∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Maria's arms wrapped around herself as she curled into a ball under the thick duvet. Maria closed her eyes and buried her head into her pillow as she slowly exhaled, taking in the tranquillity around her. The air was crisp; Maria had left the window open, allowing the cool morning breeze to fill the room. She was hidden away from the sun, burying herself in the bed and hoping the day would simply pass by.

"This isn't the first time he's disappeared like this. It was usually because something would trigger him when something too intense happened. He can't mentally handle whatever happened between the two of you and needs a break. He'll be back. He always comes back."

Five long days had gone by without any word from Leonardo. Maria worried about him day and night, every second and every hour, every day. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat, and she could barely move.

Maria was sick; she hadn't left the house at all and stayed off practice. Her voice had almost gone from crying so much, and her throat was so stuffy, her nose was congested, and her eyes were so sore. Maria coughed roughly, a deep pain from her chest to her throat. The doctor Iris had called over had given her antibiotics. She hadn't been that ill in a long time.

Maria's head pounded, and her muscles ached. Her hand escaped from the duvet as she shivered at the cold. She managed to pick up the two tablets left on the bedside table and her water, which she quickly drank, hoping it would ease the fever she was experiencing.

Maria spent a lot of time thinking, all day, all night. She was wrong to not tell Leonardo sooner, and it was a mistake to pursue him knowing the twisted truth. It should've been one of the first things that he found out about. He had the complete right to be angry, to be upset, to not want to see Maria or to ever be with her again. There was no way he would take that kind of news well.

Sienna knew what happened. The moment Maria answered her call and she heard her hoarse voice, it was enough information for Sienna to know her brother had found out. They both knew it wouldn't be the easiest thing to reveal.

A hand was placed on Maria's forehead, drawing her out of her thoughts. Maria shut her eyes again, trying to breathe through her blocked nose. "Thank goodness your fever has gone down," Iris said in relief. Maria could feel her body sinking into the side of the bed next to her. She heard Iris sigh, her hand resting on Maria's hip on top of the blanket.

"Are you going to come downstairs to eat?" Iris asked, though her voice was indicating that it wasn't an option. Maria shook her head, wanting to be left alone. She had no appetite.

"I tried to make some Spanish food. Why don't you come and try, love?" Iris probed again, her voice convincing. Maria didn't respond, wishing for her body to send her to sleep as soon as possible. She felt empty inside; there was a void inside her heart. Maria had no desire for anything; all she wanted to do was sleep, and that was all she had been doing since he had left.

"How about I bring it up here? We can eat together," Iris suggested kindly, patting Maria's hip. Maria felt nauseous at the idea of food. The last time she ate, she threw it all back up almost immediately. She had only drunk water.

"I'm not hungry, Iris," Maria mumbled, her voice so quiet and barely coherent. Her strained voice had gotten worse. She coughed after speaking again, wincing at the pain in her throat from talking.

"You have to eat," Iris more seriously said, pulling down the duvet from her head so she could see Maria better. She was getting more and more concerned about her. Maria's condition was only getting worse. "You need to take care of yourself, Ria."

Maria squeezed her eyes closed, pulling the duvet back over her to hide from the beaming sun rays attacking her from the window. She shivered again, unable to take the cool air that she needed to refresh the room. She just wanted to be left alone in the dark. "How can I?" Maria pessimistically retorted, her fragile voice croaking.

Iris gently sighed, feeling the pain for her best friend. "I can't remember the last time you had something to eat, Ria. If you refuse this meal, I will have to call your doctor." Maria groaned.

She was feeling annoyed as she shot back, "I don't want to fucking eat, Iris, is that a crime? I don't need a doctor. I just need—" she stopped, realising what she was about to say. Maria shut her eyes again, exhaling as she felt the tears sting once more.

Iris hadn't said anything, shifting herself further away on the bed. Maria heard a sniff from her, and she instantly felt bad. Iris was only trying to take care of her and had been coming every day to make sure Maria was alive and well. Maria hadn't appreciated her enough. "I'm sorry," Maria mumbled solemnly, recognising the silence from Iris was a sign she was upset. "I know you're just looking out for me."

