TOXIC (Dark Mafia Romance)

Chapter 21 (2 of 2)

Alessio paused a beat before resting his head on the backrest of the seat as he faced me, essentially mirroring my position. "Alright."

"You're right." Mahina ang aking tinig at muli kong itinaas ang tingin sa binata. "About what you said the other night and the other day, you're right. I've been self-sabotaging."

I saw tension hardening the chiseled lines of Alessio's face and body, and shadows shuttered his dark eyes, but he didn't speak.

"I..." I forced the words out. "I need to stop. And I think I need to start with my mother."

"Are you going to tell her the truth?" mababang untag ng lalaki.

It still made my muscles cramp thinking about it. The memories of my mother pressing jagged glass onto her wrist still gnawed at me. "I have to."

"And if she hurt herself after you tell her the truth?"

I swallowed the pain in my throat as his words rang in my head. He really knew how to hit hard with his questions. "Then I have to live with that. I... I just can't live being held hostage to my fears anymore." Pumikit ako at pilit pinakalma ang aking hininga. "Because you're right, too, we have to save ourselves. My mother has to save herself. I have to save myself, too."

I still didn't know if this was the right choice, but I had to do it. I couldn't live my life living in fear of my mother one day finding out. I had to let it out.

"Do you think I'm wrong?" My voice sounded so small and weak, and I forced myself to open my eyes and look at the man in front of me again.

His eyes were still shadowed, the lines of his face still taut. And there was a starkness in them that made me again remember the small boy with broken bones and the mother who had turned her back on him. "I think you're right."

Tears filled my eyes, and I blinked them back. "Riza, she blames herself, she thinks she's a bad person for wanting to get herself out of the situation. And I told her that's not true. I told her it's not her fault. I told her she should never let anyone make her feel that it's her fault why people hurt her. And if I can say that to someone, I think I need to say that to myself, too. I need to help myself, too. I need to save myself, too."

Alessio reached out and gently cupped my jaw, the rough pad of his thumb wiping the hot tears rushing down my cheek.

"You're right, Antonia," he murmured in a roughened voice that made my throat burn. "It was never your fault. None of this was ever your fault."

I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek onto his palm, letting my tears soak his hand.

Dumaan kami sa Cali's Flower Shop uli para dalahan ng bulaklak at fruit bouquet si Riza. It was Alessio's idea, and he even had one of his men order the fruits and flowers in advance without me knowing. By the time we got to the flower shop, the bouquets were ready. I found myself smiling as I thanked him, and Alessio just curled his lips as he picked up the bouquets.

Alessio dropped me off at the hospital and I went straight to Riza's doctor. Gusto kong mag-set ng appointment para sa isang mental health professional para sa bata. But when I got there and told Dra. Salvador about it, the doctor smiled big.

"We already had it scheduled. Riza actually had her first session with Dra. Lopez this morning."

Napakurap ako. "Oh."

"Mr. De Luca talked to me about it right after the surgery. He made sure that all post-surgery treatments were taken care of including mental health support for the child and her mother. Too many times in this kind of situation, we fail to give victims that kind of support promptly even though it's so important. Mr. De Luca recognized that and made sure Riza and her mother would have it."