Pretty lies

sixty- innocent little lamb

Later that day:
Isadora Rose:

The towering brass door before me is now the only thing keeping me away from Iris and I don't know how I feel about it.

A part of me is still wary that she'll pull some secret weapon out of her ass and kill us all without batting an eye whilst the other part wants nothing more than to run in and slap her straight across the face.

My conflicting thoughts block out all the outside noise that I probably should be paying attention to especially when said outside noise is my boyfriend. One thing I know for sure is that I don't want to see him like this again. He looked so tired, mentally and physically, and it pained me to even look his way.

Eventually I give in and start somewhat paying attention to what Alessandro has been trying to get across for the past ten minutes, give or take. 

"-and don't feel like you have to stand if you get too tired. You're still recovering so it's normal to not feel like your best self okay." He reminds me as if I had forgotten about the past week like I could ever.

"I know, I know. I'll be fine and even if I'm not I can handle it. Can I go see her now?" I beg of him with those stupid puppy eyes that always work like a charm when it comes to my boy.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"It's literally five feet away, what's the worst that could happen." I tell him, not questioning. I didn't want it to be understood as a question because that would mean that something actually could happen and that possibility by itself would send him into cardiac arrest.

"Dante will be in there with you anyways so you don't need to panic."

"So I don't panic, sure big guy."

"Don't call me that ever again." Alessandro tells me with blatant annoyance in his tone.

"Got it, now get out so I can kick some ass." No ass will be kicked. I can't even lift my leg up to scratch this one spot that has been bothering me since I woke up. I'll ask Alessandro to help me later. He'll have to.

"Oh of course, you have fun with your ass kicking." He comments as he walks away with his head still turned in my direction.

As he rounds the corner and he is no longer visible, I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding in. I'm now alone, except for fucking Dante and some psycho relative of mine. Delightful.

"This is not what the doctor meant when he said I needed to have an emotional reset." I mutter under my breath as I turn away from where Alessandro was once standing.

I let go of a deep sigh as I edge towards the door which is now only inches away. My hand trembles as if reach closer to the cold surface of the handle.

'Don't do it for you. Do it for them.' I mutter lowly to myself when I the rattle of the door being unlocked sounds through the hallway.

Dante quickly follows suits and joins me through the door into the dark, dark hole Alessandro had left Iris in. He really did a number on this shit, huh.

The familiar grumbles and groans quickly drag my attention the body slumped on a creaking wooden stool. I look over to my left to catch Dante's eye and soon enough he knows what it is I want him to do.

My eyes never leave Iris, not for a fraction of a second. The clanging of a bucket is the only thing tempting me to look before it tips over Iris' head and what must be ice cold water drenches her flesh.

Her eyes dart open and her breathing immediately picks up as if she had been shocked with a thousand volts. Strangely, I like this look on a person. Seeing someone you despise this much in pain is mesmerizing.

"Oh fuck." Iris mutters under her breaths as she tries to ground herself.

"You shouldn't be cursing; there are children under this roof. The children you tried to take from me, remember."

"Go to hell." She spits angrily.

"Been there, done that. It sucks by the way."

"Have you come to kill me, prima?"

"Oh Iris, when I'm done with you, you're gonna to be begging me to end your pathetic little life." I watch as the smug smirk on her face slowly drops into a look of pure fear.

"You won't kill me."

"Maybe I won't, but if that's the case, I know a certain someone who would kill for me without question."

She knows exactly who I'm talking about and the mere thought of him drains all of the colour out of her face. It's not a good look on her.

"If you didn't come down here to kill me, why did you?" She questions and I think to myself, 'do I know why I'm down here'.

"You're going to tell me something, I'm going to respond to it however I see fit and then we'll call it a day. Is that okay with you, hon?" I mock her using the nickname we'd once used in our skits. I was a hairstylist and she was my regular- it's besides the point.

"What do you want to know? I told you why I did what I did so what else is there to ask about."

"You didn't tell me why."

"Yes, I did. I told you I was angry and-" she tells me as if I was clueless. As if I don't know who she really is, or was.

"No, Iris, we both know that isn't true. We get angry, we're Roses, it's what we do. So don't try that shit with me and pull the innocent little lamb card. It's not here nor there so-"

"That is not what I'm-" Iris blurts, her voice getting louder the more she rambles.

"Do not interrupt the Doña." Dante pipes up as he shoots a deathly stare Iris' way.

I had completely forgotten he was there for a moment but thank god he was.

"May I continue?" It was more of statement saying 'my mouth is moving so I'm still talking' but I'm not a savage, so I'll ask politely like the woman abuela raised me to be.

Iris nods for me to continue, avoiding eye contact with both Dante and I like the god damned plague.

"I want you to tell me the truth, Iris. Whether you are ready to admit it or not, we both know damn well that you being left out is not the reason you tore apart my family."

"It was my family too."

"Not anymore."

I shocked myself with that last blow. I know if I was in her position, like I'd ever be, my heart would be fucking shattered to hear what just slipped from my lips.

But, would I take it back? No. Does she deserve it? Abso-fucking-lutely.