Maria slowly turned over and lifted herself up so she was sitting. She shuffled backwards, trying not to tremble as her weak body sat up on the bed. She pulled the comforter over her shoulders, feeling extremely shaky and cold. Iris' eyes ran over her face, finally seeing her after a while. Her lips parted as a tear slipped out of her eye. Iris looked so distraught and slightly horrified. Maria looked down; she realised how rough she must've looked to upset Iris.

"Ria, you're scaring me," Iris honestly said, her voice shaking and her eyes running all over Maria's pale and lifeless face. She had lost a significant amount of weight. "I need you to put yourself first and look after your health. I know it's hard, I know you're hurting, and it's been a tough few nights, but this can't continue. I can't keep seeing you so...so dead. Can you promise me that? Can you promise to look after yourself?" A tear slipped out of Maria's eye, and her cold hand quickly wiped it away. Her hands clutched onto each other under the duvet, shaking.

Her words were trapped in her throat, a pained 'mmm' coming from her. Maria let out a heaved breath, struggling to stop the hot tears starting to roll down her dry cheeks. "I'm sorry. I will. I'm sorry I've been so—" Iris pulled her in for a strong hug; her arms engulfed Maria as they cried. Iris's hand rubbed Maria's back, her fingers crossing over her bony spine that she could feel underneath her clothes. Her body felt like paper. It hadn't even been that long, and Maria was already looking and feeling gaunt. Iris' eyes poured out into tears at the extent of Maria's sickness. It wasn't just her body but her mind; Maria had really been shaken up after what happened.

"I miss him, Iris," Maria cried out, the waves of her agony flooding in her again. "I miss him so much. I hope he's okay, I hope he'll speak to me again."

"Come on, honey," Iris said, looking into Maria's red-tinged eyes. She wiped Maria's face with her hands softly and spoke more brightly, "I know it's easier said than done, but let's stop thinking about him for a while, okay? Nothing is going to change by lying here and wanting him. Let's focus on you. When was the last time you got up?"

"I can't feel anything," Maria wept, feeling the weakness of her body. "I feel so tired and drained. I don't know when I need to eat. I don't even know when I need the bathroom. I just feel so empty."

Iris tried to lighten the mood to help Maria to stop crying, "It's okay!" She tugged on Maria's arm a little, "Let's get you showered and changed! You feel weak because you haven't eaten or moved much. Let's shower and eat and take things from there. How about that?" Maria sniffled, her congested nose making it ten times harder to breathe. She let out a breath and nodded, following Iris's advice.

Maria could hardly get up and walk. She was weak and shaky as she slowly made her way to the bathroom; Iris had to stay with her the whole way in case she fainted. Maria didn't realise the extent of her poor condition. When she sat on the toilet, Maria was there for ages. The urine was like a flood trickling out of her. The relief her tight abdomen felt after releasing her full bladder was immense. She already felt better after using the toilet.

She felt a lot more renewed after showering and brushing her teeth. Her nose felt less disrupted and her throat felt less scratchy than before. Iris had made her some organic tea to help with her illness. Maria was grateful she had someone like Iris in her life to support her and care for her.



"I feel like I should leave," Maria expressed to Iris once they had finished eating dinner and were watching a Disney film. Maria had managed to stomach lunch and dinner; she would stick to her promise to take care of herself no matter what to Iris.

Iris looked over at her, turning slightly on the sofa. "Leave?"

Maria nodded, sighing. She wasn't sure why, but she was beginning to feel down again. Maybe it was because it was night and her broken heart started to ache for Leonardo again. "The last person he'll want to see when he comes back is me," Maria explained, her voice becoming hoarse again. She looked down at the blanket over her and fiddled with it, sighing. She was biting her bottom lip again, her mind starting to generate hundreds of thoughts all at once.

"You guys still have a lot to talk about," Iris told her, her voice gentle and steady. "Leaving now would put another barrier between the two of you. You have to talk it all out so there's no misunderstanding."

"I did him wrong," Maria acknowledged, her voice so distant and solemn. "I kept a secret like that knowing his condition—his life. That was..."

"You had a hard decision to make, Ria," Iris softly empathised, taking Maria's hand and holding it. The ending credits were beginning to play. "It's happened now, so don't keep beating yourself up over it. Things will work out. I know it doesn't feel like it, but you've got to stay strong and keep taking care of yourself in the meantime. Okay?" Maria nodded, swallowing roughly and blinking as she tried to stay calm.


