"Shut up, you're going to wake them up" Luca says trying to whisper.
"You shut up, you're the one talking" Elio laughs.
"Both of you shut up" Sandro scolds quietly.
"Do you think they know we are awake?" Enzo asks me with a smirk on his face.
"No I think they are too focused on being too loud" I laughed slightly.
"Great you you dumbasses woke them up" Leo scolded. "Well now that you're awake, how are you both feeling?"
"Just a little sore" Enzo says as he stretches slowly.
"What about you Bel?" Leo asked as he directed his attention to me.
"Like I've been hit by a bus" I said trying to laugh off the pain.
"Being hit by a bus would have had less injuries than you have now" Mar adds in with a slight laugh.
"Im gonna hit you with a bus" I retorted back.
"Let's get you back to your room so I can check all your wounds and change your bandages." Leo says as he walks over with a wheelchair.
I looked at Enzo, worried to leave him.
"It's okay princess, I'm okay" He reassures. I nod and get into the wheelchair with the help of Leo and Sandro.
"Mar will you take her to her room while I check Enzos wound and then I'll be in to check hers?" Leo asked.
Mar nodded and began heading to my room.
I noticed on our way everyone that was in the waiting room was gone.
"Where is everyone?" I asked confused.
"We had them all go upstairs and get some sleep" Mar replied with a sweet smile. I looked over to Luca and Elio who both had a worried look plastered on their faces.
We finally got to the room and before I got into the bed Mar stopped me and pulled me into a tight hug.
I winced at first but soon melted into the hug.
"I'm so sorry Sorellina, I didn't protect you." He whispered as I felt a wetness on my shoulder.
Was Marcello Valentino really crying right now?
"Im okay now Mar, I promise its not your fault." I said softly as tears filled my eyes.
Mar slowly let go and soon Elio was in his place. Tears already streaming down Elios face.
"Dont ever fucking scare me like that again. Please. I lost you once, I can't lose you again." He cried into my shoulder.
"You won't ever lose me El." I cried as I hugged him tighter.
My chest was screaming at me to let go and lay down. But not only did they need this. I needed this. I haven't let myself come to terms with what happened to me. Only what happened to Enzo.
"I think lover boy over there really needs you" Elio whispered quietly before letting go.
I looked over to Luca with tears in my eyes. Tears were already falling down his slight red cheeks.
I began to walk over to Luca but as I took the first step I felt my leg buckle from underneath me. I was quickly caught with Lucas arms wrapped tightly around my waist.
As his head rested on mine, our cries syncing with eachother.
"I'll give you guys a minute okay?" Mar said softly. I nodded and silently thanked him.
Luca quickly picked me up, rapping my legs around his waist, deepening our hug.
"Ari Im so fucking sorry. I told you I would never let them h-hurt you again, and now you're lying in a hospital room." He cried out.
"S-stop Lu please" I cried.
"I-I should have told your brothers when they first texted. M-maybe I could have prevented this. I could have stopped this. I could ha-" I cut him off, crashing my lips onto his.
"Lu stop blaming your self" I said softly as I broke the kiss.
"I'm okay now. And I'm going to tell my brothers okay? That is not your burden to carry. Please do not blame yourself. I promise this was not in anyway your fault love" I said softly as I rested my hand on the side of his face, carefully wiping his tears.
"Are you okay? Mentally? Physically? Are you really okay?" He asked with concern.
I nodded as I tried to give him my most realistic reassuring smile.
"No Please Mi Amore I need to hear you say it. Are you okay?" He asked again this time with more concern and worry in his face as if he already knew my answer.
Tears flooded my eyes. "N-no Im not" I sobbed out.
Luca tightened the hug. "Please come to me when you're ready okay? For now just promise me you'll come to me or one of your brothers or hell one of your cousins if you feel you're going to do something stupid. Okay?" He asked softly.
"I promise Luca" I replied softly.
"I love you Aria" He said softly as he set me down on the bed.
"And I love you Luca" I replied as I let go of him.
Just as Luca headed to get Mar, Leo and Sandro came in along with Enzo in a wheelchair, Elio and Mar.
"Alright Bel where does it hurt?" Leo asked softly.
"Everywhere" I laughed slightly trying to lighten the mood.
"Even in a time like this you still find the time to joke" Sandro laughed.
"Somesones got to" I retoreted.
"Alright being completely serious where does it hurt?" Leo asks in a more stern tone.
"Mainly my stomach, shoulder and leg" I replied honestly.
"and about the other cuts?" Leo asked with concern.
"A little sore but not terrible." I said with a light smile
"Makes sense, the cut on your stomach was worse than any cut I've seen and I work in a hospital and the bullet wounds will be sore but should heal pretty quickly. The rest of the cuts should heal quickly as well but might be sore for a few days." He replied in a professional but caring tone.
"On the other side of things how are you really doing Bel?" Leo asked with more concern in his voice.
"I'm just going day by day. Right now I'm okay" I gave a reassuring smile hoping they wouldn't see right through me.
"Okay Bel taking it day by day is good just don't try to handle this all on your own okay? We are here for you" Leo smiled softly.
I nodded and smiled back.
"Now that that's out of the way there are some of your cousins that would like to come hangout" Sandro said happily.
And as if they had rehearsed Xavier, Gianni, Giovanni, and Marco came running in.
"Sorry I tried to get them to calm down" Marco laughs nervously.
