The Odd One Out | ✍🏼

17. Finally At Peace

 - Florence Colombo - 

I awoke, arms wrapped around my body, keeping me warm, as I noticed that a blanket had been thrown over the two of us. I looked down, seeing familiar freckles doting his cheeks, as his eyelashes were sitting on his red, puffy cheeks, as for once, he looked at peace. 

His breathing was a little shallow, but he was calm in every other way. The hair that sat on his forehead was just brushing his forehead enough, allowing his breaths to make it move up and down. 

I rolled over, shifting from having my back to him, so that my front was against his. I pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead, as he startled, before opening his eyes, placing a kiss on the top of my head, before he snuggled his head into my neck. 

For as long as I had known Elijah, he was always clingy when he had just woken up. "Stop, stop, stop. This can't be happening" a familiar voice cried, as both Elijah and I sat bolt upright. I turned to where I could hear the voice coming from, before I was up in a flash, stumbling over Elijah's body, and running towards where I knew the kitchen was. 

I entered, seeing Enzo with his hands threaded through his hair, as Leo stood behind the kitchen bench, just in a pair of grey sweatpants, while Leon stood on this side, fully dressed in a suit. I could see the sun rising from the french doors behind him, letting me know that it was still early on in the morning. 

"Bud, its true. Dad is moving out today, and you won't have to deal with him. You, Nic and Flo will be under my care from now on. It's not worth it with him" Leon muttered, as he too, sipped from a mug. I wrapped my arms around Enzo, as he breathed in, before relaxing into me. 

He hugged my arms, before he turned around to give me a proper hug. He buried his head in my neck, just like Elijah had done a few moments ago, before giving me a final squeeze. He then moved out of my arms and into Elijah's, as the two of them had tears running down their cheeks. 

Enzo deserved this. He deserved to be away from our father, as he had mentioned to me a few times, sparsely, in the hospital, how he thought that our father hated him. I had never really understood how someone could hate their son, but I saw it all. The way that our father left my room whenever Enzo was in there, with me. 

He didn't spend much time with me, but I didn't mind. The less people the better for me. But it all made sense, with the limited information that Enzo chose to share with me. Leon had told me how he had locked himself in the bathroom after my surgery, just so he could avoid our father and his grades. 

Before I knew it, I noticed Nic's familiar scent as his arms were wrapped around my shoulders, while Enzo was running towards Leon, who put his mug down and hugged him tightly. I could feel the tears dripping down my own cheeks as I watched the two of them with a smile hanging off my lips. 

I felt something wet dripping down my neck, so I turned to see Nic, with tears streaming down his own face, as I reached my hands up to lightly wipe them away. He gave me a kiss on the forehead, before pulling me into a tight hug. 

These boys deserved this. They deserved to be away from what their father had done to them, or as far as I was aware. There was obviously more to the story, but that was up to them to say, but I knew this would mean the world to them. "We're finally at peace" I heard Enzo murmur from Leon's hold, as he backed up a little, wiping his own tears. 

"Yeah, bud, we are. It was what was best for you" Leo smiled, which made Enzo smile. I knew the two of them had been going through a rough patch as well, so it surprised me just as much as it did Enzo, when Leo brought not only me, but Nic and Enz into a hug. "It was for the three of you" he two, had tears streaming down his own cheeks. 

"Can we be done with this sappy shit now? I can't deal with people crying" a familiar voice that I hadn't heard in a while, made himself present in the kitchen, as I looked up, seeing three familiar faces that I had been longing to see. 

"Shut it now, and let them have their moment" I saw Tia Angelo appear from behind the boys, and walk to Leon and Leo, as I kept my eyes on someone else. I broke out of Leo's hold and ran into Phoenix's arms, as he caught me, lifting me up slightly, but he too, was weary of my injuries. I buried my head in his neck, as he did too. 

"Are we still best friends?" I wearily questioned at a low whisper after the room had gone too quiet for my liking.  I hated when the room was too silent for too long. "You will always be my best friend, no matter your family situation T, or should I say F now?" he chuckled lightly at the end, as I giggled along with him. 

Once Phoenix let my feet touch the ground again, I then moved onto his older brother, Atlas Angelo. "I had a sneaky suspicion  about you lot" he murmured in my ear, before he pulled me into a tight hug. I knew he was referring to my brothers, as well as myself. 

After I had hugged Atlas, I then moved onto his twin brother, Theo, who was the one that could never deal with anyone crying. Even though our hug was short, his was one of the best, but I would never admit that to him or I would never get another hug from him again, which was usually only short ones every few months, sometimes only once a year. 

Tia Angelo, the mother of Atlas, Theo and Phoenix, came over and gave me such a tight hug, that made me feel like I had a mother. "Dear, I am so glad you are safe. You deserve this just as much as they do" I pulled up to look at her, as she kissed my forehead, before releasing me from the short but loving hug. I had needed one of these for so long now. 

I then went back over, and stood with Elijah and Nix as we watched Theo and Atlas not only tease Nic, but gave him hugs when they knew he was trying so hard not to cry. It was a truly wonderful sight. 

It had felt like the world had finally stopped spinning, and we were starting to get what we deserved. A quiet life, where nothing really mattered if you gave it the time to stop and take a breath. 

"Can we go out somewhere? I'm done now" Enzo murmured, as I watched him wipe his tears from under his eyes before Leo got the chance too, as I finally took note that Francesco was missing, along with Elijah's older brother Stefano. 

"Yeah, you guys can head out for breakfast" none of us bothered to change out of what we were wearing, as we all headed to separate cars, after Roman, the father to the Angelo boys, had told us so. "Maccas sound good?" was questioned, as we all made it into the cars, as I was in a car with Enzo on one side of me and Nix on the other, while Nic was in the drivers seat, with Elijah beside him. 

"Yes please" "Didn't even need to ask" "What question is that?" was shared around our car, as I felt Enzo's hand wrap around my own, as he squeezed it. He had fallen silent now that we were out of the house, as I leaned my head on his shoulder, as he did too. 

"You good?" I murmured, as I felt his head move up and down, before I watched his eyes close from the corner of my eye, letting me know he had probably gone another night without sleeping. That was another thing he had murmured when I woke up to him walking into my hospital room. 

He could never sleep at night, and now it all made sense. He was probably working so hard, that now he had just given up. I let him sleep, as I fell into a restless slumber along with him. 

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thoughts? xx