My dad takes my hands in his, "I'm so sorry Val, Alessia didn't make it through the night" he says.
"Dad, y-you can't joke like that. It's not funny, you can't just lie. Why are you lying to me" I say as tears form in my eyes.
"Val-" he says as he tries the cup my face in his hands.
"No!" I stand up, "stop lying, she's not dead. T-the doctors said that- that she'll live for around another month" I tell him as more tears fall down.
"If she made it through the night but she didn't. Her heart stopped before she was pronounced brain dead, there was nothing they could do" he says gently, still sitting down.
"N-no" I sob out as my dad stands up now too.
Elijah walks in the room so I quickly walk up to him, "tell him Elijah, tell dad that she isn't death" I cry.
He looks at my dad and when he shakes his head, Elijah wraps his arms around my body.
"I'm sorry, Val. She's gone" he whispers.
I break down as realization begins to set in.
I cry loudly as my legs give out.
Elijah doesn't let me fall though, instead he picks me up and walks me to the couch, putting me down next to him.
"Shhh it's okay, it'll be okay Val. Breathe, just breathe" my dad whispers as he has his arm wrapped around my shoulders.
I cry in his chest
It hurts
My heart feels like it's being ripped apart again
My breathing begins to go labored as I start to feel like I can't breathe.
My chest tightens as I start to see black dots in my already blurry vision.
"M-make it stop please dad" I sob out.
"Shhh, go to sleep principessa" he says before darkness takes over.
—————
Arsenio Hernandez's POV.
I press on a pressure point on Val's arm before she falls limp against me.
I stroke her hair gently and hold her tight.
I wipe my own tears that have fallen from partly seeing Val suffer like this but also from knowing that Alessia died.
I know she was Val's friend but I knew her pretty well too.
She was a good friend.
Val is already dealing with so much and now this on top of that too.
I get another message so I quickly look down at my phone.
Roman.
That mother fucker I swear to god.
I open the message.
Arsenio, please let me explain. I didn't want to break up with Val, I love her but the Switzerland's mafia made me do it. They took me from my new apartment and told me that if I don't break up with Val, they'd kill her. Arsenio, they have snipers on her constantly for I don't even know how long but I'm going to take them out just like the underboss who made me hurt her. When I'm done I'm coming back for Val. Please take care of her for me. Roman.
What
I tug Valentina closer to me and pick her up.
I still have Roman his message open when I walk back to the dining room.
I show my wife the message before I show it to Allesandro, than it goes around the table.
They all look at me with shock but also angry but than also compassion and some more emotions.
————
Valentina's POV.
A few days have passed I think.
I'm not really sure what day it is to be honest.
Everything is just a blur, I get out of bed- go to school before than going back home and falling asleep.
I don't eat, I don't really talk to anyone and our friend group just sits in silence the whole time when we sit together in the cafeteria, staring at the empty space where Alessia used to sit.
I'm in my French class once more, the same place I saw Alessia for the last time ever.
I look at her empty chair and everyone in this room just moves on as if nothing has happened.
As if their classmate didn't just die.
As if she never existed in the first place.
I want to get out of here.
No I need to get out of here before I burst into tears just like when Xavier dragged me away from her.
How she fell down her chair on the ground, her eyes bloodshot.
I raise my hand in the air, "miss-" I start but she cuts me off.
"En français" she stops me.
(Translation- in French)
"madame puis-je aller aux toilettes s'il vous plait?" I ask her.
(Translation- miss. Can I go to the bathroom please?"
"Pourqoui?"
(Translation- why)
"parce que je dois aller aux toilettes" I tell her in a dub tone
(Translation- because I have to go to the bathroom)
"Non, tu peux y aller pendant la pause"
(Translation- no, you can go during the break)
I look her dead in the eye, challenging her.
I swear to god I'll shoot her if I have to.
I ignore her calls for me when I stand up and walk away.
I walk close to her and whisper so only she hears, "fais attention quand tu vas dormir ce soir, je viendrai peut-être te rendre visite"
(Translation- better watch out when you go to sleep tonight, i might come give you a visit)
Her eyes grow wide with fear as I turn and walk to the bathroom.
I lock the bathroom door before leaning on the sink while breathing heavily.
Don't cry
Don't cry
She's dead yes but she's okay
She's not in pain anymore
She's not suffering
I take a deep breath as I try to stop the tears from falling.
Getting frustrated I lift my fist and punch it in the mirror in front of me.
The mirror shatters like my heart did multiple times in the fast few days.
Red liquid flows out of my now open knuckles.
I let myself fall to the ground as my legs give out from under me.
Why does it hurt so much
Why doesn't the pain go away.
It doesn't even subside a little bit.
The world just feels so lonely and dull without Alessia and Roman.
I look at the sink and the shattered pieces of glass.
I reach over and take one.
Maybe if I just
Just once
Just to make the pain stop for a second.
So I can feel something else than the constant pain.
How do people deal with this grief.
How do they stop themselves from throwing them off of a building because of this feeling.
I lift up the sleeve of my hoodie.
Just once more.
It doesn't matter, I already have a million scars this won't change anything.
My heart beats loudly in my head as I draw the line.