Thorns & Roses

-nineteen-

AURORA VALENTINA MARINO

I woke up unusually early and decided it was time to go and speak to Ciano. I knocked on the door a couple of times but he didn't respond.

"Ciano?" I called out as I walked in.

"Sì. (Yes.)" He was lying down on his back, looking up to the ceiling. "What is it?"

"I came to talk about yesterday."

"There's nothing to talk about, sorella." I went over to the bed and sat cross legged next to him.

"We both know there's plenty to talk about, fratello." He sighed and sat up, leaning on the headboard, facing me. "I told you not to lash out at people and accept help. You remember that, it was the last conversation we had before I came here. I'm hearing you're doing the opposite."

"Don't lecture me."

"Start listening then." He shook his head in defeat.

"Fine, I'm sorry but he's dead, Aurora, you watched him die and we all buried him."

"Ciano, I'm telling you he called me yesterday."

"Aurora-"

"You don't believe me? Come." I pulled him up from the bed taking him to Eli's office. "Every phone call conversation that happens in this house gets recorded so listen." I said as I found the recording and played it for him.

When it had finished he sat in silence. "Are you still going to tell me he's dead or that wasn't him. Ciano, our padre is alive, why aren't you happy?"

"Because look at what he did to you, to all of us! He faked his death and he left us. Then he married you off without telling you or anyone else beforehand." Ciano yelled. "You guys better start praying he's dead because if he comes back, I'll kill him myself." He said coldly. I felt tears well up in my eyes when I noticed his were doing the same.

"You won't and you know you won't do that. You're hurting, Luciano, that's the only reason you're saying that."

"I'm pretty sure I have every right to be. I don't think I can forgive him for what he did to you, sorella."

"The way I got to Eli doesn't matter. If it wasn't for Padre I don't think I would've found him and I really, really like him. If you actually just looked for a second you'd notice that, Ciano." He looked down and shook his head at himself again. I watched his tears fall into his lap and I wrapped my arms around him. "If you can't forgive him straight away that's fine but you have to at some point."

"I'm sorry." He whispered croakily.

"It's ok, it's hard. I love you so, so much, you know that right." He held me tighter and nodded.

"I love you too." Ciano pulled away and I wiped away his tears. I laughed at how red his face had gotten.

"Alright, come on, it's too damn early to be crying like this." He chuckled lightly and we made our way to the kitchen.

"Wait, how's your girl? What's her name again?"

"Aaliyah and she's not my girl. She doesn't want me, she doesn't know I'm here."

"You're giving up?"

"You're the one who told me to." He said with a shrug as he took a bite out of his food.

"Uh-uh, this isn't on me. I told you not to push too hard, those are not the same thing."

"Well, I pushed too hard and I messed up."

"What happened, Ciano? She was making you happy. The others said you always came home with a smile on your face whenever you came back from the office."