☼ Elias ☼
"Elias," Maeve says, grabbing my hand. I look down, meeting her eyes with mine. Even now—when I'm fucking livid—she still looks so beautiful. "I understand how you feel, I miss my dad—my parents too," she smiles weakly at me.
Her words feel like a force punching me in the cock. I snatch my hand out of her small one and run it through my messy hair while scoffing.
She understands how I feel? Little Ms. Happy all the fucking time understands how I feel?
What a fucking joke.
"You understand?" I repeat and Maeve looks taken back by my brutal tone, "how the fuck would you know how the hell I feel?!" I yell at Maeve.
Maeve takes a minor step back, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.
I need to stop, she'll have another attack but I can't stop yelling, all I can see is red.
"You couldn't possibly understand shit, do you know how fucking horrible it is to lose a fucking parent—someone you grew up seeing every—fucking—day until they suddenly just disappear?! Do you even understand how it is to not be so fucking cheerful all the fucking time?" I yell, clenching my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms. "You fucking left! You left your family in France, you can go back and see them! I watched my dad die, Maeve!"
"Th-That's n-not-," I refuse to let Maeve speak. Her eyes turn glossy, threatening to pour hot tears but she holds them back, not wanting me to see her cry.
"What? Mommy and daddy didn't fucking love you enough so you ran away?!" I lower my head to match Maeve's height, "you could never understand how I feel, we are not the same—You ran, you were the one who disappeared... you're a coward."
A loud smack echoes through the room, followed by the searing burn of my cheek. Maeve stares at her trembling hand before pulling it to her chest.
She slapped me...
Neither Maeve nor I turn to look at the others, all we get from them are surprised gasps that float through the room, which are quickly drowned out by silence.
Maeve fails her fight against her own emotions and tears run down her cheeks rapidly, her breathing so heavy I can't tell if she's having an attack or not. The expression she sends me makes me feel like someone's pushing hundreds of tiny shards of glass into my chest. Each prick drawing an abundance of crimson blood.
All the pigment in Maeve's eyes fade, no ounce of color or emotion left. Her eyes look so dead... her eyes were so distant despite her being right in front of me.
"What's my middle name? My favorite color? When's my birthday, Mr. Armani?" Maeve spits out my name with such fury it sends a shiver down my spine.
Why's she asking me these questions? More importantly, why don't I know the answers?
"You don't know a single thing about me past my name, you had no right..." Maeve cries tears of frustration and anger.
Why didn't I just shut my mouth and hold it in?
"Fuck you, Elias," Maeve mumbles through her cracking voice before running out of the room.
Sabrina walks up to me, grabbing a glass of water off the counter. She stops in front of me and throws the drink in my face.
I wipe my face with my shirt, "it's not like I said anything wrong," I tell Sabrina, brushing back my now wet hair.
I didn't, right?
"Are you so full of yourself that you can't see that you clearly did?!" Sabrina yells, throwing her hands around. She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose almost as if she was holding herself back from saying something. "I asked you not to hurt her!"
If Sabrina was any other member of my mafia I would've made an example of her, she's lucky she's not.
Loud revving coming from outside catches us all off guard. Sabrina and Alessandra run outside only to return minutes later, "she took your damn motorcycle!" Alessandra informs me, worry inscribing itself into her forehead.
When the fuck did she learn how to drive a motorcycle?
Gio tugs at the fabric of my shirt, pulling my attention to him, his eyes turn slightly glossy, "when's Maebe coming back?"
I turn away, unable to answer him. "It's okay buddy, I think I know where she went, I'll bring her back to you," Sabrina assures Gio, kneeling in front of him. She turns her head over her shoulder and sends me a bone-chilling glare.
Sabrina leaves shortly and Alessandra pulls Gio out of the room, leaving me with Marcus and Luca. I glance at Luca and he frowns at me before looking away. I turn my gaze to Marcus and he's shaking his head at me.
