DEIRDRE POVDAY SIXI was sore all over. My back, legs, lower abdomen, and even hands ached.The queasy feeling in my stomach made the ache even worse than it should, and my head thumped.Peeling my eyes open, I let out a moan, squitting as bright light from the sun flashed into them."Do I let the curtains down?" Matteo asked, and I saw him.He was hovering over me, and I noticed he had a bowl in his hand. His hair was disheveled; he didn't look like he had caught a wink of sleep.Setting the bowl with him down, he dipped the towel he had hung around his neck into the water, allowed it to soak, and squeezed it afterward."What happened?" I asked, attempting to sit up, but Matteo pushed me back down before placing the towel on my forehead.Matteo was gentle. Too gentle with me that I almost burst into tears. He could be a beast one minute demanding respect; another minute, he was like a doting husband.I didn't understand what was going on. The last thing I remembered was after arrivi
DEIRDRE POVI didn't know how long it had been, but Leslie was still speaking. The only contribution I had made was just nodding my head at whatever she had said.I couldn't exactly say anything since I was eating, and Leslie didn't mind I said nothing.The soup and drug I took made me feel better. Although the headache had barely lessened, the queasiness I was feeling had disappeared.I stretched out my legs from underneath me and used a pillow to brace my back before staring at Leslie again."You are not listening," She said."I was," I denied, rolling my eyes."You weren't," She pointed out. "If you were, what was my last statement?" she asked me."You spoke about..." I trailed off before shaking my head."You see, I wasn't joking, and I am slightly offended," Leslie narrowed her eyes, but I believed she was kidding.She didn't look anything angry.The only time I had ever seen her being serious was on our first day here. She had looked like she would give me a tough time, and I ha
MATTEO"Shouldn't you be with your wife? I thought she was sick. You could use a company right now," Vittorio said behind me."What has that got to do with you?" I turned to glare at him."Nothing. I was just concerned," He said."Well, place your concern on someone who cares. Deirdre is taken," I said.Goodness, he was starting to piss me off. The urge to turn and shove my fist into his face filled me, but what would Deirdre think of me?"Noted, Matteo. I had no intention of taking your wife away from you, but not like I would object if she decided to leave you," He said, smirking.Fuck what Deirdre would think about me. Tightening my right hand into first, I slammed it into his face."Fuck Ferrari," Vittorio gasped, stumbling back."Mention my wife's name one more time, and I won't be sorry when my bullets are lodged in your heart." I glowered."Woah, I was fucking taunting you. I had no intention of taking your wife even if she decides to leave you; call it a brotherhood, whatever,
DEIRDRE POVMatteo was right. The sickness did intensify. I came awake earlier feeling nauseous.I couldn't tell if it was the after-effect of the soup I had eaten or from the drugs I had taken, but I had emptied all the contents of my stomach, and I was still hurling.At this rate, if I continued, I would hurl everything in my stomach into the toilet.The aches in my body had worsened. My head was thumping as though someone was deliberately pounding it. My ears rang. It felt as if I had strings that were pulled continuously in them.And my temperature was another thing. It had spiked higher."Matteo," I groaned, gripping the toilet seat.Where did he go, and why did he leave?Laying on the floor, I breathed in and out through my mouth before standing quickly and dipping my head into the toilet as I felt the urge to hurl again.When I was done, I was able to crawl to the sink. Luckily, it was sturdy enough for me to use to stand upright.Washing my face and rinsing my mouth, I trudged
DEIRDRE POVMuffled voices, footsteps echoing, and the revolting scent of antiseptic wafted into my nostrils, pulling me out of my slumber.Swallowing back the nausea that rose, my teeth gritted, and I attempted to pry my eyes that seemed to be glued together. I succeeded, wincing as the bright light flashed into them.Snapping my eyes shut immediately, I opened them again, squinting.My gaze stayed fixated on the chandelier, currently swaying slowly. The wind drifted into the room through a crack in the window, rustling the ugly brown curtains.The walls of the room were painted in weird brown and blue colors, and a large cross sign was at the far corner of the room.The room itself was large, yet ugly, and I wasn't the only one in it. There were several beds in the room, the exact one I was laid in, and I saw some were empty while some were occupied.I didn't recognize the room, and from what I could tell, I was in the hospital. I remembered Matteo saying he would take me to one, bu
DEIRDRE POVWhen Matteo arrived a little while later, his eyes were bloodshot, and I saw the angry lines that marred his face.He looked as though he would pummel whoever approached him talking shit. Earlier, he didn't look this angry. I wondered if it was Vittorio that had gotten him mad.Yet, I knew Vittorio wouldn't want to be in the same room as Matteo. Even though I hadn't seen both engaged in a physical fight, I was sure Vittorio knew Matteo was a formidable man.Likewise, Vittorio's expression was the opposite of his. Despite the grimace that adorned his handsome face, he didn't look as angry as Matteo.Matteo stepped towards my bed and glanced down at me briefly before looking at Doctor Feris, who strode into the room."Is she ready to be discharged?" He asked Doctor Feris."I recommend she stays longer because..." Doctor Feris frowned, then he shook his head. "Never mind.""You recommend what?" Matteo grunted."It's nothing," Doctor Feris said. "And what's the rush? You can a
DAY SEVENDEIRDRE POVToday didn't go as planned. Having woken up as early as 4 AM to set out without alerting the villagers, it had been thwarted.The raft we were meant to travel on was damaged beyond repair, and oh, the major parts had been taken as well.Matteo had flipped, yelling profanities in raw Italian in the air.Yes, he was still cursing at whoever had done that, and right now, I was back in the room with Matteo pacing around the room nonstop."Relax, Matteo. Someone will definitely realize we are missing and send help.""Send help?" Matteo scoffed. His eyes narrowed at me as though I was the one who had pissed him off."This dratted village is not on the fucking map. It is fucking off the radar, and no, we won't be getting out easily after the last chance had been thwarted." He grunted.I nodded, "I understand that. But I believe something can happen...""Something like a miracle?" Matteo cut me off.As I nodded, he let out a humourless laughter, "Don't be fucking delusio
DEIRDRE POVDragging myself out of bed at the incessant banging on the door, as well as kicking. I pushed a hand through my hair, walking towards it.Gazing at the wall clock on my way to the door, I realized I had slept for three hours. I was exhausted from going back and forth, and it seemed like the sickness wasn't exactly gone, as I could feel the fever starting to seep in as well."Deirdre!" I heard Matteo's voice at the other end of the door.Rolling my eyes, I unlocked the door gazed at him briefly to see his disorientated look before moving towards the bed.But Matteo halted me before I took two steps.Turning me to face him, I frowned. "What?" I asked, unable to hide the irritation in my voice."About earlier...""I don't care, Matteo," I cut him off. "I wasn't trying to flirt with Vittorio, but that's what you believed; I have nothing to prove to you. If you are here to scold me again, you shouldn't worry yourself because I won't give you an audience."I had never been this