Massimo's P.O.V
One moment I was talking to Enzo and the next moment I heard a frantic voice, it was calling the doctors and the nurse. As I looked towards Maya's room I realised that it was coming from there. So I didn't waste any single second and immediately rushed there.
"What happened?" I asked to no one in particular as my eyes went straight towards her to check if she was alright or if something happened to her.
"I just I just saw moment, her eyelids they were moving." Said Bianca while pointing towards her eyes.
I was now standing right near her bed, my face in her direct line of vision. If she were to open her eyes, my face would've been the first she'd see.
Right after that two nurses and a doctor came, it was Dr. Campbell aka Mason. He only gave me a brief look and went straight to check for her vitals. He first checked her pulse and then was about to check her eyes when I saw moment behind her eyelids as well.
Out of instinct I moved forward which made Dr. Campbell to retrieve his hand back. My eyes were fixed on her face as I waited for her to finally open her eyes. After what felt like hours, she managed to open her eyes a bit but because of the bright light in the room she immediately closed them back.
I moved my head as I tried to block the lights from coming direct onto her eyes. I saw her trying to open her eyes again, this time slowly. At first it was just a bit and then finally she managed to open her eyes fully. And as I had said, her eyes fell straight onto my face.
I didn't know what it felt like when you got back to life after almost dying, but as I was looking into her eyes, her eyes that were looking back into mine, at that moment I felt like I just got my oxygen back.
I just kept looking at her, into her eyes. It was as if I was under some spell that her eyes had put me in.
"Grazie a Dio" I unknowingly murmured to myself. It was surprising because I couldn't remember when was the last time I had thanked god for something.
(Thank god)
"If you all could just give her some space and not hover over her like this," Dr. Campbell aka Mason said as he briefly eyed me. "...then I'd like to check her vitals please." To this I reluctantly moved back giving him the space so he could examine her, but my eyes didn't leave her, they were still on her.
Behind me I could hear Hana, Enzo and Maya's friends, they were all very happy and thanking god now that Maya was finally up from coma.
I saw Dr. Campbell backing away from Maya as he noted down her vitals. He turned around as we all looked at him expectantly.
"Her vitals are all normal." Was all he said and then smiled at Maya's friends. "She's absolutely fine now, just need some time for recovery." As he said that both the friends hugged each other while thanking god repeatedly.
I sighed heavily as I looked down at Maya again for her to already looking at me. She immediately looked away when our eyes met, it was as if she wasn't supposed to get caught.
I saw her eyes going wide and when I looked where she was looking, surely it was Bianca and Amanda her two best friends from America. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, probably thinking that she was hallucinating or something.
"We're real babe. You're not seeing things." Said Bianca as she moved forward, Amanda following her.
Maya tried to sit up but because of lack of energy she was having difficulty in doing so, so I immediately went and inclined her bed in a way so that she could now be in a sitting position.
"B-Bianca." Her voice came out hoarse, obviously because of not speaking for a while.
"Here have some water." Amanda gave her a glass of water that she drank as if she was thirsty for a very long time.
Giving the glass back, she wiped her mouth while still looking at her friends with surprise/confusion.
"How did you two...." She then asked. Her eyes briefly, just for a moment landed on me. "Am I still in coma and dreaming about all this?" She asked out of the blue.
To this Bianca and Amanda both chuckled. "Trust me, we also thought the same when we first saw you here." Said Bianca. "We thought we were dreaming seeing you here in coma, after months of you going missing."
"Ya, we had lost all the hopes of seeing you again." Amanda added.
"I-I can't believe I'm seeing you guys as well." Maya said more like whispered. Her eyes now shining with unshed tears. I don't like seeing tears in her eyes. The sad, sorrowful look, I don't like it one bit!
I cleared my throat loudly to gain everyone's attention. "I'm sure you two can catch up with her more later." My eyes had been on her only. "As the doctor suggested, she should rest now to get some energy."
Both the girls looked at each other and then at Maya, "You rest ok, we'll come by again and then catch up on everything."
