I stood in front of the mirror, distractedly combing my fingers through my tangled hair that had grown way past my shoulder.

Gianni sat in the overflowing bathtub, nursing a glass of coffee and staring at nothing.

"She hates us?" He whispered and I looked away from his reflection, staring at myself in the mirror.

I hadn't slept well in two weeks. I couldn't. It was horrible -being without her.

Yes. She hated us.

There was a bruise on my chin but I used some ice on it.

I was scared. Scared that things would never go back to normal. How did she get back? Who took her? That mystery itself hadn't been solved.

She looked like she had lost weight but she still looked beautiful as ever. Of course, she did. She was the most beautiful creature to ever exist.

She vanished into thin air and popped out the same way.

Putting my hair in a low ponytail, I stepped out of the bathroom, grabbing a white shirt as I already had a pair of shorts on.

My heart kept slamming, probably trying to rip out of my heart. I walked to the kitchen with a book in my hand and I tried to make something for her to eat, my hand shaking.

"Lucia!" I yelled when I caught sight of the living room. The clumsy girl came running out, panting and I eyed her.

"Clean the house up and go get some groceries" I snapped and she nodded, rushing out of the house. A couple of seconds, she mumbled something about forgetting the card before running back into the house.

I sighed and sat on one of the chairs, opening the first page of the novel in my hand.

It took a while but the lines of literature on the textured yellow pages drew me in. I didn't realize that I had sat down for hours until I heard light footsteps.

My head snapped up as my heart palpitated. It was her. I snapped the book shut and pushed myself up.

My hands were shaking and I wondered if it would be less obvious if I shoved them into pockets of my shorts.

The ends of her pink hair had been chopped off carelessly. It wasn't as pink as it used to be as her hair had grown out of it. Her lips were pursed as she tried to make herself as small as possible, refusing to look at me.

"Fiore" I called and she sighed, looking at me. I understood the reason for her anger. I did.

We searched for her. I swear, we did. Gianni called in every favor that he was owed. I searched around along with the cops.

There was no trace.

Gianni had a couple of his men stationed around Miranda's home to be sure that it wasn't her. It wasn't.

It was driving us insane.

Her scent filled my senses and it wasn't like the scent of the clothes in her closet -it smelled better. She smelled better.

"I can make you something to eat..." I trailed off, fists clenching so that I didn't reach out and pull her into my arms. So that I didn't reach out and ravage her.

It hurt that she didn't want me to do that.

"No. I-I'm Fine" she mumbled and walked to the fridge that had been stocked up by Lucia.

"Il mio Fiore... I know...no...I can't say I know but I understand that you..." I trailed off, tears welling in my eyes.

She looked up at me and I noticed the bags underneath her eyes. She was wearing a loose nightdress like she was trying to hide her body.

Taking steps towards her, my heart rate spiked up when she didn't pull back.

I could already imagine the taste of her lips.

I ran my hand over the counter and she craned her neck to look up at me when I was only inches away from her. My hands shook at how close we were.

"Mi sei mancato..."

"Did you?" She whispered, tilting her head at me and I felt the regret hit me all over again. The sound of her voice. I missed it.

A bitter sweet moment, what it was.

"I did, flower. I-" she shook her head violently. Those very tears I hated welled in her eyes.

"But you didn't come for me. Not you, not Gianni. So why should I even be here? What's the purpose of this? Of us?" Her voice grew angry as she stabbed a finger against my chest.

My lips were parted and I could say nothing. I couldn't even apologize because...what difference would it make?

I grabbed her finger and she ripped it out of my hand, shaking her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Baby?" Gianni called in the softest tone I heard in weeks while I stared at Wura. She was breathing heavily, tears in her eyes and hands shaking.

"This is your fault. Both of you!" She yelled, shoulder length pink braids swaying from side to side as she pointed from Gianni to me.

"If this is what you define as love then I don't want a part in it. I don't wanna be a part of it. That woman would've killed me! What then? You move unto the next girl that pops in the picture?" I was scared. Even more scared than when she had been taken.

She didn't want us anymore?

"Princess-"

"N-no! No! You're gonna shut up and I'm gonna talk!" It would've been adorable if I wasn't scared shitless. Scared of losing her.

"Sorry" Gianni whispered.

"Did you even care to find Vin and I? Do you know the things Vin and I had to go through because of that woman's obsession with you?" She whispered, eyes staring at the table like she was remembering something.

"We searched for you, Baby. I swear" Gianni rushes towards her while I stared, feeling hurt and pain. Most of all, guilt and fear.

"Well, it seems like you didn't try hard enough. I-I'm done" she mumbled, sniffling as she walked to the fridge, pulling it open.

I stared at her, reminding myself that her presence had to be enough right now.

This couldn't be the end.

She grabbed a bottle of orange juice and I turned to Gianni who already looked miserable. I knew we all were.

However, my mind wouldn't stop ticking on the fact that she mentioned a woman. The only woman she met...

Miranda.

Wuraola stomped out of the kitchen and it felt like she stomped on my heart. Gianni walked close to me, vulnerability in his eyes.

His brown eyes darted back and forth over my face, tears welling in his eyes and with a sigh, I brought him into my arms.

I combed my fingers through his hair as warm tears seeped through my shirt.

"It's okay, baby. We're not gonna let her go. We'll make it up to her" I kissed his head as he shook his head.

"Lei ci odia"

I just wanna say that I appreciate all of you a lot. I love you guys.
This should be a four chapter update but the other three chapters are barely even complete. So, the next update will be a three chapter update.
Enjoy! I love you!
-Aduke🌻