Within The Bonds

80: I Like You

Without another thought I rush to his side, all the pain I felt previously vanishing as concern and dread permeates my entire being.

"Alessandro! You, okay?" I rush my words out as he turns to lay on his back giving me a clear view of his bruised face and pain imbued green eyes.

"Yeah," he groans, using his elbows as a support to lift himself off the ground with as much help I can give in my wobbly state.

"Just a few scratches, no biggie," he dismisses, pulling himself up to sit upright beside me on the ground without my support. "You alright?" He shifts his gaze towards me.

And as our eyes meet, Jack's words come flooding back into my head forcing me to tear my gaze away from him and refocus it back at the shut door. Warm palm cress my face before it redirects my attention back to Alessandro's concern green orbits.

"What's wrong?" He asks as his eyes search mine for answers, but the impassive wall I put up doesn't give him much.

"Nothing. How did you get here and who did this to you?" I ask changing the subject unsure if I'll be able to even talk about it without lashing out—and right now, I don't have the will nor strength to do so.

"I was coming back to the hospital to see you when I got the news that you were awake. I took the back exit, that's when I saw that woman hit you and so I followed the van that you were shoved into but when I got close enough to the compound their holding us in, they caught sight of me and I was outnumbered."

"And as for your next question," he says lowly groaning in pain. "These guys aren't really open to uninvited guests," he tries to joke, but my mind is too preoccupied with his beat-up state.

A stagnant silence settles between us for a few moments with none of us knowing what to say next. Making sure he's able to hold himself upright with my support, I move back towards the end wall where my mum's jewelry box sat. "Why did you take the back exit?" I ask as I stare down at the box.

"Because I didn't want your brothers to make a fuss when I came to see you," he explains. "I saw Noah and Seb at the front desk arguing with some LEO, I just wanted to avoid the drama and make sure you were okay for myself," he adds frowning at the distance I put between us.

'Heard that? He wanted to make sure you were okay'

'Maybe Jack is wrong about him. How can a guy who thinks so much about us be able to even think of hurting us?' My conscience points out.

"LEO?" I ask, ignoring the voice in my head and his questioning gaze.

"Law enforcement officers," he explains making me nod. "What was Noah and Seb arguing about?" I enquire further while still not meeting his gaze because even though my conscience doesn't want to believe that Alessandro could be playing us this entire time, I can't seem to shake Jack and Lorenzo's words off my mind as well.

I feel his touch before I hear him as his fingers slowly trace the dry blood trail running down my temple making me snap out of my thoughts instantaneously.

"How bad did they hit you?" He mumbles to himself—ignoring my question—crouching beside me he examines the dry blood trail down my temple he's tracing with his finger.

"Am I a game to you?" I blurt out without thinking as we sit there staring at each other, searching one another's eyes for answers.

"Why would you be?" He counters with frowned brows.

"You have a reputation," I mumble recalling Lorenzo's words. "And I don't want to be another accomplishment on your hit-list," I tell him with sincerity lacing my every word.