Keeping his bride

Selina

I ‘VE BEEN IN this place for weeks, slowly recuperating from my injuries. Going through withdrawal from the concoction of benzos that I was on for years was unpleasant and mind-numbing. At least the breathing treatments are finally done – Dr. Catalano gave me the allclear this morning. Small miracles, I suppose, since I was getting so tired of them.

I haven’t seen a single sign of Constantine since I arrived here, which is alarming, to say the least. I don’t know if he’s just biding his time or if the man who murdered his son was telling the truth after all. Maybe I’m locked away someplace where Constantine actually can’t find me. Yet.

He always finds me eventually, though, and I don’t think this time will be any different. I think the only way I could truly escape him is if I left earth. I don’t think there is a place on this planet that he wouldn’t go to find me. He would never leave his little pet behind.

Just the memory of him saying those two litt e words to me sends a violent shiver of fear running down my spine.

“Are you cold?” Dr. Catalano asks, bringing me back to the present. She’s been in my room for several minutes, silently evaluating me and making notes in a chart.

“No, I’m fine,” I answer her in a hushed whisper.

She’s an older woman with a no-nonsense attitude. But that’s totally fine with me, because I like to hear the facts straight instead of someone trying to blow smoke up my ass. And this woman definitely doesn’t beat around the bush. She tells it exactly how it is. And even though my countless requests to her for benzos fell on deaf ears, I’m almost glad now that she didn’t give in to me. I don’t remember the last time I was sober. It’s almost like I’m seeing the world around me with a fresh pair of eyes. Even the food smells and tastes better. It’s like I’ve been reborn in a way.

Dr. Catalano stands and says, “I’ll let Mr. Vitale know that you’re ready for physical therapy and -.”

“Wait,” I gasp, cutting her off, as my eyes snap up to meet hers. “D-did you say…Vi-Vitale?” I ask, stammering. My entire body begins to shake as the name alone brings back a flood of memories.

“Yes. Nicholas Vitale. He’s the one who brought you here,” she explains with a cocked brow. “Is something wrong, Selina?”

“No. I…” My voice trails off. There’s a bitter shock coursing through my system at the fact that Nico killed Gino right in front of my eyes without an ounce of remorse. The young Nico I knew back then was sweet and kind. He would never murder anyone. “No, this can’t be,” I whisper. Suddenly, I throw the blanket off of me and swing my feet over the side of the bed. On unsteady legs, I slowly walk over to one of the windows.

I cover my mouth to silence my gasp when I look out over the vaguely familiar estate. It’s daytime and sunny outside, so I can see a lot more details than the last time I was at this very window. Some things have changed around the property, but I remember the little things that haven’t – like the color of the front gate, the layout of the garden.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Sometimes I wondered if I’d only dreamt about this place,” I whisper more to myself than to the doctor. “I wondered if he was even real.”

Over the years, I’ve tried to forget my time here at the Vitale’s home. At first, I held on so tightly to the six months of memories that I made here, reliving every happy moment over and over again in my mind. But eventually, it became too difficult to remember that kind of love and kindness when I was suffering every hour of every day. Holding on to the memories became more like a burden. My world was too cruel to believe any of it was real, and so I became more closed off and bitter as I grew older and no one rescued me.

Not that I expected them to actually come for me. Hell, I don’t even know if they searched for me at all. I always assumed… or at least hoped that they did, however. That’s just the kind of family Nico had.

But as time went on, I realized I needed to stop reliving the fairytale that had been those six months and move on with my new, cold and hard reality with Constantine.

The pills helped. They kept me from facing the truth. And without them now, I don’t know what will happen to me. I can’t face my past alone. It might just finally break me.

“I understand you were here when you were young?” the doctor inquires.

“Yes, when I was thirteen,” I answer with a nod. “It was only for six months…but it was the best six months of my entire life,” I confess with tears forming in my eyes. A sob threatens to escape, but I quickly hold a ha d over my mouth as my eyes dart to the door. All I can think is that I don’t want him to see me like this. He can’t see me like this. But the truth of the matter is that Nico’s already seen me at my worst at the party and in the days following. He probably already knows all the horrors that have happened to me. He knows that I’m dirty and used up. That I’m broken.

Oh my god, I need to get out of here.

My legs threaten to give out, and the doctor is quick to grab my arm and gently guide me back to bed. “Please, Selina, you need to rest. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.” She grabs the manilla folder and scribbles some notes. “I have a physical therapy session set up for you tomorrow morning.” She looks up at me after she’s done writing. “The therapist’s name is Dwayne, and he’s wonderful, extremely kind and patient,” she adds. “I’m also going to recommend that you speak with a psychiatrist. The Vitales have a fantastic doctor on call – Dr. Moira Graham.”

I want to protest and tell the doctor I don’t need any of those things because I won’t be here long, but I keep my mouth shut. If I’m going to run away from here, I need to keep my plans to myself so that no one can lock me up or ruin them.

I can’t stay with the Vitales. The longer I stay, the more danger I’m putting them in. I’ve seen what Constantine does to people who help me. And I refuse to let him harm anyone else because of me and his sick obsession.

The first chance I get, I’ll escape from this place and leave this family behind for good. Anyone that helps me is as good as dead, and I won’t let Constantine hurt them too.