"And where exactly are you headed to? Surely not to pick a fight with whoever hit your brother... right?"
I felt my face heat up from the accurate accusation and shook my head slowly.
"N-No-"
"Your first words to me are lies?" He clicked his tongue...
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"The bleed on my brain was so little, that's why they didn't see the stroke thingy on the first scans. But the physical therapist helps me with swallowing exercises so I can swallow my food correctly without needing a feeding tube," I explained to everyone after doctor Romani walked out and Benny smirked.
"Don't even make a dirty joke, Benjamin," Willow said without looking at him and everyone laughed, including me.
"So it's gone? The bleed?" Matteo asked and I nodded, "Doctor Romani said it resolved itself and all of my symptoms are just the aftermath of it. It happened sometime in my coma."
"What caused it?" Stef and Gino asked simultaneously.
"The trauma of the drowning. I just need to practice walking, specifically my left leg because it's a little weak. And he said the numbness in my face when I smile should eventually just work itself out," I explained and everyone sighed in relief.
"Gino, call Mrs. Ramos and cancel my appointments to meet with the Russians this week. Also, I need you to meet with Mr. Blancho to discuss what the new shipment requires in New Mexico for me. As of right now, all of my responsibilities in person are being done by you. I will handle phone call meetings, but the rest of my time I will be helping Sam," Matteo demanded and Gino nodded as he got up and walked out to do what he was told.
"Well damn, he acts fast," Stef joked and Benny laughed, "Big boy business. BBB." Benny stood up and stretched, "I'm going for a coffee run. I'll be back later."
"You don't have to do that," I said towards Matteo quietly and Willow scoffed, "Like hell, he doesn't. We're all going to be helping you, excluding Gino since he has other priorities now."
Matteo nodded in agreement as he grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckled intimately, "She's right. We're a family so we're helping you every step of the way. Whatever you need."
"Yep. And you're staying in Matteo's room just in case something happens when you sleep. He's a light sleeper," Stef said and I cocked an eyebrow, "How do you know?"
Willow giggled, "I made Stefan help me try to prank Matteo a couple of months ago and he woke up as soon as we turned the doorknob. We ended up with chocolate syrup and feathers all over us that night."
"Oh, God," I giggled and Matteo rolled his eyes, "I just don't see why you thought sneaking up on someone who does what he does was a good idea."
Willow laughed and Stefan pouted, "Do you realize how bad it burned to have chocolate syrup in my eye?" Matteo chuckled deeply, "Better you than me. Leave your pranking to my brother and Benjamin."
"We wanted to spice things up!" Willow said defensively and Stefan smirked before Willow elbowed him in the ribs, "Not like that, asshole."
I made a grossed out face and Stefan laughed really hard, "Sorry, sis. I forgot."
✈️
It's been a week since I've been out of the hospital and every single day I've improved on walking, talking louder, swallowing my food, and smiling normally. My headache is gone and I'm finally feeling almost one-hundred percent.
I see my physical therapist every other day and when I'm not there, everyone around me helps me out in one way or another. Matteo hasn't left my side, it's like he thinks once he turns a corner I'm just going to collapse and stroke out.
Willow hangs out with me when Matteo has to have meetings in his office or do paperwork. Stefan hangs out with me when she goes places with Benny and I have barely seen Gino since Matteo sent him to act like the boss. Sometimes it gets a little annoying when I just want to be alone, but usually, I'll just say I want to be alone and they'll back off.
Right now it's eleven o'clock at night and everyone except myself and Matteo is asleep. Matteo has been working all day in his office with nonstop meetings and paperwork. He texts me on his breaks but they usually only last approximately thirty to forty-five seconds before he has to continue.
I went to sleep around eight but I woke up from the storm. It rarely storms this bad here but tonight it is and I can't sleep. I remember what happened in Tennessee so storms make me uneasy.
I swung my legs off of the bed and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. All I'm wearing is once of Matteo's long black t-shirts and my panties. Willow had to go out and buy me some new clothes since I lost weight in the hospital, but I'm slowly working on gaining it back to be healthier. She also helped me cut my hair a bit since being down eleven months caused my hair to have tons of dead ends. My hair from before the drowning incident reached above my butt but now it's my mid-back.
I stood up off of the bed and walked downstairs, making sure to work my left leg more. I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing chocolate milk. I took a drink after I closed the refrigerator and I heard a door open. My eyes widened and I placed the chocolate milk on the counter as I dropped down behind it so no one would see me in my panties.
I heard a masculine voice chuckle, "Sweetheart, it's just me. You can stand up."
Matteo.
I blushed and stood up slowly, easily caught as he walked over beside me to grab a water, "Oh..." He drank a bit before sitting it on the counter, "What are you doing up so late?"
I shrugged and lifted myself up on the counter, facing him.
"The storms woke me up," I admitted and he nodded, "Nervous because of what happened in Tennessee?" I pursed my lips and nodded as I tucked my hair into a bun.
"Me too," he confessed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear as he stood in between my legs and kissed my forehead. I looked up at him, admiring his face that I've missed for eleven months, before telling him something that might change the way he thinks about me.
"I need to tell you something but you have to pinky promise it stays between us," I said with fearful tears filling my eyes. His eyebrows met in concern as he nodded and hooked his pinky with mine, "Are you okay?"
"When I drowned... it wasn't because I couldn't swim anymore," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye. He wiped it away with his thumb, "What do you mean?"
I sucked in a sharp breath and tore my eyes away from his so I could speak without crying, "I tried to swim at first, but then I gave up. I could've kept fighting... but I... I just stopped"
He stepped away from me as if he was scared I would break.
"You tried to kill yourself?" He asked, his voice hurt and his jaw ticked.
I never thought of it like that before. But he's right. If I gave up on purpose, knowing that death would shortly follow, that's exactly what I was doing. Killing myself.
