Being Saved

Chapter 7 - Seeking Comfort

Katerina's POV

I watch as Santiago walks away after I show him my arm, aggressively raking his hands through his hair.

"Katerina, how did that happen?" Christiano asks.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lorenzo whispers. "I can see a handprint from here."

"Bambina, when did that happen?" Anthony questions.

"Did- did we do that?" Michele asks. "When I grabbed you, did I hurt you?"

"No," Santiago replies while pacing angrily around the room. "I did."

Shaking my head, I run my fingers through my hair and turn away from the others, wanting to avoid their questioning gaze.

I hate being questioned.
I hate having to give answers.
I hate having to lie every time a mark is seen.
So I had to hide them.
I hid them from the world.
From my friends...
When my friends began to question them...
I began to build my walls.
I began to wear a mask.
I used these to hide from the world.
To hide my thoughts...
To hide my true feelings...
To hide the truth...
To hide the pain...
But to avoid the questions...
I began to avoid my friends.
After a while, they stopped asking.
They stopped caring.
Only a few people know about the marks.
Know about the pain.
My pain...
Two of them are dead.
And the other two are halfway around the world.
They can't help me now...

Dimitri, he was my confidant.
The one who I could always rely on.
The one who I could tell anything to.
But even he doesn't know the true extent of my pain.
My one and only friend.
The only one who never gave up on me.
Who stood by me when I needed him most.
The one who never judged me.
Who accepted me and my baggage without question.
Who tried to help me the best he could.
I lied to him too...

I'm a liar, that's what I am.
Every person I've ever met...
Every person who has tried to help me...
Every friend I've ever had...
I've lied too.

I don't know when I began to cry, but I continued in full force as I slid down the wall to the floor.

Only half aware of what my brothers are saying, I see Santiago pacing around in front of me, having his own internal battle.

I watch through blurry eyes as he finally stops in front of the door and sends his fist through it, leaving behind a hole.

Letting out a small whimper, I press myself further into the wall and press a hand over my mouth, trying to be quieter.

But he noticed.
Hell, they all noticed.
As soon as the whimper left my mouth, all conversations ceased, and the only thing that can be heard now is my sobs.

I watch as he stalks towards my crouched form.
But I don't want to see it.
I don't want to watch him hit me, too.
So I pull my legs up to my chest and try to become invisible.
I pray silently that the floor, or even the wall, will open up for me to fall through. Hell, I'd even be okay with being sucked into a wormhole right about now. However, this obviously doesn't happen because I've been shut out of luck for my entire life.

Oddly enough the hit never comes.

After a moment, I look up, confused, but am shocked to see him crouched in front of me with teary eyes.