"It's okay" I laughed softly.
"Is it okay if we hang out in here?" Xavier asked with a puppy dog look on his face.
"Well with that look I couldn't say no, I am pretty tired but I wouldn't mind the company" I said as a lightly smiled.
"We will be back later to check on you, we are gonna go talk to the rest of the family and fill them in on the need to know so they don't bombard you with questions. Just relax okay Princess" Enzo said softly
"Okay and I will" I smiled back at him. Now leaving me with just the twins, Marco and Xavier. I was hoping Luca or Elio would have stayed but I know they need to talk to the family.
"We will be quiet and if we get too annoying just tell us and we will go" Giovanni said smiling nervously.
"No no don't worry about it, having the company will be nice even if it is just you guys talking while I sleep." I smiled back at him. "It's been too quiet" I added, my voice barely a whisper.
Marco gave me a questioning look but it soon turned into a soft smile.
I had noticed what Aria had said about it being too quiet. I'll have to ask her about it when the twins and my younger brother aren't here.
I took the seat next to Arias bed just so I can keep an eye on her. As much as I have a gut feeling about what happened but I won't jump to conclusions until I know for sure.
Sure I wanted to go upstairs to hear why my cousin was shot and my new found cousin was basically brutally tortured. However, I wanted to spend time with my new found cousin and check in on her and make sure she is okay. Plus, Mar told me he would fill me in afterwards.
God I remember the day we found out she was back. That she was safe.
"Hey do you know what's up with Dad he seems...happier?" Xavier asked me as he came down for lunch.
"No but I knew something was up when he didn't have us go to school this morning" I said as I took a bite of my sandwich.
"I wonder if Uncle Diego gave him some time off or something" Raf pitched in as he sat down next to me.
"Or Dad finally got a good nights sleep" Santiago joked as he entered the dining room.
"Maybe- wait you're actually eating lunch with us?" I asked surprised. I mean yeah he worked for the family business but he never missed a day he was always doing something even if he was home.
"Yeah, trust me I was surprised too when Dad told me not to go in today, even Alessio is home today. He's upstairs trying to figure out why dad is in a good mood. Even Mom is home and not with Aunt Emilia" Santiago said as he grabbed a sandwich from the table.
"Now that's even scarier, that mom's not with Aunt Emilia" I said as I finished my sandwich.
"Boys come up to you fathers office we have some news" Mom ran in with her eyes red and puffy like she had been crying.
We all dropped everything and ran up to dad's office where Alessio and Dad were waiting for us with tears in both their eyes.
"Is grandpa okay? No wait is grandma okay? Or Uncle Diego and cousin Lorenzo are they okay?" I asked out of breath.
"Yes yes son everyone is okay, this does however have to do with your Cousins Lorenzo, Alessandro, Leonardo, Marcello and Aurelio. Please all of you sit down" Dad said with a light tone in his voice.
By now everyone was in the room and we all sat down in the scattered chairs in Dads office.
"So what is it Dad?" Raf asked concerned.
"I dont expect Xavier to remember but do the rest of you remember you Cousin Aria?" Dad asked questioningly.
"Of course we do dad, Xavier knows her too we tell him stories all the time of what we remember about her. We always share the stories we have with her so none of us forget her or anything about her. Well how she was.." Santiago finished with a tinge of sadness in his voice.
Aria was always a sore subject for us. For the entire family. We all miss her so much. I remember Mar, Gianni, Giovanni, Elio and I always hanging out with her. When she was born I remember none of us wanting to leave her side. She was our princess. And then our lost princess.
God I remember how devastated dad was. Even Uncle Diego, Grandma and Grandpa. Everyone was crushed. And then Unlce Romeo and Aunt Maria died and it was as if the whole world fell apart.
The family had just lost their princess. And then lost two of the most amazing people in the Valentino family.
I remember dad stayed in Italy for months helping Enzo with our cousins and how to grieve his mom, dad and sister. All while Dad was trying to get over the loss of his only niece and his brother and sister in law. God that was a terrible few years. Our family has never been the same.
"How she is son..how she is" Dad pulled me from my thoughts and corrected Santiago.
We all know dad will never give up hope that she will come back but the rest of us find it hard to have hope. Whoever took her definitely hid her well if even the Italian and Spanish mafia couldn't find her.
"Boys, she's back. They found her" Dad finally spoke.
It felt as if time stopped. The whole world stood still.
"Are you serious?"
"Like this isn't some sick joke?"
"When are we leaving"
"I don't know when we are leaving yet. Enzo said she has been through a lot and is very reserved so it may be some time before we see her but I do have a picture of her if you guys want to see" Dad spoke with sadness that soon turned to relief.
Dad turned his phone to face us.
My first thought. She's gorgeous.
And no not in some sick way she's my cousin just that she grew up so much. And grew up into a gorgeous girl.
My second thought. She's been through hell
. I know that look in her eyes all too well and she's been through hell and back. My heart breaks and yet puts itself back together just as I'm staring at the picture.
All of our eyes had tears in them. Even Xavier's. He may not have known her personally but he definitely knew her.
That was the best day of my life. Of all of our lives.
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Hello Lovelies!!!
I hope you enjoy the chapter!!
The next few chapters are definitely gonna be deep so get ready for the ride!!
Please let me know what you think about the book so far!!
As always ILY all!!
<3 lemonlimonnade