My leg bounced as time passed in the foyer. Since I called Audrey, I haven't been myself and the room I stayed in was just becoming too cramped. I sat on the white marble stairs with my hands in my hair, the moonlight shining through the windows.
Even though the house was silent every day since the night, the thoughts in my head made it impossible to bear. As I looked up at the window far in front of me, I took in a deep breath.
Liam almost died.
Fucking died.
My phone dropped to the floor when those words left Audrey's mouth. Thank the demons he survived but he'd need to be on bed rest for at least two weeks which won't end well, I was sure of it. Liam wasn't the type to lay around and do nothing when he was injured. Although when his inner self was first shattered after she died, it showed he was certainly capable of sitting around. Not that it was a good thing.
As much as it was hard on both of us, the best choice for him would've been to occupy himself with some sort of workload to get his mind off the tragedy.
But I don't blame him. Even this incident showed he was vulnerable and that alone almost killed him.
And Alex came back to their estate covered in blood. Most of it, being his own.
My heart ached to know I wasn't there to take care of him and kill the people responsible for his pain. Not only Alex's but Liam's too. If I learned one thing from years and years of friendship, is that my best friend's happiness comes first. Liam was and still is her happiness while she's busy dethroning Satan himself.
And for some reason, I feel entitled to help him. He made her happy. And I know that this loss hit him the worst out of all of us even if he did know her the shortest.
"Margo?" Laura's light voice whispered from behind me. I quickly wiped a tear rolling down my cheek before looking up at her, standing at the very top of the grand stairs. "Hey," my tears slipped from my eyes as my best friend walked down the few stairs towards me. "Mar," she sat down next to me as her arms wrapped around my body. I leaned into her, letting my emotions slip through.
For some reason, I thought that letting it all out was the best option in this situation. But as the tears fell and my brain started to rethink my entire existence, I wasn't crying only because my boyfriend was hurt or that my best friend's man was almost killed, I was also crying because of how much I missed Celeste and how the world was slowly killing itself with all of the greenhouse gases.
I guess it made some sense that I started my period because I would not be fucking crying over global warming on a regular day. Not that it isn't an immensely important problem for humanity.
"What's wrong?" She asked me as her hand gently caressed my head.
"Alex got hurt and Liam almost died." I paused for a moment to get a breather. "But like actually died for a few minutes before he was brought back." Laura gently pushed me back, tilting my head back to face her.
"Liam? As in Martinelli?" I nodded before getting out of her grasp and wiping my cheeks. I glanced down as I sighed.
"He met Silas Adalwen and after he left, Liam overheard him say something about Cel. It got him mad and I guess he just went full rage mode on that man."
"Oh, god. What the hell?"
"And Alex stormed off after Silas's associate Rico Lorenzo. Came back with multiple shot wounds and bled out a lot." I wiped a tear cascading down my cheekbone.
"Fucking hell."
"I wish I was there. For both of them. I just feel this duty of some sort to help Liam as much as I can. He just..." I took a deep breath, "he helped her and loved her. I owe him that much for her happiness." A faint smile tugged my lips. "Besides, when she takes Satan's place, I'll be scared to meet her down there for not taking care of her man." Laura breathed out an amused breath.
"After Giovanni passed, I thought I wouldn't have to go through more grief right away. And then my parents died." I looked over at her, wrapping an arm around her as I pulled her to my side. "She sent me a voice mail before it happened. I still listen to it once in a while. And every time I strangely cry less." I gently rubbed her back, hoping to make this conversation slightly easier for her. "Maybe I'm understanding that there's no better place for her than eternity. She's not in danger anymore and she's with dad. She can watch over me and i miei bambini whenever she desires." She sighed. "I guess I'm just happy she isn't suffering anymore."
I guess I could agree with her. Luciana had lived a very eventful life before her death and towards the end, became a target because of how important she was to the Rossi and Celeste herself.
"And I never thought that I'd let someone in this quickly." A smile touched my lips. "The way he spoils Bianca and plays with Angelo was what sealed the deal. Every time we video chat he demands to see the two. Bianca even started to ask me where he is and when we'll see him in her gibberish words." I chuckled as I took my hand off her and raised my eyes towards the windows by the door. "He really likes them. I see it in his eyes." You can't fool a mother when it comes to her kids. Especially a mother like Laura who was the best mother I've ever seen. Apart from my own mother, of course, but considering how much Laura didn't want them at first, she can't imagine her life without them.
We all adore them to pieces.
"Do you think he likes me?" I wasn't expecting this question at all.
"I wish he does. If he likes your kids so much, he'll love you." Suddenly, I was glad she started to speak about Luciana. It gave me a breather from how hurt my heart was. "And if he dares to lay a finger on you, you have the entire Rossi clan behind you," she chuckled before giving me tight hug.
