Blood is thicker than water

Chapter 18

Adelina POV:

A few people rush up to get paper towels but there's no telling who exactly because my eyes become transfixed on a larger piece of glass that lands towards me. My contact with reality slowly dwindles as my eyes zero in on the shard and my hearing dissipates. 

Hands reach out to pick up varying sized pieces and the one I'm staring at is no exception. I follow it through it's journey in the air until it comes to a stop. The faint ringing in my ears disconnects me from my sourroundings as I look up towards the person holding the fragment. 

I stare into the eyes that are now switching between the honey brown eyes I've recently learned I share with some of my brothers and the all too familiar cold lifeless ones of Michael. The dull ache that starts to radiate from the cut on my cheek only further transporting me back into my memories. 

My mind becomes hazy, not being able to define the what's infornt of me. I clearly see Michael stalking up towards me with the bit of glass in his hand exactly how my nightmares replay the events of that fateful night and a moment later I see the honey brown and inviting eyes that Michael never had. 

I lose sight of my surroundings even if I haven't been completely pulled under by the wave of fear washing over me. Suddenly, I could feel his hands on me. I could feel his lips attaching themselves to my collarbone and the stinging in my cheek increases. 

My heart beats faster by the second and this time, I can't move. I'm frozen in place, not being able to fight back. Not that it ever worked anyways. I could hear commotion around me, fuzy yelling of some sort. 

A hand is placed on my shoulder and my heart wrenches, wanting to pull away from the vile hand of Michael's. He stares at me, mocking me, while I wallow in my frozen fear. 

I'm nudged and a distinct scent soon hits my nose. I grip onto the smell I can't pinpoint, not knowing who or where it came from but firmly know it is not Michael. It doesn't take long for the smell to bring me back to calm and the world around me. I hold on to it, feeling as though my life might literally depend on it. 

I take a deep but silent breath and shut my eyes before reopening them again and focusing on what I could now see. 

After a couple seconds of this, I notice the mess is almost gone and while Valentino, Raffaele, Angelo and Valerio are still rushing around to to tidy everything, the rest are staring at me intensely. Valerio aswell as Valentino, who are both taking care of the remaining four pieces of glass, are applying the minimum amount of effort.

I could see Valerio, the only one next to me, staring out of the corner of his eye. Not trying to be subtle but trying to observe me while still completing the task he was so obviously forced to do. The rest of the boys, unoccupied, stare intensely at me. 

"What," I spit out. 

Valerio rolls his eyes and I want nothing more than to ask what stick he has up his ass but refrain from doing so as Francesco speaks. 

"Didn't you hear us?"

"Huh?" I question.

"We were calling you," he specifies. 

"My bad, I was a bit zoned out," I speak with an edge of finality in my tone. I couldn't keep the slight waver out of my voice,however, my heart still beating wildly.

None of them seem to believe me. 

"Are you sure?" Franceco questions. 

"Yes," I say with a duh tone trying to make my story plausible. Valentino, who I know is listening looks to believe me while the rest are hesitant.