Tangled Hearts

Breathe Princess, I'm Here.

Natalia

"They're in the dining area, Miss Moretti." Ruby says waving towards the room. "Please, just call me Natalia. Thank you, Ruby" I say walking into the dining area. I haven't looked back but I can tell Cyrus followed me, not that I could hear him. For such a large man his steps are absurdly quiet. I can feel his presence behind me, for some odd reason his presence is so overbearing of everything else around me.

"Father, Mother." I bow my head slightly as a greeting. I look behind me finally only to see, of course, Cyrus standing just a few feet behind me. "Mr. & Mrs. Moretti." He says walking into the room. "Ah, take a seat." My father says pointing towards the empty chairs. I sit in the chair across from my mother & Cyrus sits next to me. "What are you guys doing up this late? Is everything alright?" I ask.

They never stay up past 10pm & it's midnight, so I wondered why they were up so late. "Well, we have a guest, Natalia. It'd be disrespectful to go to sleep without saying goodbye." My father says. Suddenly, I'm extremely eager to get Cyrus out of here. "Oh well he can leave, right, Mr. Pierce?" I look at him & give him a tight smile that's full of warning. Cyrus looks me straight in my eyes, completely unfazed.  He doesn't speak for a minute, until he does, "well, if that's what you wish Mr. Moretti." Dammit. He's taking that way out? Why can't he just say 'okay' and leave? As expected, my father insisted he stayed.

I needed to get out of there. I need a break. "Excuse me, I have to go to the restroom. I'll be right back." I say mid conversation. I head to the restroom in my bedroom & immediately text my friends.

_____________________________

Three Musketeers 🎀

Natalia
Hey, are you guys busy?

Bunny 🐰
Dammit I almost fell asleep
you bitch. 🙄
Just jokes, what's up?

Ava ✨
Nope, finally got Stella to
lay down, I'm all yours.

Natalia
Cyrus is at my house.
He's invading my home
now too.

Bunny🐰
THAT WAS YOUR 'COMPANY'??
HOT DAMN!

Ava ✨
What's she talking about??

Natalia
Oh God, it's too much for
texting, call me
________________________________

Ava calls and Bunny & I both pick up. "So, I don't have much time because they're downstairs waiting but-" Ava cut me off, "They're? How many damn people are there?" I choke back a laugh. Ava almost never cursed, so when she did it was hilarious. "Mr. Pierce & my parents are in the dining area." I say. "Still refusing to use his first name I see. Interesting." Ava says skeptically. Before I can ask what the fuck that means Bunny finally speaks up. "Oh girl, you left him alone with your parents? Why in the world would you do that?"

Now that she mentions it, it was really stupid of me to do. Knowing my mother she's telling him embarrassing stories of me when I was a child, if she remembers any. I always had a nanny up until I was 9.  I constantly got new ones, and I didn't mind any of them. Until the last one, he was... different.

"Hey, do you wanna play a game with me?" He asked. "Ooo! Yes yes! What game are we playing?" I squealed excitedly. I loved playing games. "It's this game called fire truck, you've ever heard of it?" He asks in a low tone. "Uhmm.. nuh uh." He moved closer to me. "Here, let me show you." He put his hand on my thigh and started moving it further up "when you want me to stop, you say red light. Okay?" He asked. "Uhm.. mhm..." I say. 'I don't like this game. I'm uncomfortable with that.' I wanted to say, I knew it'd end the same way it did last time. Probably worse, it was pointless. He moved his hand up further, once he got too close I said "red light, red light" he kept going. "I said red light." Kept going. Could he not hear me? My hearts racing. Am I invisible? I tapped his shoulder aggressively. "Red light. It's a red light, did you hear me?" Kept. Going. He didn't stop. Suddenly I'm crying. He smiled a devilish smile that sent shivers all throughout my body. "Fire truck, Michael. Remember the rules?" I cried. "Oh, fire trucks don't stop at red lights." He chuckled. He kept going. It didn't stop. Hours, it didn't stop. 'Mommy! Mommy where are you?' I screamed in my head. 'Mommy please. Help me.' I wanted to scream, cry, & run so badly. 'Please, please mommy.' I was suffocating. I'm suffocating. 'Help me mommy.' My last thought before it all went black.

I shivered at the memory I've kept repressed for countless reasons. I was breathing heavily & tears formed in my eyes. I attempted to shove it back to where it belonged but it still lingered in my thoughts. "Uh.. yeah actually you're right. I should probably go & make sure nothing happens." I say, it was a weak excuse to end the call but God, I had to end it. "Alright girl, love you guys!" Bunny says slightly skeptically. Ava chuckled. "Bye baby's, love you. Mwah." She blew a kiss to the screen before ending the call.

I blew out a heavy breath I didn't even know I was holding. I tried to blink back the tears forming in my eyes but that just caused them to fall. Then they just kept coming. I leaned against the wall to support myself & slid down it when my legs started giving out. Next thing I knew I was crying so hard i couldn't breathe.

'Breathe princess, it's okay. I'm here.'
Cyrus' teenage voice rang in my head. I hated how I still brought that memory back every time I cried. I'm not even sure if I intentionally replayed it or not.

Eventually, the crying stopped. I looked in the mirror & saw how messed up my 'supposed to be perfect' appearance was. Mascara running all down my face & my foundation marked with my damp tears. I attempted to fix it until I figured it was too far from salvation & just took it all off. There were very few times people saw me without makeup, not that was I insecure. It was a choice my mother made for me. Once again, I have no say in how I live my own life.

My parents have always chosen everything I did. Even if it wasn't for my own good but theirs instead. Just as an example, this stupid fucking marriage.