Alessandro 16+ / Book 2

Chapter 13: Damaged

Alessandro's POV

It is the first night after heartbreaking months without her. Without her in my arms safe and comforted, her soft, tantalizing lips against mine pleasingly, without having to tell her how much I am in love. I love her to the moon and back.

It is the first time in a while since I have my baby back under my care, and I have never felt more relieved, relaxed, and happy, knowing that she is here with me, where she belongs, but the pain still lingers like bees to a honey cone about what she had gone through all over again in that horrendous place.

She is the strongest person I have ever met; no one, absolutely no one, could endure what she did and still exude such strength, or at least feign it. Something she had always done, and I always admired that about her.

And to pretend to be something you are not is what I call being strong.

She is my princess, my love, my world, my heartbeat. She deserves all the beauty this world can provide considering the hardships she has endured throughout her life.

I understand that healing from what happened will not be swift, especially when it took her years to recover from the wounds inflicted by her own family.

I want to erase every pain, heartbreak, and torment she has endured, making her the happiest person because she truly deserves it.

My baby deserves everything good this world has to offer. Everything that makes her happy.

It pains me to my core that my sole purpose was to grant her that, but I let her face more trauma than she could ever imagine.

I was supposed to protect her from the world and make her happy, but I let her break, and that is the biggest regret of my life.

It is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life.

I will never forgive myself.

It is now two in the morning; we returned home at three in the afternoon and had her fed real good, and I have not slept since. I cannot rest when my baby is here, having gone through what she did.

I need to watch her sleep and make sure she is okay. Safe, protected, and I know this might sound crazy, but also not leave.

I cannot afford to lose her, not again, not ever.

Adriana fell asleep two hours ago, after struggling for a while, and I understand why it is hard for her.

I am surprised she managed to sleep at all.

I suspect the comfort of my arm around her, my body embracing her against my chest, eases her rest. Both she and our baby nestled close to my heart.

My finger softly caresses her face as she sleeps gently, being the most beautiful person the world has ever had, my little sister included.

"I love you so much that it is killing me, baby, and I do not even mind," I murmur, watching her sleep with gentle twitches and furrowed brows, remnants of the struggles she has carried since our return.

Knowing I cannot change what she has been through, I have decided to get her a therapist- something she might not like, but it is for her good.

I will get the best person in the world for her, no matter where I have to find them.

A tear slips from one of her eyes, and I delicately wipe it away, my heart tightening at the sight and the thought of everything she has been through.

She was in a cell for Christ's sake, starved! Scared. Suffered! For THREE WHOLE MONTHS!