We had many of these moments growing up. Late night chats about relationships, boys, family issues, dreams and beyond. We always hugged it out but something was very different from this moment. The hug was nice but empty. Two hearts instead of three and I knew Laura felt it. The shift in energy between us before we cried silently for hours.
I felt her here.
Like a ghost, right in between her two best friends.
Like a ghost, trying to find her peace in the underworld for eternity as everyone she loved stayed back.
Like a ghost, that lost everything she had in a matter of seconds.
Like a ghost, that wished to turn back the time for one more day with her loved ones.
But ghosts weren't real. They were just an illusion.
Up until you feel them.
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The pounding of my head sent pulsating nerves all over my body. I moved my hand slowly as my eyes opened. Millimetre by millimetre they opened, making them blind for a brief moment as they adjusted to the light. I looked around the room.
Mine.
I moved my head to the side before I gently lifted it upwards but then quickly dropped it down as pain shot through my body from my lower back.
What the fuck?
Slowly, one by one, memories flooded back.
Silas.
His dead body.
Rico and his bullet.
"Fuck," I cursed as the reality of being alive set in. I hated it. I was so close to fucking being with her and only got to enjoy a moment. I was sure she had something to do with that because she'd think I did this of my own will.
Sorry, baby, but I keep my word.
As much as I would fucking want to see you.
I couldn't move my body even an inch from the excruciating pain and accepted my defeat.
I'll stay in bed for longer. But if she appears, I won't be fucking responsible for the overdose of pills I'll take.
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I opened my eyes as the sound of chatter began to irritate my ears.
"Why can't I have a quiet sleep, for fuck's sake?" I growled, my voice hoarse.
"Liam?" My mother's voice. I couldn't bother to lift my head up to see who was with her but I got to see her face when she rushed to my side. Her hand touched the side of my face. "My darling. Oh, Lord. What the hell got into you?" A tear slipped from her eye. I had to tear my eyes away from her. I never wanted to see my mother cry and especially not when I was helpless.
"Why the hell would you kill him?" I heard my father's voice, making my eyes roll.
"Francesco, stop it. He's injured," my mother's hand caressed my forehead as she looked at me, getting more and more emotional.
"He should've made better decisions. This is seriously unacceptable, Alessia. He's acting like a goddamn child!" He shouted, making my mother flinch.
The moment I was able to even sit up in the bed, I was going to shoot him for that tone. Fucking bastard. No one, and I mean no one, speaks to my mother that way.
"After everything you've put him through, you have a right to say that?" She looked away from me and towards her husband. "He's been taking care of what you leftover. Your dumb mistakes that he has to now suffer from. How dare you?" I knew Francesco was fuming. My mother and he had never had a terrific relationship.
Back when they were teenagers, perhaps they liked each other enough to tolerate one another and marry. But after Elisa passed and Alessia demanded Francesco to take after Beatrice, even though he had agreed, for some reason their relationship slowly began to decay.
I've wondered what had happened between them for the marriage to reach such lows but I never indulged myself to care about it after more problems appeared and I took my father's duties.
But after Audrey brought Francesco's nightly disappearances to my attention, I'm not sure I can simply forget about this. I don't want to let my mother get hurt because of the idiot I have the curse to call my father.
"If you haven't realized, it's part of the job to take responsibility. It's not my fault I made certain decisions that he now has to deal with. In fact, I don't think I like the decision of letting him take over anymore," he scoffed. "Hell, why the hell doesn't he have a brain and think for once before killing Silas?"
"Don't you dare talk about him that way, Francesco."
"And if you do, please do so outside of my room, thank you," I finally said, getting irritated.
"Why the hell did you do it?" He asked, keeping his voice low and somewhat calm. Although, I knew he was boiling inside.
"Why don't you just leave my room and let me heal. I'll be glad to strangle you in a week. Is that okay with you?" I cooed, bringing my hand up to my face before I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Francesco, leave. He's seriously in pain," her hand touched my hand that was planted beside my hip.
"I don't care if he's in pain or not, he'll have consequences after he recovers. Do you want to tell me what had actually happened or do you want me to hear it from someone else?" I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're actually pathetic. Leave before I order my guards to drag you out. I don't want to hear you for the next week or two. Preferably for eternity." I took my hand away from my face and closed my eyes.
Before their chatter woke me up, I was with her and for fuck's sake, I've never felt a kiss more real than that.
But I won't see her again. Not right now in my dreams at least because the moment silence overtook the room, the fatigue my body still felt made it impossible to dream anything as I drifted away and fell asleep.
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