Beep…Beep…Beep…
Nero sat in the waiting room with his crew and Chloe, waiting to hear from the doctor. Not like they’re going to tell us shit. We’re not family.
The last few months had been pure torture on him. That night, now months ago, he had talked to his father, yelling at him because he had known his dad had said something to her. In response, he had reminded Nero of what had happened to his mother, asked him if he wanted the same fate for Elle. So, Nero had let her go for good.
At first, he’d stayed close by her, something in him secretly hoping she’d give in and talk to him and it would make him change his mind. Then, when she’d made it a point of ignoring him, not even looking at him, avoiding his face, he had backed off, giving her the space she needed because he couldn’t take her not being able to even look at him.
Nero had watched her from afar at that point. She had kept working and adding hours on, despite him paying for her school. He had spent every fucking night the past few months following her to work, watching her from his car and then following her back home to make sure she made it there safely.
The worst part of it all was watching her turn into someone else. She didn’t look or act the same, and it was all because of him. I fucked her up. He knew it was all on him.
Elle wasn’t alone, though; Nero had changed, too. He couldn’t sleep without seeing her, so it was better not to sleep at all. Nothing tasted good to him besides fucking strawberries, and eating fucking strawberries was painful. Before Elle, he had fucked every girl who looked his way; now, he couldn’t even look at them because it wasn’t the girl he wanted to look at. He had several offers to go to prom, turning them all down. It had gotten so ridiculous that, when a girl came up to him, he just waved them away with his hand.
His balls officially hated his guts. His dick had been inside so many girls, and then, when his dick had finally gone inside Elle, there was no comparison. He couldn’t even try to fuck someone else. It wouldn’t have done shit. Nero had to take a freezing-cold shower, one right after another, to ease the pain in his groin.
Now, after seeing Elle helpless on the bathroom floor, none of it mattered anymore. He didn’t think Elle was better off without him any longer, and he wasn’t his father—he would protect Elle above anything else from now on. Not even the family will come before her. Nero was now going to take what was his, whether she wanted him to or not.
Nero saw Elle’s parents and brother come in, asking to see her. The nurses told them to remain in the waiting room for the doctor.
He watched them come in. Her mother had tears flowing from her eyes and so did Josh.
Nero stared at her father as he rolled in.
“What happened?” Elle’s father asked Chloe.
Nero stood. “We need to talk, alone.”
“I didn’t ask—”
“Now,” Nero said coldly, making the waiting room go silent.
He walked out and down the hall to a quiet part of the hospital, her father following behind.
“What makes you think I want to talk to you? You were the worst thing to ever happen to my daughter,” Elle’s father spat at him.
Nero flexed his jaw. “What makes you think I want to fucking talk to a father who doesn’t give a shit enough to see his daughter is getting the shit beat out of her at school?”
“What? She is?” Concern showed on his face.
Nero stood right above him, looking down at him. “Maybe if you lay off the pain pills and fucking got over the fact that you can’t walk anymore, you would have seen. But I know, deep down, you knew, and don’t tell me you didn’t.”
Elle’s father looked down. “No, I—”
“I don’t want to fucking hear it. When they look her over, I guarantee they’re going to see past injuries, and there’s no telling how many they will find. I suggest you talk to the doctors alone, unless you want her mother finding out.”
He nodded in understanding. “What are you doing here? If you think you and my daughter are getting back together, you’re mistaken. I know all about the Caruso family; I hear the rumors. I will do whatever it takes to keep her from you. I think we both know you’ve done enough already.”
“I know I fucked up. That’s the difference between you and me.” Nero squatted down so he could clearly get his message through. “She will go to college here now. She will live with me now. Elle is mine now. You try to keep her from me, I will tell Elle the truth about your little forklift accident rollover. About how you were drunk while operating machinery.” Nero saw the surprise in his face. “Yeah, see, I have friends in this city, and if you don’t care that I’ll tell her the truth, then I’ll have them kill you. That way, I can still look Elle in the face every morning. Are we clear?”
Elle’s father took a minute before he nodded.
Nero rose back up. “Good. Now understand, I know you’re still her father and I’m not going to come between Elle and her family, so you and I might as well start to get along.” Nero held out his hand.
