BitterSweet

CHAPTER EIGHT

A/N- put on some sad piano music if you want to cry, tried making this sad but tell me what you think

AURELIA FARIS BLACK

I chew the pasta. I did another round at the ring and I left a good mark on the crowd. I have a bruise forming on my side but that's it, it's not visible yet but I feel it. I stayed for about an hour before rushing home. No one noticed and now it's the next day at dinner. After Hera and I got into trouble everything has been tense since and this dinner is no exception. 

"Aurelia" Alessandro breaks the silence " I am sorry for my reaction yesterday, I could've handled it better... Since this is the first time you did something like this, I'm going to let you off the hook just this time." 

Everyone gapes, including me. I mutter: "thank you". As I sit in shock. I guess it's not just me because everyone is silent for a moment.

" Favoritism at its finest. You would have never let us off so easily!" Alec says, dramatically slapping his hand on his " heart".

" Your heart is more to the left." I point out. Everyone laughs and I smile. I glance over to Hera and she beams a smile to me a few seconds late. I smile back as she stuffs her face in the pasta, which has a horrific amount of cheese. Apparently she loves cheese like is obsessed with cheese.

" Aurelia, we got your school schedule. It's on the kitchen table, we can take a look at it later. I usually drive Hera to school so I can just drop the two of you off in the mornings." Nathan says, looking between me and Hera. 

I hum in response as I struggle to finish up my dinner. " I'm kinda full. Can I just save the rest for tomorrow?" I ask trying to be nonchalant about it. Nathan nods and I pick up after myself. I balance everything in my hands and head to the sink. I look up, careful to not bump into a staff member, or should I say mafia member. 

Suddenly my shoe gets stuck and I trip. I feel like I'm falling in slow motion. I try to cushion my fall as I try to save the dishes as well. A clash sound echoes down the hallway and I gasp.

 The glass cup is shattered. My brain goes blank. I frantically grab the pieces, trying to hide them from view, stuffing them in my pockets. Flashes of Noah pops up, It feels so real. I hear his footsteps. I am going to get hurt. He is going to hurt me. 

My eyes blur with tears but I pay them no mind and try to gather as many pieces as I can. Arms suddenly wrap around me pushing me up.

My knees immediately give up on me. " I didn't mean to" I whisper out between sobs. 

" Aurelia..?" a broken voice says. I snap back into reality. I look up, Nathaniel is holding me up. Alessandro is holding onto the wall for support. Lucien, Matteo, Alec, and Hera look shocked and some close to tears in the distance. I look down, glass shards mixed with blood. Nathan doesn't let go of me. I turn to look at him. He stares straight into my eyes, frantic. 

" I'm sorry" I say, unsure of what to say.

" You're sorry?" Lucien speaks up, breathing hard.

I stay silent. I'm not sorry. Why would they let me stay in that hell hole for so long? Did they want me to rot there? They are the mafia for god sakes, of course they just chose not to until now. I can't think clearly, too much is happening.

" What the fuck happened?" Matteo says, now in front of me. " That was a psychotic break for fucks sakes." His hand trembles. He touches my face and I flinch away. 

" We all need a sit down talk." Nathaniel says, carefully picking me up and taking me to the living room and everyone follows. We all sit in silence and a nurse comes in, cleaning my injured hands. 

" Why did you let me suffer for so long?" I ask, drained out of energy.

" What?"

" Why did you guys leave me to suffer there for so long," A tear falls from my eyes. " Why did you guys abandon me with those monsters?"

" Lara hurt you?" Nathaniel asks. Everyone's eyes drill into me, pleading for me to deny, shining with desperation. 

And so, I tell them everything. From my childhood, to when they picked me up from the police. I told them every single beating, every single word they said to me, every thought that crossed my mind, everything. I didn't cry, not because I was strong but because I forgot to. I didn't stop talking even when they begged me to stop or when Lucien punched the wall. 

I look up when I'm finished. I'm huddled up in a corner. Lucien is angry, I don't know why. Alec and Matteo are sobbing and I'm too tired to care. Nathan is holding his head. Alessandro looking off to the distance, his face morphed into pain. Hera is staring straight at me, with pity dancing in her eyes.

I just tuck my hands into my pockets and squish myself in a corner and I cry. 

Arm arms wrap around me and I allow it. The arms stay there for until I loosen up, I take a glance from my arms. It's Alessandro, despite my tears I smile a bit. He cares for me, it's what I've been dreaming of since I was a child. 

He notices and brushes my hair out of my face, he kisses my forehead and says " I'm sorry".

I don't reply but I just snuggle more into his arms. 

" You know, we searched for you everywhere," he says softly

" Liar"

" I'm not lying Aurelia"

" Your're a mafia for fucks sakes" I reply, not harshly but surprisingly soft. He pulls back and looks at me.

" You know, Lara was smart." He says holding my face " She grew up close to the mafia and knew the ins and outs of our mafia and always outsmarted us when we came close to finding you"

My eyes unconsciously widen. So they did want me.

" Wait, how did you know we're in the mafia? Are you.. scared of us?" He says, now panicked " Please don't be scared, we won't hurt you."

I smile " I know".

He grins and hugs me. We stay like that for a while.

" I can't imagine what you have been through but I want you to know you will always have us from now on."

His words sink into me and I start crying even harder. I love them so much. 

NATHANIEL COLE BLACK

When I heard the full story, I felt like throwing up. Her face was so neutral it scared me. Not just me but all of us. In the mafia we are trained to never cry or to be even sad but this.. we all failed at today. I know all of us at least teared up with this. Some more than others. Matteo and Alec are holding each other up. Alec's face is all swollen with tears streaming down his face. Sometimes we forget how young he is, afterall he to is also an innocent child being shown to the most cruel parts of the world. 

Hera is standing with hands over her mouth trying to stop the escape of gasps and hiccups, as tears run down her cheeks. I walk over, letting her use my body as support.

We expected this, with all the signs shown when she was with us. But none of us thought it could be this bad. If we would've have known we.. we could've done nothing to bring her back earlier. We tried, we tried so damn hard but somehow we always ended up at a dead end. 

I feel my heart shatter as I hear her sobs. I glance over to see Alessandro whisper something to her and I look away. This situation is awful, everything about it is horrible. Lucien has marched out after he punched the wall. I hope he's doing okay. Everytime he feels sadness he always converts it into anger. I wish he could just let out the tears for once. 

I can't believe Lara would do this to her own children. She abandoned us while kidnapping Aurelia. I wouldn't be as angry as if she treated Aurelia right but she did the complete opposite. How could she let them beat her daughter black and blue? 

Nothing is okay. Nothing is okay. Nothing is okay.

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A/N- Okay I tried on this, please tell me I made you feel sad.