A Fragile Thread

Chapter 16: 20 Questions

"Alright, this is awkward. We need to do something."

Matteo frowned. "Like what?"

"Twenty Questions."

Luca sighed. "No."

"Yes." Raffaele grinned. "It's educational."

"It's annoying," Nico muttered.

"What's Twenty Questions?" I whispered, embarrassed.

Raffaele gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "You don't know what Twenty Questions is?"

I shrugged. "I didn't really... do games."

The room went quiet again. Not the bad kind of quiet, just the kind that made my stomach twist a little.

Matteo was the first to recover. "It's simple. We ask a question, you answer. No pressure."

Raffaele wiggled his eyebrows. "First question—do you like us?"

Matteo groaned. "Really?"

"What? It's a great question."

I froze. The weight of their attention pressed down on me.

Did I like them? I didn't not like them. They were kind. They were patient. But I didn't know how to feel about any of this. About them. About being here.

The silence stretched.

Raffaele suddenly gasped, pointing a finger at me. "You do like us!"

I blinked. "...What?"

"You didn't say no!" He smirked. "You hesitated. That means you want to like us, but your tiny, traumatized brain is getting in the way."

"Raffaele," Luca warned. "Too far."

But Raffaele just threw his hands up. "What? Am I wrong?"

I pressed my lips together, trying to fight back the warmth creeping into my face.

He wasn't wrong. I really wanted to like them, but I don't trust myself to make my own judgements, I never had too. Considering they were the first people I've met other then my stepfather.

Matteo sighed, giving me a softer look. "You don't have to answer that one."

Raffaele rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll make it easier. What's your favorite color?"

That was... manageable. "Blue."

Raffaele beamed. "See? Progress!"

Matteo shook his head, but there was a small smile on his face.

Nico leaned forward. "Alright, my turn. What's the best food you've ever had?"

I hesitated, thinking. "I don't know. I never really got to have good food." I whispered.

The air shifted.

Luca's jaw tightened. Matteo looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

Raffaele, thankfully, recovered first. He grinned. "Great. That just means we have an excuse to make you try everything."

I blinked. "Everything?"

"Everything."

Nico smirked. "Except Raffaele's cooking."

"Hey!"

Matteo chuckled. "Next question. What's something you've always wanted to do?"

That one was harder.

I shifted, pulling the blanket tighter around me. "I don't know."

Luca's voice was quiet. "That's okay."

Something in my chest loosened.

Raffaele leaned forward. "Well, we'll just have to figure it out, won't we?"

I didn't know what to say to that.

Luca's POV

She was still curled up under the blanket, small but not fragile. She looked more tired than anything, but she wasn't retreating. That was something.

I cleared my throat. "If you could have any pet, what would it be?"

Emilia hesitated. "A cat."

Nico scoffed. "Figures."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, I think. I had to strain my ears to hear her. I wasn't mad about it, I just wanted her to be comfortable, and it's clear she wasn't.

"You've got that whole quiet, skittish thing going on," he said, waving a hand at her. "You're basically already a cat."

Raffaele grinned. "He's got a point."

Emilia rolled her eyes, but there was no real bite behind it. God she's adorable, I miss all the years I could've had with her.

"My turn," Matteo said, shooting Nico a look before focusing on her again. "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

She blinked, clearly not expecting that. "I... don't know."

Raffaele sighed dramatically. "Okay, baby, I love you, but you gotta give us something here. We can't keep pulling teeth just to find out basic facts about you."

"I don't—" She hesitated, then looked down. "I just never thought about it before."

The room went quiet again.

I could see the guilt flicker across Matteo's and Raffaele's face, the frustration in Nico's.

Emilia shifted under the blanket. "Maybe... the ocean?"

That seemed to surprise even her.

Raffaele clapped his hands together. "Boom! There we go. Ocean trip incoming."

"We are not planning a vacation right now," I muttered.

"We totally are," Raffaele shot back.

Matteo ignored us both. "What about a favorite book?"

"I don't have one."

Raffaele groaned. "This is getting painful."

"I'm sorry." She whispered, immediately looking down.

"Oh, don't apologize, I live for suffering."

Nico smirked. "We know."

"Okay, next question," Matteo said before Raffaele could get sidetracked. "What's your favorite weather?"

She tilted her head, thinking. "Rain."

Raffaele gasped. "Oh my god, you are a cat."

Emilia actually looked a little amused. "How?"

"You're quiet, you're tiny, you avoid people, and you like rain." He crossed his arms. "You are one step away from hiding under furniture when company comes over."

"I do not hide under furniture."

Nico hummed. "I mean..."

She shot him a glare. Well she tried to glare, but she's too cute for that and honestly it made her look more like a kitten. She was not helping her case.

"Alright, alright, last question." Matteo's voice was gentle again. "What's something that makes you happy?"

Emilia blinked.

We all waited.

She looked down, fingers curling into the blanket.

Then, barely above a whisper—

"This."

Silence.

Something warm spread through my chest.

Matteo gave a soft smile. Raffaele didn't make a joke. Even Nico looked like he didn't know what to say to that.

All I knew was I was never going to stop trying to make her happy.