The Mafia's surrogate

making up for my mistakes.

Marcelo was determined to gain Anna's trust again , we walked up the stairs and got in bed next to her.

Anna started shaking and screaming he lifted her up placing her ontop of him rocking her back to sleep , she held onto him so tightly that he ended up sleeping in that position.

She woke up crying again and he jumped up first embracing her , " I am sorry I couldn't protect you Belle" she went back to sleep.

It was now in the evening Marcelo had just taken a bath he got into bed cuddling Anna from the back and she tensed he knew she was awake and that she'd runaway from him.

" please don't leave me Belle please, I need you please " he said his voice cracking at the end.

Anna didn't know what to do so she just let him " when my mom left father was a mess , I had to take care of him he would beat me up if he saw me claiming its all my fault mom left , I turned to alcohol, violence and killing but that was never enough, one day I saw father having sex with one of the girls from the club , not the normal side of sex though, he implemented pain on her and he enjoyed it , in my mind I thought that was fine , my father is my biggest inspiration, I followed everything he does , I won't lie it was good for me , in the kind of business I do , I need that kind of release.

Till I met you , when I hurt you that day I didn't realize it , I had so much anger in me that I forgot you were a virgin, you were carrying our child , I forgot you were innocent and you didn't know much about me , when you left I promised myself I'd stop , I went to therapy I wanted to change for you , I didn't want you to leave me like my mom did father , when you came back I knew I needed to make it up to you , I know I mess up and I know I do stupid things but Belle , this is my first time at this too , at love , at caring , I tried with everything in me , I was almost killed Infront of you , I put you in danger , I put my child in danger , I was scared and I didn't know how to react , when Celeste came that day I was so angry.

I did what I did to her but I didn't even get to finish it , I went down to the bar and just drank till I passed out , I regretted every second of it , I didn't know how I'd sleep next to you after what ive done " he pulled her closer , she could feel tears running down his face.

" Belle I am sorry I am scared , I am sorry I am not man enough to be strong for both you and our daughter, I am sorry I overthink things , I am sorry I have failed you , but please don't push me away , don't let me watch you find comfort in another man , it's driving me crazy and I fear I might hurt both of you , I am trying I really am , please just don't push me back to the monster I once was , I want to change for you , for our daughter please give me another chance Belle please " Marcelo broke down for the first time since his mother moved.

Anna turned placing his head on her chest rubbing his back and letting him cry , Marcelo cried for the first time in years and he wasn't afraid to break down infront of her.

He cried himself to sleep.

Annabelle
As soon as Marcelo went to sleep, I got up and changed into my pajamas and walked downstairs, I got my food and walked back up but Cole walked in.

"Annabelle are you feeling okay?" I walked back down "mhhh thank you for getting to me in time ", he ran a hand on his hair.

" Marcelo is as..", " I don't care about him , why didn't you tell me ?" , " I didn't know how " , " Annabelle you know you can always talk to me right? You are scared of him that's why you kept avoiding him , you could've spoken to me I could've protected you " , " Cole its okay Marc he won't hurt me " he looked at me.

"Did he tell you? Did he tell you what he did to Celeste" I fiddled with my fingers " no Marcy did that day " , " Annabelle you don't have t.." , "Cole you know him more than me if I left him he'd fell abandoned all over again and would do things he'd later regret, I thought about it alot leaving, I wanted to so bad but I was afraid I'd turn him into the monster I fear him to be ".

"He's trying, God I am so angry with him but I know he's trying, he's been going to therapy since the wedding every day , he's been holding out everytime he'd see you with Alic it would drive him crazy but he'd opt to take a walk and have some ice cream instead of violence, he said he wanted to be able to control himself for when the baby gets here and I was starting to be proud of him but now I don't know, I am just so angry " , " have you eaten?" He shook his head.

"Here" I pushed my food to him and got up and dished up for myself again and sat back down , we started eating.

"Annabelle what will you do?" I scoffed " I love him Cole what else can I do but give him another chance? " , " you will? " I chuckled.

" I just watched him break down infront of me , Marc has never done that , his eyes will probably be puffy , his noise is red and I am sure he has a headache " we both laughed.

"I love him , I really do and I know his trying even though ive been distant ive seen him , the little changes , I am giving him this chance for him , for our baby and also for our marriage " , "promise me you won't hide anything from me again" , " only if you promise to tell Marcy how you really feel about her" , " Annabelle, Marcy and I can never be a thing " , " you don't know till you try " , " you think she'll let me?" , " I think you should talk to her first and figure it out together " I got up and walked upstairs with Marc's food.