Chapter6
556 Words
Alejandro's pov
The mansion was quiet. Too quiet.
I stood by the window of my study room, the glass cold beneath my finger tips, as I stared down the glowing city light. A glass of whiskey dangled loosely in my hand, untouched. The fire in my chest had nothing to do with this alcohol. It was her. Gabriella. The girl handed to me like a spare change.
The car ride back home had been silent, she hadn't dared to speak. Her posture was rigid , arms wrapped around herself like a fragile shield. She didn't cry, but her silence was disturbing.
She was supposed to be a collateral, a face he wouldn't look at, now she was more than that.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, interrupting my thought. Antonio.
“ She's in her room, she didn't eat”, Tonio said as he came closer to me. “Did she speak?”I asked, No , just quiet and sad, " Antonio said. Antonio crossed his arms, “ You think you could keep pretending, like you don't care?”I downed the whiskey ones, “ I don't care”.
Tonio didn't argue, he always did when I raised a tone like this, I have known him since we were little. After Tonio left, I changed my mind. I decided to check on her. I pushed open the door, she sat on the bed, wrapped in a large hoodie, her bare feet curled beneath. Her hair fell in damp strands. She didn't look up. “ You didn't eat”, I asked. “ I wasn't hungry”, she replied.
“ Why me?”, she asked. I stood still. “ Because when they offered you, your eyes were not like theirs, something inside me rebelled, because you're not like them”. I could not believe what I was saying, I wasn't supposed to be having this discussion with her but something drew me closer to Gabriella. Like she was a little broken doll, in need of fixing. I want to fix her, I want to protect her, but I don't trust myself either. I was not loved by anyone, I was made to be heartless, to face my fears and not to depend on anyone. Her adopted parents were cruel to her, they sold her like a piece of clothing without even care. I want to help her rise, I want her to be strong, to be able to fight for herself. I don't know about her parents yet, but I'll tell Tonio to do some research about them. I have a feeling we're kind of linked.
She rose suddenly, wrapping her hand around herself. “ What happens now?”, she asked, “ you stay here. You're safe here, I don't hurt what's mine”. “ I'm not yours”, she said. “ Aren't you?” . She looked away, ‘“ Why have you been nice to me?”, I wasn't expecting that question, I have asked myself so many times the same question, but I haven't found an answer. "I am not, I'm just being honest”, I replied her .
I turned to leave but stopped, “ Gabriella, if you want to survive…stay close to me”, I left. Her figure stood
there speechless .
- Writer
