THIN ICE |BOOK I |BWWM|

•ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 7•

!Content/ Trigger Warning!

▪️Five Years Ago▪️

•PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY•

Julia's POV

Exhausted.

That's what I was- had been for the past month, and it didn't seem like any of the stress would stop soon.

The air in the pasty-colored hospital room grew heavier with every minute that passed, crushing my bones against the unsupportive low air-loss mattress; while the insipid drone of my IV pump acted as the soundtrack to my once again falling tears.

Paralyzing pain continually seared through my legs and belly despite my morphine drip being full. At this point I was convinced I'd developed a some type of tolerance for the meds.

I had been here for two days already and nothing was working. My body ached, my eyes couldn't stay dry, and my brain worked in overdrive dredging up the last memory I could recall.

The past month was nothing shy of brutal. An attack on the estate from a rival family left us in shambles and mourning the loss of the Don's wife and the boy's mother, Joanna.

It was hard to see the family I'd come to love in so much pain while I stood sidelined watching them attempt to stoically trudge through the sadness.

Everyone grieved in their own way. My father-in-law buried himself ten-feet deep into work while Andres gravitated to me; and Adrian- he was different.

There were days he was so sweet that sugar was bland, and others when he made me truly remember that he was an Underboss. There were days when I hoped for more than a passing glance as our only interaction and days when I wished for death, because I'd only have to endure that once.

~•2 Days Prior•~

A slow yawn stretched my lips as I padded through the darkened hallway finally making it back to my room. It was already midnight and my eyes could barely stay open. At least Adrian was away for business, expected to be home tomorrow morning. Eva fidgeted in my belly, adjusting herself for sleep and I rubbed her lovingly.

"I know soy bean, we get the whole bed to ourselves."

She had been moving a lot less lately, but it was probably because of stress. It hadn't been easy coming to bed the past few weeks, so I was actually pretty happy we'd be going to sleep alone.

I pushed the bedroom door open and slipped inside.

I shimmed my shoulders, slipping out of my long-sleeve pale pink dress as the dimmed light shined faintly over my purple spotted thighs and arms. I tried my best to hide them, but long sleeves and makeup only did so much. The bruise stamped right above my right breast from a few nights ago throbbed- the pain radiating to the front of my head. I put pressure against my temples as I flung my dress to the bed and turned toward the walk-in closet.

"Bentornato." (welcome back) A slurred breathy voice sliced through the air.

"Oh sh-Jesus, Adrian!"

One hand flew to my chest while the other scanned the wall for the light-switch, illuminating the spacious room.

Adrian sat in the mauve loveseat that was against our wall sporting his bare chest and tailored black pants. His devilish stare roved my exposed body as he swirled his glass of whiskey and took a sip.