Gods & Monsters | Bruce Wayne

FIFTY SIX - BROKEN PROMISES

"You can't just land things like this on me, it's not fair."

"Carla wait."

She ignored Bruce's plea and tugged herself free from his hands, brushing past his shoulder and heading straight inside the house. He didn't chase after her, knowing far better than to do that, instead standing with his hands on his hips and a defeated sigh echoing across his face, staring up at the blue sky in dismay.

The sun hurt his eyes but the pain wasn't half as bad as how it felt to watch her walk away from him again. Bruce had spent every minute of every day thinking about Carla and to be able to touch her again was something he'd only ever dared to dream about when he felt at his lowest, the notion giving him a glimmer of hope that he sometimes needed to keep going.

Yet when that hope became not enough and the hole inside of his heart didn't seemed to be closing, Bruce realised that despite considering himself the hero rather than the fool, Carmine's words might've been right.

He wandered over to the pool and sank down onto the edge of a sun lounger next to the still water, resting his forearms on his thighs with hands clasped together, head hanging between his shoulders as the heat scalded the back of his neck.

"Here, you look like you need to cool down."

Giulia appeared beside him with a smile, holding out a glass of chilled lemonade. He accepted it with a grateful nod and took a welcomed swig as she set her own drink down on a small wooden table, sitting on another lounger opposite Bruce.

"Did she say anything to you?" Bruce eventually asked, absentmindedly wiping water droplets from the outside of the glass with his thumb.

Giulia just shook her head, "No. But you have to understand that this is a shock, she never expected to see you again. She's been trying to get over you, it's been hard for her."

"Has she been upset?" The question made Bruce's heart sink, hating the thought of Carla ever being anything but happy.

"In her own way, you know what she's like. She doesn't like to talk about you but I know when she's quiet it's you she's thinking about. She's still and her eyes glaze over and sometimes there's even a small smile, but it washes away in the blink of an eye. She loved you, you know?"

Bruce swallowed and forced a nod, "I know. And I loved her, I still do. Do you think there's a chance that she might..."

Giulia's eyes softened and she eased a smile, admiring Bruce and watching the way his eyes held so much hope and desire for the girl she'd raised as her own. Carla hadn't always had the cold, unforgiving nature and Giulia remembered the warmth that she possessed from a time before she lost her brothers. It seemed like that same glow might never return to her skin and yet she'd seen it since, and it couldn't have been a coincidence that it had only ever been when Bruce Wayne was around.

"Give her some space. Are you hungry? I was about to start dinner."

Bruce sighed heavily and forced a smile, "I'll help."

Carla didn't come out of her room for dinner. Giulia had tried to convince her to join them but had been met with a no firm enough to not warrant her to ask again.

Still, Bruce and Giulia enjoyed their meal outside together as the sun set over the horizon and the air cooled off just a little, making the heat more bearable as the day tiptoed into night and a bottle of wine was shared.

Giulia didn't pry about Bruce and Carla's relationship at the table, instead choosing to talk about simple things like his favourite food or what life was like growing up in a place like Gotham.