Trustfall

Chapter 13 - Black eye

Again. ONCE AGAIN, I failed my brother.

I should have listened to him, I was so focused on helping my brother that I assumed things, and now everyone probably hates me for punching their grandpa, I don't feel good about it myself.

It's going to be 29° today, so at breakfast, Roy suggested that we're going to hang out at the pool the whole day, like a pool party.

I have put on some tight blue shorts that go right above my knee and a dark blue oversized t-shirt, long enough to hide the finger-formed bruise on my arm, mostly hiding it for myself to not get reminded, but also hiding it for the others, I don't want them to ask about it.

I'm not planning on go into the pool, the water will just reveal my black eye and the only swimming suit I have is a bikini, and that will reveal my bruised stomach and discolored thighs, even though dad have already seen them the day in the restroom, but I don't want to give him or the others, a reason to ask about it.

I take my phone and sit in the window, scrolling through Instagram.

I sit there for about half an hour when I hear someone from outside, I look out of the window, Talia and Angela are chatting with a glass of something in their hand, they go sit on the beach benches.

I watch my cousins and brothers walking to the pool in swimming trunks. Robin comes laughing out with Lorenz, my stomach begins to hurt when I see Robin.

I go back to my bed so they can't see me in the window, I sit in my own thoughts, my own painful thoughts. I promised myself that I would do anything to protect Robin, and I haven't just failed him once but several times.

The day mom died, when I broke down at the funeral, all the times I broke down when I was supposed to be strong for him, I couldn't even protect him from the man in the hall, and then yesterday.

I pull out my dad's blazer and hug it. It feels weird to find comfort from someone's clothes but it's the only thing that helps me right now.

"Alessia?"

I look up to see Alexander standing in the door. He's wearing black swimming trunks and a gray t-shirt. I quickly shove the blazer back under the covers. I know it's useless to hide it from him but maybe he gets the hint and won't ask about it.

"I knocked, you didn't answer," he says, walking over to me. I apologize, turning my look to my feet.

"Are you okay?" he asks, ignoring my apology. He takes a seat right next to me.

I nod. He puts his arm around my shoulder, and lowers his head, so he looks up at me.

"Why that sad face? Don't smile. Don't smile. You must not smile. No. I said don't smile."

I chuckle at his silliness. He cracks a smile.

I look at him. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again. He pulls his arm back again. "Do you wanna go down to the pool?" I nod.

As we walk down to the pool, I slip my hand into his, and he closes his finger around my small hand, I feel the same as I do with dad, safe.

Right before we get into the other's sight, I pull my hand back. I'm not sure how he is feeling about holding hands with his little sister in front of others. I know he shows less emotion towards others than family, but I don't know how close family.

We walk outside, the sun warms up my body, the sound of laughing and splashing water fills my ears, and the smell of grass and chlorine from the water hits my nose.

Everyone besides those over 30 years old is in the pool.

"ALEXANDER! WE NEED ONE MORE PERSON TO CHICKEN FIGHT. YOU IN?" Baldassare yells from the small kind of cliff where the slide is.