Caught In Between - Book 1

44

CHAPTER 44
Catalina
Saturday

Two Weeks Later...


The birds were chirping, and I felt the sun caressing me with its warmth as a slightly cool breeze danced on my hot skin, causing me to open my eyes. Squinting at the brightness, I raised a hand to use as a visor until I adjusted to the light. I was lying on a soft patch of grass in the middle of an immense garden. There were beautiful Blue Lilies everywhere. My heart swelled, breathing in the sweet scent of my mother's favorite flower. My mother used to have a garden full of them when I was a little girl, and she'd always pick one for me to keep. She'd tell me she loved me more than all the Lilies in the world. It always made me smile, knowing that I meant so much to her. My father gave them to her on their first date, and she had adored them ever since.

Getting up on my bare feet, I wandered through the heavenly paradise. I didn't know what this place was, but it felt warm and welcoming, almost familiar in a sense. I followed the path lined with stunning blossoms, hearing a stream of water babbling ahead, my white dress blowing in the wind. Curious, I kept walking further into the maze-like sanctuary. That was when I saw her. Sitting on a bench looking down at the book in her hand, waves of her long coco hair tumbling down her shoulders.

Stunned, I brought a hand to my chest as I sucked in a sharp breath of air.
"Mama?" I asked in a cracked voice. She dropped her book and looked up at me with a warm smile. It looked like she hadn't aged a day since she'd left me.

"I've been waiting for you," she told me. Tears stung my eyes as she stood to face me wholly, and I took off, running into her arms. My mother pulled me into a tight embrace, making me sob.

"I missed you so much," I choked out, and she held me tighter.

We stood like that for a while. I held her so tightly that it hurt. But I couldn't find it in me to loosen my hold on the woman who brought me into the world. The woman I'd been missing for the last fifteen years of my life. Her sweet gourmand scent enveloped me, a scent that I'd almost forgotten about over the years. I breathed in the familiar fragrance of roasted almonds, hints of freshly ground coffee with subtle notes of vanilla bean, and I was six years old again.

Back at our tiny home by the lake. Back before the terrible accident that turned my life upside down. More tears rolled down my cheek as I remembered the school principal and guidance counselor pulling me out of class and escorting me to the office where there were two police officers and a social worker there to tell me my parents were gone.

It had been a few days after my sixth birthday, and I was mad at them for some stupid reason I couldn't remember. Maybe I wanted to wear a crown I had gotten as a gift to school or something that day. They told me no. So I abstained from speaking to them the whole ride that morning because I was so furious. Well, as angry as a six-year-old who hadn't gotten her way could be. I had so many nightmares about that day. My parents were dying while I was a selfish brat who'd refused to say goodbye to them over a stupid birthday crown, which is why I never talked about them. When I finally got to a place where I wasn't sad or blaming myself anymore, I felt like it'd be better to forget.

"I know, angel, I've missed you too," she told me, combing her fingers through my hair like she used to, and a sense of comfort that I hadn't felt in forever washed over me. "Come sit. We have lots to talk about." She gestured towards the bench. We sat facing one another.

"Where are we, and what am I doing here?" I asked, looking around. I felt like I'd been here before, but the memory was fuzzy.

"Don't you remember?" My mother mused with a smile. "I used to bring you here when you were a girl." Then an image of us walking through this place, hand in hand, flashed into my mind. I had to be four, maybe five. But that didn't explain why I was here, how she was here. "As for why you're here," she shrugged, "that's something only you can answer."

What the heck did she mean by that? Something only I could answer. Another memory of us laughing together on this very bench flickered through my mind. She was wearing the same clothing, her hair and makeup done the same exact way. The same book she was reading, tossed to the side.

"Mama, how are you here?" I asked as a blue butterfly that matched her favorite flower landed on her shoulders as it had before. Realization began to dawn on me. I wasn't with her. I was in a memory hidden in my mind.

"You see, there was an accident," my mother explained.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "I know. You and papa." I paused when she shook her head.

Reaching up, her warm hands cupped my face. "No, angel, you aren't understanding." She dropped her hands from my face. "You've been in an accident," she explained as the butterfly lifted from her shoulder. My gaze dropped, watching as its wings turned darker with every flap until they went completely black, sending a weary chill up my spine.

What the hell—an accident?

I closed my eyes and tried to figure out what she was talking about.

I was at dinner with Nic. He was asking all kinds of questions about what I wanted to do with my life. I remembered the way he smiled at me, the warm embrace of his hand as it cupped mine. Next, we ended up at this secret club. I opened my eyes to look at my mother, but she only nodded, signaling me to push further, and I closed them again.

We were in the car at a red-light holding hands, and I felt like I had the world at my feet. One of the men I loved had just shared himself with me, and I was so grateful. So in love. I needed to kiss Nic. To show him with my actions how much I appreciate him. So I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned over, catching his soft lips with mine. The light turned green, and a car behind us honked. So I sat back, my loving gaze still locked on the man driving, and when he turned to look back at me, his face morphed into a terrified expression.

