Save Me

5- Is there Hope?

I wake with my body screaming. Burning flames snake over my body until I feel sick with the smell of burning flesh. My head is thudding with the weight of an anvil so I keep my eyes squinted shut.

Confused, I feel the heavy weight of a man clutching at my hands as I claw at my fiery skin and I scream.

"No! No please! I can't do it again."

I brace myself for the needle that is undoubtedly going to puncture my skin when I hear a voice calling my name in the distance.

"Lucy, Lucy... Lucy... Lucy sweetheart, take deep breaths for me sweetheart. No one is hurting you."

Groaning, I open my eyes, blinking against the harsh light. A face with deep set eyebrows and a serious expression appears before me, the handsome face of Enzo looks down at me, concern shines in his eyes.

"Bright." I groan out.

My mouth feels dry, so dry and scratchy, like I haven't tasted water in years. Enzo moves and switches off the lights, plunging the room into a dusky lighting which allows me to open my eyes wider and take him in.

The past 5 years have been kinder to him than they have to me. A handsome and becoming stubble adorns his face with a harsher more intense darkness radiating off him. His whole aura has become darkened with power and intensity.

I watch the muscles of his shoulders straining against his white shirt as he moves towards me, offering a glass of water out to me.

I nod my head eagerly, still not trusting myself to speak, and attempt to lift myself up, but my muscles protest and I whimper in pain.

"I've got you." Enzo rushes out, swiftly placing the glass on the table and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

He helps to ease me up into a sitting position, propping me up with a combination of pillows and himself. Resting my head lightly on his chest, I take a moment to enjoy the familiar hardness of his body, and the tingles of safety that prick over my skin.

"Here, you need to drink." He encourages, lifting the glass up to my lips.

As soon as the cooling liquid hits my mouth I begin to gulp it down with relish. A few droplets dribble down my mouth but I don't care.

The glass is empty and Enzo places back on the bedside table. Using the cuff of his shirt, he wipes away the water that is running down my chin making me giggle slightly in embarrassment.

"Are you hungry?" He asks, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the exposed skin of my shoulder.

"Yes." I mumble, nodding my head at the thought of food.

"What do you fancy, mi amor?" He asks softly, his deep voice sending tremors down my body.

"Pizza." I groan out, knowing that all I can think of eating is that.

"Pizza?" My Enzo chuckles before giving me a light kiss to the top of my head, "my little Italian girl."

His words make my stomach clench, we are not together, and yet it feels as if we are. Once I'm stronger and I've eaten, we should talk about everything that happened five years ago, but now I'm just going to enjoy the feeling of Enzo doting on me.

I feel his body shift and panic grips me.

"No." I whimper, clutching at his chest, tightening my fingers around the material of his shirt.

"It's alright, Stellina." Enzo coos, wrapping his arm tighter about me, "I'm not going anywhere, I'm calling Sophia."

He shows me his phone with the message for his sister. It's such a strange and intimate thing, five years ago I never even saw his phone unlocked, and now he's handing me his open phone.

"Oh." I murmur, feeling a little embarrassed.

Deciding to ignore it, I press my face into his chest, breathing in the deep heady smell of his masculinity, and let myself drift off into a light slumber.

I awaken with a jolt, immediately terrified I'm going to open my eyes and realise that this is all a dream, but comforting hands grip me.

"It's alright mia bella Lucia," Enzo comforts, "it was just the pizza arriving."

"Pizza?" I perk up instantly, my stomach growling as I suddenly smell the food.

Enzo stands up, carefully shifting my weight so my bruised ribs and core muscles are not being used, and then he heads over to the massive stack of pizza boxes.

"Enz?" I say in disbelief, the tone of endearment slipping out accidentally. His head whips around instantly at the name but my head drops down to the duvet and I pluck at the fabric.

Whether he wants to bring it up or not, Enzo decides not to mention it and instead brings me over box after box of immensely delicious smelling pizza.

"Which one do you want?" He asks, opening the boxes and offering me too many choices for my starving stomach to process.

The sight of the pizza covered in meats makes my nose wrinkle.

"No?" Enzo says with a rueful smile, "you always ate this one before."

"I'm vegetarian now." I explain with a mumble, "it was something Amanda and I always wanted to do but there was always one more meat meal to try." I explain, "but I'm doing it for both of us now."

Enzo stays silent, but nods his head in understanding. I know that he must have heard about Amanda, it made the news, and anyway, I'm sure Marco too would have discovered it.

"The margarita?" He questions, offering me a slice which makes my stomach growl.

"Yes please." I say, reaching for the slice, not caring how much mess I make.

Enzo pulls the slice out of my reach slightly making me slump back in frustration. Only then does he bring the pizza back towards me, I realise that this giant, powerful, deadly man wants to hand feed me.

Sighing slightly, I open my mouth obediently, noting the slight smile that adorns this ridiculous man's face.

I eat in silence, or rather, we eat in silence, that is until Enzo decides to break it.

"I know that we are not going to talk about... everything that happened five years ago until you're stronger..."

I swallow hard, waiting for the bomb to drop that will shatter these few hours of blissful delusion.

"But I have to know, Lucia, sweetheart, is there any hope for us?"

Blinking a few times, I process his words, and then I smile softly.

"Yes," I take his hand gently in mine, "there is hope."