Withering Agony

The Plan

[Elio]

"Guys, we have a problem," Camila started as she walked into the kitchen. "I just found out that Salvatore's goons jumped Uncle Daniel the day after the Blue Moon Ball."

"Oh, God," Leonardo grumbled as he scrubbed a plate.

"He's never going to stop torturing this family," Francesca sighed.

"Well, then, let's kill him," I suggested. "One of us can shoot him and cover it up."

"Or hire a hit man," Leonardo proposed.

"No, no hit man," I objected. "We should be the ones to do it, for all the mental and physical pain he's caused us."

"You're right," Leo agreed. "But let's torture him first."

"It won't be easy," Mila stated.

"But it won't be impossible. Salvatore gets away with a lot of shit, and us being his kids means we can, too. We just have to be smart about this," Fran grinned. "What state is he in?"

"Washington still," Leonardo answered. "We have to be careful, though, he has bodyguards. Plus, we have to think like him to do this, he's always one step ahead of us."

"Agreed," we said together.

"Well, I'm going to go make flight arrangements," Fran said. She walked out of the kitchen.

"I'll go pack weapons for us," Camila flitted out.

I planned to spend the rest of day in our home gym. My workout was paused due to a visitor coming in.

"Look at you, getting all fit for the summer! Okay, I see you!"  Lia beamed.

Because she was at the beach with her friends, I didn't see her at all yesterday.

"I got Mcdonalds, you want my fries?" she offered.

"No. No, thank you. I don't want to put that heart attack food in my system. I don't think you should, either."

"Ellie, shut up," she mumbled.

"Can I spend the night?" she asked while touching whatever caught her eye, like a child.

I chuckled at her question. "You don't have to ask."

Now that we've graduated, Lia and I have more time to spend together. Her parents are okay with her sleeping at my house since she's an adult.

"Can you step on my back for me?"

She snickered. "Okay."

I lied on my stomach and soon felt the bottom of her feet on me. She walked back and forth.

"Can you stomp?"

A groan escaped my lips as her foot abruptly pressed my back. Then she jumped.

"I said stomp, not jump."

After not doing what I asked—jumping, punching, and hitting my back—she stepped off and I stood up. We went to the bathroom.

She seated herself on the vanity, I stood in front of her, she put her hand on my chest for a second

"Your chest is mad damp."

"Well, that's what happens when you work out," I pulled the white tank top off me and put it over her head. In response she threw it somewhere.

I got in and washed my body thoroughly. When I got out I found Lia on my bed, with the remote in her left hand, going through channels. I went in my closet, and first, grabbed a grey shirt for Lia. Then I put on some basketball shorts and a black tank top.

I then joined Lia the bed, the right side, my side. I don't know what I'd be doing if she weren't with me right now. I'd probably be up, drinking, avoiding sleep to avoid bad dreams.

"How did you . . . cope during our break up?" I hesitantly asked.

"Sleeping," she shrugged.

"Sleeping?"

"Uh, yeah, I would have really good dreams that you were the star of." She chuckled, "we even had kids in one of them, three boys and a girl."

"Please, tell me more."

"There names were Luna, Anthony, Romeo, and Quentin."

"How did they look?"

I know our children had to be beautiful even in a dream, I mean, they have my and Lia's genes.

"I can only describe their lineaments, but it's hard for me to make a picture in my head," she said in a sorrowful tone. "Luna and Anthony looked more like you, and  Quentin and Romeo took my genes."

I smiled at the thought of Lia and I having children. I may not like kids, but I sure as hell will love mine.

"So, when we were broken up, how did you cope?"

Memories of those bad dreams came to my mind, feeling numb, sleepless nights of me drinking, and desperately trying to get high.

"I didn't . . . Every night, I had dreadful nightmares where you would die in my arms . . . I started taking pills narcoleptics take so I could avoid sleep." I tried to look for the right word to describe what it felt like. "I can't even say being broken up with you felt like hell, no, it was more than that."

"The affect we have on each other is crazy . . .  No, it's actually scary. If something were to happen to me, like, death . . . Would you . . .?"

"I'm following after you," I answered bluntly. "Dying would be the easy way out for me, I'm not living if you're not living with me."

"I— I can't even argue with you, I'd just sound hypocritical."

I had to make something clear to her. "Lia, I'm not going to leave you again. The only reason I ended things between us is because I felt that I wouldn't  be able to protect you and that you'd be safe without me. Very soon, I won't have to protect you against my father anymore."

"You're finally going to let me protect myself?"

"No, uh, me, and the others, are planning to kill him."

"Oh," she muttered. "Fun! I'll join."

"No, you won't," I objected. "I don't want you anywhere near that man. Actually, as a matter of fact, I don't want us anywhere near that man."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, you'll find out."

A/N
Ok so I'm not trying to romanticize having no reason to live if your partner dies. This book is just for entertainment purposes. (Also, I'm sorry this part is rushed and sloppy, very half-assed.)