"The only reason I am keeping my distance, is because I know I can't have you"

Arabella Karve "I'm scared" I mumble exasperated while throwing my head back. I defeatedly drop my hand that is holding the kitchen scissors.

"Then don't fucking do it" Eros grumbles. I look at him through my bathroom mirror and watch as he rolls his cold eyes. Whore.

"No I am going to do it" I say unconfidently while taking a deep breath and lifting the untrustworthy scissors again.

Eros irritatingly exhales loudly while glaring at me, "get out! You weren't invited to this!" I say loudly while turning around to look at him from my spot on the bathroom counter.

"I am supposed to be fucking watching you" He says angrily, "and since someone seems to always be trying to kill you, your father is upgrading security"

Fuck me in the ass.

"Just let them" I mumble sarcastically while turning back around and grabbing the front pieces of my hair.

"I don't have the fucking mental capacity to do this" Eros mutters while pushing off of the wall and beginning to walk towards the door.

"Hey! I need mental support" I whine while contorting my face into a pout.

"Go find it somewhere else" Eros says while pulling open the door and swiftly exiting the bathroom.

"Fuck you too" I say under my breath while narrowing my eyes.

I take one last deep breath, and before I can go back, I swiftly chop the front pieces of my hair into sloppy curtain bangs.

A wide smile breaks out across my flushed face as I slowly turn my head in both directions and take in the change.

Ha. Suck it Eros. ********************** "Stop slouching" My mother grits out while glaring up at me. She pauses cutting her toast and stares at me in repulsion.

"Stop being a bitch" I grumble while looking back down at my new book. I decided last minute to bring it to breakfast with my parents, in hopes to avoid socializing.

"Put the fucking book down and speak to your mother" My father says sternly from across the grand table.

I slowly look to the side of my wretched father, towards where Eros is carelessly lounging in a chair. His legs are spread as both of his muscular arms are braced against the armrests. Oh.

Eros stares at me with a look saying, don't fucking do it. He slyly shakes his head in warning as a daring look dances in my eyes.

Listen to Eros.

I harshly bite the inside of my cheek, trying to make sure I wouldn't say anything I would regret, while reluctantly closing the book.

I gently set it to the side of my plate and look back up at my father, "happy?"

"I would be fucking happy if you could act like a lady for once" He responds angrily.

I smoothly pick up my toast piece and take a bite, completely ignoring his words. The sweet flavors immediately greet my tongue and I try to not sigh at the wonderful taste.

"What the hell happened to your hair?" My mothers says in disgust as she stares at my long curtain bangs.

As much as I don't care what my parents say, and try to not let anything get to me, it still hurts.

"I cut them this morning" I say with a condescending smile while taking my napkin and daintily dabbing the corner of my mouth.

"You look repulsive." My mother says with a proud smirk. Ouch.

"But mom, don't we look just alike?" I say with a confused expression, an underlying tone of sarcasm and arrogance ringing in my voice.

My mother clenches her fork tightly while clenching her eyes shut.

"I apologize did I hit a nerve?" I mock her.

"You look nothing alike me" she says slowly, still not opening her eyes.

"What are you talking about it's like a spitting image?" I say slowly with a proud smile, realizing how much I am hurting her.

She hates me so much, it makes her physically hurt when she thinks we look alike.

"Get out" She whispers under her breath. I quickly stand up and hastily grab my book.

Don't have to tell me twice.

Before I can cause any more problems I quickly speed walk out of the cold room where my insufferable parents dine.

I exit the grand hall and listen to the heavy door slam behind me. The door immediately reopens but I don't bother to turn around, as I feel unwanted emotions brewing.

I continue walking towards my bedroom, but stop as I hear the deep Italian accent ring out across the foyer, "Bella."

I pause and look over my shoulder only to see Eros determinedly waking towards me. He stops just a short distance in front of me and looks down at me with enchanting eyes, "Sei fottutamente stupendo."

"Eros i am not in the mood for your fucking insults right now" I look up at him with glossy eyes. He is like salt in the fucking wound.

"God Bella" he grumbles while tilting his head back and clenching his eyes shut. After a moment he slowly looks back down at me, "They fit you" He deeply mumbles while clenching his jaw. He looks away from me almost acting as if he can't handle looking at me.

That was actually nice.

I smile softly at his words, "I just don't know what I did to make my parents hate me so much."

My quiet voice slightly wavers as I admit the daunting question that haunts me everyday.

