𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦

Chapter. 22

Ayla

"There has to be someone we can call? Dad? We have to do something. This-this is abuse. There's has to be something!"

"Noah-"

"I can't keep seeing her like this! I tried to brush it off the first time but what about the fifty others? What he does to her! It's-its-it's wrong!"

"Calm down-"

"Stop saying that! You don't find this wrong!?"

"I do."

"So why aren't you doing anything!"

"She has to want to, Noah. We can't just call someone to arrest her father, it can't-it doesn't work like that. She's eighteen.. they can't do anything."

I watched Matteo grab Noah's shoulder and pull him into a hug. Rubbing his young sons back.

They came out of the hallway assuming I hadn't heard them.

"You're awake, how are you feeling?" Noah asked.

I rolled my lip between my teeth and sent him a small smile.

"Better."

"Is there anyone you want me to call? Family? Anything?" He asked, rubbing my shoulder.

I shook my head.

"No."

"It's just you?" He asked.

He grabbed a gray file off the side desk after I had nodded and opened it.

"Noah don-" his father protested.

"On your file here it says you have a brother, you never mentioned a brother."

Matteo grabbed the file from his sons hands and kept it, closed on his lap.

"I don't." I snapped, looking away from both of them with a sharp pain in my chest.

I could hear him clear his voice.

"I'm trying to help, Ayla. I'm sorry." He said with sympathy laced within his voice.

"It's fine." I mumbled.

"Ayla, you can stay with us for a while if you'd like?" Matteo offered as if he hadn't been practically begging me earlier.

"Yeah, stay with us for bit." Noah leaned in, brushing a strand of my hair away from my face.

I smiled at him while squeezing his hand.

"Okay."

He leaned down while cupping my cheek.

Softly pressing his lips into mine.

We pulled back and that's when I creaked my eyes open, seeing the door closed.

He left.

"I'm gonna rest for a bit." I told him.

"Okay." He nodded.