"Eleanor is in the hospital,"
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Chapter 29 : stay
As soon as I heard the news I went to the hospital as fast as I could. I was in the middle of an important box match when my coach told me Lorenzo called me. Immediately I stopped everything, when Lorenzo calls you there is something very important. When he said Eleanor was in the hospital I grabbed my coat and walked out of the spirt store. Even though I was just in the middle of one of the most important boxing matches I've ever had.
And now I'm sitting here on a much too small chair that I had to cram my body into waiting for the doctor. Next to me Emilio is nervously biting his black painted nails, he doesn't look good. He looks very...worried. I roll my eyes, now he is worried but when Anastasia is there he will forget about Eleanor in 1, 2, 3. Just like all the rest. Lorenzo is standing a little further away talking on the phone with someone, he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Next to Emilio, Matteo is sleeping, well, snoring. I don't understand how he can sleep, but actually I do, he came straight back with the plane, he away again to take care of some business. I think Matteo if he was there would have believed Eleanor instead of that babrie doll. On the other side of the waiting room you have Valentino, Leonardo and Alessandro. Leonardo is just sitting in front of sight, he seems to be deep in thought. Alessandro is sitting with his head in his hands, I can't see his face but I know he is incredibly angry with himself right now, he deserves the guilt. Asshole. And then you have Valentino who is, well who is Valentino and is trying to comfort Alessandro. If anyone needs comforting it's Eleanor.
"I really screwed up," Alessandro mutters, sighing in frustration. I look at him, and Valentino rubs his back, he opens his mouth and probably wants to say something like no you didn't, but I'm ahead of him.
"Yep," I reply dryly.
With a jerk, Alessandro and Valentino look at me. Alessandro looks at me with big eyes, like he didn't expect me to say that, while Valentino gives me a murderous look.
"Yes what?" I ask, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly. "It's the truth," I look at Leonardo. "Right Leo?" I ask him, he always tells the truth so I'm curious if he would admit his mistake, after all, he also dropped Eleanor like a brick. Leonardo sighs.
"We all screwed up," sounds Leonardo's reply.
"I didn't," I admit, I mean I was there for her, in my way. Of course Matteo would have been there for her differently, in a better way....
"Huh, did you realize that A-" begins Valentino but Alessandro interrupts him.
"That the name that is not mentioned,"
"- was the one who lied?" Finishes Valentino's sentence.
"Yeah duh even a bird would know she was just here for money, in fact I don't understand why Lorenzo approved of her in the first place," Just as I say that Lorenzo comes running up. He stops pacing and looks at me, I brace myself for a comment, but it doesn't come, he just looks at me and then turns his head away. That's unusual. Lorenzo sits down on the chair next to the sleeping Matteo.
And now it's waiting.
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"Family of Eleanor Ricci?" As soon as the doctor heads for ins we all stand up, except Matteo who is still asleep, and start firing all kinds of questions at the man.
"Is everything all right?"
"What happened?"
"Where's Eleanor?
" Can we see her?"
"Tell us what's going on!"
The doctor seems overwhelmed by all our questions. With wide eyes he looks from one asking one question to another. The questions keep flowing and the poor man doesn't get time to answer, before another question is sent his way. Hopelessly the man looks at us, not knowing what to do. I sigh deeply.
"Enough!" I shout, immediately everyone is silent. Wait a minute where is-
"Where is Lorenzo?" Asks Emilio, he looks around searchingly. Valentino frowns his eyebrows and at that moment his phone rings. Quickly he grabs his phone and looks at the caller id.
"Talk about the devil," Valentino mumbles. He accepts the call.
"Yes? Are you serious? Eleanor is in the hospital and you-" Valentino stops talking and his eyes grow big, he even shockingly slaps a hand in front of his mouth. "You can't be serious," he mutters, his facial expression turning from worried, shocked to angry. "Yeah okay I'll say it," and with that Valentino hangs up.
