Page 98 of Sworn to My Heart
Mariano and Pedro help us line up my parents and Luca, and now it’s Bay’s turn to begin. I usher Mariano and Pedro back inside the apartment, closing the glass door to the balcony behind them. I instruct them to tightly cover their ears andunder no circumstances release them until I give the signal. They comply without hesitation.
Bay starts singing, the sound so powerful that even I struggle to resist it, fighting to maintain my focus. When she nods at me, I place my hands on my father’s body first, concentrating intensely. I try to sense any block and focus on melting it, urging his blood to flow again. Gradually, color returns to my father’s face, and I breathe a sigh of relief, smiling. I signal Bay to release him from her hold.
“Dad,” I call out, shaking him slightly, but there’s no response.
“Why isn’t he responding?” I ask Bay in disbelief. “Why isn’t he responding?” I scream this time at Galen, who’s still sprawled on the balcony railing. “I told you not to try it. You’re not just melting liquids; you’re melting paralysis,” he states as if his words are perfectly clear and logical.
“What does ‘melting paralysis’ even mean, damn it?” I ask in frustration, losing hope again. Galen shakes his head, looking like he’s no longer needed here. I might as well kill him and end this.
“Wait,” I suddenly stop as realization hits me. “Does that mean my father has no hope? He won’t come back?” I ask in a trembling voice, not sure who can give me answers.
“In my opinion? He’s already dead,” Galen remarks casually, and I can’t control myself anymore, choking him tightly. Bay tries to stop me, but it’s too late; he’s already dead.
“Are you crazy? You just killed our last hope for him,” Bay scolds me, yelling. But I don’t care; I stop listening and disconnect from my surroundings. Because of Galen and Zale, I lost my father, and I’m so close to losing Luca and my mother now. In one moment, all the confusion and helplessness flood over me, and I can’t bear to look at Luca and my mother anymore. I can’t handle this.I’m going to lose everyone.
“I shouldn’t have stayed with them. I should have kept away when I still had the chance...” I berate myself through tears, curling up into a fetal position on the floor, hugging my legs. Bay wraps me in her arms tightly, crying with me, but her voice and touch feel so distant. I’m alone, left alone.
It’s my fault. All of it.
This is what happens when I chase my desires and ignore everyone else’s warnings.I’ve lost everything.
Reality is unbearable now, especially without anyone by my side. I push Bay away and rush into the house, making a beeline for Luca’s room, ignoring Mariano and Bay’s shouts trailing behind me. I lock the door swiftly, shutting out Mariano, Pedro, and Bay downstairs, forcing them to face the grim reality without me.
I lie on Luca’s bed, tuning out the loud banging on the door. There’s nothing I can do for them. Worse yet, I caused this.
I feel hollow inside, Luca’s lingering scent on the bed intensifying my pain. He’s frozen downstairs, next to my father who will never wake again. There’s nothing I can do at this moment. But I need a solution. I must fix my mistakes. I can’t fathom a life without them.
Time stretches on, an eternity passing without a clue to how long I’ve been in this room. The knocking on the door ceased a while ago. Reluctantly, I rise from the bed just to glance once more toward the balcony, where the people who meant everything to me once stood. The massive glass wall overlooking the balcony used to mesmerize me, but now I wish it were opaque.
Glancing down, I’m surprised to see my parents and Luca are gone, presumably brought inside by Mariano and Pedro.
All of this unfolded because Luca refused to let go of me, because he wouldn’t give up. I should have left, insisted thisplan was too perilous. Another tear escapes, the red decor on the balcony now only reminding me of death and blood.
More knocking interrupts my thoughts. I can’t help but wonder how much they must despise me now. “Please, go away. I can’t help you. Not right now…” I plead toward the door, then turn back to the balcony. Yet the knocking persists, growing louder by the moment.
“Alin, it’s me, open up,” Cora’s familiar voice calls from the other side of the door. What is Cora doing here? Did Mariano tell her? She probably hates me now, more than anyone. I ignore her call and don’t move from my spot.
“Alin! Luca and your parents are okay, come downstairs,” she continues, this time more gently.
What?
They woke up?
Did Bay manage to wake them?
I rush to the door like a whirlwind, open it in a second, and head for the stairs, but not before Cora’s hand pulls me back all at once. “Alin, I’m sorry, I lied. I had to get you to open the door,” she says in a whisper that shatters me again. My face falls, and I shake off her grip, staggering back to the room. Cora follows me, closing the door behind her, and wraps me in a strong hug from behind. I stop in surprise.
“Alin, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I know exactly how you feel. I know you well enough to know that you’re blaming yourself. It doesn’t matter what you tell me or what you’re hiding from me, I’m sure none of this is your fault. If it were up to you, you would give your life for them just like you would for me,” Cora says softly and doesn’t let go until I move to sit on the bed.
I hold my face in my hands and start crying again.
“Cora, I shouldn’t have listened to Luca’s idea. I should havejust left; they would have been fine...” I release what’s on my heart while Cora pulls one of Luca’s shirts over my head, dressing my naked body. I take a deep breath of the familiar and beloved scent and feel the bed dip slightly as Cora sits beside me.
“It’s not your fault, Alin,” she says, her voice soothing. “You did what you thought was best. None of this could have been predicted.”
I let her words sink in, but the guilt and regret still weigh heavily on my heart.
“None of this is your fault. You can never know what’s going to happen. And Alin, the Spallo family would never have chosen otherwise, okay?” she squeezes my hand and I look into her eyes. “Listen to me, they don’t give up on what they want, and they’re not afraid to lose their lives to protect what’s important to them. Be sure that even if Luca knew this would happen, he’d choose it again. You’re free now, and I’m sure that’s exactly what Luca wanted, and maybe even your parents, in some way,” she says comfortingly, holding my hand.
