Saving Aliyah

03

-Alastair Diaz-

I knew something was wrong, the first day we met, when she came down and heard about us being married.

Something was wrong, and I have a feeling of what it is that happened to her earlier, I'm getting her food so she'll eat and not go to bed hungry.

When my father comes in, unfortunately "What are you doing?" He asks "grabbing her food." I mumbled

"She's not coming down?" He asks I shake my head "Then she shouldn't get food?" He said like it's an obvious thing.

I look at him "excuse you?" I say, he shrugged "Just saying, if she wants to be disrespectful, she shouldn't be getting food as a reward, you know why this marriage is a thing, right Alastair?" My father said.

Deep down I do, to make the mafia better, and because he thinks I need kids to continue the blood.

"When living in my house, you don't tell me what to do." I say grabbing the plate of food I made Aliyah to eat, ignoring his stare.

Probably going to pay for that later, but whatever she needs to eat, so I don't care.

When I go upstairs to her room, seeing her watching TV, with glasses on, intrigued in the show she's watching right now

My eyes trial down seeing her still wearing the hoodie and sweats from this morning, you want to find out what's under- shut up.

Aliyah notices me now "oh- sorry, I didn't see you." She says, getting off the bed, then walking to me.

Fuck she's short, I'm pretty sure Claire might be taller than her, actually I know Claire is taller.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Aliyah asks "because you're fucking short." I say.

Aliyah stares at me "I- no I'm not." She says with a glare and I shrug "you kinda are, my sister is most definitely taller than you." I tell her.

Aliyah crosses her arms and glared at me "payback for you calling me old, sweetheart." I say "I thought I didn't offend you with that-" she says I nod "you didn't, but still, you. Are. Short."

Aliyah rolls her eyes "yeah sure, rub it in." She mumbled, I hand her the plate and clear my throat "what about you?" She says

"I have work to do while I eat." I say, Aliyah nods her head slowly, looking at her bed "do you need something?" I ask and she shrugged

"I- I don't want to be alone..please.." she mumbled, I nod my head "I'll be back, yes?" I say, going downstairs I grab a plate of food for me, then going upstairs

I see Aliyah sitting on the right side of the bed, pushing her food around, then looking at me, softly smiling now, I sit on the opposite side of Aliyah, making sure there's a good distance between us.

She puts on a movie, being tangled, and it reminds me of how Claire would always make me watch it when she was younger, and believed what was in the movies.

Before she started hating it, hating any movies that had to do with love honestly

"You like tangled?" I question, Aliyah looks at me "yeah- who doesn't?" She says "I hate it." I say.

"That's insane, like really." She tells me "it's the best movie." She claims

"She's kidnapped and then finds out she's the lost princess after years on her birthday?" I say "yeah? So don't be a hater." Aliyah said looking away from.

I shook my head as the movie plays, and it starts with the fact the queen was sick and shit

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Aliyah fell asleep halfway through the movie, I turn the tv off, grab the plates and go downstairs to the kitchen, washing them all so my mother doesn't have to.

"She did eat?" My mom said and I nod "yes, she's asleep now." I say and she nods

"Listen..I'm worried about her, and I know your father only wants you with her to improve the mafia, but Alastair, please, don't hurt her." My mom pleads and I nod my head "because this 'marriage' could be good for you both." I don't like the sound of the fact her and I are married

Because of this damn mafia, she's at risk now, because of the job I had taken on at fifteen, due to my father being a piece of shit, because of me, she's at risk.

"Well, if I do what you suggest it's gonna go to shit because of what happened last time." I say, last time. October, fourteenth.

Last. Time.

Six times.

I shake away the thought of what happened that night "that wasn't your fault." My mother tells me "it was."

The argument was because of me.

What happened was because of me.

It was all on me.

It always will be on me.

My mother sighed beside me "I can't convince you, I know that, but please, get sleep, it's late, Alastair you can leave the work for tomorrow." She says so..sad, so displeased.

"I have work to finish." I leave the kitchen and go upstairs to my office

⋆⭒˚.⋆

By three in the morning I'm finally done with signing what needed to be done, done with everything I had to finish, and I have work in a few hours.

I could sleep for those few hours, but I decided not to, I run a hand over my face and sigh.

Then I grab a blunt from one of the drawers and light it, the smell of weed fills the offices room.

I knew if my mother caught me doing this, smoking. She'd be upset, she hated it, hated the thought of smoking anything, hated the smell of it too.

When I found it made things calmer for me, because when I was sixteen I smoked one and got addicted after I was offered.

Was told it'll help, smoked it, found out it did help me, so I never stopped. I know it wouldn't be easy for me to quit now that I'm already addicted, hence why I kept it from her.

I exhale looking at the smoke, taking a deep breath, finally taking in what my mother said 'it wasn't your fault.'

Even though it was, because if I just didn't do what I did, maybe, just maybe she would've still be alive.

I promised myself I wouldn't let anyone get close after that night, and I'm staying by it, I will not allow myself to get close to Aliyah.

Even if I desperately want to.

Chapter three re-edited

I never realized how horrible I covered Alastair's trauma before💀💀

Like mfs trauma was mostly mentioned in every book but his.

Like how could you🙄

So yeah, I'll be going more in depth now😋

Him calling Aliyah "fucking short" is funny especially after how she called him old💀💀

I love you, stay safe and please votee🫶🏼🫶🏼

1102 words

-Alana💕