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Chapter 19

Valeriana's pov

My body shot up as I woke up. My breathing was heaving. I shake my head to get rid of the dream I had. Well it was more of a memory. I broke a few dishes as I was serving my mother and her friend. After her friend left she beat me before locking me in a chest she had in her room. She had a different friend over later that night and I was forced to listen to them have sex. I wasn't let out of the box until a week was up. It was hard to breathe in the box I thought I would suffocate. There were tiny holes in the box that allowed oxygen in but it still felt like it wasn't enough.

After getting out of bed I leave my room. I stop when I see all the doors. What brother do I go to? There were too many. I rush into my room. I needed to make a decision fast. I write Nazario and Santino's names down before folding the paper up and putting it in a hat. They were the ones I have yet to really bond with. It was also faster to write two names instead of all 6 of my brother's names. I pull Nazario's name from the hat. I quickly ran from my room. I slow down when I get in front of his door. I open the door. The moon shone through the balcony door illuminating the room. It was weirdly majestic here. The moon gave it a fantasy look. My head tilts to the side as I look around the room. My breathing was still off but it was slightly calmer than before.

"V?" Nazario asked. He rubbed his eyes before looking at me. He sat up quickly. "What are you doing?" he asked. My hands were shaking causing me to ball my shirt up in my hands. "Are you ok?"

"No," I say.

"Let's try 4-7-8. Have you heard of that?" Zario asked while getting out of bed before walking over to me.

"No," I say. Zario placed his hands on my shoulders lightly.

"Breath in for four seconds. Hold your breath for seven then exhale for eight. I'll do it with you. Ready?" he asked. I nod my head before copying my brother's breathing. We did it a few more times before my breathing was normal. "Want to talk about it sorellina?" he asked while removing his hands from my shoulders.

"No, but we can," I say.

"If you don't want to talk about it then we won't," Zario says. I walk over to this bed before plopping down on my back.

"I don't want to but I need to or I can't go back to sleep," I say. My eyes float around the room with a smile on my face. "Your room is beautiful at night," I say. Zario sits on the bed next to me.

"It is nice, I had to fight Santino for it," Zario says, causing me to chuckle. "I'm totally fine with you coming to me but why did you? You are closer with Aurelio, Matteo and the Vales," Zario asked. The Vales? Is that what he calls Valerico and Valentino? I like it.

"That's why I'm here. I put your and Santino's name in a hat and pulled your name out of the hat so here I am. I haven't bonded with either of you two yet. Do you think I can get Santino to take me to get ice cream tomorrow?" I asked. Zario laid down on his back.

"Yes, he doesn't have anything to do tomorrow. All you have to do is ask him," Zario says. It was silent between us for a few minutes.

"Are you ready to listen?" I asked.

"I'll always be ready to listen, Sorellina," He says. I take a small breath.

"Ok... Mother had a guest over for dinner. I was serving them like I was told. But I slipped in the wine mother spilled. I broke two plates. Instead of letting me clean up she beat me. She broke a few ribs so it was a struggle to breathe. She locked me in a chest that she had in her room. There were small holes in it to allow air flow but it wasn't enough. The position I was in hurt because I had broken ribs so breathing was painful and hard. I felt like I couldn't get a good breath because the airflow was awful. She had guys over every night. I had to listen to her for a week with her guys before she let me out. I have a scar over my index finger from trying to scratch my way out. I got cut by something. You want to see it? It's cute," I say, turning over so I was laying on my side. I could see how tense Zario was.

"How is it cute?" he asked. I wiggle my finger in the air. It was too dark to actually see the scar.

"It makes a heart," I mutter. Zario moves before his flashlight on his phone is turned on. I show him my heart scar. I could see his frown. "Cute right?" I asked while wiggling my finger again. A smile on my face. When he doesn't say anything my smile slowly fades. Maybe it wasn't as cute as I thought it was.

"Yeah, it's cute," he mumbled. I wiggle my finger as I stare at my scar before stopping and creating a fist. "You didn't cry or struggle to tell me what happened, why not? That must have been traumatic for you," Zario says. I let out a sigh.

"It helps me. Yes, it sounds traumatic and at the time it was, but I know it gets better. I'm safe now. I know I survived whatever Mother did to me so it makes it easy for me to talk about it. I'm alive and that overrides what I went through. My life is a lot better and I know she can't hurt me anymore. Also I don't feel she gets to have the satisfaction of me crying over what she did. I know she's dead but if she wasn't she would win if I break because she loved it when I did cry. She doesn't get to affect me anymore," I say. Zario wrapped his arm around me and rubbed my back. "I don't need to be comforted," I state.

"I need this," he mutters tiredly. I pat his back a few times before I drift off to sleep.

When I woke up there was a phone ringing. I answer it before stumbling out of bed. My foot got caught in the blanket causing me to fall and land on the ground. Ouch. I roll under the bed. Since I was down here the mattress should muffle my voice a little so I didn't wake him.

"Hello?" I whisper.

"Hey is Zario around?" A feminine voice asked. My eyebrows furrowed. Why was she calling my phone for my brother?

"Zario? Why would you want to talk to him?" I asked while rubbing my eyes. My eyes widened in realization. I don't recognise this person's voice. This wasn't my phone. "This isn't my phone," I mumble.

"No it isn't," the woman says. I purse my lips. "So is he around?"

"No, he's sleeping," I whisper into the phone. Zario moves around on the bed before I see his head hanging off his bed.

"Valeriana, why are you under the damn bed?" Nazario asked. I blink at him before looking around.

"Checking for monsters... you're good," I say, scrambling out from under the bed. I pop up before tossing his phone towards him. "Also don't fall off the bed. It hurts," I say before running out of the room. Zario put the phone up to his ear.