“Keep it down. This is still a hospital. I’ll give you some privacy, but keep your voices low and mind your language,” she warns, exiting the room again.
“Fuck,” Xander grunts, letting his head fall back and his gaze go to the ceiling. “I told her I wanted to help her, but I should have just acted.”
He looks as though he has deflated, and all the anger drains out of me, too, leaving only despair and guilt in its wake.
Sophia interjects, “Enough with the what-ifs. We have an opportunity to help now. Both of them are coming with us, and we put an end to this nightmare.”
Chiara wraps her arms around herself, her face etched with worry. “He won’t just let us leave.”
“Why? Does he even care if you’re around?” Xander asks, his brows pinched in confusion and frustration.
“It’s not about that,” Chiara answers, her voice trembling. “Carolina pays for everything. Food, rent, everything.” We look at each other in surprise.
“No wonder she’s working all the time and never gets to sleep,” I mutter.
“If we made sure that everything’s still paid, would he even notice if you both left?” Clay asks, and she shrugs. “We go grocery shopping, then grab your stuff. Rent should be paid forthe next few weeks now, and when the time comes, we can cover that too.”
“He gets money from her every morning after her shift to drink at the bar,” Chiara shares, her voice shaky and unsure.
“Then we leave him that too.” I shrug.
“You’re seriously considering giving that monster money to get drunk?” Sophia’s voice drips with disbelief.
“Ineedher out of there. I don’t care what I have to do to get it done,” I grumble, dragging myself over to sit beside Carolina and taking her hand in both of mine again.
Sophia turns to Chiara, her expression softening. “Why didn’t you two just leave him to his own devices?”
Eyes brimming with tears, her voice quivering with guilt, Chiara admits, “Lina tried, but she couldn’t gain custody of me. This is my fault. I stole money from him because I wanted to buy a Christmas gift for Leo. Lina said she couldn’t afford it. He slapped me for it, and she got in between. He pushed her down those stairs because ofme.” Tears spill over, and she breaks down.
Sophia wraps Chiara in a hug. “It’s going to be okay. You know your sister is tough. And we’ll make sure this won’t happen again. We’ve got you… both of you.”
I look at the guys, who are both clenching their jaws. I swear this little brat should be lucky that I love her sister because I would gladly give her an earful for that stupid behavior.
Sophia pulls away from the hug, stroking Chiara’s hair. “We should head out. It’s late, and we can sort out everything tomorrow. For tonight, you can borrow whatever you need from me.”
“Why would you do that? You don’t even know me. And you hardly know her,” Chiara steps back from Sophia, frowning at her.
Seems like my girl is not the only one with trust issues.What those two must have been through.
Sophia offers Chiara a warm smile and explains, “It’s not about knowing you, Chiara. It’s about family. Carolina is family now, and that makes you family too. We look out for each other, no matter what. Family doesn’t turn their back when someone needs help.” She then turns to the rest of us, her tone serious. “Let’s leave for now. She won’t wake today, and we need to get things sorted so everything’s ready for her when she does.”
I rise from Carolina’s bedside but can’t resist the urge to bend down once more. Gently, I press a soft kiss to her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my lips. “Come back to me, my Carolina,” I whisper. “I won’t let anyone ever hurt you again.”
The vow is a promise I make not only to her but to myself.
TWO
We spendthe rest of the evening drinking tea on Sophia’s side of the house, where Chiara tells us everything. How Carolina worked three jobs for years to afford a lawyer, only to lose the case. How she’s been beaten, abused, and bullied by their uncle. How Carolina always ensured Chiara was taken care of while she struggled so much.
My thoughts are consumed by Carolina.How could I not have noticed or acted sooner?My mind spirals, and all I can think is that I really hope she will be okay, or I will get locked away for murdering her uncle.
I am not even kidding.
I just got her—everything I ever wanted. AndI will let absolutely no one take her away from me again.
My girl is fierce—a true warrior—but I don’t want her to have to be one. I want her to be safe and happy. I never want her to experience this pain ever again.
It’s clear now why Carolina didn’t talk about the abuse or why she didn’t stand up for herself or leave—Chiara would most likely have ended up in foster care.