The doorbell rang just as Iris was preparing to go home. She had spent another whole day looking after Maria. But Iris felt that the day had been the best one so far; she had managed to get Maria out of the bedroom and around the house, to eat, and to even watch a movie. They had made progress.

Iris opened the door and Marco entered. Maria sat up immediately at the sight of him, getting a little dizzy at her sudden movement upwards. "Marco?" Her lack of colour to her tone and faintness surprised Marco. He had never seen her look so deflated and ill. His eyes couldn't stop themselves from taking in her weaker state, feeling sympathy for her the moment he saw her.

"Don-"

"Maria," she corrected briefly before quickly asking, "Have you heard anything?" Iris swiftly swooped in and hugged her as Maria stood. Gabriel was already outside to pick her up. It was getting late. Maria looked at her with gratefulness in her heart. "Iris, thank you. Really." Iris smiled as she let her go. "I'll see you soon."

Marco smiled as a goodbye to Iris, who left not too long later. He could see Maria's distressed state and sat her down on the sofa, sitting as well. He placed his hands on his legs, rubbing them as he exhaled. "He came back," Marco revealed, making Maria's eyes widen.

"Is he okay?" She croaked in concern, her voice failing her again. She felt the tears spring into her eyes again, relieved that he was safe. Marco nodded, giving her a reassuring gaze. He looked as though he had something less comforting to say, making Maria's face fall a little.

Marco continued slowly, careful not to make her even more upset, "He's not in his best condition, but he's fine." Maria let out a breath of relief, her hand on her chest. Marco handed her a tissue kindly for her to wipe her eyes. Maria released a series of coughs, her throat clenching again. She still needed a lot of time to recover.

"He'll come back here," Marco informed her, feeling slightly awkward being stuck in the middle of their quarrel. "So I wouldn't worry too much." Maria nodded again, feeling the back of her head throb again.

"Thank you, Marco," Maria thanked him, her eyes filled with sincerity. She cleared her throat, wiping her teary eyes. "Thank you for keeping him safe." He gave her a nod.

"He doesn't hate you," Marco gently told her, making Maria's bloodshot eyes shoot back up to look at him. He looked conflicted before adding, "It'll just take him some time to understand everything." She nodded again, feeling better knowing Leonardo had spoken to Marco at least.


Maria must have spent at least three hours waiting that night. She had paced up and down the stairs, circled the entire apartment, cleaned to her heart's content, and tidied until her mind was satisfied. Her body was still aching; she could feel that she had done too much in one day. She hadn't even danced, and yet Maria's feet were starting to hurt, the heels of her feet throbbing.

She tried to do anything to pass the time, organising shelves, combing Bear's fur. But still, Leonardo had not shown up. Maria was starting to lose hope that he was even coming that evening. She had waited long enough for him.

She was slumped against the wall, which she had once stood by, but her legs gave out, and Maria sat next to the front door, her eyelids tired and heavy. She kept yawning and coughing straight after. Maria drank large gulps of the hot tea Iris had taught her to make to heal her throat. She needed to heal fast in preparation for practice. It was the most Maria had ever missed lessons and rehearsals. She hated missing out. But for once that was at the back of her mind.

Placing the mug beside her, Maria decided to close her eyes just for a minute. She let her eyes rest and relaxed against the wall; her legs released any tenseness, and she let her hands rest on her lap. She was hopeful that Leonardo may enter any minute since she'd waited so long.

But Maria didn't open her eyes again that evening; she fell into a deep slumber, her head tilted forwards as she slept. Surprisingly, it was the easiest she had slept since Leonardo had left. Maria was even starting to snore; her sighs and breaths from her open mouth were deep and signs of her exhaustion. She really made the floor her bed.

The front door opened slowly as Leonardo walked in.

The first thing he noticed was that the lights were on despite the time of night it was. His eyebrows lowered into a knot as he stopped, realising the door was touching an arm. He carefully pushed the door open, his eyes following the bare, feminine arm to see that it connected to Maria.

