Devotion

twenty seven ﾒ kicked to the curb

LUCA

Many weird events have surpassed me many times, as you can tell. My father was having a love affair with Jessica, Angelica's mother, Nonna randomly announcing she was moving into my penthouse until further notice, and Rowan showing up pissed at my door. This isn't as unpredictable, it was coming but for this reason, I couldn't even believe it. As soon as I opened the door, early crack of dawn, I was met with a stone-faced Rowan. "What could you possibly want on a Monday?" I ask, leaning my tired frame against the door.

He sighs, his arms crossing his chest. "I need your help," he says. "It's about my sister. I need her to stay here for a while just until things at home settle down."

"Your sister?" The thought dawned on me as a tear-stricken, fatigued face popped up behind her brother. Of course, his only sister. "Oh," I drawl out slowly in realization. "Your sister." Her face is sad and she avoids eye contact. The face I'm met with isn't the girl I'm attacked by every day, it's a little girl whose shell has broken. "What exactly am I helping out with here?" I pinch the bridge of my nose in complete agony.

Rowan rotates towards Angelica and angles his head into my apartment, I step back from the door as she walks in and makes way for the couch. I huff out in annoyance at being woken up and back to the bullshit already. I close my door and exit the penthouse leading outside to meet her twin brother. "Shit's been crazy at home. I shouldn't tell you this because I don't like looking at your face longer than expected, but our parents have been fighting non-stop. Whatever you both found out about my mom and Marco, it's been thrown in the towel. And now my father's pissed but threatening his daughter." He sighs, shaking his head. "My dad has a tendency to scare my sister to pieces, and I don't want her to hear what's being said about her. Despite her headstrong facade she keeps up, she's fragile and I just...don't want her to be upset."

For once in my life, I could tell that his words were genuine. I may hate the guy with all my passion and want to wring some of their family members dry, but Rowan has always been there for Angelica. If something were to happen to her, all hell would break loose. For fuck's sake, we grew up together. I know how it is.

"So..." I start, trying to think up the correct thing to say. "Keep her here. What about school? She's applying to graduate programs, and trying to finish the project." We both stand conflicted, unsure of what happens next. "She hasn't spoken since Friday, after school. She wouldn't get out of her bed and she's mentally stuck." What the fuck did her family do to fuck her up this badly? And has this shit happened before? I nod. "Okay, I got it from here. I'll take care of her," I say.

He nods and stands there before he leaves and I'm back at the entrance of the penthouse. Swiftly, without thought, I move at an unprocessed speed. I manage to get Angelica to come into my bedroom and she can lie there, she obliges. No arguments. No screaming to get off of her. No hidden smiles and grumpy mood. Aziel, what did you do?

Angelica lies on the bed, so sad and vulnerable. Tears stream down her cheeks but she makes no sounds, offers no sense of movement, just cries. And it's got to be one of the most heartbreaking things I've seen, and I've known her since birth.

I kneel next to the bed and stare at her. I don't know what she's thinking but trying to think about her thoughts kills me more. Her green eyes stare at me with an innocent glance and she shuts them for a second. "You're going to hate me for this, De Santis. But I'm going to help you, no questions asked, okay?" I whisper. "I'll figure this shit out," I say.

ﾒ

It had been a few hours since Rowan paid an early visit to my door. Was it a marvelous, outstanding visit? No. Not the fuck at all, considering I'm running on two shitty hours of fucking sleep. I should choke the shit out of him for it for the inconsiderate act, but since his sister is involved, of 'course, I'll take her in and let her sulk in my bed.