"What is it?" Asks Leonardo worriedly. Valentino looks at us and his gaze falls on the doctor. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair.
"Lorenzo aveva ordinato a uno dei nostri uomini di guardare i filmati delle telecamere della scuola, per scoprire cosa fosse successo a Eleanor," Explains Valentino. *"Lorenzo had ordered One of our men to look at the camera footage from school, to know what happened to Eleanor
"Okay and?" Alessandro asks impatiently.
"I want two of you to stay here and the rest of you to come with me, on the way I'll explain everything," Valentino looks around and his gaze lingers on Emilio.
"You stay here Emilio," Valentino says sternly. Emilio opens his mouth to object, but Leonardo looks at him. "You and Eleanor had the strongest bond, she's going to need you," a stab goes through me at those words, Emilio is Eleanor's favorite. These words seem to win Emilio over and he nods his head. Then we look at each other, we all think about who should stay. Alessandro's gaze falls on the sleeping Matteo.
"Matteo can stay?" Suggests my twin. Valentino looks at the snoring Matteo and nods his head.
"Okay the rest come with me," Valentino, Leonardo and Alessandro begin to walk toward the exit, but I remain standing, looking at the hallway that Eleanor was brought through a few hours ago. Leonardo notices that I remain standing and stops, quietly he comes to me and follows my gaze, he puts a hand on my shoulder.
"Stay," he whispers softly. I turn my head towards the uir corridor that Valentino and Alessandro are just passing through.
"But-"
"Stay, you know as well as I do that Eleanor trusts you the most, you were the only one who believed her, she needs you," Leonardo continues in a quiet tone.
"But Valentino-" I begin but stop when Leonardo shakes his head.
"I'll settle that with him, " Leonardo looks at me piercingly. I nod my head.
"Okay, " Leonardo nods and walks away. Then I turn to the doctor, who is still standing there. Emilio is talking to the doctor. Well he is firing questions at the man without waiting for his answer.
"Doctor," I say, Emilio stops his rattling and looks at me. A hopeless look in his eyes. He may be nineteen, but he has no idea what to do at this point, all he can do is worry about his little sister.
"Emilio will you wake Matteo up so the doctor can explain to us what is going on?" I ask my little brother. Emilio nods and quickly walks over to the chair Matteo is sleeping on. While Emilio wakes Matteo up I look at the doctor.
"Is it bad?" I ask softly so Emilio doesn't hear. The doctor looks at me, and that look says it all. Emilio comes back to us and a second later Matteo is standing next to him, with his hair all messed up and big circles under his eyes.
"Okay doctor explain,"
"Eleanor had a big head wound, which we had to sew direcr, it was a very deep wound and she can probably have a slight concussion," the doctor explains. Emilio gasps, but Matteo looks at the doctor inquiringly.
"And? You are not telling us something," the doctor swallows loudly and rubs his hands nervously.
"We uhm the nurses discovered something when they changed Eleanor's clothes," I get a bad feeling.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Have you ever seen Eleanor's arms? Or her legs? Or her stomach? Or her back?" Asks the doctor.
"No," we answer simultaneously.
"Well, she's all over the place with cuts and burns, cigarette burns," I feel my blood boil and ball my hands into fists.
"How bad?" I ask through gritted teeth.
"Her whole body is full and..." the doctor doesn't finish his sentence.
"And what?" Emilio asks softly.
"On her back, her back," the doctor shakes his head. "I think it's better if you see that for yourselves," the doctor mutters. I turn to Matteo.
"Where is Eleanor from?" I ask.
"The woman said she is from an orphanage," Matteo says frowning.
"What woman?"
"Kim, Kim Turner,"
A/N: TUM TUM TUMMMMM
Y'all were commenting about the clifhanger the previous chapter. i mean, it's not like i let Eleanor hang at the end of a cliff and then stop the chapter, cause that really would be a cliffhanger...
And that sounds like a great idea.
Hope you guys like this chapter, cause i don't haha.
Reminder: you're not alone <3