꧁ 𝐅 𝐀 𝐓 𝐄 ꧂

𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑻𝒀-𝑺𝑰𝑿

ELENA GIANNA ROMANO

I was still crying and Mattia walked in.

He sat next to me and wiped my tears. "I told you to call me if you needed anything," he says. "I'm fine," I say. "But you're not," he says.

"Can I ask you something?" He says. "Mhm," I say. "What happened, you were getting so much better, at least it looked like it," he says.

"I thought I was getting better," I say, "I don't know what happened."

"Did you really burn yourself again," he says. I pause.

"I'm proud of you though," he says. "Why," I say. "Because it looked like you tried, but things just got a bit out of hand, but keep going, don't go back to square one," he says. "I'm already back at square one," I say.

"You're not, not if you keep going, don't let it fool you," he says, "keep trying."

"It's too hard," I say with tears still in my eyes. "But it's not gonna be easy is it," he says, "why do you think so many people give up?"

I shrug.

"Because it's not easy, but you're strong, you've been through so much, don't give up now," he says, "you'll push past it and we all know it."

"And you're not a hopeless child, you're hopeful child, prove her and everyone else who called you hopeless wrong," he says, "because you can do it, and I know it."

A smile forms on my face.

"I believe in you Elena," he says.

I wrap my hands around him, "I love you."

"I love you too," he chuckles, "but wait."

He pulls me away for a second.

"Make me a promise," he says, "that you will not break whatsoever."

"I'm listening," I say.

"Whenever something is bothering you, or something happens, or even if you just feel like it," he says, "call me."

"Or whenever you get the urge to burn," he says, "just call me, or text me, and tell me."

"Why," I ask. "Because I'd rather talk to you for as long as I have to then to watch you suffer, or know that you did something to yourself and I didn't do anything about it," he says.

"Really?" I ask. "Obviously," he says, "but promise me."

He holds out his pinky.

I intertwined my pinky with his, "I promise."

"And don't break it," he says. "I won't," I shake my head.

"But can I ask you a question," I say. He nods. "Have you burned? Since we were on that roof in Princeton,"
I ask.

He shakes his head, "I promised you, so I didn't."

"Now I feel bad," I say. "It's okay," he says. "But I'm proud of you too," I say.

He kisses me and I kiss him back. 

"You always manage to make me smile on the worst days," I say. "I have my ways," he winks.

I kept kissing him but the doorbell rang. "Do you wanna eat here or downstairs," he asks. "Downstairs," he says. "Cmon then," he says. I follow him downstairs and he gets the food.

He ordered a McDonald's cause he knew it was my favourite. He opens the bag and hands me my food.

It was a coke, 6 chicken nuggets and chips.