The Ones Who Failed Us

Chapter 20

Hey, guys! Trigger warning for abuse and rape for pretty much the entire chapter. Comment on the chapter or message me privately if you just want a brief summary. Enjoy 😊

"You know why, Alessandro. You're just in denial," I whispered.

Alessandro shook his head over and over again, refusing to hear what I was telling him. "No, that's not possible. The whole point of sending you away was to keep you safe from him. Ava, please tell me this isn't what I think it is," he choked out.

"It is," I whimpered.

Alessandro paced around the room, unsure of what to do. His biggest fear had happened without him knowing it, and it was killing him. Finally, he stopped and turned to Teddy and I.

"Let's continue this conversation in the living room," Alessandro said quietly.

Alessandro walked over to Teddy and I and held out his hands, which we took. We left his office and went down to the first floor, but not before Alessandro shot a glare at Matteo. Alessandro sat Teddy and I on the couch while he sat opposite to us on the coffee table. Elijah, Leo, and Emilio took a seat next to Alessandro, and Matteo remained standing in a corner of the room.

"Can you start from the beginning?" Alessandro gently said. "Whenever you're ready, you can start talking, and if you need to take a break, let us know. Okay?"

I nodded my head. "And there's nothing to be ashamed of, Aves," Elijah said. "None of this was your fault, and we'll love you the same no matter what."

My tears were getting harder and harder to hold in, and it wouldn't be long before the dam broke. Turning to Leo, I asked, "Can I have some water?" Maybe that would hold the tears off for a little longer.

"Of course, bambina," he answered, blinking the unshed tears away. "I'll be right back."

When Leo left the room, Elijah kneeled in front of me and said, "You look like you could use a hug. Is it okay if I give you one?"

I looked over to Teddy and shook my head. Receiving a hug would cause me to break, and I needed to stay strong for my little brother. It would be just as hard for him to hear what happened to me as it will be for me to recount the tragedies I had experienced over the past year. I could save the sobbing for when I was alone.

Elijah nodded his head sadly and returned to where he was sitting. Alessandro turned to Matteo and coldly said, "If you say a word to Ava or Teddy, I will force you to leave this room. The only reason I'm letting you stay is because of Ava." He quickly nodded his head without a fight.

Leo soon came back and handed me the water, or at least he tried to. My hands were trying to grasp the glass, but I was shaking too much. "Aves, I got it," Leo said as he lifted the glass to my lips. I soon finished the water and looked towards my brothers.

Teddy took my hand and gave me a reassuring squeeze. "Start with telling them about last summer," Teddy suggested.

Clearing my throat, I started telling my story. "The summer before eighth grade, my stepdad started becoming more aggressive. There were times when he would try to attack Teddy for absolutely no reason. One day, he came to me with a deal to protect Teddy. I don't know if he knew this, but my stepdad was a drug dealer. He started right after Mom died and often did jobs for the Russian Mafia. He also joined a gang."

"How did we not know that?" Elijah asked.

Alessandro shook his head and said, "I don't know. He must have been good at hiding it or he had someone helping me." Looking at me, he said, "Sorry for interrupting you, Ava. Please continue."