Extinguish her Fire: Bleeding Hearts 1

Standing My Ground

I snaked my hands behind my older sister Olivia, hugging her. Weirdly enough she hadn't greeted me when she came, instead going to her old room to apparently "ready herself for dinner". She was patting her pale cheeks with blush, her face paler and thinner than usual. Her hair was up in a bun, looking elegant on her when she did it but whenever I tried to do it I got such a messy bun. I decided to leave my hair down and alone after father had scolded me for doing it on purpose when Matteo had come over.

"Why are you avoiding me?" I asked her, following her to her floor length mirror, looking at myself as well. Father had forced me to wear a white dress, to remind myself that that is the only innocence I had left. I had almost rolled my eyes when he said that but refrained from doing so.

She avoided looking in my eyes in the mirror, "Matteo said I couldn't tell you. You know how he is when I disobey him." She said the last part quietly, and I had to strain my ears to hear her. He had drained the life out of Olivia, had started draining the life out of her ever since they got engaged at her 16th birthday 6 years ago. They got married not a week after her 18th. I was surprised my father hadn't sold me off to get married as I was soon to be 20 and that he hadn't even commented on my unmarried status.

I sighed, then sat on her bed, the just ironed comforters wrinkling beneath me. "I know, it makes me furious, the things he does to you. I wouldn't even be a bit sad if he got stabbed in the back; hell I would do it myself." Olivia shushed me as she sat on the bed beside me. 

"I don't want you to get in trouble with him," she reprimanded me, reminding me of her mother-like nature. "I-I well, it's not like I can get into any more trouble right?" She rhetorically asked, her hands trembling. I hated seeing Olivia this broken and rubbed her back soothingly until she looked into my eyes, her blue eyes filled with unshed tears. "I- I told him he couldn't do it," she started rambling."

"Do what?" I urged her on, seeing her fighting what she wanted to tell me.

"I told Matteo he couldn't shi-" The door banged open and Olivia cowered behind me. Matteo's big figure came into view, father behind him, a horrifying grin on his face. Matteo narrowed his eyes at us sitting on the bed and Olivia looked at the floor in shame. Despite my better knowing I stared at Matteo until his gaze became overbearing to which I shifted towards fathers face. He was smiling like a maniac, something that only meant bad news. 

Olivia immediately stood up when Matteo and father came closer. Matteo smiled and even I got a little scared: "I couldn't do what?" He asked, his voice low and menacing. Olivia trembled and tried to deny it but it was obvious by her stance she was lying. 

I couldn't stand here and do nothing while Olivia got abused like that. I positioned myself in front of her, a couple of feet away from Matteo looking up into his deviled eyes: "she didn't say anything. Let. It. Go." I said the last three words slowly, enunciating them precisely.

He smiled and soon my cheek was stinging. He slapped me! My hand went over where he had struck me, throbbing in pain. No tears came to my eyes, however, as father had done this to me too many times to count. "Out," he said to me. I slowly walked out, knowing if I stayed I would do more damage to Olivia. 

I looked to father who was walking ahead of me, and grabbed his hand. "Father, you can't let him do that to Olivia." He pulled his hand out of my grasp but I persisted, pleading with him not to let her be hurt. I followed him into his office. "You're supposed to protect the women!" I yelled at him after he ignored me for too long: "protect you daughters!" I yelled at him. He struck me in the same place Matteo had but it hurt more than usual. Tears finally sprung to my eyes but I instead just stared at him in disbelief. My cheeks were going to hurt tomorrow.