"Hey, sweetheart?" I heard a soft whisper. "Sweetheart?"

I fluttered my eyes open, seeing Leo's blue eyes looking down at me. I groaned, closing my eyes again, tugging the comforter over my head.

He chuckled. "Good morning."

"What time is it?" I mumbled, tightly holding onto the comforter so he couldn't pull it away.

"Time for us to get up. C'mon." Leo effortlessly pulled the comforter away from my face and kissed my cheek. I playfully pushed him away. "Ok, ok I'm getting up."

Leo got out of bed. "I'm gonna go start the shower."

I nodded sleepily. I sat up, stretching my arms out and rubbing my eyes. My phone began to vibrate and I slowly picked it up off the dresser.

Christian's name flashed onto the screen.

"Christian?" I whispered to myself in subtle confusion.

I hadn't heard from him in a while.

I placed my phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Nadia, how are you?" His voice was dull.

"I'm good. A-are you alright?" I asked.

He chuckled softly. "I wish I was."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Christian was silent for a while.

"Yeah." He suddenly sobbed.

Christian sniffled, deeply exhaling. "Danny's dead."

My heart sunk.

I hadn't heard of Danny in months. "Danny's dead?" I whimpered. "When? How did he-"

"A few days ago. He came back to California and he was already dead when I found him." He cried. "He was trying to turn himself in and the police arrested him, and I-I don't know, Nadia I don't know what happened, but someone was after him and h-he was shot t-twice in the chest."

Hearing Christian's sobs brought tears to my eyes.

I wiped away the few tears that fell. I knew my last moments with Danny weren't the best, I mean c'mon, the last thing I did was stab him in the chest.

I was afraid of him and I hated what he did to me physically and emotionally, but he didn't deserve to die.

"I know that's a lot to take in, but um, you were one of the last people Danny called before he died. So, I was wondering if it'll maybe relieve Danny, would you attend his funeral?" Christian asked sorrowfully.

I sighed shakily, nodding my head quickly. "Yeah, yeah of course. I'll go." My voice trembled from trying not to cry anymore. I cleared my throat. "I'll go."

"Really?" Christian breathed out, seeming surprised. "Nadia that really means a lot."

I could hear Leo coming back.

"Um Christian, can I call you later? I don't mean to sound insensitive," I chuckled. "But, I'm kinda busy right now." I lied.

"Yeah no, its fine. Call me when you can."

"Alright thank you. And, Christian, I'm sorry...about Danny."

Christian sadly chuckled. "I know."

Leo walked back into the bedroom. "Ready?" He asked.

I turned around and he quickly noticed my glistening tear marks and slightly red eyes. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

I sighed, lightly smiling as I couldn't believe what I was going to say.

"Do you want to come to Danny's funeral with me?"

...

Leo held me in his arms in silence as the warm streams of water softly rained down on us.

"Do you want me to go with you?" He finally asked, soothingly gliding his hand over my back.

I sighed. "Only if you want to. I don't want to force you." I spoke softly.

"I know you hate him." I mumbled against his chest.

Leo chuckled. "No, I don't hate him. That's a strong word. Dislike for sure, but it seems wrong to hate on a guy who's dead."

He paused. "How'd he die?"

I sighed, feeling that wretched heartache again as sadness tried to consume me. I took a deep breath, keeping my composure.

"His brother told me he was shot twice in the chest. They don't know who shot him." I shrugged. "He said Danny was in the process of being arrested when it happened."

"He was still roaming around? I thought he'd be in prison by now."

I scoffed. "Leo, that's not the point."

"But that was what you wanted."

"This isn't about me!" I raised my voice, roughly pushing him away from me in irritation.

He sighed in frustration. I quickly stepped out of the shower, angrily grabbing my towel, wrapping it around me.

"Nadia." I ignored him, beginning to walk away after drying my feet.

"Nadia!" He angrily called out.

I spun around. "What?" I asked exasperatedly.

"What'd I d-,"

"Why are you being so damn insensitive?" I cut him off. "Danny's dead! And all you care about is that he didn't go to prison?"

Leo quickly brushed his hand through his wet hair, looking away from me in slight annoyance. His jaw ticked and he narrowed his eyes at me. "Why are you defending him? He's the one who sexually assaulted you!"

His words stung and I tried to ignore the emotional pain he inflicted on me.

I placed my hand on my chest. "I know what he did to me, you don't have to remind me!" I cried, feeling my eyes become teary.

"You know Nadia, maybe I do need to remind you, because you suddenly seem so concerned about him now that he's dead."

My tears slipped out of my eyes as I lightly shook my head, focusing on the immense sensation of anger in my heart.

I let it go.

