All That You Are

Chapter Four

Y/N sighs softly, brows pinched together and a sad glint in her eyes. Maria stares back at her through the small screen of Y/N's phone.

She hasn't spoken to anyone since she found out Stefano isn't Harry's biological father three days ago. She's been preparing herself for the backlash she thought she was bound to face, but it's yet to come.

"Bruno's just a massive dick, still. Nothing's changed. Oh, but me, Dad and Uncle Giovanni are coming to New York next month!"

Y/N's ears perk up and she feels tears of happiness well in her eyes. It doesn't matter that it's been a week and a half since she's been gone, it already feels like a lifetime.

"You are! When? What date!? Wait, why are you coming to New York with Father and Uncle Romero?"

Y/N can't keep the questions at bay, doubt and worry bubbling within her. She may not know much about the business her family and others within the Famiglia conduct, but she knows it's uncommon for women, especially daughters, to travel.

Maria shrugs, a hint of nervousness glimmering in her eyes.

"Some Nino dude in Harry's family wants to marry me... I overheard Dad and Vanni talking about it," her voice dies off in a hesitant whisper, tone full of fear and worry.

Y/N's very rarely seen such a side of her cousin and she hates that she isn't able to be by her side, to comfort her and beg Giovanni not to do this.

"What?! You can't marry Nino, Maria. He's dangerous!"

Her mind is in a frenzy, Harry's words boiling in her head. Stay away from Nino. He's merciless and evil. Her palms start to sweat, lungs tighten and it's like someone's sitting on her chest, restricting her lungs from fully expanding and it swells a panic deep in her gut.

Maria's seemingly oblivious on the other end, or maybe she's just trying to not let the gravity of the situation affect her.

"I mean, I met him at your wedding. He's hot as fuck, dude," she gawks in her typical, vibrant self but Y/N doesn't let herself snort a laugh like she usually would.

Guilt is what's bubbling in the pit of Y/N's stomach. Maybe this is Harry's doing. Maybe this is the punishment she has to face for snooping through his personal photos that he clearly hid away from prying eyes. Maybe all of this is Y/N's fault.

She's shaking her head instead, gripping the phone in a tight vice and swallowing back the raw pain her throat feels from willing herself not to scream.

"I'm going to fix this, okay? I'll talk to Harry and I'll fix this. I promise, Maria. I'll do whatever it takes."

Y/N spends the rest of the afternoon gnawing her fingernails raw. She's burnt holes in the ground from pacing back and forth and every time Mike has tried to converse with her, she's unintentionally blanked him.

She hasn't sat down since she ended the call with Maria, hasn't had her hands out of her hair for longer than ten minutes before she's tugging on it again.

She's eager for Harry to come home, desperate to get on her knees and beg him not to do this. She doesn't think he's the kind of person to punish someone else to upset her but she doesn't know him.

She doesn't know what he'll do to get a point across. She's sure he doesn't like the idea of hurting women, but when a man's ego is bruised or they're angry, they tend to go back on their word.

It's another three hours of aimless pacing when Harry finally returns to the penthouse. The second he steps foot out of the elevator, she's in the closest proximity they've been since their first dance; glossy eyes and a slightly pink nose. Her skin is a little blotchy and he knows for a fact she's been crying.