"perché sono dei fottuti idioti"

"English Eros" I take in a deep breath while trying to not let myself break down infront if the man who hates every bone in my body.

"Your dramatic, they don't hate you."

I inhale softly in surprise as Eros gently reaches out and grabs the end of one of my long brown locks. He carefully twirls the end piece of my hair in between his scarred fingers while staring deeply into my eyes.

"Then you should see how they treat me when you are not around" I say breathlessly, overwhelmed by Eros's proximity.

"What does that mean Bella?" Eros darkly says while tightening his jaw and furrowing his dark eyebrows.

"Nothing" I suddenly say while stepping out of his reach, feeling like I was snapped out of a trance. Eros slowly looks down at his hand that was just touching my hair, after a moment his eyes snap back up and glare darkly at me.

"I said what they fuck does that mean?" He repeats threateningly again, sending soft chills down my spine.

"I said nothing" Eros slowly shakes his head, "Don't fucking speak if you have nothing to say."

Fucking Asshole.

"I can speak whenever I want to fucking speak."

"Goddamnit Bella" He says while running one of his hands roughly through his dark head of hair.

"You really know how to always piss me off don't you" I bite out of while harshly turning away from him and beginning to stomp away.

Before I can make it too far away from him, I feel his warm hand wrap around my wrist and pull my back so close I almost hit the solid wall of muscle he has as a chest.

Eros's strong hand wraps around my chin as he tiles my jaw up to look at into his dead eyes. His thumb lightly runs across my bottom lip causing my breath to hitch, "don't you dare walk away from me."

"I'll do what I want" I whisper while swallowing nervously.

"Lo so" *********************** "Tara!" I scream in heartbreak as she falls to floor. Crimson blood slowly begins to seep out from under her, and run steadily beneath my bare feet.

Her big beautiful blue eyes stare lifelessly up at me as one single tear streams out of one.

I shake my head in disbelief as tears stream down my face and fall into the blood upon the stone walkway of my best friend.

I look up towards where the murderous shot rang from, hoping that this is possibility another one of my neurotic hallucinations.

I don't see anything right away until I look towards the bushes where he stands, staring straight at me, with a bloodied smile plastered on his psychotic face.

I feel bile rise in my throat as the whole world feels like it comes crashing down on me.

"Run" I look down and see Tara's pale lips say one last word.

Run.

I don't take any moments longer before I turn around and bolt faster then I ever have.

My body shakes, and my head pounds, making my mind not work right as I run straight out of the bloodied garden and to the dark woods.

Another gunshot rings out and I throw myself to the floor in fear, but I immediately scramble back up to my feet.

I wince as I feel the wound on my waist sting in agony from the cut that I received only a couple weeks ago.

I feel my face sting painfully as I run through bushes and sharp branches.

Don't stop Arabella. Don't stop. If you stop your dead.

I run throughout the quiet forest accompanied by nothing but my breathing and the sound of heavy footsteps chasing after me.

Dizziness takes over my head as I sway mindlessly and adrenaline pumps sickeningly through my body.

He's going to kill me. I am going to die at 18 years old because I am an heir to something I don't even want.

Suddenly I feel my bare foot get caught on a root coming out from under the ground. I hit the forest floor forcefully and yelp in pain. I cry as I can't hear anything past the ringing in my ears.

I can't get up.

A cold hand wraps around my forearm and in one swift move flips me onto my back. The air immediately gets knocked out of me and I feel unconscious try to lure me in. An unexpected weight unexpectedly presses on my stomach and I realize that he is on top of me, holding me down. My arms are pinned down and my legs are to weak to move.

I scream loudly but all I hear is Dominik's sadistic laugh ring out.

"Shhh, behave my rose, I wouldn't want to have to go kill another one of your loved one" His laugh pierces my ears.

"It was quite unfortunate what happened to your friend, she was always so good to you, but then again always in the way" A sob breaks from my throat as Dominik reaches to his belt and pulls out a sharp knife that gleams in the haunting moonlight.

He always uses that one knife. I feel the wound on my waist sting again in vigorous memory of the last time he used that knife.

"How does it feel to know you killed her?" Dominik presses the knife to the side of my pale jaw, "naughty, naughty, I guess our chase has finally come to an end my rose," he slices the knife into my jaw and begins to slowly drag it downwards.

