Trigger warning? Verbal abuse, uh abuse in general kinda ish.

A myriad of statements and questions flew at me, and I couldn't keep up.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, just fine, yes I'm fine-"

"Really, because you're repeating your words, and you don't look completely stable," Luca stated.

"Yeah, you might want to catch me," I said before letting the all too familiar darkness consume me.

***

*Luca POV* (not me switching up the POVs for once)

While my idiotic brothers just stood there like a band of bumbling, babbling band of baboons, I actually moved to help Emma.

I knew she would be okay, and it was with that knowledge that I started drafting page one of many in the lecture this girl would get when she woke up.

I gently maneuvered Emma to the couch and got the idiots surrounding her to back up to give her a little space.

*Emma POV* (aka the only pov you ever get to see)

I felt high.

There was really no other way to explain it.

My mind was floating above the rest of my mind thinking about god knows what.

But this wasn't a good feeling.

It was the kind of high that made you want to puke your guts out.

I hated this.

I vaguely felt myself being moved to a softer surface, perhaps the couch.

"Well, Emma," I thought, "this is your little pep talk. Time to get up, get a lecture, and then you get to watch some Grey's Anatomy."

Honestly, just the thought of seeing the icon that was Christina Yang was enough for me to wake up.

I blearily opened my eyes as my surroundings came into focus.

"H-hey guys?" My voice shocked me. I sounded timid. Scared.

Apparently, I wasn't hearing things because I could practically see the guilt wash over Marco's face.

Hmm, guess he's the one who punched me.

Oh well, I'm sure it was an accident.

"Uh, why do y'all look like someone just died?" This time my voice didn't waver, and I mentally cheered.

This helped my brother's moods because they launched into a cacophony of sorrys and explanations.

But the only person I was really looking at was Allessandro.

The hellish anger in his eyes was still there, but I could almost sense the concern ebbing out of him.

Now, I was no mind reader, but I had a knack for reading people's emotions, and right now, it was getting a bit overwhelming.

There was anger and concern in the air, but the one that hit me the most was sadness.

It was rolling off in horrible, breath-stopping waves from Marco.

I didn't understand why he was sad, but maybe he wanted some comfort?

I really hope I wasn't overstepping my boundaries.

I moved to get back up and was immediately shoved back down by Luca.

"Well, miss Ramirez," he said in a joking yet serious tone,

"Ramirez?" I questioned.

Allesandro coughed and Luca moved on, completely ignoring my question.

"you weren't thinking of getting up, now were you?

I opened my mouth to respond, but he just kept talking,

"Because it would be such a shame if you tried to get up and instead had to be on bed rest for the remainder of the day, all because you couldn't follow the doctor's orders, now wouldn't it?" He ended his monologue with a sinister smirk, and I could practically feel my blood pressure rise.

Dang, these people were scary.

"Uh, okay, I'll stay sitting," I said," but may I talk to Marco?"

Marco's head shot up from his lap when I said his name.

"Oh and alone, please, if you don't mind," I whispered this last bit out, hoping it wouldn't cause Marco, or anyone, to be mad.

Luca sent me a wink and ushered my brothers out of the room, all except Alessandro.

He refused to move, and when Luca tried to get him to, he just glared at him with a "touch me, and I'll bite your hand off" type of look and stayed glued on to the couch.

Whooo, you're only stuck in a room with your 2 most intimidating brothers. You got this, Emma!

"So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about?" Marco asked

"Can you come and sit here first?" I patted the spot next to me, indicating where he should sit.

As he sat, I could feel the sadness grow tenfold as he examined the slight bruising on my face.

"I'm so sorry, hermana," he whispered, "I never meant to hurt you."

His words triggered an unknown memory deep in my brain and sent me hurtling down sweet memory lane.

***

I stood at the door of our ratty old apartment in shock.

The house, for the first time in years, was not a mess.

I hesitantly sniffed the air and didn't smell the usual stench of alcohol and weed trying to be covered up by Airy Linen febreze.

Instead, I smelt peppermint and chocolate.

This was bizarre, to say the least.

I heard Gabriel's footsteps from the kitchen and decided to go see what he was doing home so early.

Just as I had suspected, there sat her.

Our neighbor with whom Gabriel was infatuated.

A scumbag fit for Gabriel.

Gabriel felt the need to impress her because around her, he would become a whole new person, a person I could actually like.

However, it didn't look like these two were in any happy conversation; instead, they looked like they were arguing.

"Can you atleast keep it down? Her screams wake me up every night!" the girl yelled at Gabriel.

Gabriel simply beckoned me over before hardly grabbing my face and rubbing some makeup off,

"See? I never meant to hurt her."

***

"Hey, it's okay," I calmly said, pretending as I didn't unlock a very hidden memory.

"However, I need to have a word with all y'all once they come back in."

Turning around quickly, I checked to make sure no one was hidden in this room.

I slowly pulled Marco into a hug with the coast clear, hoping he wouldn't try to pull away.

Unsurprisingly he tried to move away from me but gave up when he realized I was latched onto him.

"Hey, you know this isn't your fault, right?" I whispered in his ear.

Behind Marco sat Allessandro, whom I knew could hear everything that I was whispering, but I tried to be discreet for Marco's ego.

Marco stayed silent with this proclamation.

"And besides," I continued,

"you need to deflate your ego a bit. I didn't pass out because of you dummy; I passed out because I have like no iron in my body."

Marco pulled away at this statement and gave me a small smile, so quick it was barely there.

"Well, know that you're good, should we call in the rest?"

And with that, I was ready to give the best ass-kicking beatdown by words they have ever heard.