The Blossom of Rose

47 • Sensitive

He's fast asleep next to me. My waist was tightly bound to his by his arms. I carefully try not to wake him as I slowly free my body from his.

Luca doesn't even move. I listen out for his even breathing and release a quiet sigh of relief.

I need to get out of here. Quietly, I tiptoe round to the bathroom, lock the door and turn the shower on. The thundering sound is enough to drain out my sobs as I curl in on myself when my knees hit the floor.

I can't even fathom all the pain he had to go through all alone. No wonder he is how he is today. He isolates himself, doesn't show his emotions and is rude to drive people away.

It also explains how he knew so much about how I was feeling after I got kidnapped and the side effects of the anti-depressants and their withdrawal symptoms.

He started telling me about his mom and everything he felt after he was back home. I listened even though my heart was shattering loudly in my chest.

Then, he cried.

No, he broke down.

And I would've done anything at that moment to stop him from feeling all his brutal pain. If in any way there was an opportunity to go back in time, above all other things I would've swapped places with him. I pray that I was in his situation so he wouldn't be.

"Hold me, please. I never had anyone to," he screwed his eyes shut and I didn't waste any second in wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling his head to my chest.

I tried so hard to hold it together as his body shook violently against mine, his sobs came out in choking, shattering gasps that withered my heart away. Those million stabs of pain, I wanted to take every one of them from him.

My own silent cries mixed with his and I guessed from his quivering body that he was trying so hard not to expose this side of him to me. But, he was also so deprived of affection and love that he couldn't help but expose it.

"When I got back, I needed my mom. I needed someone to tell me that everything was going to be okay. But she was dead," his voice broke as his tears stained my shirt, "for 345 long days, I had hoped that she survived but the exact moment the light in her eyes flickered off kept playing in my head. Every second, every minute, every hour, every day."

I kissed the top of his head and felt him relax into it.

"I felt so fucking alone and lost. Every day I'd wake up thinking what the purpose of my life was. I even contemplated overdosing on all the fucking meds they gave me," he looked up at me with appreciation in his teary eyes, "I'm glad I didn't because I never would've met you."

He was going to kill himself.

"Then one day, everything just stopped. The paranoia, the pain. Everything. After I killed my father, I found those bastards and did the same thing to them that they did to me," he said and I felt him press his lips right over my heart.

"All this time I hated my father because I never understood why he chose my mother over me until I met you. My miracle. My life. My dream."

We shared a much-needed kiss and this time, he let his tongue touch mine. Everything was out in the open for me to know and there were no secrets holding us back this time. Luca nestled into me and eventually fell asleep.

I couldn't show him how empty his story made me feel. I just-I can't believe his father left him there for nearly a whole year.

He. Was. Tortured. He was burnt. He was drowned. He was beaten. And his father just left him. That's completely and utterly sickening.