Elle’s father stared at Nero’s hand before he finally shook it. “Elle better not get hurt again because of you.”
“She won’t,” Nero said matter-of-factly. He went to walk off before he remembered to add something. “Oh, and Josh, he started to get picked on while on the bus. I handled it, but you better not turn your head the other way again. You do, and I’m sure Elle won’t mind Josh living with us for a while.”
Satisfied, Nero finally walked off.
* * *
Beep…Beep…Beep…
Elle heard the annoying noise and wondered what it was along with the sterile, old smell in her nose. She lazily opened her eyes, but only one managed to actually open. She could see a fluorescent, white room and her father in the corner, sleeping in his wheelchair. Elle realized she was in the hospital.
What happened? Elle couldn’t remember. The last thing she did remember doing was splashing some water on her face.
She felt the soreness of her belly and the throbbing in her head, along with her clearly-swollen eye. She closed her eyes to try to remember what possibly could have happened. Sink…? I was rammed into the sink.
Elle looked back at her father. “Dad?” Her voice was hoarse.
She watched him quickly wake up and roll to her bed.
“Elle, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Sore. How long have I been asleep?” Elle didn’t even want to ask what had happened. She at least knew someone at school had tried to hurt her. Tried? They did.
“A day.” He took his hand in hers. “Why didn’t you tell us, Elle?”
Elle tried to smile. “Tell you what?”
Her father squeezed her hand. “Elle, I know. You don’t have to pretend. The doctor showed me the scans and x-rays. Luckily, I’m in a wheelchair; otherwise, I think they would have thought I was hitting you all these years. Don’t worry; your mom just thinks you pissed someone off.”
Elle looked away from her father. “It started right after your accident. I didn’t want to add more to your plate. Then, I’d kept it to myself for so long I didn’t know how to tell you.”
He squeezed her hand tighter. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice. I should have cared enough to see it.”
Elle looked back at him. “It’s not your fault. I was a good liar, and I should have told you the truth.”
“No, Elle, it’s on me.”
Elle smiled at her father. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Elle-bell.” He cleared his throat. “You have someone out there who has been waiting to see you.”
“Chloe. Is she all right?” Elle hoped Chloe had made it out okay.
“She’s fine. She’s at school right now. Nero’s here. He hasn’t left since you got here.”
Elle’s eyes drifted down to the bed. “Oh. Tell him I’m fine, and he can go home.”
“You don’t want to see him?” he asked curiously.
Elle shook her head.
“He’s been out there a long time, Elle.”
“I didn’t think you liked him very much.” She watched her father think a moment before he spoke.
“I didn’t, and I still don’t, but when the hospital asked me if you had insurance, and I told them no, they asked me to fill out some paperwork to figure out a payment method. After I filled it out and took it up to the desk, they told me never mind, that it was already taken care of. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, I don’t know what kind of care they would be giving you right now if it wasn’t for him, and now I know he wants you taken care of.” Her father cleared his throat again. “Now, do you still not want to see him?”
Elle shook her head again, afraid if she talked she would end up crying.
“Okay, I’ll go tell the nurses you woke up.” He gave her hand another squeeze before he rolled off.
Elle slammed her eye shut when her father left the room. Her switch was now broken and she could feel again. It still hurts.
Elle didn’t want him to see her like this, broken. I don’t want him to be with me just because I’m broken.
Elle thought about the paper Nero had written, still not knowing how to feel about it. He still lied to me. His father’s a killer. They’re all killers. And Nero’s in the fucking mafia.
Elle took a deep breath. No, stay away from him.
The doctor came in to examine her, telling her she had a scalp laceration and another concussion, meaning she had gotten a few more stitches to add to her collection. She had taken a kick to the eye, but it would heal; she just got a pretty, black eye to match her stitches. Lastly, she had some stomach bruising, but again, the doctor said it would all heal. She was extremely lucky not to have broken anything or have a serious injury. They told her they would keep her in the ICU for the night to monitor her since she had been unconscious for a little over twenty-four hours, and then she would be moved to a regular room until she was discharged.
Thank God.