Hidden Truths

Chapter Cincuenta y Siete

"Where are they?"

"Mia can you please-"

"Where are they, Xavier?"

"Mia please sit down before you have another panic-"

"They're okay right, they have to be okay, Eli tell me they're okay"

"Mia, look at me," Eli grabbed my face between his hands, locking my eyes on his, "Alex is being treated at the hospital, Sky's there with him, Jacob... Jacobs there too, now breathe baby."

When the worry of if they were okay started to die down. When the memories of what had really just gone down came back. My tears burst, spilling down my face like a waterfall, as I wrapped my arms around Eli and buried my head into his chest.

"Shh, you're okay princess, I've got you."

I was trembling, and I couldn't stop.

The pain was coming in waves, where there were minutes of sobbing, broken apart by short pauses for recovering breaths.

I was sad. I was angry. I was hurt. I didn't know what to feel anymore.

Images of the man I had shot, the man I had killed kept flashing through my mind. He could have had kids, he could have had a family.

But when Matteo's wicked grin flashed through, the sadness immediately transformed into anger.

"Where is he?" I unclutched my hands, clasped around Eli's neck.

"Baby I already told you they're in the hospital."

I shook my head, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.

"where is that bastard?"

From behind Eli's head I could see a few heads turn at my question.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore Mia" Xavier answered, avoiding my actual question.

"Where is he?" I asked again.

"Darling you shouldn't worry about that anymore" Penelope tried this time.

My eyes flicked around the room observing everyone's worried expression, before finally landing back on Eli who currently had his head lowered, not looking at me, so using the tip of my fingers I lifted his head back up.

"Please... where is he?"

"Basement" He whispered so low I almost didn't hear the words.

I drew in a breath at the thought of even being in the same vicinity as the devil.

"Locked up with round the clock security" Sebastian quickly added.

"and Mason?"

"Dead" Aiden responded in a flat tone.

There was a silence to my soul at hearing that. I felt the chill in my blood, yet no emotions arose from it.

"Why don't we get you all cleaned up and in some comfier clothes, yeah?" Zara chimed in almost hesitantly.

I didn't oppose to her words. As she reached out for my hand I let her pull me up and help me up the stairs and into my room.

"I'm okay" I mumbled as Zara helped me out of my dress.

"I know, but these dresses are killer to get out of, you know?" she smiled as she spoke, but I could tell by her tone she was worried about me.

"How are Alex and Jacob?" I asked, trying to revert the worry to someone else.

She nodded silently, thinking for a moment before responding, "fine, Alex should be up and running in no time, you know how he is."

I let out a small smile as I remembered how energetic Alex had been only a short time after having been shot in the leg.

"Want me to run a bath for you?"

"No, it's fine, I think I want to take a shower instead," I responded, knowing that I'd be in the shower for a good hour scrubbing away any trace of what had happened tonight, "thank you though."

"Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

I nodded my head in response as I watched Zara leave the room.

Moments later I had found myself staring in the mirror in the bathroom.

This whole trip I had transformed back into the happy go lucky Mia I had taught myself so hard to be and one night brought it all crashing down on me.

Even though Matteo had been captured and Mason was dead, I felt empty inside. It was as though my soul couldn't figure out what emotion it wanted to excrete, so it shut down on me instead.

Knock. Knock.

"Mia, can I come in?" I heard Eli's velvet voice ask behind the closed door.

I turned away from my hollow reflection and reached out to turn the knob.

"Hey" he smiled, tilting his head ever so slightly.

"Hey" I smiled back, his warm eyes instantly heating up the cold room.

In a matter of seconds Eli had his arms wrapped around my frail body in a protective embrace and I immediately sunk into the warmth of his hug.

"I love you" In that moment his arms squeezed a fraction tighter.

"I love you too" I mumbled, squeezing him back, not wanting this moment to end because in his embrace, my mind was at peace.

"Were you going to take a bath?" Eli asked, not letting go of me.

"a shower actually... I-I feel dirty" I mumbled.

Eli leaned back, before lifting my head and capturing my lips in a sweet, comforting kiss.

"You want some help in the shower?" he mused as his lips brushed over mine.

I mindlessly leaned back into the kiss and started undressing him, prompting Eli to chuckle in the kiss.

We found ourselves entering the shower without letting go of one another, standing under the warm running shower in each other's embrace, before Eli picked up a loofah and began running it over my bare body.

There was nothing sexual about his actions, no remark behind his caress, instead I found myself seeping into the comfort he radiated.

An hour later we were entangled between the sheets, Eli's hand moving around my middle, warm and soft, as he pulled me close. Our bodies always fitted together, sharing body heat as easily as we shared hearts.

With the night so dark and still, I couldn't help but ask,

"Can I see him?"

I felt Eli's body tense, in preparation for what could possibly become a grand argument.

"Who?" he asked, knowing full well who I was referring to.

"Matteo"

"I don't think-"

"please... I need to do this for myself... I need the closure, I need to know that it's real, that I'm really finally safe, otherwise I'm going to keep looking over my shoulder or I'm going to hesitate every time someone takes me somewhere secluded or-"

"Okay," I instantly smiled at his response, "I'll have to speak to your father first but... I'll try my best."

"thank you" I murmured as I pulled Eli closer, and eventually let my tiredness take over, falling asleep in his embrace.

♡ ♡ ♡

Authors Note: how do we think Mia is going to react when she sees Matteo? A kick in the balls maybe? Or a punch in the face?

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