Amore pericoloso

Chapter 11

Katherine

Repeat. It's funny how some events just can't seem to leave our thoughts. When my parents died, and I got the phone call from the hospital, there wasn't a night that went by that I hadn't replayed that conversation in my head. Hearing the nurse on the other line telling me to come as fast as I could. Watching the doctor put his hand on mine as he told me my father was gone and my mother would soon join him. I thought that was my own personal hell.

Boy was I wrong. Watching Lorenzo come in and look at me, with panic and concern all over his face. Hearing him bargain his life for mine and lower his weapon as proof. No one tells you how loud a gunshot really is. The ringing in my ears was drowned out by the screaming.At first, I wanted to tell the person to shut up, to stop screaming it was going to be fine. But then I realized it was me. Now in my dreams, I see his body hit the floor over and over again. And I scream.

The first few days were rough. The same doctor that cared for me had come to check Lorenzo. He gave a bleak outcome and told us not to expect a recovery. Gio looked defeated and locked himself in the other bedroom that night. I stayed with Lorenzo, changing his dressing every couple of hours. Marking sure he was still breathing and wiping sweat from his head.

Day two was worse. I hadn't slept, hadn't eaten, and I hadn't given up. I knocked on Gio's door. He was passed out with a bottle of whisky next to him. I saw red. Filling the bottle with water, I poured it on his head. He jumped up, swearing and looked at me. His eyes were glazed but I knew. He had been crying and he didn't want anyone to know it.

"Get up." I told him. "Get a shower. And get your shit together." I threw a towel at him. I went over to his bag and grabbed some clothes out and tossed those next to him as well.

He eyed me and pinched the bridge of his nose. This made my chest tight, seeing how similar they are. "Why bother?" he said dryly. "He's going to die. Weren't you listening to the doctor?"

I swear I wasn't in control of my own body. I stomped over and my hand landed hard on his face. He barely flinched. "How dare you give up on him." I scolded him, venom lacing my voice.

Gio looked off in the distance, like I wasn't even there. "Everyone leaves me. My mom...my dad....now...now..."he couldn't finish his sentence.

I put my hands on either side of his face and made him look at me. "He. Is. Not. Gone." I said, force behind my words. "Snap out of this. He is still here. I sat with him all night. But he needs you Gio. I need you. So please, get a shower, pull yourself together, and come help me."

And he did. He came out of that room, not the same Gio I had met when I was shot, but a close as he could muster. I was thankful. He made me eat something even after I protested I wasn't hungry and let me use his room to shower. He was right, I was still covered in Lorenzo's blood. But alone in the shower, everything hit me. Tears well down my cheeks lost in the water as I sat on the floor of the shower just letting the water hit my back.

Day three was better and worse. Lorenzo woke up. He was talking, he was walking, and then he collapsed. I was reaching my breaking point. I can't handle this. Gio comforted me, but it seemed all wrong. He was not the arms I wanted to be in. He was not the body I wanted to hug. But, he was my friend. For better or for worse, he and I would forever be bonded by this trauma.

Day four I woke up to see Lorenzo staring at me. He was sitting up, his hair all a mess, and it looked like Gio had come in to help him change his bandage. I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes. I must have looked a mess, so I smoothed out my shirt and ran my fingers through my hair.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him softly. "Can I get you anything?"He shook his head but didn't say anything at first. He just sat there watching me. "Why...why are you staring at me?"

He gave a small smile, the one he rarely shows. "Are you ok?" he asked so sweetly.

"Me?" I asked, shocked. "I wasn't the one that was just unconscious for 3 days."

He rolled his eyes. "Trauma comes with the territory Katherine. You are not used to seeing things like this." He sat up, moving closer to me. I started to protest but I knew it wouldn't do any good. He put his hand under my chin to look into my eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes I could get lost in. "Are you ok?" he asked me again softly this time. His face was gentle and I was surprised how soft his touch was.

Being this close to him, I lost my words. I just looked up at him, staring back at me, stunned into silence. "Katie?" he asked softly.

Wow. He never called me that. It snapped me back into the now. "I'm fine. Just worried about you is all." I averted my eyes down and my cheeks heated up. How embarrassing.

His eyebrows scrunched in, like he was worried but he didn't look away from me. He moved his hand from my chin up to cup my face. He gave a deep sigh. "Thank you for helping me. I know you didn't have to, and Gio said you really helped him. So thanks."

My voice was small when I answered. "You saved me."

He nodded. "I will always protect you Katherine. I never wanted anything to happen to you. I never wanted this life for you. I'm so sorry I brought you into this mess."

A tear slipped down my cheek. I can't believe I was crying. "I was so scared. When she pulled the trigger and you...you.." I closed my eyes. The imaging stared playing over again in my head. I shivered.

He gave a soft sigh and his eyes softened. "Shh. Don't worry now. Everything will be just fine." He brushed his thumb on my cheek as we both sat there. "What now?" he asked, but he seemed to be talking more to himself than me.

I gave a small nervous chuckle. That was the question.