Faith [Donati Clan #1] [Complete]

Chapter 17

DAHLIA

Echoes of his breathless voice rang, "Wait, Dahlia."

As my back faced him, I turned my face slightly. Through the corner of my eyes, I could see his shadow move forward. He called out again with authority, "Dahlia."

Sighing, tiredly, I turned around with crossed arms, a sign of defense, trying to hide my shivers. At the first glance, his emotions were hidden and I could only see his stiff and strict posture. Although looking deeply at him, his veil began slipping.

The ear-deafening stillness grew as seconds ticked.

Until he broke, "Is it true?"

Accepting death was not easy, sometimes, in a brick of a bad situation, it had been easier to give up. To accept that death is better than pain. That after-life would have been better, that I am alone, unwanted, and an orphan. That is what I am worth something, or maybe nothing at all.

I am worth nothing.

Yet, there are speckles of hope, light as a feather. A want for a living, for a second chance, for happiness. To not be in the mercy of my last breath, alas reality was not that. Dreams of growing old and have a family seemed to evaporate as I was cornered in the brick of a dead-end.

As I looked at the man in front of me, I wondered what his intentions were as he observed me intensively. It was like he could hear whispers of my hidden secrets, weird.

I do not think I am worth the enigma.

Slowing my breath once again, I stood steadily and hid my emotions, even now I thought whenever he could see my puzzles scattered or not, I whispered, "Yes."

His stance broke.

His perfect mask did not slip or crack, he simply took it off. Matteo threw it against the wall and smashed it. I kept looking at the pieces. For the first time, I could see him, and his true feelings and emotions that he couldn't fully comprehend.

I did not want to, but I did...

His emotions were authentic and raw. Overwhelmed, his eyes moved away from mine scorched by my gaze. He began, like a whisper of the wind, "I never met anyone like you."

I asked caught in our web of lies, "A killer?"

Narrowing his orbs as his gaze returned to mine, he said with certainty, "No, I have met many of those."

His stance changed, however, returning to his disguised self. But his eyes did not change, I have seen it once, I couldn't unsee it.

A complete fool, me or him?

He asked, holding his breath, "What happened that night, Dahlia?"

Drained and jaded, the words spilled, "You already know the truth."

I was tired. Tired of waiting to break from this nightmare, I need to keep reminding myself that was not my destiny.

I confirmed, "I killed my foster father that night."

Unable to look directly at Matteo, I made my way to the room I had been before. I continued to the edge of the window and gazed at the calm blue sky. I asked quietly, "What do you want to know?"

A second ticked before Matteo said with a leveled voice, "Everything."

Taking a quiet deep breath, I smiled sadly as I said, "I never had a relationship that lasted more than one day. My reality was having people call me mean names, mostly my foster parents, teachers, classmates, even strangers."