AURELIA FARIS BLACK
I try my best to get home but my legs are uncontrollably shaking. My legs tremble with every step I take. I wipe off my dirty hands on my shirt before pressing on the wound, to stop the blood but it just gushes out from between my fingers. I want to scream and cry right now but I can't. My eyelids feel heavy and my eyes are rolling back but I don't let them. I want to go home. I don't stop, I walk through my stumbles. The mansion comes into view. I tell myself to take a couple more steps but my legs just give up on me and I don't get back up. They'll find me. I'm sure of it.
I gasp awake. I try to sit up. Key word: tried. My arm is numb. I look to the side and my upper right arm is bandaged up. I can't believe a lunatic jumped out of the bushes and attacked me.
" Why the hell would you do that? You know this is all YOUR fault right?!" A muffled voice screams from outside the room. It's Alec. I groan as I slump back down my bed. I use my one good arm, to throw the pillow on my face.
Then my eyebrow shoots up. This is why they let me have a day out of school. How convenient that I almost get murdered on the same day as I suddenly don't have school and everyone just starts acting suspicious. Then I'm angry. Why didn't they tell me? I could've taken precautions myself. I'm capable of it. Hell, I just used my bare hands and escaped death from probably a murderer with a knife. A literal knife. If I knew I probably could've escaped without a single scratch.
I gaze travels to the door when I see Alessandro's face peek in. I watch his eyes light up when he sees I'm awake.
" Thank god you're awake."
" I-waunt-" I clear my throat, " I want the whole truth."
His eyes linger on me. He knows what I'm talking about but never less, pauses before sighing. " A murder bounty was placed on you."
I blink. That was blunt. " Elaborate please."
" Someone put a murder bounty on you. We thought we had it under control so we didn't tell you since we didn't want you to freak out or worry." He says before dropping to a more accusatory tone " But Nathaniel thought you would be okay to be outside the house alone."
Nate walks in." Okay. How was I supposed to know that the guards on the house's premises were so incapable" His arms thrown in the air, articulating his words, clearly offended at Alessandro's accusatory tone.
Then Alec runs in. " Aurelia! Are you okay?" He asks, breathing heavily.
" I'm-" Blaze walks in " fine- Blaze?" Blaze just appeared like he is in the same room with me right now. " Uh, why is Blaze here? He's my classmate."
I have to take a few blinks to make sure I'm not hallucinating. So much is happening right now. Where the hell did Blake come from?
" Oh, I was out when all of this happened, and like my car happened to break down. I would've just called a guard or something to pick me up but Blaze just happened to drive past so he just picked me up." Alec answers me. " He's an old friend," he adds.
I look between the both of them. They both do look roughed up. I have to take a closer glance at Blaze. Is that a worried expression I see? I grin.
" Everyone, calm down. I am very much fine." I say when I see Alessandro about to lose what's left of his restraint when Nate gives Alessandro an angry glance. I frown when I see the tiredness in Alessandro's and Nathaniel's eyes. " You guys should go rest. I'm okay."
Matteo and Lucien runs in.
" Sleeping beauty is awake!" Matteo grins.
" How is your arm? Oh my god, whoever who did this is gonna die a very painful death." Lucien goes from relieved to angry in an instant.
I scoot away from him. He's about to snap. I can practically feel the anger radiating off him. I can tell he's trying to contain it but I can't help but be a little scared.
" She is dead." Nathaniel says " We found her, just earlier today with a knife lodged into her throat." He looks at me " I'm assuming you did that?"
I send him a thumbs up, confirming it. " How long have I been asleep for?" I ask.
" About a day and a half."
My eyes shift through each of their faces, it's clear not one of them had an ounce of sleep. " You guys should- no NEED sleep. I'm okay now."
" Do you even see how fucking pale you are?!" Lucien snaps back and I flinch.
" Lucien stop," I say, avoiding eye contact with him.
" No I will not stop. I was worried for you. I was worried sick."
He screams at me. Mommy's new boyfriend is screaming at me. I press my hot face into my blanket. I didn't mean to make him mad. I didn't know playing in the snow would make me sick, no one told me. I threw up on the couch and Mommy and her boyfriend are mad at me. A sharp pain suddenly spirals through my body. He slapped me. My frail 7-year-old body falls from the impact.
I scream when I feel a pair of arms on me. Tears stream down my face and I'm clutching the blanket. I feel paralyzed. Blaze is holding me. I don't look at him. I feel Blaze caress the back of my head. We're so close I can smell his cologne. I let him comfort me through my rough breaths.
"You're okay. You're okay. We're still here. We're okay" His whispers comfort me.
I hear shuffling and talking from behind Blaze but I don't try to listen in. My breaths slowly relax.
...
A few hours later
I rub the sleep from my eyes. I slightly groan when sitting up. My eyes widen when I see Blaze sitting on a chair on the side of the bed, his head resting on the edge of the bed.
I carefully remove the blanket off myself, before wrapping it on him. My eyes soften at Blaze. He looks so peaceful. His features relaxed and soft.
It seems like he stayed here with me. I feel a soft tingle in my heart. I reach my hand out, to move a piece of hair out of his face. His eyelids flicker and I stop. I stay still for a moment before I smile to myself.
Then his eyes flicker again but this time they open. He stays silent, rising up, and stretching his arms above his head.
" How do you feel gorgeous?" He asks, his voice is groggy and raspy. My eyes linger on him. Just before today, it seemed like we hated each other.
" I'm feeling fine." I hesitate before replying.
" Here." A water bottle flies at me, out of instincts I catch it.
My eyes narrow at him " That could've hit me."
" But it didn't."
" But it could have."
He shrugs and I give him a look. I uncap the water before practically chugging it down. I forgot how good water actually is.
From the distance, I see him slightly massaging his neck. Must be sore from the awkward position he slept in. My expression smooths, gratitude flows through my body.
" So, how did you and Alec meet?" I ask, interrupting the silence.
He turns, " We were childhood friends. We used to play a lot when we were younger."
" Why aren't you guys friends anymore?"
" Well, just the mafia crap he had to deal with, just naturally made us grow apart." He turns to me " I still can't believe you're the mafia princess. You know, Alec talked about you a lot.
I blink, of course, he knew that I was the mafia princess. " So you know I'm the girl from the ring or whatever right?"
" Yes."
I press my lips together and nod "How did you get involved in those activities?"
He pauses, and looks at me as if he's thinking. " My mother is the decedent of a powerful gang back in Italy but left for America when she fell in love with an American man, aka my dad. My mom was still connected to gangs even after she left. We got familiar with the gangs over here and I just naturally fell into one. So you know, it's normal for me to be at that ring."
I look at him and just nod.
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