"Mason I wanna talk to you." Said Amanda as he gestured for him to follow her. He did but not before giving once again surprised Maya a small smile.
Looking at her surprised face Bianca said, "He was the one who informed us about you being here in Italy." Maya furrowed her eyebrows probably thinking how Mason found her. "Coincidentally and fortunately Mason was one of the doctors appointed for you." She said giving me a brief look. "You have so much to explain girl." She then said looking at Maya. "Rest now. See you in a while." And with that she left the room but not before eyeing me with suspension.
"You almost gave us a heart attack." Said Hana who had been standing patiently in the corner. This made Maya to look at her.
"Tesoro." Enzo also made his presence visible to her. "Mio dio you've no idea how much worried you got us all"
"I'm fine now." She said with a small smile. "And sorry for worrying you all." As she said that she briefly looked at me.
"Ah bullshit don't apologise." Said Hana dismissively. "Rest ok, see ya." And with that she also left the room with Enzo, but not before winking at me.
Now, it was only me and her inside the room. And by the look on her face she also knew that. I walked forward, towards her. She was looking at me but not at my face. I stood just a few metres away from her, so as to not overwhelm her.
I cleared my throat. "How're you feeling?" Was what came out of my mouth.
Chewing on the inside of her bottom lip she said, "I'm fine, a little weak but I'll be fine."
I stood there, not knowing what else to say, what else to ask her. She was fidgeting with her blanket as she looked up at me. It looked like she wanted to say something but didn't know how to.
"Go ahead." I said seeing her dilemma. Her eyes widened a bit.
"How do you know I wanna say something?" She obviously asked.
"I can very easily read you amore." I simply said.
"You're right I do want to say something." She said instead.
"I'm listening."
Reluctantly she asked, "My friends, you won't harm them, right?"
I looked at her with little offence. I mean in a way I couldn't blame her for asking that. I was a heartless, cold-hearted bastard afterall. But I also wouldn't lie, her thinking that I'd harm someone innocent, especially her friends did hurt a little.
With a slightly clenched jaw I asked, "And why do you think I'd harm them?"
"I um..." She hesitated.
"I admit I'm a heartless son a bitch, but you don't have to worry about your friends." She looked down at her hands in her lap. "As long as they're here they're my guest. And I don't harm my guests."
"I was just asking." She murmured but I heard her nonetheless.
"Anyway, you just rest and regain your energy." With that I turned around to leave the room as well.
"Massimo..." I halted when she called my name. "How are you?" I slowly turned around in my place and looked at her. How am I?
"Your head..." She said gesturing toward her head. Only then I realised that I had bandaged wrapped around my forehead.
Realising what she's asking I said, "I'm fine, just had a slight concussion." She nodded her head to this.
"I um want to lie down back." She said gesturing towards her inclined bed. I immediately rushed forward as if doing whatever she'd ask me at the moment was my high priority.
I made the bed's position back to how it was before, while keeping in mind not to rush it in case it'd hurt Maya. I was very well aware of her eyes on me while I was doing so. As obvious, she looked away the moment I looked at her.
"Thanks." She said and closed her eyes.
I stood there, near her bed. I could see her eyelids moving. I knew she was just trying not to see me while I was standing this close to her. So to end her misery I was about to move back but then I stopped. I didn't know what came over me, but I just couldn't stop myself. Maybe it was because it had been a while and I was relieved that she was up from coma, but whatever it was I couldn't stop myself from bending down and pecking her forehead lightly.
I heard her breath hitching but she didn't open her eyes and just laid there with her closed eyes. I straightened myself as I looked at her for a moment and then exited the room.
***
"So.....what now?" I just came back after talking with the doctors about Maya's health. They had said that she was now ok and within a week or so she'd be absolutely fine. All she needed was care throughout. They had advised her complete bed rest, but the good thing was that we could take her back home.
"I've done all the formalities and asked for the car as well." I informed Enzo. "We'll deal with everything once we get home."
"By everything you mean Maya's friend or about the deal?" To that I looked at him, for him to already looking at me with curiosity.
