Beautiful Bruises ~ Camilo Madrigal x Reader

Inside Your Mind

"Just you wait, Amor. Just you wait."

Dinner arrived early that evening, with everyone eager to speak to the pregnant Isabela. She was bombarded by questions as everyone made their way to their spot at the outside table, the late summer sun glinting over the mountains. 

"Whoa! Everyone, calm down," Jude said with a laugh, gracefully shielding Isabella from her overexcited family. "The baby isn't coming anytime soon - she's only around three months right now."

Antonio frowned.

"So, how much longer?"

Laughing, you leaned over the table to face the little boy who sat on the other side of your boyfriend. 

"About 6 months. Don't get too excited, pal."

Pouting, he grouchily turned and started up a quiet conversation with Camilo's pet (courtesy of Antonio, of course). His name was Rune, and oddly enough, he was a fox. He reflected his owner's personality fairly well, the sly, clever creature he was.

"(Y/N), did you hear me?" You turned to Jude to see him looking at you expectantly. "Are you excited to be an aunt?"

Smiling, you nodded quickly. Being an aunt would surely be great, right? Even though Jude probably wouldn't have much time for you anymore, you would learn to understand. He had a life, too, and one day you might be in his shoes. But still, it terrified you that he might forget* about you.

"I hope it's a girl. That way, it'll be like the sister I never had," you teased, and Jude laughed. He had a sparkle in his eyes that he never used to, and you felt a twinge of regret for never making him happy enough. "I have to use the bathroom - I'll be right back." Plastering a smile onto your face, you rushed to your room, hastily sitting on the bed. Every time you felt that familiar spike in your heart rate, you made sure to get away from everyone. You didn't want them knowing you still panicked like this. It made you feel insane.

"You can't get away from me." You looked up to see your mama, her face perfect as ever, standing over you. Her posture was pristine, not a single bruise on her, like it used to be. When your papa hit her and... when you crushed her. "I might be dead, but I'm still with you. In your mind. In their minds. And soon, all of them will show it." She smiled, her teeth like razors, sharpened and glinting in the sudden darkness. Her clawed fingers reached towards you, thin and skeletal, as you sat frozen, unable to move, dead. "My people taught me dangerous things, daughter. And you'd be wise to leave. But you never were very bright, were you?"

Her fingers gripped your face, and you finally let out the frozen scream trapped in your rib cage as he world twisted back into reality. A nose gently bumped against your leg, and you gasped, realizing you were teetering on the window ledge two stories above the rocky ground. Tara watched you anxiously, her dark eyes concerned.

"(Y/N)? What are you doing?" Stumbling, you quickly pushed away from the edge, falling to the wooden floor inside. Jude and Luisa stood just outside your door, watching awkwardly. 

"I'll go... grab the... thing," Luisa said quickly, her eyebrows knit together as she looked at you. She bit her lip nervously before slipping off as quietly as possible, which, in reality, wasn't that quietly.

"Hermanita." Jude's voice was serious, his hands shaking slightly as he walked over and hauled you off of the floor. "What were you doing?"

"It wasn't like that, I swear, Jude," you said quickly, your words tumbling in your mouth. Fear still clung to your heart, sending your nerves racing. "It was just... I was..." You couldn't ruin his big night. Everything was going perfectly for him, and you weren't going to crush it all by worrying him about your mama. It was just a hallucination. She was dead. "I wanted to look at the view. The sunset was pretty."

Jude scowled, tightening his grip on your shoulder.

"Please don't lie, (Y/N)."

"I'm not, I promise. The breeze was nice, and... I just ate too much at dinner. I really mean it. You know I'm not like that. Everything's perfect, with you and Camilo. I swear."

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving yours.

"I trust you. But you can always talk to me, you know. I'm here. It might seem like I'm too busy with Isabela, but you're still my little sister, and I love you. I probably don't say that enough, but I do. All right?" he asked, his eyes growing watery.

"Yeah, yeah. You don't have to get all mushy," you groaned, laughing. You had had enough of tears over the last few years, and pushed him away lightly. "Go find your fiancé, dummy."

He walked off, smiling gently, and Luisa sprinted in.

"Whoa!" you cried, raising your eyebrows.

"Are you ok? I saw you there and I just guess I know what it feels like to think you're not enough since that's been happening a lot lately and I don't want you to go through that since you're only like 16 and you have such a promising future and Camilo would be heartbroken and I love you like a sister and-"

"Hey! What? What's been happening a lot lately? You think you're not enough?" you asked before she could continue ranting. She sighed, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I thought I was done feeling worthless after Casita was rebuilt and you came back got life and everything, but lately... I dunno. I just feel so helpless and stupid." She glared at her feet, and you quickly stepped closer and wrapped your arms around her torso, giving her a tight hug. She tensed up in surprise before hugging you back.

When she touched you, however, you felt a swirl of emotions erupt in your brain, like something was poking and prodding at your skull, trying to get in-

"Gah!" you cried as you leapt away, clutching your head. The thing disappeared just as quickly as it had come, and you sighed in relief, slowly opening your eyes. Luisa eyed you curiously.

You had felt that on a minor scale when Mirabel held your hands - but nothing as severe as that.

"I'm sorry. I have a terrible headache," you lied quickly. "Trust me, Luisa - you're perfect. Come back downstairs with me, ok?" She nodded, wiping away her tears.

"Ok."

The tall girl followed behind you like a giant toddler, her steps shaking the stairs. Jude eyed you warily as you approached the table once again, but you forced a bright smile and he looked away.

"You're such a pig*," Camilo said with a laugh as Antonio stole a piece of cake from him. "Whatever, little man."

"Camilo," you whispered, clutching his hand as soon as you saw him. "We need to talk."

He turned to look at you, his grin fading as he caught sight of your worried eyes. 

"What's wrong?"

"Come here." You pulled him behind a corner, hiding in the shadows. "There's something terrible going on, and we have to tell the others. Mirabel was right - something like a disease tried to infect me when I touched Luisa." Camilo's eyes widened, and he started to say something.

"Nobody will believe you." You and Camilo spun to see Bruno lurking in the shadows, his eyes downcast. "I saw it all."