𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 |𝟏𝟖+

Piccolina

The smell of pancakes fills my nostrils, making my mouth water and my stomach grumble.

I'm starving.

Closing my eyes, I get lost in the droplets of rain that stream down the windows, and the crackling of wood burning in the fireplace warms up not only this cold setting but also my whole heart.

"Here you go, princess." The waitress places my breakfast in front of me with a smile before hurriedly serving another table, breaking me out of my peaceful haze.

I dive into my food without even thanking the waitress, which is rude, but pancakes are more important, and my stomach needs to be filled.

No one should come between a lady and her food.

Josh lets out a bark of laughter across the table. I drag my gaze from my food to his face, and my eyes widen at the sight nearly causing me to choke.

I start coughing violently, clinging to my throat. Josh quickly passes me a glass of water, eyes filled with worry. "Are you alright?"

I chug the whole glass before I feel like I can breathe again. Just as I set the empty glass down, I realize how small my fingers grasp around the glass, more like a child's hand rather than a 24-year-old woman's.

My gaze drifts, almost involuntarily, to the white bottle sitting on the edge of the table, which reflects my appearance and, more importantly, mirrors the man who sits around the corner.

And then it happens.

Here I sit, a 12-year-old me staring back at me from the bottle. Behind me, a young Riccardo Ricci, no more than 18 but still high and mighty, sitting with his legs crossed one another as if he owns not just the room but the world.

The air grows heavier, suffocating, as I fly to my feet, causing my chair to fall to the ground with a loud crash. Josh stands up as well, but he doesn't move. He merely stands like a statue, eyes glued to Riccardo's direction, which is filled with fear.

Leisurely, almost unwillingly, I turn around to take a glimpse of him, as my body trembles like a leaf and my heartbeat is loud enough to be heard from a thousand miles away.

And there he is.

My breath hitches when my gaze locks with his dark eyes, which glint with a ferocious hunger, a raw, unrestrained madness.

It's the same look he had when he killed those three men that night.

The same look he had when he beat the shit out of his brother.

I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes from me. My throat tightens, I claw at it, but nothing happens.

Riccardo leans back and laughs tauntingly, while shaking his head, almost mockingly. That's when I take him in; he's covered in blood.

The sight is both horrifying and hypnotic.

"You've always been mine, il mio piccolina."

And then, I'm jolted awake.

A warm and wet sensation drags across my cheek, causing my eyes to fly open. I find a pair of big blue eyes staring back at me.

Without hesitation, I throw my arms around Mr. Finn and bury my face in his soft fur, seeking emotional support, as he's the only one in this house who will offer.

Mr. Finn remains perfectly still as if sensing my discomfort and anxiety, letting me hold him for a few more minutes until I reluctantly pull away.

"I've missed you, buddy." I pet its head, and he responds with a happy grin, his tongue out and eyes sparkling with excitement.