietly, watching me do the dishes. I turned to her when I was done, I smiled at her.

"You are a strong girl Stephie." I whispered to her.

She seemed really happy at such a small comment, she beamed happily at me and I suddenly felt extreme sadness that she had to go through all that pain and shock.

"You never asked me what happened you know." She frowned suddenly.

"I didn't want to pry into your business, though I was curious."

Her frown deepened, "I thought we were friends Ariana."

"We are friends Stephanie." I smiled, drawing the are. I patted her back lovingly. "I just wasn't sure it's something you will be comfortable talking about."

"I do want to talk about it Ariana." She said, sadness seeping through her eyes. "I want answers, but neither Sophia nor Stephano want to hear a thing about it. They always leave me in the dark."

"They just don't want to hurt you Stephanie." I tried to encourage her, but it got the wrong effect.

"That's nonsense Ariana." Her voice was stiff and angry and fed up. "They think I am just a weakling or what? I am not dumb Ariana. Something is fishy with dad and Stephano. We got attacked out of nowhere early in the morning, one of the men who attacked us said something about our dad and how he would feel if they took his daughters into the ring just like he does to others. They knew us, they knew our dad. And next thing Sophia is telling me we are leaving the country or some bullshit I don't wanna hear. But I don't wanna go, and especially when I don't know what the hell is going on."

I starred her with my lips agape cause I didn't know what to say.

"It's going to be fine." I finally spoke.

It's gonna be fine.

It was one word I remembered from my mother, something that kept me alive in the ring. Those words I chanted in my head through the whips and beatings,  the words that I chanted in my mind when I went to the hospital when I was freed, when I met with the therapists and when I trained for this job till this very point.

My eyes widened when I felt her throw her arms over me, pulling me into a big hug and crying.

She sniffed and with a strained voice, she kept talking. "Dad never let me go to a normal school, never let me have friend or visit anyone, didn't even go to prom. He always found a way to cage me here. He and Stephano, sometimes I want to hate that guy, but I know its not his fault, he just wants to be close to Dad but he never got that."

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her there for a while wordlessly before she let go. Her eyes were red and puffy, her lashes were wet and there were some visible trails of tears on her face, but she was smiling cheerfully. "Wanna go out?"