Faith [Donati Clan #1] [Complete]

Chapter 15

DAHLIA

"Dahlia."

I looked up from the book that I was reading to find Zack staring at me with a bored expression. He continued, "What are you reading?"

I simply answered, amused, "The same that I was reading 15 minutes ago."

Zack sat forward and suggested, "What if we play a game?"

My gaze instantly looked at the clock that sat on the wall. However, with a hazy gaze and a light head, I could not concentrate on the time. Instead, I tried to find an excuse, "It is too late, maybe tomorrow."

He huffed, insisting, "One game only."

As the days progressed, I felt sicker as if I would vomit everything that I ate. Sometimes, it felt as the time stopped after few heartbeats, then I would come back to the Present.

I would lay awake at night with endless thoughts of the time that I spent at the diner working. But the faces of people that I work with seemed to have vanished and sometimes, it would reappear.

I felt like I was losing myself.

I felt like I was losing against my tumour.

Zack looked at me with enthusiasm as I was still caught in my own web of thoughts.

From the short time that I spent with him, it became apparent that a kind soul resided within him, but like anyone, a devil sat on his shoulder as well. The games intoxicated him with a carefree attitude, I envied such freedom.

Zack called out, "Dahlia."

I instantly put on a fake smile and asked, "Yes?"

Zack began shaking his head, "You zoned out again. You need to stop doing that." I smirked at his comment, but he continued, "When you start overthinking, you disappear."

I took a deep breath-catching me off-guard and said, "I am sorry. I will try to stop it!"

He smiled warmly, satisfied by my answer, as his gaze remained on my figure, while I stayed quiet.

After few heartbeats, Zack uttered, "I want to show you something."

I frowned slightly, but his actions led to a cupboard at the end, where he took something out. When he was coming towards me, I could see that he was carrying a brown binder.

Zack sat down next to me comfortably and opened it with care and began flicking through the pages, there were few photographs of children posing and of a couple.

But he finally stopped on a picture of a woman with strawberry-blonde hair with light green eyes. A sweet smile was displayed while she posed in a red dress with yellow dots at an open field filled with purple flowers.

As elegant as she was, her eyes were the most familiar as I sat next to a man who shared her features, along with another brother. Yet, Matteo did not, his eyes were made of void, where there is nothingness, and also endless wonders.

Out of blue, Zack said in a daze, "This is Mia Donati, my mother."

My orbs turned towards him and looked at him with sadness. His eyes were locked at the picture, while he remarked, "She looks so happy on this picture."

I agreed, "She does."

Zack continued, "Sometimes, I think she was never real. Other times, I think she didn't care for me."

I whispered once again, "Zack."

However, he interrupted me, "I know, Dahlia. It is not true, not really. But sometimes, I can't help to think that." He looked at me with his glassy emerald eyes, "My brothers always gave me everything I wanted from toys to cars. At least, I had my brothers, but my pain can never be compared with yours. How did you do it?"