Beautiful Mistake

Chapter 2 - Blood

"I'm sorry." I apologized, my head bowed and I played with the strings of my tracksuit pants.

"No! No, Elle, you have nothing to be sorry for! I am glad you called me. I am glad I could be here for you. I'm just exhausted and concerned about who he is, to begin with." She grabbed my hands and squeezed them tightly, making me look at her as she spoke.

I nodded my head and mouthed gratitude as more tears fell down my cheeks.

"Let's get you home. I will say I needed to visit your mother. While I'm inside, you sneak back into your room and I will check on you before I leave. Alright?"

I nodded, fiddling with the strings again.

Sierra grabbed the keys from the middle console and started the car. She revved it and pulled away from the park. Within minutes we were in front of my parents' massive gate. Sierra used the remote attached to the car keys to open the gates. The guards waved at the car, assuming my brother was inside. The windows were tinted and in the darkness of the night, it was practically impossible to see inside.

She parked the car in front of the garage causing me to look up at the recording cameras. Sierra followed my eyes then spoke softly with her hand on my leg.

"I'll delete the footage. You just take care of yourself."

"This could get you into so much trouble with both my brother and father, Sierra."

"Eh..." She shrugged her shoulders, not phased at all. "I've done worse."

She gave me an amused smirk as I clicked at what she was hinting at. I couldn't help the slight giggle that came from me, which I was thankful for.

"That's not funny." I shook my head as my thoughts were taken back to when she nearly murdered my father.

"It's a little funny." She countered with a soft chuckle as she reached behind her seat into the back. She grabbed one of my brother's sweatshirts and a packet of wet wipes. 

"And it's your brother's fault I even find it funny." She pointed out, a matter of factly, with her index finger in the air.

I shook my head before freezing, just realizing now that Sierra was alone. My brother was out so then...

"Sierra, where's Luciana?" I queried about my niece.

"Oh, she's with Zia (Aunt) Rosa for the night." She gave me a sweet smile after placing Niccolo's sweatshirt over her head, rolling it down her body. It reached just above her knees and covered her entire stained outfit underneath. 

"So, you were home alone?"

"Yup. We have the whole house to ourselves for the night and your brother left me to go out drinking with Tino." She replied nonchalantly as she ripped open the wet wipes. She began wiping her face, looking in the rearview mirror to make sure she cleaned herself properly. 

"Oh, boy."

"Oh, boy, is right. Don't worry, your brother has two very capable hands and a guest bedroom waiting for him." She hinted.

I remained silent and huffed softly in amusement.

"Elena?"

I lifted my head and met her gaze.

"Are you going to be ok?"

I remained silent and nodded while looking away.

"Usually, whenever I mention your brother's dick in any way you would react. I got no reaction, Elle." Even though her speech was filled with amusing words, her tone was dismal and her face crestfallen with concern.

"I just want to get to bed," I mumbled.

"Very well." She grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently before leaving the car and heading inside the house.

I gave it a few minutes before sneaking my way back inside and into my room. I shut the door behind me then turned around and leaned my body against it. I took the ring from inside my pocket and twirled it around my fingers. It had engraved letters, bejeweled on the top of the smooth squared section of the ring, the rest a smooth gold plated stainless steel.

"C... N..." I said in a whisper as I read out the engravings.

My head fell back and leaned against the door in the completely pitch black darkness inside my room. I could feel my eyes getting heavy with exhaustion, prompting me to get up and head towards my bathroom. I needed to get out of these clothes and wash myself of this... Blood...

I stood underneath the cascading hot water as I scrubbed my skin vigorously, watching as the crimson water ran down the drain. I shampooed my hair three times before feeling satisfied with the cleaning process as my tears ran alongside the water.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body with another one around my hair. I couldn't be bothered with clothes right now. I just wanted to get into bed and lay my head upon my soft memory foam pillow.

I had yet to turn on the light inside of my bedroom, making me lay in the darkness as the pitch blackness hid my tears that continued to spill.

I began falling in and out of consciousness before hearing a gentle click of my door followed by its creaking. The light from the corridor drowned out once again when the door closed shut.

I heard steps inside of the room followed by a dip on the other side of the bed. I felt her delicate hands on my shoulder, running her fingers down my arm.

"Elle, are you okay?" Sierra's voice was soft and low when she spoke.

I nodded my head slowly as she hugged me from behind, laying on the bed beside me for a few minutes.

"I've got to get home in case your brother gets back. But please, try and get some rest and call me if you need me. No matter the time!" With that, she pecked my cheek before rising to her feet and exiting my room once more, leaving me to my thoughts again as the night consumed me wholly, tomorrow being an uncertain and distant possibility.