• BOOK 1 OF THE ESZTAR SERIES •
Reaching upstairs, he hurled me inside his room and closed the door harshly. I stood there shaking with fear. He looked scary. Extremely scary.
He tilted his head, forming an evil grin on his face. I couldn't move. I...
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Toby's startled form came into view as he rushed up the stairs to her room.
"Dude just stop it okay. Stop manhandling her." He screamed, tearing my fingers from a surprisingly silent Vittoria.
"If you have a better way then please tell me Toby because this is only so much I can tolerate this nonsense."
"Don't you see her condition is so delicate right now. How can you be so cruel, Rafael." He pushed me back.
She was standing next to us silently, bearing no expression on her face. She looked so defeated. My heart ached seeing her like that but she needed to understand that I was doing this for her. If her stubborn head can't understand a simple fact that she won't survive a single day alone then that's her problem. If using force is the only way to keep her safe then be it.
"Vittoria." I exhaled a held in breath. "Come here." I guided her towards the bed. Toby's irresolute gaze didn't go unnoticed by me.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not going to hurt her." I frowned.
"You better not." He warned before disappearing downstairs.
I took a seat next to her. "I know you're very angry at us. And that's justified. But I need you to understand that I'm doing this for you." And a little for me too. But I didn't say that.
I can't even imagine my life without her now. She had become an addiction. The kind which eventually killed but I couldn't care less.
"I hate you, Rafael." She sobbed.
My heart breaks a little every time she says that. Because I know this time she meant it.
"Leave me alone." She turned her face, not willing to even so much as look at me.
"Why? So that you can slit your wrists?" The sentence came out harsher than I intended.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and her bitter sobs turned more intense. "You have no idea what I'm going through."
"That still doesn't justify a suicide attempt."
"I don't want to talk about it." She dismissed it.
"How long will you run away from it huh? You tried to kill yourself Vittoria. You... you know what that means?" My arms instinctively circled her dainty frame. It made me feel more safe than it must have to her. What would I have done if she died yesterday. The thought alone terrified me.
"What makes you think I was going to kill myself? If I could, wouldn't I have done that way before?" She shrugged away from my embrace.
"What do you mean?" I gasped.
"I mean I'm not strong enough to do it. The reason why I can't get rid of my crappy life." Her face contorted in agony.
"Don't ever think about it, you get that?" I clutched her jaw, firmly but at the same time gently turning her face to me.
