Kidnapped By Mistake ✔️

📌24

Deep breaths, Willa.

"Silvio, out! Now." Lazzaro warns his older brother after seeing my pale and frozen self.

At least just breathe, woman.

When Silvio doesn't move, Lazzaro averts his eyes away from me and settles them on Silvio with an irritated look.

"I said out, brother." He warns one last time, but Silvio doesn't pay him attention anymore. His eyes are glued on me and on my tube exiting my body. He takes a step forward and, as a defense mechanism I move my body at the head of the bed, forgetting the tube attached to me. The movement causes the tube shift and as soon as the sharp pain hits me, I whimper from the terrible and burning discomfort.

The boys both take a step forward, but I raise my hand and stop them.

"No," I speak up for the first time since Silvio has walked in, "I'm fine."

Lazzaro looks at me sympathetically because he knows how painful the shifting can be. He's seen me multiple times gasping for air when the tube moves even the slightest, but it's a first for Silvio to see me in this state and it fucking tears him apart.

"Lazz, I want to speak to Silvio, " My wish shocks him, to say the least. He eyes me to see if I'm serious, but when he concludes I'm not joking he sighs.

"You sure?"

I nod and he reluctantly leaves, but not before saying if I need anything he'd be just outside the door.

I look at Silvio, a man I did not know could look anything apart from a damn God, but he's here standing in front of me with dull and haggard features.

I gather the courage to speak up first, taking the lead and wanting this painful encounter to end quick. "Why did you come here, Silvio?"

He takes three careful steps and stops just by the chair, but doesn't take a seat. I watch his every move and with every step he takes, my heart beats faster.

"I just wanted to see you breathing and okay. That's all." He puts his hands in his jacket's pockets and tells me softly before offering me a sad smile. I notice there's no more running blood from his nose; just the old one already drying.

"Okay, you saw me. You can go now." I try to end the conversation here with a sharp tone and a final sentence, but he sighs and sits on the chair.

"Gattino," I shiver from the way he says his nickname for me in defeat, "I know that even if I apologize million times over you won't forgive me for what I've done–hell, I can't even forgive myself–"

I stare at him, waiting to see what he'll say next.

"So, I won't be asking for forgiveness, but for one, last chance to prove to you that I can be better to you. I want to make things right, Willa. " He finishes with a deep and beaten sigh, looking at me expectingly. As I reciprocate the look, I realize I'm actually stupid.

I'm stupid to even consider giving him that damn chance. I feel bad for him and I don't know why. Is it the way he speaks? His stiff and tired looks? The way he's looking at me like he'll break if I don't look at him? I should be yelling at him, cursing, punching, but I'm not. Instead, my forgiving and naïve nature comes to the surface. She's being too nice to this man and I can't do anything about it.

Damn it!

I'm weak. I keep forgiving him and giving him countless of chances just for him to go and fuck it up all over again and me almost dying can't even be the reason I say no to him for the first time. I'm truly and utterly a weakling.

Just one look at him is enough for me to calm down my anger towards him.

God, why am I like this?

Silvio is still looking at me, waiting for an answer, but I don't want to answer him right away because I know I'll give him a positive one. Instead I skip around the question.

"You've had many chances to make things right and you've managed to mess all of them up, Silvio. If I give you another chance you'll probably mess it up too." I tell him truthfully and watch as he sighs once again. He knows just as much as I do that that will probably be the outcome of it.

"I know," He agrees, defeated, but continues, "but I'd like to fix a few things for you at least. I'm beyond repair, gattino, and you know it. I can't fix myself, but maybe I can make some things right if you just let me and tell me how because I freaking love you. I don't want to hurt you anymore. "

And he says the thing I most feared hearing from him. He loves me.

I stay speechless for a moment, not really knowing what to say after this. He's being honest with me for the first time and it confuses me beyond imagine.

Do I love him? I don't think so. Did I really, really like him just a week ago? That, I know for sure now.

"Silvio, you can't love me." I finally settle on saying.

I remember what Lazzaro said earlier about Silvio not really making an effort in getting to know me in the past and I hate to say it, but it's true.

How can you love someone without knowing their darkest moments in life or the things they've done?

Silvio takes my hand in his. At first the touch feels repulsive, but soon I find the comfort and the few sparks that once were present.

I feel even stupider after this. I've let my forgiving and soft side come up and he reminded me of what we've felt before.

"But I do, Willa, and it's okay if you don't. " He offers me a small smile before bringing my hand and kissing my knuckles gently. My heart clenches at the sight and my eyes water out of nowhere. I've never seen him this vulnerable before and it scares me. His emotions twirling in his eyes–love, adoration, guilt, sadness, remorse–are all projected raw.

As a single tear leaves my eye, he brings his thumb and wipes it off before releasing my hand and standing up.

"I almost forgot." He says softly and digs into his right jacket pocket, retrieving my glasses I thought I had lost and puts them on the nightstand. "You'll need them now that you don't have contacts lenses."

I can't do anything except nod in gratitude and wipe another tear.

Before leaving, Silvio leans down and lands a slow and gentle kiss on my temple.

"Let me know what you decide. I'll come by tomorrow again."

And with that, he walks out.