A Fragile Thread

Chapter 14: Problems

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push it all away.

I didn't want to know.

I shouldn't want to know.

Knowing things never helped. Knowing things only made things worse.

So, I stayed quiet.

Like I always did.

A few minutes later, the door opened with a soft creak, and I forced myself to keep my body still, pretending I wasn't awake.

Footsteps approached the bed, and then something cool pressed against my forehead. I flinched before I could stop myself.

"Stellina," Matteo murmured, his voice so gentle it made my chest ache. "I know you're awake."

I hesitated, my fingers still clenched in the blankets, before slowly opening my eyes.

Matteo's face was the first thing I saw. His brows were drawn together in concern, his dark eyes scanning my face like he was looking for something—something I didn't understand.

I blinked sluggishly, my vision blurring for a second before adjusting.

Matteo was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a damp cloth. I could see movement in the background—Luca standing near the window, his arms crossed tight, his face unreadable. Raffaele was sitting on the floor, his knee bouncing slightly, and Nico was against the wall, his expression blank but his fingers drumming absently against his arm.

They were all here.

Watching.

Waiting.

My stomach twisted.

I tried to sit up, but my arms shook under my own weight. Matteo caught me before I could fall sideways, his grip steady but careful.

"Easy," he murmured. "Drink."

He pressed a glass of water to my lips, and I let him help me take a few slow sips. The coolness soothed my throat, but my hands were shaking too much to hold the glass myself.

Matteo didn't seem to mind.

He set it down when I was done, adjusting the blanket around me like I was something fragile.

I hated that.

I wasn't fragile.

I was used to being sick. Used to fevers, to pain, to taking care of myself.

But I wasn't used to this.

The weight of all of them in the room. The heavy silence. The way they were looking at me like I might break apart at any second.

I pulled the blanket higher, curling in on myself. My fingers trembled as I gripped the fabric. "You're... watching me."

Matteo's expression softened, but before he could say anything, I heard Nico shift against the wall.

"We're making sure you don't stop breathing," he muttered. "So yeah, we're watching you."

I flinched at the bluntness of his words.

Luca shot him a sharp look, but he didn't argue.

Raffaele sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He means we're worried, piccolina." His voice was lighter than Nico's, but there was an edge to it. "You had a fever so high you barely knew where you were last night."

I swallowed, my chest tightening. I hated this.

I hated them worrying about me.

I hated being the reason for the tension in the air.

I shrank further under the blanket, trying to disappear. "I don't..." My voice cracked. "I don't like it when you all stare at me."

Silence.

Then—movement.

Nico pushed off the wall, his jaw tight, and walked toward the door without a word.

Luca followed a second later, his expression unreadable as he stepped into the hallway.

Raffaele hesitated, his usual teasing grin nowhere to be found. "We're not staring at you like that, piccolina." His voice was quiet. "We're just making sure you're okay."

I didn't respond.

Because I didn't know how.

Matteo reached out, brushing a strand of damp hair away from my forehead. His fingers were warm, steady, careful. "You're safe, amore. Just rest."

I swallowed, my throat tight.

I wanted to believe him.

But something deep inside me was screaming that I wasn't.

That I wouldn't ever really be.

I closed my eyes, my fingers still curled in the blanket, listening to the sound of Matteo's quiet breathing beside me.

I wasn't sure how long I lay there, teetering on the edge of sleep, but before I fully drifted, I felt Matteo shift beside me.

Felt him tuck the blanket tighter around me.

Felt his fingers brush lightly over my wrist as he murmured something too soft for me to understand.

I didn't open my eyes.

But for the first time in hours, I wasn't completely drowning in the fear.

(I just realized that I never made a characters page and tbh I'm way to lazy to make one so this is just a mini version)

Luca Costello- 23 years old
Matteo Costello- 20 years old
Nico Costello- 18 years old
Raffaele Costello- 17 years old
Emilia Costello- 9 years old