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, my head throbbing as the events leading up to the accident played out so vividly.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks—the sound of the metal crushing. The glass from the passenger side of our car that was flying past my face as it cut into my skin. The pain that surrounded my body from the impact of the opposite vehicle. The blackness.

Opening my eyes again, I brought a hand to my thudding chest while letting out an audible gasp. The sky was no longer warm and sunny. It was now gray with thick clouds tumbling in overhead, and tears of sadness tainted my mother's beautiful face. This place no longer felt safe. It felt cold and unfamiliar. I no longer felt the comfort that I had a few seconds ago.

"Am I dead?" I asked with a quiver in my voice, afraid of the answer.

She shook her head. "Do you think you're dead?"
I honestly didn't know. What started as a sweet dream is rapidly turning into a nightmare. "I don't know," I tell her truthfully. She reached and tucked some of my hair behind my ear.

"You're the only one with the answers, angel. I'm not even here." She gave me a sad smile. I closed my eyes and shook my head in disbelief, and when I opened again, she was gone.

Lightning lit up the sky just as thunder began to boom and rain started to fall heavily. I jumped to my feet and began to run through the maze of flowers.

"Ma!" I yelled out as thorn bushes came to sprout everywhere. This wasn't happening. Not again. Once in the center of the labyrinth, I spun on my heels, looking for a way out. The bushes proceeded to intertwine, sealing me in, and my head started spinning. "Help!" I shrieked, raking my fingers through my hair, claustrophobia setting in.

Dropping to the wet ground, I pulled my knees to my chest, tucking my head down between my legs. I wanted to go home. I wanted my men. Thunder clapped again, and I began to sob. I needed to get home, but I was stuck in whatever the hell this place was. I was on the verge of giving up when my heart nearly fell out of my chest as I heard Matteo's sweet voice buzz in my ears.

Please come back to us, gattina. We need you.

Getting back up on my feet, I wiped the tears from my face with the back of my hand. Not that it did me any good since it was pouring down.

What do you mean, be patient? You weaned her off the medications two weeks ago. She should be awake by now! Nic roared, and I couldn't help but smile, hearing his protective voice surround me.

I looked around, finding a tiny passage that hadn't been affected by the thorns. I darted towards it as I felt warmth wrap around my hand like someone was holding onto it.

Come on, princess, I told you that you couldn't leave. Now open those beautiful eyes for us. Lorenzo pleaded, and I'd never heard his voice so broken.

I'm coming. I promise. I ran like my life depended on it, mud sloshing under my bare feet. My eyes landed on an exit, and I picked up speed, heading towards the portal home.

My movement came to a halt when I saw Olivia blocking my way out. What the fuck was she doing here?

"You know they'll never be yours, right?" Olivia crossed her arms over her fake tits and narrowed her eyes at me. "You may have them now, but I'll do everything in my power to break them and you."

I shook my head. Fuck her. She couldn't have them. They were never hers. They were mine, and I'd fight tooth and nail to protect what was mine.

"Like I broke your nose," I hissed, punching her again, but this time, instead of crashing to the ground, she fought back.

We were going blow for blow. I was beginning to feel weaker with every hit, but I couldn't give up. She couldn't win. I threw another punch, and she dodged it. Then she was coming back up to hit me in the chest. It knocked me on my back, and all the air was sucked out of my lungs.

"They're mine!"

My eyes closed as Olivia moved to straddle me, raining punches down on my face. Memories of me with my guys fluttered behind my eyelids with every blow to the face. I couldn't lose them. I refused. With the last bit of my strength, I looked up at her, my hands fusing to each side of Olivia's face.

"No, bitch, they aren't. They're mine." I thrust my head upward, connecting with the front of her face, and she let out a painful cry before landing on her back beside me.

My chest struggled to rise and fall as it got harder and harder to breathe.

She's crashing! An unfamiliar man called in my ears, his voice drowned out by the ringing and beeping of monitors. Clear! The man yelled, and a bolt of lightning struck me.

I screamed as the pain draped over my body. The flowers disappeared along with Olivia and the thorn bushes. Water began to rise around me as the rain poured down heavier, rapidly surrounding and covering me.

Clear!

Another string of lightning touched down, hitting the water and sending jolts of painful electricity through me. I cried out again, swallowing a mouthful of water. I coughed, choking on the salty liquid falling from the darkening sky. They were tears. I attempted to move and swim to the surface, but the more I tried, the further into the abyss I drifted.

Clear!

One last bolt of lightning cracked down, striking the water. Its light scattered across the top of the water, illuminating the blackness before I felt myself being yanked away.

My eyes shot open, and the bright lights blinded me. I blinked a few times before the doctor and his team of nurses came into a steady view. I attempted to speak, but there was a tube down my throat. I clawed at my neck, gagging on the line of silicone, before a nurse took my hand, telling me to calm down, but I only panicked more—pain exploded on the right side of my body. I cried out, trying to push the nurse off. I frantically looked around the room, spotting Domenico, Lorenzo, and Matteo off to the side, trying to fight their way towards me before my eyes rolled to the back of my head, and darkness took over once again.

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