Capturing Her Heart (Ongoing)

Chapter 24: Childhood Friends

Unedited

"Hi Maria, hope I'm not being an inconvenience." I smile shyly.

"Hello darling, no your not. It's nice to see you here." She hugs me and lets me in.

The house seems kind of quiet and still. It is a big house for only two people but they use it for mafia stuff.

"Where's Leonardo?" I ask.

"He's out in an important meeting." I nod my head.

"Come darling, sit down." She says and leads me to the living room. I sit down and she sits beside me, leaving a little space between us.

"What brings you here?" She moves her head to the side and asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm just tired of being cooped up in a house all day with a bunch of boys and very immature girls." She laughs and shakes her head.

"Oh I remember that feeling."

Curiosity kicks in me. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well someone had to be the leader of the mafia before Luca, Leonardo. He and his friends lived in one house and it was drama everyday." My mouth forms an 'o' shape and I nod slowly.

My mind goes off to another place and starts thinking about earlier. I still can't remember, the harder I try I just want to cry because I have to remember. All I can remember is the loud music, the strong drinks and that's pretty much it.

"Alessandra you okay?" I snap out of my daze and turn my attention to Maria.

I nod, "Yeah I'm okay."

She smiles and I smile back. We look at each other for a good minute and I take this as a chance to study her features. I do this with everyone I meet, usually gives me a good estimate of who they are. However with Maria, her features seem familiar. Older but familiar.

"Maria I feel like I've known you my whole life?" I say but it comes out as a question.

"I see you noticed," she chuckles. "Alessandra we've known you ever since you were a baby, actually even before you were born."

My brows furrow together. "How about we start from the beginning, I know your parents wanted to tell you this themselves but you would be confused without all the information." She tells me and I nod still feeling confused.

"Ok, so before you were born we all made an agreement to marry you to Luca, which you already know. We didn't consider your sister because she hated Luca with a great passion, we thought he would have a good chance with you. And that came to be a reality," She paused before continuing.

"You two were best friends when you were a baby and he was a toddler." I look at her confused, which she notices. "Let me tell you something I have never told Luca," she scoots closer to me and takes my hand into hers. "He claimed you the first day he saw you at the hospital."

My eyes widen. "I remember that day like it was yesterday. He said 'mommy she's pretty' and then he held you and promised to keep you safe forever. It was very cute." She smiles at me but I can't get myself to react.

I'm confused, shocked, surprised, and stunned. My parents never told me this. Luca claimed me when I was just a newborn? How the hell?! He promised he would protect me forever yet, that didn't happen. I wonder if he remembers? What if he--oh god!

A sickening feeling rushes over me. My stomach turns and starts to hurt. Bile rushes up my esophagus, leaving a burning sensation. I forgot this happens when you're hungover!

"Can you please tell me where the bathroom is?" I ask Maria.

"Down the hallway on the left darling." She tells me and I go off jogging down the hallway.

I reach the bathroom just in time and throw up in the toilet. I lay my head on my arm for a bit and breath. I hate throwing up.

I rinse out my mouth of the disgusting taste of throw up and fix myself before leaving.

Haven't done that in a while.

I walk back to the living room, stumbling a bit on the way. I reach the living room and sit back down where I was. Maria asks me if I'm ok and I tell her yes.

"Well where did I leave off...oh I remember. He did claim you at first sight and then from there we knew it was the right decision. The two of you grew up very close, you would play with each other everyday, you ate together, you talked to each other in some language. He was very protective over you. He would call you 'Sandra' or 'Isabelle' because everybody would call you Allie or by your full name and he wanted to call you something different. It was the cutest thing ever." She finishes talking and I try to soak in all the information. So much all at one time!

Let me get this straight, Luca claimed me at birth. We then became friends and we were together all the time, inseparable. Basically best friends. I barely can remember my childhood but I do remember having a best friend and they....used to call me Sandra or Isabelle! Oh my God! This can't be true!

"I remember a bit but I don't remember the rest. What happened?" I ask and look at Maria with desperation and the need to know.

She grabs my hand and says, "Well when you were four we had to move back to Italy because the Spanish Mafia threatened to kill you both if Luca wasn't parted from you. It was for your safety and as well as Luca's, we couldn't risk the life of two innocent children." I gasp at hearing this.

Was that the reason Alexander was so obsessed with me, he was jealous that someone else would get me. He's was the rightful heir to the Spanish Mafia. When the time came he took it over and got what he wanted, which was...me. They put a bounty on my head to keep Luca away from me and make us forget so Alexander could get me! This all makes perfect sense to me!

"The both of you were devastated, you loved each other so much and the bond you had was unbreakable." She smiles sadly and I stare at the ground.

All my life I have felt this empty place in my heart and it was because...of him. If it is Luca were talking about. This is just a lot to take in. Imagine the person you loved ever since you were a baby leave without remembering or leaving a trace.

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The Tea.

Hello beautiful people! Here is another chapter for you. Hope you LOVED IT and if you did VOTE!

I know this has nothing to do with the chapter but today marks two months of a girls passing. She died Feb.17 in an accident and I would just like to pay my respects to her. I didn't know her that much but she was a sweet girl that didn't deserve to die so early. Rest in peace Ellis.

The next chapter will be up as soon as I can finish it! Love you all! 4/17/19 Jennifer❤💛