Delgado

Chapter 32

A/N - longer chapter to make up for the long wait 🫶🏾🫶🏾

TW - scenes some may find upsetting in this chapter

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"I burned the muffins again", I glanced to the kitchen doorway and chuckled, "they're not lumps of coal, I promise".

"Graham is gonna fire the shit out of you Nico", I picked up a burnt muffin and knocked it against the counter, "so I guess we're making more?".

"Do you mind?", he pleaded, wringing his fingers together, "I owe you one".

"I think it's a few more than one", I teased, "come on then, wash your hands".

"Or hand", he muttered, moving towards the sink, "that was a joke, you can laugh". A small chuckle escaped me as I shook my head, watching the back of him as the taps started running.

"Hey, guess what? I-,", I was cut off by his sharp inhale, then a groan, "Nico?". He gripped the sink with both hands, a shaky breath escaping him.

"Shit, Izzy I uh-,", he turned, pressing one hand firmly on his heart as blood began to seep through, "what did you do?". I rushed over to him, grabbing a cloth on the way and pressing it against the growing wound as his teary eyes met mine.

"I didn't do this Nico", I shook my head, "you're gonna be okay".

"You did this Izzy", he gasped, placing his hands on top of mine and removing the cloth- god there was blood everywhere, "look at what you did to me".

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry", I repeated, trying to force the cloth back onto him, "please let me help you".

"It's too late", he shook his head, "you did this to me, and there's nothing you can do to fix it".

"Don't say that, please don't say that", I begged, tears streaming down my cheek, "I'm sorry".

"Isabella", I glanced behind me, only to see absolutely nothing there, so I faced Nico again.

"I should've left you in that room to die", he choked out, "maybe I'd still be alive".

"Nico please-,", I placed my hands on his chest and he grabbed my wrists, hard.

"Isabella", the same deep voice filled the room, sounding like it was coming from above this time, I still couldn't see anything, "Isabella!".

I jolted awake, my heart hammering against my rib cage and my body clammy with sweat. I looked around frantically, trying to take in my surroundings and calm myself down. Gio's cage, my desk, my wardrobe, I was home. I finally gazed to my left, only to be met with the panicked expression coming from my oldest brother.

"You're okay, you're safe", he cupped a hand behind my head and pulled me into him, "I'm right here". I may have been safe, sure, but I wasn't okay- I knew that. And judging by the look Zane was giving me, he knew it too.

"It's my fault Nico's dead", I whimpered into Zane's chest as he held me tighter, practically cradling me as if I was a small child, "I killed someone Zane".

"And I don't believe that for a second", he lay us back down, my head still resting on his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair- well, as much as he could anyway; I needed to wash and brush it, "you are the most kind hearted person I know Isabella, and you are not responsible for anything that happened these past few days". I wished I could believe him.

"It doesn't feel like it", I mumbled, wiping my cheeks as my cries began to subside, "I feel like shit".

"I know", he hummed, "and we'll be here for you until you don't okay? All of us". I nodded, closing my eyes and sighing. I was exhausted, and I hadn't even done anything.