Desire Me

21- You don't own Me

Enzo and I didn't stay in England for long, as soon as the pilot had slept enough to be safe, we were in the air again.

Now, as I stare down at France beneath us, I feel a pang of guilt that I didn't stay longer, but it fades away quickly. I know I made the right choice for me, the choice Robert would have wanted for me. I couldn't watch the man I knew become a husk of who he was, we said our goodbyes and that's that.

Enzo shifts next to me in his sleep, catching my attention. I smile over at him and stroke his cheek softly. He startled from sleep so abruptly he makes me let out a little squeak of surprise.

His eyes scan around the plane, seeming to look for a threat, before he looks at me.

"It was me," I murmur against his neck as I give him a gentle kiss, "sorry."

He grumbles something unintelligible in Italian before dozing back off to sleep. Feeling tired myself, I lay my head on his shoulder and fall asleep to the sound of Marco and Mattia talking quietly.

"Amanda! Je suis ici!" I call out into the empty apartment.

When there is no reply at such a late hour, I feel a sinking sensation in my stomach. With Marco away with me, it's unlikely that Amanda would be out clubbing on a Thursday night.

Pulling out my phone, I see it's out of battery and mutter a curse to myself. Searching for a charger, I walk over to the kitchen counter and see a note laying there.

Miss Greene,

Your roommate has been taken to Ars Medical by ambulance. She asks that you find her there.

Phone had no credit.

The words send a chill down my spine as I grab my jacket and race back out of the door. The hospital is less than a mile down the road so I decide to run the whole way there. Waiting for a bus or for Enzo will take too long.

I practically explode into the hospital, panting and sweaty, as I stride over to the reception desk and pant out Amanda's name.

"A-Amanda Durand... wants... wants me with her."

The reception looks at me with mild distaste as I drip perspiration onto the table, but she types on her computer and then gives me a room number.

I jog quickly over to the elevator and wait the few seconds before the door opens. As the elevator slowly climbs, all I can think about is what has happened, what could have happened, how Amanda is.

When I walk to her room, the door is open, but the doctor is inside. I hold back and wait for a moment.

"I really am so very sorry Miss Durand, sometimes these things just happen and we don't know why."

I hear Amanda's wail of pain and in already moving into the room. As soon as I see her pale, heartbroken face, I know what has happened.

Racing to be at her side, she throws her arms around me and clutches at my shoulders.

I hold her together as she falls apart.

The emotions and her sadness get the better of me and I start to cry as well. She lays back on the bed and invites me to lay beside her.

She curls herself against me, making herself as small as possible as she weeps into my chest.

Rubbing my hand up and down her arm, I desperately search for the words to say, but I fail.

"Do you know what the worst thing is?" Amanda whimpers, her sadness breaking my heart entirely.

"I wanted to keep it, I-I-I wanted that b-b-baby."

Her final words collapse into juddering sobs and I know there are no words I can ever say to ease her remorse.

We sit in silence for hours until she finally drifts off, her face pale and puffy with tears. It's only when she's sleeping that I realise how badly I need the toilet.

Sneaking out from under her, I quietly walk from the room and close the door behind me.

As I walk down corridor after corridor in search of a toilet, I get the sickening feeling that I'm being followed. Turning around quickly, there are people milling about, but no one seems interested in me.

Continuing to walk, I hear heavy footfalls behind me. I freeze and whip my head around and see two men dressed in black suits who seem to be staring at me.

I walk faster.

I turn down corridor after corridor, convinced I'm seeing more and more black suits surrounding me.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands grab me by the hips and drag me backwards into a room. The shriek that leaves my mouth is smothered by a meaty palm which presses over my face.

Terror makes my eyes widen, until I'm spun around and see Enzo. Assuming he's playing, I slap at his chest, "don't do that to me!"

I chuckle and smile up at him, but his face is dark and serious. My humour dies and I take a tentative step away from him. I can tell from his breathing alone that he's pissed.

"What are you doing here, Lucia?" He demands, putting ominous emphasis on my name.

"I'm here for Amanda." I reply flatly.

Enzo scoffs, "and what, you just weren't going to tell me?"

"I wasn't aware you control my movements, Enzo." I snap, "now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to Amanda."

My hand closes on the door-handle when Enzo's fist slams into the wall beside me. I squeak and fall backwards at the aggressive action but Enzo doesn't stop glaring down at me.

"Don't fucking move!" He booms, his voice full of anger, "do you have any idea how serious this is?"

"What because you didn't give me permission? I'm a grown woman, Enzo, I don't need your fucking permission to do anything!"

Enzo scoffs, "you really are so naive to the world around you."

"Fuck you." I spit, "you don't own me you egotistical pig, do you even care about Amanda enough to ask what she's doing here?"

My voice is getting louder and louder, my pulse thunders under my throat as I stare down Enzo.

He swallows hard and I watch as the anger disappears, for a moment I swear I see a flash of fear in his eyes, before he runs a hand through his hair.

"Why is Amanda here?" He asks slowly.

"She lost the baby." I reply flatly, "now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to be with my friend."

This time Enzo doesn't stop me leaving, but he does follow tightly behind me.

He is suffocating me.

If he doesn't back off a bit with the control, this isn't going to last.