I roll my eyes, irritated by their choice to stay silent, "if one of you have shit to say just fucking say it!" I spit at them.
"Fucking idiot," Luca whispers loud enough for me to hear then leaves the room with Marcus following him.
A maid passes by, avoiding eye contact with me, "clean this mess up," I 'request', referring to the broken glass and scorch marks.
___ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ___
I sit at my desk, twisting myself on the office chair, impatiently waiting for Sabrina to bring Maeve back—not that I care if she does come back—while weaving my father's lighter through my fingers.
The sun has set hours ago and they're still not back. My foot taps the floor hastily as I begin to turn anxious. I bite at my lips and wince at the stinging from my bottom lip. Soon after Maeve left I discovered that her slap busted open my half-healed lip from the fighting ring.
I stand from the chair at the sound of a door closing down the hall. I immediately rush out of my office and stop at the door—Maeve's door. I pull it open with no plan in mind, I'm definitely not apologizing, I said nothing wrong, but I just want to see her.
To my dismay, Maeve is not in her room, it's just a maid. "What are you doing in here?" I ask, demanding an answer.
The maid looks frightened when she answers, "c-cleaning!" She drops a white sheet and grabs a feather duster, waving it in the air.
I motion towards the open door and the maid scrambles out. I move to the center of the room and I turn, assessing the area. I stop dead in my tracks and stare at the incomplete painting settled on an easel near the window. The colors are so dark and the shades of blue are so perfectly incorporated. If my music was sad to Maeve, her art was despairing to me, not because it was bad or even near it, but because it was so undeniably astonishing it made me realize that I drove the artist away.
I pick up the white sheet at the base of the easel and throw it over the painting so I don't have to stare at it any longer. I flee the room, slamming the door shut as I make my way out. I don't even bother to cringe at the sound of cracking wood.
I return to my office and slump against the wall, staring at the piano. I hadn't even touched it since my father died. When I was younger I was attached to his hip, I would follow him almost everywhere. He used to sit in his chair by the window and smoke his cigars—occasionally cigarettes—while listening to me play the piano.
After his murder I didn't touch a single piano key, I never wanted to... until Maeve. She made me want to play, to remember him. Since she came I have already played the piano twice.
I push myself off the wall and I sit on the glossy black piano stool. My fingers move mechanically, playing a song I learned at twelve just for my father to hear, Für Elise by Beethoven.
A soft knock vibrates the wooden door, making me lift my head and whip my body around quickly.
Luca walks in and my raised shoulders slump back down. I turn back to my piano and poke at random keys, making a poor excuse of music... Maeve would probably still be impressed.
"Sabrina's back," Luca says and I turn to him with my ears perked, "Maeve isn't... she didn't want to come back."
"If that's all you have to tell me, the door is right there," I inform Luca, pointing at the door with my middle finger.
Luca scoffs, "are you serious? That's all you have to say after what happened earlier today?!" Luca waves his hands around like Sabrina.
"What? You can't tell me you don't agree with what I said!" I shout back at Luca, standing from the stool.
Luca stays quiet.
"Exactly!" I point out Luca's silence, "you do agree!"
"I understand why you think you're right!" Luca exclaims, confusing me, "yea, you went through some rough shit that most people would never even come close to experiencing but you don't know what kind of shit she's been through either! You only hurt her to make yourself feel better!" Luca says like he knows something I don't.
I narrow my eyes at him, "what do you know?" I question Luca in an unfriendly tone.
"It's not my place to say, but know that you fucked up!" Luca enunciates his cursing.
"Il tuo capo ti ha fatto una domanda," I rage at Luca, taking a threatening step towards him.
(Italian- Your capo asked you a question.)
Luca takes a step back and pulls his head into his shoulders, "non vedo il mio capo, vedo un codardo," Luca snips before running out the door.
(Italian- I don't see my capo, I see a coward.)
