“No… hospital.”
Her eyelids flutter shut again, and I spring into action. “Henry, call Doc. Send him straight up. I’ll be in the guest room.”
“Yes, Mr. Russo.”
I bundle Izzy up in the blanket that was draped over her and carry her up to my apartment, where I lay her on the bed.
Her skin is a mosaic of bruises, both large and small, in varying shades of blue, purple, and black. She has a split lip and blood crusting under her nose. There’s blood dried to her thighs and anger burns hot inside me at the sight.
Whoever did this will die a slow and painful death. I will make sure of it.
5
My Entire Reason For Breathing
Remember when you dared me to eat an unripe fig and my whole mouth swelled up? You laughed so hard you snorted gelato out your nose. —Ti amo, Enzo
Enzo
“She’sluckytobealive,” Doc says, his voice sympathetic, as he checks Izzy’s injuries.
“Tell me how bad it is.”
I haven’t left her side. I couldn’t leave. Even when he performed his examination, I stayed, barely holding onto my sanity.
She’s hooked to various machines, and the only thing grounding me is the steady pulse of her heartbeat on the monitor.
“Other than the obvious bruising, she has at least three cracked ribs, and there’s trauma around the anus and vaginal cavity. I had to add stitches, but she should recover from that. I’ve reduced the pressure in her brain from the acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. There shouldn’t be any lasting effects or brain damage, but we’ll know more when she wakes. And that’s not to mention the psychological trauma she’ll have.”
The chair under me screeches. My fist throbs as it connects with the wall behind me. Fury vibrates through every cell of my body, masking the pain in my knuckles.
“Who did this?” I seethe as I start pacing.
“There’s no sperm or DNA for me to collect. We won’t know until she wakes up.” He looks me over. “I’ve never seen you like this before. Not even with your sister. Who is she?”
I grab his collar and shove him against the wall. “Mention this to anyone, and it’ll be the last thing you do. No one can know she’s here. Not until I know what happened.”
I’ve known Doc for almost twenty years, so he just stares at me with a bored expression. “I’m not stupid, Lorenzo. I won’t tell a soul.”
I let out a breath and let go of him, returning to Izzy’s side. I don’t dare touch her in case I hurt her more, so I just watch—waiting.
Doc leaves since Izzy appears to be stable, promising to return later to check in.
The next few days pass in a blur. I spend the entire time glued to her, pleading with her to wake up. Doc comes by twice a day. Each time, he tells me we just have to give her space to heal.
But how can I do that, when my entire reason for breathing is lying motionless in a bed fighting for her life?
“Please wake up, Iz,” I whisper, my head resting on the bed next to her. There’s a steady hum of the machines in my ear, the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor which tells me she’s alive.
She’s still fighting.
6
Keep Me Safe
School started again. I sit alone at lunch now. I don’t have any other friends. I wish you could come back. —Missing you, Izzy
Izzy
