36

I looked over at him, my hand in his. He kissed it softly, meeting my eyes.
"I think I'm gonna make some bacon - do you want bacon? I've been craving bacon for ages," I brightly bubbled out, about to leave the bed until he pulled me back, shaking his head.
"Rose, don't push it away and bottle it up. You can trust me." Cris's warm eyes met mine and he gave me and encouraging, sweet smile. I licked my lips, my face softened as I gazed into his eyes, sighing softly.
I gave in. "Juliet is my older sister."
"Wow," Cristiano said in surprise, intrigued, "there's two of you?"
I rolled my eyes. "She was always the prettier one."
"Well then we might have to break up cause-"
I gave him a playful slap on the back of his head. "Idiot." He chuckled, his beautiful eyes twinkling. "So,
what's wrong, Rose?"
"Well," I began, "this is gonna be a long ass story."
"I got time."
I sat comfortably, my back against the headboard and he wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my lap. My hands went to his hair and I played around with it.
Sighing, I started, "so, my mother loved gardening, hence why I'm called Rose and she's called Juliet. My mother's French and my dad was Italian."
I sat comfortably, my back against the headboard and he wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my lap. My hands went to his hair and I played around with it.
"I got time."
Sighing, I started, "so, my mother loved gardening, hence why I'm called Rose and she's called Juliet. My mother's French and my dad was Italian."
"Was?" Cristiano softly asked.
"Is, I think," I corrected, rolling my eyes at the thought of him. "Dead to me though. Anyway, I speak English, French, Italian and a little of Spanish. Growing up, I lived in a happy family until I was about eight and from there, my parents started to argue. This went on until I was ten and at that point, my dad was into heavy illegal stuff, smuggling, trafficking, drugs."
I continued, "then he started hitting my mom." My voice croaked unexpectedly at the memory.
Cris tensed up on my lap and I cleared my throat, holding back the tears. "I remember the first slap. . .she was so scared," I whispered, remembering the painful memories. "Me and my sister would have to hide in the closet every time. I used to cry and my sister would hold me and sing me songs louder than all the yelling so I wouldn't be so upset. . ."
"It got worse a-and he tried to come for us but my mother wouldn't let him. She took the hits for us. We'd lock the closet and stay in there for hours hearing her scream." I shook my head, sighing. I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment, exhaling to calm myself.
"She would end up in hospital sometimes and he wouldn't let her tell the truth to the doctors." My fingers ran through Cris's soft hair, rubbing his scalp gently. I was giving the man a massage while talking about my troubled childhood.
"She went from happy to emotionally damaged. We tried to run away once while he was out but he caught us. That's when he really messed her up and then we had to go in that horrible closet again. But the light in there broke so we were in the dark and I got so scared. When we left in the morning, she wasn't there. He got someone to take her away and I don't know what happened to her. I don't know if my mother is dead or alive. She could be anywhere."
Tears ran down my cheeks and I wiped them away quickly. I didn't cry.
"Then it was just me and my sister. She was the beautiful one and. . .he got really drunk and took it out on her because she looked like an exact replica of my mother. I look like her too but not as much as her. Then it was me, alone in the closet. I couldn't save her and she always told me to go in there. She didn't want me to save her. She wanted to protect me."
"One night, I went out to save her but it was a bad idea because then I got hit and then it was both of us, every night. When I was a teen, I stabbed him to save my sister. He ended up fine and as a consequence, he got someone to rape her but I didn't let it happen. I stabbed him too. Then we tried to run but it didn't work."
"Then we tried to plan out our escape. It was all set up and we knew where we were going. But I woke up that day and my sister was packing stuff. She had that she was going to go first then come back for me. She had to figure out where we were gonna go. She said she would come back for me," I tearfully told Cristiano, sniffing as I remembered how I felt.
"She said she was come back and she didn't, Cris! She didn't come back! I waited for weeks, months and I kept getting beaten and it got worse and worse! She didn't come back for me!"
"His friends would come and touch me, grope me, hit me. I tried to run and it never worked." I exhaled loudly, wiping my wet cheeks again. "They never had sex with me though. I was lucky. I was finally free when I had a gun in my hand, threatening him and making him let me go. Then I left, moved away, studied and got myself a job in a coffee store. I gave myself a new life. Obviously things when wrong again because of Alejandro but I met you, and that's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"So no," I concluded, licking my lips as I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I won't be seeing her. That's my messed up life story."
He sat up, looking at me, his eyes dark and filled with an indescribable emotion. He moved my hair away from my face and wiped my cheeks, his eyes gazing into mine. "If you've told me all of that, mia cara, it's only fair if I tell you why I don't have brothers anymore."
"You don't have to-" I began, my face softening but he shook his head, caressing my cheek. "You're a strong, woman, Rose. A bad bish, don't forget it." I smiled at him before leaning in and pecking his lips.
"Alright, well," Cris said, clearing his throat. "I am an asshole because I, the idiot I am, was a leak and I shared all of the mafia's secrets to this woman I loved who was part of an enemy's gang. I thought we were legit so I told her every fucking thing and it turned out that she was telling all of her gang what I was saying. Then, I stole millions from the mafia and wasted it on drugs, women and money, oh, and I also almost killed my brother by giving him the wrong orders in a meeting."
"There were little things leading up to it and I slept with one of my brother's girlfriend who he was going to marry. Let's just say that I basically ruined everything and there is no chance of me ever seeing them again."
"Wow," I blankly said to him. "Ass."
"Thank you, I deserve that."
"Look, my upbringing hasn't been good either," Cristiano said, his eyes seriously gazing into mine. "My father was abusive too and life wasn't easy living in the mafia. I guess you could say that we have something in common."
I smiled at him and he kissed my hand, sighing softly. "But I do think you need to speak to your sister, do you know where she is?"
I nodded, rolling my eyes. "She lives in Paris, France was the last I heard. People tried to tell me where she was and how she was doing but I didn't care and I don't. Seems to be living her best life."
"You don't know the full story, Rose," Cristiano softly told me, giving me a warm smile. "You have to talk to her."
I sighed. "I will."
He looked at me in surprise that I accepted so quickly.
"If you speak to your brothers."
"Deal," Cristiano replied, smiling at me.
"Deal," I responded, shaking his hand.
"Just so you know," Cris began, giving me a playful look. "You sound super sexy when you speak French, Rose."
I bursted out laughing.