An ear-splitting scream rings out and it takes me a moment before I realize the scream sounded from me. Warm blood streams out of the deep wound as he continues to drag the knife down my neck.

"Stop, please!" I scream and sob, "I didn't do anything!"

"Oh I know but your the ticket my rose, and just so much fun" He laughs with insanity dancing in his lost green eyes.

The knife reaches my collar bone, but before it can reach any farther, I feel a sharp rock sitting within my reach.

I grasp it tightly in my sliced hand, and as Dominik thrillingly focuses on the knife I smash the rock into the back of his head.

"Fuck!" He falls off of me as I continue pushing the rock that broke skin, farther into the back of his head.

His platinum blond hair immediately begins to stain a dark crimson color. I let go of the jagged rock and shakily stand back up, watching as he flails on the ground.

Blood soaks his pristine suit along with the twigs beneath him.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" He screams in agony. He slowly fades completely out of consciousness and I take a step back in shock. I carefully place my bloodied, shaky hand upon my cracked mouth.

The familiar wet liquid presses against my mouth but I can't even bring myself to worry about it.

I just killed a human being.

I just killed the heir to the Russian mafia.

"No!" I scream as I sit back up, and my body racks in sobs. I feel My throat slowly close as I shakily crawl out of my bed.

The disoriented world spins around me as I sway and try to be in the present rather then back in the night my best friend was killed, and I killed a man. Or so I thought.

I violently wipe my trembling hand against my mouth and look down at it, expecting to see his blood upon it.

I begin to hyperventilate as I run my hands continuously through my hair trying to find a way to soothe myself.

Every night. And I am still not used to it. I still can't handle the fear and memories.

After thirty minutes of breathing techniques, I am finally able to stand up and breathe normally.

I look around my room in fear as I press my back against the wall and continue to softly cry.

How does it feel to know you killed her?

The vivid memory replays over and over again in my head every time I shut my eyes.

I don't want to be alone right now.

I grab my sweatshirt from off of my floor and swiftly pull it over my head.

I quickly leave my cold, dark room and make it down towards the kitchen stairs.

I take a deep, shaky breath as I knock upon the daunting door.

After a few seconds of silence, I hear an irritated sigh and heavy footsteps sound from the other side of the door.

The door is harshly pulled open and I look up to see Eros glaring down at me. I study how his eyes slightly soften when he takes in my puffy and red face, but he immediately contorts it back to his usual cold expression.

"What do you want?" Is the first thing he says in a tired, deep voice. He smoothly runs a hand through his messy hair that shows he was just asleep.

"I-", I begin to speak, not knowing what to say, "I just am bored and don't want to be alone right now."

I cross my arms and look down at the floor, embarrassed that he is the one place I could go.

But to my surprise, Eros doesn't say anything and without hesitation steps back from the door so that I can enter.

I swiftly walk into the clean room and immediately feel like a weight was lifted off of my chest from being in someone else's presence.

I carefully sit down on Eros's bed and look up at him and watch as he sits down in the wooden chair next to his desk.

An awkward silence hangs in the air as I pick at my nails and replay the memories over and over again in my head.

How does it feel to know you killed her?

"Are you okay?" Eros suddenly says, pulling me out of my haunting trance. I snap my head up towards him in surprise, "I am fine."

"I asked if you are okay Bella, Non mentirmi"

"Just a rough night"

"Does this have to do with your parents?" Eros asks with anger dripping in his words.

"No, I am just having trouble sleeping" I whisper.

He nods his head in understanding while continuing to analyze my face, "lay down."

"Eros I can't sleep and I don't want to try"

"Bella, lay down." His voice rings with dominance as he glares at me unamused. I sigh annoyed, as I give into him and slowly lay down upon his cold bed. The soft scent of his addicting cologne wafts from the bed as I place my head on his pillow.

"Close your eyes and tell me about your favorite book" He says coldly while gazing upon me.

I yawn exhausted from the night as I reluctantly close my eyes. "Romeo and Juliet" I answer tiredly while snuggling into his blankets.

"I know that, why?"

"I guess the way it describes the hate in their life but their love is the light of it all" I start to mumble.

"Mhm"

"it makes me believe-" I pause, "it makes me believe that there is something actually good in this world."

I yawn one last time before finally fading into the comforting darkness. ********************** SORRY ITS BEEN SO LONG!<3 I promise to update again soon, finals kind of bit me in the ass😍 PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE<33 Word count:2868❤️❤️❤️