14. And you fell in love with him

ERICA

I replaced the wet towel with another cold one and caressed his wet hair back from his forehead. “Please, be okay.” I whispered as I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his clammy cheek.

It had been two hours since Antonio locked me in the closet and when I had peeked out he was standing on the bedroom door like a guard. I had called Ephraim from his phone and he had sent Mario upstairs who had managed to talk Antonio to go back to bed with a promise that he’d look after Caterina.

Mario had somehow calmed him down enough that he had gone into a fitful sleep and even when I could’ve come out anytime from that closet, I didn’t. I was busy crying and feeling helpless as I sat there and watched Mario and Antonio interacting with each other. Antonio had sounded like a boy who wanted someone to protect him but from his words I realised that he was the one doing the protecting even when he had been just a kid himself.

It was only when Antonio was half asleep and Mario had knocked on