I slam the door shut after Luca then take my seat at the stool yet again. I press at the keys, resuming the previous song. My fingers move quicker, fastening the pace of the song. My playing gets harsher, louder, more painful. I continue to attack the piano keys with my fingers until the hardened calluses on my fingertips tear open and color the keys of the piano an alluring red.
The sweet metallic scent of my own blood floods my senses yet I don't stop, I continue to punish myself.
I pull my fingers away from the piano, ending the burning sensation of my fingers. I stand up, leaving the piano keys a bloody mess, and walk over to the giant mahogany desk. I dig through the drawers and pull out bandages then I wrap each of my torn calluses with the bandages, luckily I have regular bandages this time.
I stare at the open drawer and tear one of the bandages on my fingers off and replace it with a bandage printed with a Dalmatian wearing a fireman's hat.
I roll the drawer shut and grab my lighter before leaving the room. As I walk down the hall I pass the console table—where my father's portrait hangs. I glance at the bouquet—at the red flower, the flower I put beneath the portrait.
I reach for the flower but centimeters before my fingers connect with the stem, I pull my hand away and curl it into a fist. I take my original path down the hall, to my room.
I pull my shirt off over my head and toss it to the floor then I drop onto my bed—not bothering to take off my pants. I roll onto my back and shut my eyes, trying to fall asleep by letting the peaceful lull pull me in.
I roll onto my side and stretch my limbs out across my king-sized bed. Feeling like I'm laying on a fucking rock makes me turn onto my opposite side.
Then my stomach.
Then my back.
I stare at the ceiling for a long while, letting my mind run wild and create images from the blotches of color I can see through the darkness.
Does my ceiling have freckles?
I grab one of my pillows and put it on top of my head, sandwiching myself between two pillows. I clench my eyes shut and chase my slumber, but it never comes.
I sit up, dropping the pillow from my face to my lap.
Why can't I fall asleep?
I slide out of bed and leave my room—Maybe a glass of water will help. I walk down the steps quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up.
I walk into the kitchen and switch on the lights. When the lights flicker on I find Sabrina sitting at the kitchen island with a bottle of Jack Daniel's in her hand.
As soon as I see her I abandon my objective and rush to the island, dropping my palms onto the marble countertop. I lean forward, "where's-," I clear my throat, toning down my enthusiasms, "where's Maeve?" I say in a much calmer voice, pulling my hands from the counter to my sides.
"Why?" Sabrina takes a long swig from the whiskey bottle. Her fingers tighten around the neck of the bottle, "are you going to apologize?" Sabrina sasses, tilting her head.
I stay silent.
I'm not even sure if I even did anything wrong... I don't think I did... right?
"Of course, what did I expect?" Sabrina whispers in irritation. "Too bad, even if you did apologize, I made a promise," Sabrina adds.
I furrow my brows, "promise?"
"To not tell you where she is, because she knows you'd make her come back." Sabrina laughs at me then takes another sip from the bottle, "years of therapy and you ruined it," Sabrina whispers.
"Therapy? Maeve? Why?" I question Sabrina, but she doesn't even look in my direction. I sigh in defeat, "Can you at least tell me where she went after I-,"
"After you yelled at her, or after you made her cry?" Sabrina interrupts, 'finishing' my sentence. "You want to know where she went? She went to St. Augustine and sat in front of a blank wall, and starred at it for hours, just to remind herself that she's here for a reason and that she will make a name for herself and that she's not a coward!" Sabrina's voice gradually gets louder as she speaks. She stops for a moment to catch her breath and to will her tears away, "she's the bravest person I know, yet sometimes I feel like I don't even know her."
Sabrina stands up and sets the bottle down onto the counter harshly, making a loud 'clink' echo in the kitchen.
"I can't believe I thought you'd be good for her," Sabrina remarks, turning her back, "good night, asshole." Sabrina stumbles out of the kitchen, switching off the lights.
