silent

64

• AMALIA •

Cole and I watch The Princess Diaries 1 and 2 before my dad comes to check on us.

     He smiles when he walks through the door, and it widens at the sight of my older brother and I under the blankets. "Hey, you guys okay?"

     "Yep." I reply.

"Your grandparents are coming in a little while." He tells me. "Do you wanna come sit downstairs?"

I nod.

     "Okay, do you wanna try walking? It might hurt you a little bit, though."

I light up brighter than the Eiffel Tower at night. "Yes!" I exclaim. He grins, and I notice Coles lips tilt up from the corner of my eye.

"Alright." He says, walking over. I shuffle to the edge of the bed, and my father meets me there. He puts his hands under my arms and helps me to stand up, allowing me to lean my weight onto his side as my stomach explodes in a bundle of pain.

     "Ow!" I exclaim, tears pooling in my eyes. It didn't hurt this much the last time I walked—I hardly even felt it.

     "Do you wanna sit back down?" My dad asks me.

Fighting the urge to cry, I shake my head. "No, it's okay."

     "Are you sure?"

     "Yeah." My voice contradicts me, so my dad sets me back down onto the bed. I frown as I look up at him. "I said yes."

     "I know, baby, but you can take a little break."

     "I just started—"

     "And you haven't walked in a few days." He says. "We just have to take it slow, okay?"

     I sigh.

• GRAYSON •

Way over half an hour passes since my dad went up to see Amalia until they finally return. Amalia is in between my twin brother and my father, and she's clinging onto both of them for dear life as she walks into the living room on shaky legs.

     Xander, next to me, grins. "Look at you." He says.

She blushes. I smile as they both lead her over to sit in between my oldest brother and I. She exhales a sigh of relief as she folds herself up, tucking her little legs under her as my dad wraps a blanket around her.

     The doorbell rings. My dad makes sure Amalia's warm enough before going to answer it, and a few seconds later my grandparents are rushing into the room. Their eyes immediately land on Amalia, who smiles at them.

     I move out of the way when they rush over to see her. They haven't seen her since we got her back, and I can tell that they've been waiting anxiously. My grandma pulls Amalia onto her lap, and my grandad wraps her in a bone crushing hug.

     "Are you okay, baby?" My grandma asks her, wrapping her arms around her in another hug as she plants a kiss on her cheek.

"Yeah."

My grandfather takes her then, hugging her on his lap. She leans her head on his shoulder, already growing tired.

     She catches my eye and smiles. I smile back.

     "Did she have anything to eat?" My grandmother asks my father. "She feels quite light."

"I had McDonalds." Amalia grins.

My grandfather softens and kisses her cheek.

• AMALIA •

Two hours later, my grandparents are still here. But they're in the kitchen with some of my brothers and father, so Elijah and Cole are the only people sitting with me.

"How are you feeling?" Elijah asks me carefully.

"Fine." I say, wrapping my arms around myself.

Cole reaches his hand into his pocket, then furrows his eyebrows. "Where's my phone?" He mumbles to himself. He sighs and stands up, "I'll be back in a minute." He says, rushing out of the room.

     I turn to Elijah. "I'm sorry."

     His eyebrows knit together in confusion. "For what, angel?"

     "For shouting at you." I say quietly.

"You don't have to be sorry." He replies immediately. "It was my fault."

     I stay silent. It kind of was. But I didn't have to react the way I did—

     "Brianna kept saying I was an attention seeker and that I lied about everything that happened." I blurt, even though I promised myself that I wouldn't say anything. "But I promise I didn't." I add, my voice beginning to shake while my eyes start to water a little bit.

     "Hey," he says softly, wrapping an arm around me as he tucks me to his side, "I know you didn't lie, angel. So does everybody else." He kisses my cheek. "She's a liar." He kisses my temple. "And she's crazy." He plants a kiss in my hair, beginning to kiss my face between every statement. "And she has no idea what she's talking about. But she's never going to hurt you again."

     "It wasn't your fault." He says. "None of it was."

     I nod idly, biting my lip nervously.

     "Say it."

     I look up at him. "What?"

     "Say that it wasn't your fault."

     "But—"

     He tilts his head, and I cut myself off. I sigh. "It wasn't my fault." But even as I say the words, they sound untrue.

     "Again."

     I frown, but do. "It wasn't my fault."

     "Try sound like you mean it." He says.

     "Lijah—" I whine.

     "Do it."

     Again, I sigh. "It wasn't my fault."

     Memories flood back to me. Daniel coming into my room. He was smiling at first, asking me where the bathroom was. I told him it was down the hall, but he started asking to use mine. Then he changed the subject completely and came to sit by me on the bed.

     I shake my head, and with it the flashback. I don't want to think about that.

     But then I realise what Elijah's doing. He's trying to get me to remember, but not the worst parts. I didn't do anything. I was sitting in my room. That's all I was doing.

     "It wasn't my fault." I say finally, a small smile touching my lips. When I look up at Elijah, he's smiling. He kisses my cheek, pride swirling in his expression.

     The door to the living room opens then, and my dad and grandparents walk in, followed by Xander and Grayson.

     "You guys okay?" My dad asks, sitting beside me.

     I nod, still smiling. "Yes."

     And it's true.