A Love Restored

She’s right. I don’t think I will ever love anyone the way I love Julian. How long have we even been together? A few weeks. And I will admit I’m not very fond of the way he treats me, but… I do love him. I always have. I think I always will. My heart clenches, and reach instinctively for my locket, feeling the shape of the moon between my fingers.

Bethany smiles to herself, but I notice. “Um, I begin, “Do you know where Niro is? He hasn’t texted me all day.” I wonder if Nico told her.

“Well, have you texted him, sweetie?” She asks. Yep, she knows.

I shake my head, looking down in my lap, staring at my honey cake and coffee kept on the table.

“He came here, last night, looking very angry. Bethany says, ‘Nico doesn’t get angry, Ginny. He told me what happened, but I want to hear your

version, too.”

I shrug. What am I supposed to say to her? She’s his mom. I know that Nico wasn’t in the wrong at all, but she’d still be blind to anything I said,

“Come here.” She sighs, wrapping her arms around me, and I melt into her warm embrace. “I’m his mom, I know. But I love you like my own, you know that. You’re the daughter I never had, Ginny.”

That’s it, the last straw, I burst into tears. Sobs rack my chest, and Bethany holds me while T cry. “Im so sorry.” I mumble into her shoulder. Oh God,

what if the

Consigliere walks in and sees me like this? “Where’s Consigliere?” I ask. “Work,” she answers, “Now do you want to talk about it?”

I nod, pulling away to look at her. She gives me an encouraging look.

“I guess,” I start. “Julian is very…possessive. And you know how Nico is, he’s so protective, which I like, of course, but Julian doesn’t. And I’ve tried to explain it to him, but he just doesn’t understand,” I sigh, “Last night, there was just this clash of egos, I think. I thought if we all hung out together maybe they’d start to get along, but that didn’t happen, obviously

Bethany hands me my

Is me my coffee, which I accept gratefully, and take a huge sip. There was lighting. I tried to stop them, but you know how it gets, don’t you? Julian just, I don’t know, didn’t let me speak, didn’t listen to me. And I’m so mad at him for that, I just felt like maybe I am nothing to him but a

possession.”

“I understand it can

can get frustrating how domineering they are, Ginny. Give him some time. I’ve learned this with Emilio.”

I nod, “And it isn’t even really about Julian. I love him, I know him, I know that we’ll work this out. But Nico, I don’t understand why he hates me dating Julian so much.

They’re family, so that should be cool? Plus, he should be happy for me, shouldn’t he? He’s my best friend. I just want my best friend.”

Bethany reaches out and strokes my hair. “Nico is going through some things, honey. And so is Dante. Talk to them. They both love you very much. And you love them. Call Dante, and Nico. I know they’ll come around. But maybe you should keep them apart for a while, let things simmer down.”

That made sense, I guess. Thank you, Bethany. I really needed to vent.”

She laughs, “I’m always here for you.”

Just then, we hear the door to the house creak open. I sit up straight; it must be the Consigliere. Well, this was definitely weird, being at Nico’s parents place without Nico around. “I should leave, I guess I start, standing up and turning to the side, coming face to face with the Consigliere, and Nico who are entering the living room. Nico looks as surprised as I am at seeing him here. He stops short for a second. Out of the corner of my eye I see Consigliere Emilio go to greet his wife. Nico takes a step toward me, and his eyes narrow. “Hive you been crying?” He asks softly.

“No.” I shake my head.

I walk over to him, and he wraps his arms around me. “Tim sorry. Did I make you cry? Is this about me? And what are you doing here?”

“It’s not you.” I sniffle. “But can we talk? Please?”

He nods. “Of course, and why are you snillling? Are you sick?”

I got caught in the rain. Got drenched. Maybe I caught a coll, it’s okay?”

I had some coffee. I mumble. Just come talk to me. I’m fine. Stop fussing”

Woah, Now this is a side of Nice I haven’t seen before. I obediently go up to his room and get in bed. It’s still raining out, looks like a storm. I check my phone hit a

text from julian, there is none. So, I check his lost active status, which is from 5 minutes ago. Then I begin to feel like a creep, so I throw my phone to the side and rundOriginal from NôvelDrama.Org.

comes in a while later. He has a tray with a glass on it. He keeps it on the bedside table and sits down on the bed. “Drink that.”

I pick the glass up, it’s a yellowish concoction, I wonder what it is. “And this is?”

“Honey and ginger infused water. It helps with the cold.”

Utake a tentative sip. Yuck. That tastes really weind. Nico.”

“So? Drink up. I’m gonna go change. We talk then, is that cool? I mod, and Nico grabs some clothes from his closet and goes into the bathroom to change. Normally we’d just change in front of each other. It’s weird now, things have changed.

He emerges a short while later, and gets in bed with me, then proceeds to feel my forehead for a fever. He’s being so extra over literally a single sniffle. But well, that’s just Nico. He’s always been this way.

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