The sound of a body falling down echoes in the dark. I walk in Sabrina's previous steps to find her sprawled out on the floor. I bend down and throw her arm around my neck, and I hold her up at her waist.
We move together—me mainly as her crutch—down the hall. Sabrina gives up her attempt at walking and I resort to dragging her. I beat my knuckles on the door in front of me until it open and Luca comes out.
"Take this." I shove Sabrina into Luca's arms. He smiles down at her and brushes a dark coil of hair out of her face.
My heartbeat speeds up just watching them together, I look away and clench my fists. I turn around and start to walk away, "she'll be back in three days," Luca confesses before shutting his door, stopping me in my tracks.
Three days? I can wait three days. Yea... I can do it.
I go back to the kitchen and chug down a glass of water before returning upstairs.
I walk to my bedroom door, my hand rests on the doorknob but I don't twist the knob or move forward. I turn my body and face Maeve's now broken—because of me—door. I move forward, increasing the distance between myself and my bedroom door.
I throw open Maeve's door and walk in, shutting the door behind me. Her room is so cold, it's oddly comforting.
I strip out of my pants and socks, and I pull off each ring on my finger—dropping them to the floor with a muted 'clink'—leaving me with nothing on but my boxer briefs, earrings, and the chain around my neck.
I crash down onto Maeve's bed with my back facing the ceiling. I wrap my arms around one of her fluffy pillows and I nuzzle my face into it. Maeve's lingering scent—strawberries with subtle floral notes—engulfs me, making me so tired and relaxed... and a little horny.
I hug the Maeve scented pillow to myself tightly while my feet hang off Maeve's much smaller bed compared to mine.
I sink further into her cold bed, chasing my slumber. My mind replays Maeve's hand connecting with my cheek over and over again. There were more than just tears in her eyes then, I missed it before but I can recall it perfectly now, it was so bright, so lethal.
There was a vicious fire in her eyes.
A little flame... kindled by my stupidity.
No matter how dangerous it looked, I wanted it to burn me.
Fuck.
Sabrina's words pass through my mind, why would Maeve need therapy? Does it have to do with her not being 'okay'? Was there an actual reason she left France?
Did I actually make a big mistake?
I pull my head out of Maeve's pillows to peek at her nightstand. Wilted tulips stand out of a glass vase, the soft shiny flesh of the petals turning rough and matte.
She still has the flowers I made Gio give her.
At the base of the flowers is a black L-shaped container... Maeve's inhaler.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She doesn't even have her fucking inhaler, what if she has another attack?
I made a big fucking mistake.
Fuck me.
___ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ___
(A/N)
Heyyy guys!!
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it.
Please continue to read my story and please if you have any questions that don't spoil the story feel free to ask I'll probably answer.
I also used artbreeder to make the characters of the book and I'm too lazy to make another chapter just for the images so I'll be attaching them below.
Of course artbreeder can't do everything so I had to use my skills as an artist to add things and I ended up loving them.
Here we go.
Before I show you the main characters let's start with the parents!!!
-If they're dead they're age is at what they died at-
Maeve's parents:
Audette: age-30 (deceased). She hella fine.
Giovanni: age-32 (deceased). He seggsy doe...
Elias and Alessandra's parents:
Alessandro: ughhh daddy ;P age-47 (deceased).
Hayat: age-46 (alive). She's a fucking bad bitch!!!
^^(her name is Arabic for 'life')^^
Now onto the main characters!!!
Use this as a key lmfao:
Maeve-white
Elias-red
Luca-light blue
Sabrina-yellow
Alessandra-pink
Marcus-green
Gio-dark blue
I accidentally left the photos out and the gang drew all over them. :(
Maeve
Elias
Luca
Sabrina
Alessandra
Marcus
Gio
Hope you enjoyed and thx for reading!!!
Word count- 3284
8/5/21
-strawberrymyylk