Downtown

Fourteen

The last thing I remembered was watching my mother fall asleep. But I must have drifted off as I'm now lying on my mothers bed room floor and Delilah is standing over me holding on tight to a newspaper. Since when did she read newspapers was the first question that sprang to mind. My back was killing I must have fallen pretty hard as I tried to pull myself up. My mother was still asleep and was recovering pretty well which was good, I couldn't stand seeing her like this. She was always my angel, but now it was my turn to protect her.

"Why were you on the floor?" Delilah asked as I finally had gotten myself off the floor and outside my mothers room.
"I must have fallen off when I was sleeping," I said.
"Ok. Do you know who attacked her?" Delilah asked still holding onto the newspaper.
"Yes , Frankie Ferragno Gloria's brother," I said I knew I could trust Delilah, "But she doesn't want me to tell Enzo as it could create tension between the families."
"Oh right of course," Was all she said. There is definitely something wrong, I can always tell.
"What is it?" I asked, I needed to know now.
"I have some news and your not going to like it."
"Just tell me," I demanded as she turned the newspaper around.

And there it was the title that I had been dreading, the one I didn't want to see. 'Enzo Romano and Gloria Ferragno are engaged!' My stomach dropped as I saw the title. Was last night all a lie? Was I just some slut to him that he could just fuck and chuck? He said he would never marry Gloria but yet here was the announcement. I knew deep down he didn't want to marry her but he probably could of stopped it if he really tried. I could feel hot tears dripping from my faces. It just now what I wanted to see.

"B-but h-he kiss-ed me last night," I sniffled. Delilah grabbed me into a tight hug as she stroked my head. She was trying so hard to make me feel better but right now nothing could do that. My heart was just broken I was falling in love with him but the whole time he was getting engaged to someone else. I just wanted to hide away forever and never see anyone ever again.
"Oh baby I'm so sorry I honestly thought he liked you. He's just doing this for the family," Delilah cried and she was telling the truth. This wasn't what he wanted but he could fight it.
"I know but it still kills," I cried.
"Come on V let's get you in your room."

Delilah took me back to my bedroom and made sure someone was sitting in with my mother. We laid under the warm sheets together as I held on to her for dear life. Delilah has always been like my older sister, my support blanket. Her and my mother were all I needed. No more Enzo, someone how I was going to forget about him. If he's engaged he shouldn't be coming around here any more. If Gloria's dad found out he was seeing a prostitute, he would probably cut his dick off and then his head. It was going to take sometime to forget about him as I was falling in love. But I just had to.

"He's coming tonight," I whispered as we ate some cake on my bed. We'd been hidden in my room for the last phew hours.
"Oh yeah. What are you going to do?" She asked with concern.
"I'm not going to see him, I can't," I whispered.
"He'll demand to see you he has that power."
"I know I know but there's no way I'm ever seeing him again. He can do all he wants but I'm not seeing him again."
"I'll be here the whole time baby I promise. I love how strong your being."
"It's not all about me it's about my mother too. I need to make sure she stays safe at all costs." I would be lying if I said I didn't think of telling Enzo as it would stop his marriage and make Frankie pay. But I needed to keep my mother safe, and if that means not seeing the man I love, so be it.

It was just before 10 when I went to see how my mother was. She was standing up coming out of her bathroom. She looked better than she did earlier, her hair was brushed and she was wearing new clothes. I gave her a weak smile as I helped her back into her bed. In that moment I knew I was making the right choice by not telling Enzo, I needed to keep my mother safe there was no way I could live without her. We sat on her bed together and I stroked her hair trying to get her off to sleep. Once she was, I laid next to her and slowly fell asleep myself.