Chapter 5

Angelica and I were in her room just bonding since we didn't have anything to do. Her room is way better than mine, Leonardo just sent me there for his amusement. Her room has a large bed almost as big as my old one, a walk in closet, everything a girls room would need it even had an en-suite and she decorated everything in purple and light pink. It was cute and simple just like her.

"So if you get released what's the first thing you'll do?" Angelica asks me I think about it really hard. At first I thought it would be going back home to see my father but now I don't know. I want to experience life on my own and be free but my father would never allow it

"I'll force Papi to buy me a restaurant" I smile imagining owning a huge restaurant where people appreciate my recipes. I know Leo loves my cooking but he'll never admit it.

"That's a lovely dream. Your cooking is the best and I think….." before she finishes Fabio barges in looking like he had seen a ghost.

"Fabby what is it?" Angelica rushes to meet him and try to calm him down she takes a glass of water off her desk and gives it to him. He gulps everything in one go then sighs

"Now you are calm tell us what's going on" she says gently like she's talking to a child who had an accident.

"It's my brother, Leo" he says still looking slightly panicked.

Oh no what happened to Leonardo

"What's wrong with Leonardo?" I ask impatiently needing to know not caring whatever Fabio is struggling with he has to speak.

"Leo he got shot today" and that was when my heart sank. I don't know why but the idea of Leo being injured hurt me more than it should.

"Oh my God, where is he?" Angelica says worried but I don't say anything, I just stay unmoving from the shock. What if he dies? I feel like I'm supposed to be happy someone did what I had to for me but I feel terrible. I don't want Leo to die, I don't want anything to happen to him. Even if he gets killed I should be the one to do it.

Fabio and Angelica talk for a while but I can't hear them, my body is there but my mind is moving at a thousand kilometers per hour thinking of all the worst possible outcomes. I freeze, Angelica drags me somewhere. Fabio is leading the way, I just follow like a robot as we walk downstairs to a room that looks like a makeshift hospital. The place could rival a real hospital, it even has that annoying hospital smell so I guess they are used to casualties like this. I look around until I see Leonardo.

He looked pale and sick; unlike his usual confident grin, his face was just numb looking. The person who shot him got his stomach so I feel a little better knowing he has a chance of surviving. I don't know why but seeing him so helpless is unsettling. How did this happen? We were bickering just this evening and now I'm standing over his unconscious body fighting the tears my body is so desperate to release. Leonardo does not deserve to die like this. It's just too soon. I don't know why someone would do this.

Angelica squeezes my hand then I remember I'm not alone in this room. I still don't respond and then an unfamiliar looking woman walks in. She is a tall, slim white woman with glasses. I guess she's attractive but I don't really care about her appearance. She introduces herself to me as the family doctor but when I don't respond Angelica speaks on my behalf explaining I'm not used to this.

The doctor explains his injury isn't as bad as it looks and he'll be feeling better in a few days but he just needs a lot of bedrest. She leaves and then Angelica leaves with Fabio.

I sit down next to him, tracing invisible lines on his chest humming. I don't know why I did it, he isn't going to feel it but at least it's helping me calm down.

"Leonardo I need you to stay strong for me, at least if anyone kills you it has to be me" I know it's a stupid joke I know but I feel so weird right now.

He hasn't been the best person to me but he has never actually hurt me. I don't want anything to happen to him. I stay with him all night just watching him and playing with his hair till I fall asleep.

…

I wake up dazed and try to remember what happened but then everything comes back to me and I look next to me to see a still unconscious Leonardo. When is he going to wake up? I need him to at least show me a sign that he'll be fine.

A few minutes later Angelica walks in. She looks almost as tired as I feel but she's dressed in fresh clothes "Fabio said you don't have to do anything today, you seemed really shaken up because of the accident" she looks at me and I can see the pity in her eyes

"It's honestly not like that, if he dies, who will be in charge of me?" and she murmurs something I didn't understand so I just ignore then she finally speaks audibly

"You know it's fine if you like Leonardo, I'm not in the position to judge" I look at her baffled by her insinuation

"I do not like him, on the contrary I hate him" she sighs

"You aren't acting like you hate him, that's a topic for another day as for now you need to get a shower and fix yourself up" I look down and realize she's right. I look like a complete mess still wearing yesterdays clothes I couldn't even take a shower. I spent all my time with him.