Leonardo's heart clenched at the sight of her. His heart rate increased, and he felt a range of conflicting emotions course through him. But the most intense one was his love for her. He missed her. Leonardo forced himself to look away from the sleeping woman, closing the door behind him after her arm was out of the way.

She looked uncomfortable in his eyes; her neck looked bent, and her back was in an awkward position. He realised she had been waiting for him by the door. She had a simple set of pyjamas on, and her hair seemed a little messy, covering part of her face. But she was snoozing, snoozing loud enough for Leonardo to hear. It was the first time he had seen her snore. She usually teased him for his snoring.

Leonardo placed the keys onto the table not too far away. He hesitated before crouching down beside her, his eyes drawn to her red face. Her cheeks looked so bruised with redness, her lips were chapped, and her eyes were slightly swollen with deep bags beneath them. He realised Marco was right; she didn't look well. At all. He had told Leonardo of Maria's poor condition before he returned home.

His hand reached out and caressed her cheek gently; it was rough with rashes formed on her skin. Rashes from crying so much and wiping her tears, large and dark bags underneath her eyes. Her sadness was evident on her tear-stained face. He had never seen her like that. Leonardo's heart sank at the sight of her misery. She wasn't doing well at all, and he still felt deep concern for her.

Leonardo wasn't exactly doing well either; he had been outside all that time. Walking for hours and hours in distress through places he had never seen before, alone and in anguish. Marco had helped him to clean up and freshen himself up before going home. He had replaced the bloodstained shirt he'd been wearing all that time and the ripped trousers with some casual clothes. But the cuts on his long-sleeved top were beginning to seep through the material again. There were new, deeper, and more painful wounds across his forearms. They badly stung with each movement he made.

Leonardo was low-spirited. His shoulders hung low, and his face lacked emotion. He felt like the incident was a stab to his heart. He couldn't think about it without feeling pain. He knew he was deteriorating again mentally, and he hated being in that place again, the place of misery that he always struggled to escape from.

His arms slid beneath her, and slowly, Leonardo lifted her small body up, her slim frame fitting perfectly in his arms. He carried her bridal style upstairs, his heart pounding as her head rested against his chest comfortably, her warm body against his cold one.

He delicately placed her in bed and covered her with the duvet, tucking her in and ensuring she was comfortable lying there. Maria continued to sleep deeply, unaware that the man she had been waiting for was right there in front of her.

He gazed at her, gently stroking her soft hair as he exhaled. It would take a lot for them to fix the situation. He still couldn't forgive her fully, and he still had so many questions swirling around in his head. The secret was too powerful to ignore and move on. It was too painful to talk about and too agonising to even think it was a secret for so long. Leonardo was genuinely hurt; he had lost all trust in Maria.

But his love for her could never disappear; he thought about her every minute of every day that he was away. He hated that he still thought about their relationship despite what happened. A part of him didn't want to let her go, but another, bigger side of him wanted to erase everything about her in his life. He didn't know what to think or go with.

Leonardo was still struggling to accept the fact that Sienna was alive. The sister that he thought he couldn't save was alive somewhere and happy. She was doing well without them and didn't want anything to do with her family. He had so many questions and so many worries, and despite being upset with Maria, he still heeded her words and didn't seek to find Sienna. Not just yet. Leonardo needed more answers and time. There was a lot to process and understand.

He didn't know whether to feel relieved or hurt that Sienna didn't want to contact her family. He imagined what it would be like to see her; she would be a young adult, not the little girl who used to run around the place screaming and laughing her head off with her brothers running after her. Not the little girl who used to cry at night whenever she was locked in her room and punished, the girl who always had a new bruise on her body. Would she be intelligent? Would she still be so silly? Would she have healed from her past experiences?

Leonardo couldn't think straight and sighed, his eyes still on Maria. Only she knew. There was still a lot to uncover.

In that moment, Leonardo couldn't fully hate her.

But he couldn't go back to how they were before either.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

~ Author's Note ~

The aftermath of Leonardo and Maria's argument isn't looking so good. What will come of their relationship from this?

Thoughts on this chapter?

Please vote, comment, share and follow.

Please tag users you think will be interested in NEPENTHE!

Votes and comments really help me know how the story is going, if the book is going well or not, and helps boost my confidence for more updates :)

Thanks for reading!

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