Oblivion

32| Wrecked I

THIRD PERSON

"What's taking her so long?" Matteo muttered, frowning. "She knows we still have to keep going."

Valentino stretched his legs, holding a tree stump in one hand. God, these cookies were delicious. Too bad they weren't for him. Maybe he should tell Josephine how great he thought they were; then she'd definitely make him some more. "Maybe she ate too much dough and got sick? Her stomach probably isn't used to it."

"Do you really think so?" The younger brother looked skeptically at him, then back at the door. "I'd better go check on her. Don't touch the cookies while I'm gone, okay?"

Valentino shot him a meaningful look before grabbing another cookie. Shaking his head, Matteo left the kitchen. It was hopeless; there was simply no way to help his brother. It was time for the family to realize they had to do the right thing and put him in a closed psychiatric hospital. Not so hopeless that he would need a straitjacket, but close. He couldn't understand how Vito and Domenico hadn't thrown him out during their teenage years. Matteo had only been a child then, but he still remembered how often Valentino had been suspended from school—more times than Riccardo and him combined, and they'd been called troublemakers.

"Hey, watch where you're going." Riccardo looked at his brother, who had nearly run into him. "Do you have flour in your hair?" Grinning, he reached out and ruffled Matteo's curls.

"Stop it! Have you seen Josie?" Matteo quickly ran a hand through his hair to tame it. Why was he the only one with curls? Everyone else had hair that stayed in place after a shower, but not him. It wasn't fair!

"Nope. Why are you looking for—" Something behind them made a dull bang. Both turned toward the hallway in surprise. "What the hell was that?" Neither could answer because another bang followed, this one sounding like something heavy had broken. The brothers exchanged alarmed looks and then ran to Josephine's room.

Matteo reached the door first but stopped mid-movement, staring in disbelief at the scene. Dresses were scattered across the floor, most of them torn. Where there had once been pillows on her bed, feathers drifted onto the mattress. A broken pot lay at his feet, beside the plant it belonged to. A few steps away, he saw the last Harry Potter book torn in two. He stood frozen, unable to move. They had just baked cookies!

"Josie! Hey, what are you—" Riccardo tried gently, but she didn't hear him. Instead, she raised her fist and struck the already shattered mirror like a madwoman. Blood was already sticking to the splinters. Whatever it was, this wasn't a panic attack. Riccardo didn't think; he wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her tight. "Josie, it's me! Josephine!" he shouted, this time louder.

But she still didn't respond. She continued screaming, a sound that made Riccardo's stomach turn. She fought against his iron grip, thrashing around, but he didn't let go. Instead, he tightened his hold until she couldn't move and glanced at Matteo. "Go get Vito!" His brother remained motionless. "Matteo! Get the others! Fuck—" Josephine hit his nose, and for a brief moment, he saw stars, loosening his grip just enough for her to lunge forward. She grabbed the small stool next to the mirror and hurled it toward the door. Cursing, he reached for her again, but her scream pierced the air like a deafening shriek. Matteo snapped out of his trance just in time to dodge the stool, which left a dent in the wall beside him. His spit turned bitter, his throat tightening. He blinked and ran, unable to form any coherent thoughts.

All he could hear was her screaming as he raced down the stairs. Valentino was approaching, probably alarmed by the noise, but Matteo ran past him. He had to reach his brothers. They could help. They would know what to do. They would make her feel better. Breathless, he burst into the office where Vito and Domenico looked at him in surprise. "Josie, she—she's—"