"As much as I appreciate your presence of mind," I said, "....don't you think sometimes you should just shut your damn mouth!" I finished with an irritated sigh.
"I was just trying to act as your responsible right hand man." He exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm.
"Oppa..." Came Hana's voice. "Are you alright?" She then asked.
I was sitting inside the other room that I had mentioned earlier. My head was hurting a little so I was simply sitting on the couch with my head in between my hands.
"I'm fine." As I said that a groan escaped my lips when this time slight pain shot through my temple region.
"Ya and I'm Shakira." She said sarcastically. I felt her sitting beside me on the couch. "Enzo please go and get the doctor." I was about to tell him not to but I heard footsteps which meant he was already gone.
"It's just a little headache Hana, I'm fine." I said removing hands from my head.
"You had concussion Oppa. And don't you dare say that I had it too." She said looking at me pointedly. "Because unlike me you were not taking care of yourself." She then continued. "Unlike me you were not even sleeping properly and were just constantly worrying about her." She lectured me about how I didn't take care of myself.
"Look, I'm not saying you to not worry about her. Do it...but look after yourself as well na." She said like a little sister, that she was to me. "I'm sure even she would agree with me on this."
Would she? I thought in mind. After everything she'd to go through. After everything I had put her through, after almost taking her life by accident, would she really?
Maya's P.O.V
"I don't want to please..." Bianca being the clinical dietitian, she was literally forcing me to eat healthy food, saying that for recovery I needed diet as well. I mean I had no problem with healthy food, but the thing was I had no appetite at all. I know I know it's surprising that I was saying this, but ya I was literally not feeling like eating anything. My oral intake had gone down completely, maybe it was because I had been fed through tubes for days.
"Girl, don't act like a child just one more spoon." She said what she had been saying ever since she started feeding me that porridge she had made.
"Fine then, but don't blame me when I puke on you." I said to which she scrunched up her nose but still managed to feed me the porridge.
"Don't force me into hitting you girl. I swear I'll do it, patient or not." She playfully threatened me.
"Never thought I'd get to see you two fighting like kids again." Amanda who was out with Mason had just entered inside the room I was in. After everyone had left earlier, I rested just how the doctor aka Mason had suggested.
I smiled up at her. "How're you?" I asked what I had asked Bianca as well, when she had come with the porridge.
"Now that we've found you, so so much better." She said and sat on the other side of my bed. "How're you feeling now?" She asked to which I nodded my head slightly as I said, "I'm feeling better now too."
My smile slightly faded as I see the look on their faces. It was the now is the time let's have a talk look. It was the look which meant we wanna know each and everything.
"I think you probably know that we've hell lot of questions." As I assumed, Bianca said that. "And we really hope that you will tell us everything."
"I know." I said simply. "And I'm ready to answer your every question." Maybe not every but I didn't say that out loud. "Ask away." And with that they literally bombarded with questions. Bianca was right, they really had hell lot of questions!
***
"Woah...." I just finished explaining them each and everything. Well, I did alter a few things, but that was for their own good. "It feels like I just heard a story of some action movie." Said Bianca to which I simply shrugged.
"So...that man with always a hard look on his face, the one who was emitting this bad man aura...." She asked, "....he's actually a mafia boss?!" I simply nodded. "And that too of the strongest mafia in the freaking world?!" Again I simply nodded.
"This mafia boss saved you when fucking Dino guy had kidnapped you and then you start living at his place." They were just repeating what I had told them. "And then one day this fucking Dino again tried to hurt you by a car accident which ended you up in this hospital."
"Ya that's what I just explained."
"And you didn't contact us because you didn't want to put our lives in danger?!" Both of them asked simultaneously. They sounded both offended and angry.
"Obviously." I said. "I saw the danger, I felt it." I tried to make them understand why I didn't contact them. "There was no way I'd drag you two into the same thing." Before they could argue I added, "And you both can't deny if either of you were in my place, you would've done the same thing."
"But still....we could've done something anything." Bianca reasoned. "We could've asked for police's help." She then added.
"Police doesn't come in these matters." I said. "It would've only put you under their radar."