"I'm not fighting with you." I whispered, turning my back to him, exiting the bathroom.

...

After I got dressed, I grabbed my phone, walking out to the backyard. I calmly sat down on the woven patio swing bench as I listened to the birds chirping around me. I clutched onto a decorative pillow, using my momentum to make the swing rock back and forth.

I thought about calling Christian back. I went to my recents and at the bottom corner of my screen I saw I had one new voicemail. Sadness washed over me as I saw it was from Danny. My finger shook as I pressed play.

"Nadia, it's me. I'm sure you recognize my voice." He sighed and I closed my eyes, trying to hold back my tears. "I'm not in prison yet, in case you're wondering, but I'm on my way. I'm sure you'd like that."

"Anyway, I know you probably never want to see me again after what I did and I get that. I just need to say that I'm sorry. I know that probably sounds pathetic over the phone, but it's still something. I was going through some shit when I kidnapped you. I guess the thought of not having you again kinda got to me."

"I don't have a lot of time to explain myself now, maybe you could visit me in prison? I really am sorry Nadia, and I wish you all the best. I-I just want things to be okay between us again. I hope you recover and have a wonderful life."

He paused for a while. "I love you."

I let out a sob, almost laughing at how surreal this all was. Hearing his voice even though he's dead; knowing I'll never see him again.

I slumped back onto the bench, hugging the pillow in my arms as I let myself cry.

He sounded like his old self, before his psychotic break. He apologized the only way he could have at that moment. I desperately wanted to know what he would have said to me if he made it to prison.

I wanted to know what was going on with him, I wanted to know how I would react seeing him in person again.

Why was everything left unanswered when it came to Danny?

I was lucky enough to know why he left me in the beginning, but now, he's gone...for good.

I wished Maia never called him.

He would be safe in Italy or back in California. He'd be alive.

I didn't know if I truly forgave Danny for what he did to me. I wanted to hate him forever, but his death just lifted that sentiment away.

It seemed like there was a pattern between him and I. I loved him, then I hated him.

That hate never lasted long did it?

I sat up, sniffling as I patted my face dry. I unlocked my phone, going back to my voicemails and I saved the voicemail Danny sent me.

...

I followed the guard through the plain narrow hallway.

It opened up to a concrete wall with framed windows, lined with a long tabletop with separation bars. I saw Danny sitting down on the other side through one of the windows.

He was in a burnt orange prison uniform.

I lightly smiled as I walked over to him, taking a seat in front of the window. He gazed at me, slowly picking up the phone to speak to me. I glanced at the phone on my side for a while, until I put it against my ear.

Danny endearingly grinned at me. "Hey."

"Hi." I spoke softly.

"I see you got my voicemail."

I faintly smiled. "Yeah."

"What'd you think?" He asked.

I looked at him sadly, feeling my eyes begin to water. "I don't know." I sniffled. "I guess I felt relieved that you apologized, but I was-I was, angry." I looked at him, shaking my head. "You didn't deserve to die. You didn't have to leave me again." I wiped the tears that slid down my face.

Danny furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He chuckled. "What do you mean baby? I'm not dead. I'm here aren't I?"

I tightly closed my eyes, lowering my head so he wouldn't see me cry.

"Hey, don't cry Nadia, c'mon, look at me."

I slowly raised my head up. His heterochromic eyes were full of life as he smiled at me.

He pressed his palm onto the glass. I put my palm against the glass where his hand was.

He sighed. "You know, I can't believe you actually showed up. I've been rehearsing this apology for the longest." He chuckled. "I had to make sure everything was right."

I smiled at him. His facial expression became serious. Danny cleared his throat. "Nadia, I'm honestly so sorry, and I just want you to know that-,"

Suddenly, Danny became inaudible.

I couldn't hear what he was saying anymore. I began to panic. "Danny, Danny I can't hear you." He didn't seem to hear me, as he kept talking and his serious demeanor broke down into sorrow.

I pounded on the glass to get his attention. "Danny, stop! I can't hear you!" I cried, but he just kept going.

A guard tugged on my arm, telling me to get up. I shoved him away and he quickly regained himself, pulling me up out of my seat. The phone dropped out of my hand as I tried to get out of the guard's grasp.

Danny finally stopped talking as he realized what was happening to me. He stood up, yelling my name through the glass. "No, let me go!" I screamed, thrashing around in the guard's arms. "Please! I need to know what he said. I need to know what he said!"

I jolted awake, as my eyes were met with darkness.

It took a while before I was able to see my surroundings. I touched my cheeks and my fingertips were wet. I wiped my eyes, sighing deeply. It was just dream, so similar to the ones three and a half years ago when I found out Danny left me.

