An angel and her demons.

9. Opening up.

"Hey Lottie, who are you talking to? What are you doing up here?" I heard a voice speak. I jumped at the sound, almost losing my balance and falling until two arms grabbed me.

"Xander." I looked at him.

"Hey, have you been crying?" he bent down to be at my level and wiped my tears from my cheeks.

"I want to tell you something. Actually...I want to tell you all something." I looked at my hands, trying to avoid eye-contact. "Erm... okay? Do you maybe want to get off the roof first?" he questioned.

"Yeah."

We climbed down off of the roof and walked my bedroom. I sat on bed as

, "Do you want me to go get your other brothers?" Xander looked at me, I knew I had to keep being strong, but It was proving more difficult.

I'm scared... what If they judge me or don't want me anymore. What if I am too damaged? Too broken. What if they kick me out or give up on me?

I at least have to try.

"Charlotte?" he snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I looked at him, "ye- yeah can you go get them please."

He nodded and left the room; I placed my head between my knees. Trying to psych myself up, telling myself that it would be ok.

"Hey sorellina, Xander said you needed to speak to us?" Eli spoke.

"Yeah... I don't really know how to tell you all this, but I really need to." I refused to make eye contact.

"O-Okay" Elijah replied, uncertainty laced his tone.

After a few minutes of silence, "Say something please... you're starting to scare us." Enzo spoke softly.

"Sorry yeah, so erm, the night before I left for Italy, I vaguely remember mom and papa screaming at each other. He was telling her that it was unsafe, and she needed to leave. That he didn't love us anymore. Then she packed our things and dragged me out, I was screaming and yelling for you all. I just didn't understand why you guys didn't want me anymore. Honestly I still don't but that's beside the point. So, after that we moved to California... everything was fine for a few months. Then mom started drinking, doing drugs and not coming home for days on end. She then got a boyfriend his name was Zach. He was really sweet at first but then whenever my mom was not around he would... erm... he would beat me, hit me, call me names."

I paused to look at my brothers, they all looked furious. Ales' knuckles were turning white. Enzo and Eli looked like they were about to kill something. Xavy's eyes were glassed. Xander and Teo were looking at me with both anger and sympathy.

"Then mom turned like Zach, maybe worse, she hurt me so much. I just wanted her to love me and be proud of me, but she hated me so much. Life sucked so badly, I had no friends, I self-taught myself languages, art, literary.... Anything. I just tried so hard for her to be proud, but she just tried to hurt me both physically and emotionally." I sighed, tears rolling down my cheeks,

"I was so alone, I turned to hurting myself for an outlet, for a realise. I still do occasionally but I'm getting better at not. I tried to end it all a few years ago, but I realised that wasn't an option. I found art to be a better outlet and I draw whenever I'm unable to express my emotions verb

I met someone, I met my best friend, my soulmate, the love of my life. Nate. He was the only one that cared for me. I spent every day with him for 5 years. He was my first everything. Then he... he left me. And once again I was alone. Today is his birthday, I was sat on the roof, watching the stars. Talking to him, I saw a flash in the sky, a shooting star, I feel like it was a sign to talk to you guys, then Xander came up so I decided to tell you..."

I was sobbing, sat there, embarrassed that I just spilled my life to them. I don't know how they were going to react.

Elijah stood up and walked towards me, he grabbed me and pulled me into a hug.

"You're not alone anymore." Eli whispered into my ear.

"yeah sorellina... you have us and no one is ever going to hurt you again. I swear to lucifer that we will protect you." Xander rubbed my back as I cried into Eli's shirt.

Enzo then joined in the hug, followed by Xavier then Teo. Even Alessandro joined in. We sat in comfortable silence embraced in each other's arms.

"We all love you, so much sorellina." Ales whispered.

"I love you fratelli" I replied.

I first saw Xavier fall asleep, then Xander, then Enzo. Then I too slipped into the night, all of my brothers around me.