Love Me (very slow updates)

Ch 11 |•| Collywables

Lorenzo slowly entered the room before letting out a soft gasp at the sight of his sister laying unconscious on the bed. "Oh amore mio," he whispered out into the vast space.

Clara looked even smaller than before. Her skin was pale as she lay perfectly still with all sorts of tubes sticking out of her. Her hair lay sprawled out over her shoulders almost like a shawl. She resembled a corpse.

Walking over to her bed Lorenzo slowly sat himself down next to her before taking her soft hand in his. He brought it to his lips before resting his forehead on their conjoined hands as he silently apologised over and over again.

The rest of his brothers filtered in setting themselves down near Clara as no one spoke a word.

"What happened to her?" Emilio asked softly breaking the silence as he looked  at Romeo who just let out a small breath.

"The better question is what didn't happen to her," he said making Emilio's eyebrows scrunch up.

"How bad was it?" He asked after a moment of silence. He wasn't even sure he wanted to know.

Romeo didn't say anything for a while as he just stared at the slow rise and fall of his sisters a chest. "It was bad. She had it so bad." His eyes filled with tears as he thought about how scared and alone she must have been. The pain she must have been in. He let out a shaky breath as he lowered his head trying to hide his tears.

Andreas was breaking. He felt his heart physically breaking. How could he be so stupid? He had noticed all of her flinching. Why did he brush it off? He could've gotten her help before it had gotten this bad but he was so wrapped up in her return he didn't even want to imagine his sister had lived a life any less than perfect. He let out a shallow breath before moving closer to her bed. Setting himself down on chair on her other side he gently removed the hair on her face.

Emilio sat on the couch with a million thought running through his mind. His sisters harsh sobs replayed in his mind over and over again like a broken mixtape. How clueless was he? He had never noticed anything. Was he so oblivious that he couldn't see his sister was in so much pain? He let out a soft sniffle as tears ran down his face. He didn't even bother to wipe them as he looked away unable to stand the sight of his younger sisters state.

"We have to be strong guys," Lorenzo's hoarse voice came rumbling out. "We have to be there for her, and we have to support her at every step." He said lifting his head and looking at each of his brothers individually. "We have to make sure she knows that she's safe, that we're never ever going to hurt her." He whispered softly as everyone nodded. A tear ran down his cheek but he quickly wiped it away. He had to stay strong.

He was the eldest. He was responsible for the safety and well-being of his siblings. Yet he had let Clara spend ten years in that devils house. He let out a shaky breath as he ran his thumb over her knuckles. He couldn't seem to let go of her hand. The rise and fall of her chest filled him with so much peace. More than he could imagine. But he couldn't shake the image of her clutching onto her ribs as her lips began to turn blue. The sound of her sobs haunted him. They ripped through him like a wild fire. He let out a small breath as he pressed the back of her hand to his lips again.

_________

Clara woke up with a small groan as she turned her head slightly trying to ease away the pain in her neck. She blinked a few times trying to get used to the blinding light that shone directly into her face. She looked over to her side at Andreas who was hunched over in his seat as his chest rose and fell gently with each breath he let out.