silent

26

• AMALIA •

Mason returns a minute or two later with a plate of food. He looks up at our dad. "Xander finished making dinner. Everything was about to burn. I figured Amalia would wanna eat up here."

     "Yeah, thanks." He says, letting go of me. I quickly shuffle to the other side of the bed and sit cross-legged, trying to cover the bandages with the duvet as though Mason doesn't already know they're there. I'm guessing he told the rest of our brothers what happened, too.

     "Here, sweetheart." My dad says, passing it to me. I take it from him quickly as he tells Mason something quietly, making him nod and leave.

He returns his gaze to me and grabs the remote off the bedside table, passing it to me. "Watch whatever you want. I'll be back in a second, okay?" I nod. He stands up and walks out quickly. I lean back on the headboard and shove a small forkful of food into my mouth, turning the channel to a movie I've never watched.

• LORENZO •

I lock the door to my study once I close the door and sit at my desk, putting my head in my hands as silent tears trickle down my face. I wipe them away quickly and inhale a large breath. My baby.

     I set a hand on my desk and run the other through my hair as I begin making arrangements for tomorrow. I message Elijah, asking him to go up to Amalia if he's finished with dinner, and he messages me back almost immediately saying he will.

     I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't want to leave Amalia, but the last thing she needs is to see her father cry because of the things she thinks about herself.

     Before I go up, I try to call my little sister, Briana. She answers on the fourth ring, much to my surprise.

     "Enzo?" She says.

     I haven't talked to her in two years, ever since she got married to an asshole who slapped her. I've tried to reach out, but she's ignored me every time, as well as at family gatherings. I don't know what compelled her to answer this time, but I'm glad.

     "What do you want?" She asks.

     "Amalia's back." I blurt out. I don't know what I'm supposed to say—is it inconsiderate to ask her to do something for me when we haven't talked properly in a long time?

     A short pause before: "I know. Mum told me."

     "Oh." I say. "Well.." I tell her most of the events that happened today regarding Amalia, and how she's hurt herself before. By the time I'm finished, the other end of the line is silent. "Briana? Are you still there?"

     "Yeah. I'm here." She says. "Do you want me to come see her?"

     Briana is a psychologist. She works with kids and adults and is a therapist, of sorts, for our business. She helps people who have seen—and done—bad things and can't get over it. I'm hoping she'll be able to help Amalia.

     I let out a small breath. "Yes. Please."

     "Okay." She replies tentatively. "When?"

     "Tomorrow, if you can."

     She's silent for a second, and I hear the ruffling of paper before she says, "alright. What time?"