I didn't bother checking the time. I knew I wasn't going back to sleep and if I did, I knew I would see him in another dream.

I laid there, staring at the ceiling until sleep finally conquered me.

...

Today was Danny's funeral.

The early morning flight to California was numbing. Amelia had arrived to Cali yesterday, bringing along Jay who was adorably her boyfriend now.

I was honestly surprised Leo decided to come with me. I knew this trip was going to be heartbreaking and it took everything in me not to show Leo how grief-stricken I truly was.

...

Leo turned off the engine after he parked the rental car we got. My lackluster eyes stared at the church in the distance. Leo sighed, turning his head to look at me.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah." I mumbled sadly.

Leo slightly frowned and he got out of the car. As he went around to open the door for me, I took the necklace Danny gave me out of my purse. I gazed at it briefly in the palm of my hand as the diamonds shimmered.

I quickly clasped it around my neck before the door opened.

"Thanks." I lightly smiled as I stepped out of the car. I took the bouquet of white and red roses with me. Leo eyed my necklace and I dreaded the question I knew he was going to ask me.

"Where'd you get that?"

I tensed up as he closed the car door. "Danny gave it to me." I sheepishly responded.

Leo sighed.  "In Vegas?"

I lightly scoffed. "I'm sure you know the answer to that question." I mumbled.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Right..." He trailed off.

"Leo, it's Danny's funeral." I stated bluntly. "I'm wearing it just for remembrance. Why do you think you've never seen it?"

"The real question is, why do you still have it? You could've sold it for a lot of money." He raised an eyebrow at me.

I intently eyed him, keeping my aggravation at bay as my jaw tightened. "Ok, Leo we aren't doing this at his funeral." I began to walk away from him. He softly chuckled, tugging my arm back. "Nadia, you know I'm kidding." He intertwined my free hand with his. "Yeah, well, I'm not." I muttered.

I saw Christian and what seemed to be his parents in the distance as we walked towards them.

"I know you don't wanna be here Leo, but at least have some respect."

He subtly but roughly pulled me closer to him. "The fact that I'm here is a sign of respect. You know how I feel about him." Leo harshly whispered.

I cleared my throat and faked a smile as I made eye contact with Christian.

I lightly squeezed Leo's hand. "Just try to seem sympathetic okay?"

Christian faintly smiled at me as we approached him. "Hey."

"Hey Christian." I let go of Leo's hand, stepping closer to Christian to give him a hug.

He exhaled softly. "Thanks for coming. It means a lot to me." He paused. "And for Danny I assume." He lightly chuckled.

I smiled, ending our embrace. "No problem. I'm happy to be here, for both of you."

Christian's eyes glanced towards Leo. I looked back at him. "I'm sure you remember Leo."

"Yeah." Christian lightly smiled, shaking Leo's hand. Leo sighed sadly and I narrowed my eyes at him. "My condolences go out to you and your family on the passing of your brother. I'm sorry for your loss."

I sighed in relief, quietly thanking God for Leo's decent response.

Christian thanked him and briefly made small talk with Leo.

"Are those for Danny?" A soft voice startled me.

I turned around to face Danny's mother. His father sorrowfully stood next to her.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Brivio." I nervously chuckled. "Um the roses? Yeah they're for him. I'm saving them until the end of the service. I want to say a few last words to him if that makes sense." I faintly smiled.

She returned the gesture, but it didn't look sincere.

I felt a bit awkward and glanced at Mr. Brivio, giving him a warm smile.

At least he actually smiled back and I could see the kindness in his eyes. "It's nice to see you again Nadia." He spoke softly.

Christian came from behind me. "Oh, Mamma, Papà, of course you remember Nadia-,"

"Yeah, we do Christian." She bitterly cut him off as her eyes began to water.

"I-Is everything okay?" I worriedly asked.

She glared at me. "Does it look like everything is okay? You're the reason my baby is dead!" She cried. My eyes widened at her statement and I quickly felt insulted.

"Mamma." Christian timidly warned her. Mr. Brivio put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm his wife down. She brushed him away, stepping closer to me. "Do you know how much he loved you? He left Italy, he left me, to have a second chance with you!"

She quickly looked down at my left hand, seeing the diamond engagement ring on my finger.

"And you broke Danny's heart and corrupted him just to leave and marry someone like him." She spat, angrily looking at Leo.

"Mamma that's enough!" Christian yelled, pulling her back away from me.

"Papà, would you please take her elsewhere to calm down? Please." Mr. Brivio nodded, quietly apologizing to me as he hauled Danny's mother away as she hysterically cried.

I stood there in a daze, amazed that Mrs. Brivio thought I was the one to blame for Danny's death.

Hi guys! Thanks for reading! :)
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