𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬//𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐊𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐙

𝐀𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞.

♫𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞♫

As my eyes blinked open, a relentless pounding drummed through my head, and my neck throbbed with soreness, each movement a sharp ache. The room lay empty, all the girls had left. Outside, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the room into a dim, shadowy stillness. A single lamp dimly illuminating the room.

Amidst the silence, a female voice shattered the quietude with a sudden, forceful outcry, ripping through the air like a thunderclap.

"Why the fuck would you knock her out?!" Julia's voice reverberated.

"She kneed me in the fucking dick." Tom's voice trailed off.

"And you fell to the ground like a pussy, now she can't even work!" She spat with venom.

A loud thud echoed through the room, followed by Julia's screamed.

"LET GO OF ME TOM IM NOT ONE OF YOUR PROSTITUTES, IF YOU EVEN LEAVE A MARK ON ME YOU KNOW WHAT MY FATHER WOULD DO TO YOU?!" She exclaimed, her words laced with venom as she scolded him, soon the sound of heavy footsteps gradually faded into the distance, most likely from Tom and a door slam.

The fading sound of heels offered a brief moment of relief. I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, my hand instinctively reaching to massage my sore throat. Gazing into the distance, lost in thought, a creak broke the silence as the door inched open. I hastily slid down, shutting my eyes tight, a tremor coursing through me as my heart raced.

The bed dipped down as someone settled behind me. "I know you're not asleep, Andrea." Alessandro's voice, soft and soothing, whispered into the tense air.

Slowly, I turned to meet his gaze, his hand reaching out to tenderly caress my injured head. The soft timbre of his voice carried a gentle weight as he murmured, "I'm sorry, Andrea." Sorry? He's sorry? My mind raced. He held me down while I got knocked out. I gazed at him in disbelief, my anger ready to boil over.

"I had no choice, Andrea," he whispered with a pang of desperation.

"I never have a choice," he confessed, his voice soft and sincere, carrying the weight of years of burden.

As he switched on the bedside lamp, the room was bathed in a soft, warm glow. I squinted instinctively, my eyes sensitive to the sudden light. Blinking away the discomfort, I met Alessandro's gaze. His bright green eyes locked onto mine, as though searching for something beyond the surface. I followed his gaze downward to his hands, where he held a picture frame. His attention shifted, and he turned it over to reveal a cherished photo of me and my siblings.

"They didn't let me have pictures of my family either, and I know it's agonizing not having something left from those you cared about." he confessed, his eyes fixed on his hands, his gaze distant, lost in thought. his words and his actions shattered the dam holding back my emotions. Hot tears pour down my face as a whirl of pain and self-blame flooded over me. Why the fuck didn't I listen to my instincts? Why couldn't I just have stayed home? I can't help but blame myself for everything that's happening to me right now.

"It's okay, Andrea, shhh." his hesitant voice attempted solace, even though he knew it wasn't okay. With nothing else to say, he enveloped me in his arms, gently stroking my hair, offering what comfort he could.

As my tears ran dry, leaving an empty ache behind, Alessandro remained by my side throughout. When the moment arrived for him to leave to pick up the girls, he tenderly planted a soft kiss atop my head, placed the picture frame inside the bedside drawer and left without uttering another word. My eyes grew heavy, weighed down by exhaustion from the endless stream of tears. Gradually, the weariness took over, drawing me into a state of drowsiness. Before I could even realize it, I surrendered to sleep, slipping into its welcoming embrace.