"No matter what you say I still think you should've contacted us." She said in a low voice.
"And no matter what you say, if I were to do it again I'd do it." I exclaimed.
We fell into silence afterwards. It wasn't awkward, they were just trying to process what I had just informed them. I don't blame them, it was a lot of information to take in. Although I only told them half truth, the other half they still had no idea about.
I didn't tell them about Massimo being the one who had kidnapped me in the first place, and had brought me to Italy against my will. I had no idea why I hide that information from them, why I didn't tell them everything. But whatever it was I just didn't feel like telling them that Massimo was the bad guy. But why do I care so much as to what they think of him as?!
Before the accident, Massimo and I, we were not on good terms. His behaviour and his words had hurt me. I had also managed to stay inside my room and not encounter him. I had decided that I'd keep my distance from him and would not talk with him much or at all.
But, when I was in coma I had heard him. Though it wasn't clear as to what he was saying, but he had sounded as if he was in pain. The way he had cupped my cheek and then caressed it, all of those gestures he did. Not to forget how today also after I woke up from coma, he kept looking at me as if he couldn't get enough of me. Ya I did notice his eyes on me. How could I not? He was looking at me constantly. And then when he had pecked my forehead, it was so light like a feather but so heavy with emotions that it hitched my breath.
I wanted to pull my hair because this man was literally driving me crazy. Like literally! One moment he was cold-hearted and the next he'd act all caring.
"Penny for your thoughts." Amanda's voice brought me back to reality.
"Um nothing just a little tired I guess." It wasn't a lie. I was getting tired of Massimo's behaviour.
Just then someone knocked on the door to which we all looked towards the door including me. And there he was the man himself. He has bandage wrapped around his forehead, his shirt all wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and his eyes though looked tired but still every time he'd look at me with those brown eyes, I'd go putty in his hands. This is all because my subconscious mind is such a hoe!
"I'm sorry to disturb you ladies, but it's time for her to go back home." Home? Is he talking about my home? Is he letting me go? "To my mansion." He then added and I didn't know why but I felt relieved?
***
I had changed into a pair of jeans and a top. Though I stink because I hadn't bathed in days, but still I felt a little good after changing out of that hospital gown.
I was about to get up when Massimo immediately came to my side. "Hold me." Was all he said as he took my hand in his. His hold was tight but not painful.
I couldn't even deny him because my hand had already held his. My body would always betray me when it came to him. Traitor!
Because of our close proximity now, I started to feel self-conscious. I mean I hadn't bathed so I was probably stinking very bad. And I could smell him, he smelt just like him masculine. I wondered what I was smelling like to him.
I stood up from the bed with his help. I put my feets completely on the ground and was about to walk but he kept glued to my side. "It's ok I can walk on my own." I said but my words fell on deaf ears because he didn't even acknowledge my words and just held me in his grip.
I sighed knowing how he'd do as he wanted no matter what. So I just let him hold me then.
I looked up to see both Bianca and Amanda looking in between Massimo and I with suspicion as well as curiosity. God! I already have Enzo and the others to tease me. I don't want these two as well! And knowing them I knew they'd definitely tease me. By the look on their faces, I knew they were going to ask me so many questions later. Just great!
I slowly walked out of the room with the help of Massimo obviously. Everyone was already outside, Enzo, Hana, Mason, and now Bianca & Amanda. I didn't have to look at them because I knew they all were giving me knowing looks, especially Enzo.
"I can walk tesoro towards the car if you want boss." and as usual Enzo didn't waste his chance to tease. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Massimo slightly glaring at him. "Just trying to help." Enzo said playfully surrendering his hands in the air.
Hana hit him on the shoulder playfully.
I knew they'd do this. I mentally shook my head.
*********
A/N: Hello.....hiii.....my dear lovely readers!😊 I hope each one of you is fine and doing well :)
Alright, so Maya is finally up and all fine. She has told her friends everything except her being kidnapped by Massimo! What do you think is going on? 🤔
You'll find out soon!
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I hope ya'll liked today's chapter. And I hope you all are enjoying my book!
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