[Young master's Bedroom]
Author's POV:
Carl came back to Vin's room and found Erin already sleeping. He wanted to tell her about what he discussed with her friends.
She was sleeping on the bed in a half laying, half sitting position. Carl sat on his one knee in front of her, taking a good look at her face. Her eyes were a little puffy from all the crying she did because of his crazy sleeping cousin.
After some time he stood up and went to the other side of the room. He sat on the leather couch and opened the book that he brought from Enzo's office. He was reading while glancing at Erin and Vin from time to time.
He can't help but smile. They both slept like kids. Both crazy and stubborn in their own way.
He was busy reading but after an hour or so he felt his eyes getting heavy. He just closed them for a minute.
And fell asleep.
.
.
In the middle of the night, he felt someone getting closer to him slowly and silently. He acts faster using his sharp instincts and grabs the wrist of the other person tightly.
"Shhh Valenti, it's me."
Carl heard a soft voice then opened his eyes and a familiar face appeared in front of his face.
"Relax, it's just me." Erin said while covering him up with a thin blanket.
"Relax. And here!" He murmured in a raspy voice.
"Well... I am here." Hearing this Carl smiled and closed his eyes again.
She just patted his shoulder before going back to Vin's side, who was still sleeping because of medicines.
.
A light knock came at the door. She looked at the time 3 a.m.
She opened the door without making any noise and smiled at Enzo and Laure.
He was wearing his silk pajama and long gown, while she was wearing her baggy shorts and a loose t-shirt.
"Is he alive?" She whispered loudly.
Both Enzo and Erin gave her a look. She just grinned at them. Enzo shook his head lightly before entering the room.
He was held back a little when he saw Carl sleeping on Vin's favorite couch. He raised a surprised brow at Erin who just smiled widely and shrugged a little.
He sat on Vin's side and placed his hand on his brother's forehead to check his temperature. He then held up Vin's dressed hand, brushed his fingers a little then put it lightly on his chest. He looked up at the IV bottle, only a little bit of liquid remained.
He then looked at Carl who was still sleeping, his feet half dangling in the air. His psycho cousin looked so tired. He almost felt pity for him but then he glanced at the book lying on the table. He tilted his head a little. Then his eyes widened.
Bloody hell! Carl stole his freaking book from his office!
It was the same book that he used to write poetry in... How did he find the book? When did he get it? But most importantly why did he take that specific book?
He wanted to go and grabbed his collar then jerked him back and forth.
It was his secret diary that he hid behind the other books on the shelf so that no one could find or read this. Not even his brothers knew about this.
He wanted to go and get the book back at once. But he didn't want Laure to snatch that out of his hands.
Damn you, Carl!
Suddenly he felt an abrupt motion on the bed. It was Laure. She jumped on the other side of the bed. With a loud thud! She was lying next to Vin while watching his face intently. Enzo narrowed his eyes at her then he realized.
She was staring at the red handprint that she left on Vin's handsome face and started laughing hysterically without making any noises.
She looked like a cartoon character, laughing and slapping her own leg. Enzo was too embarrassed to look at her. He glanced at Erin who seems to have the same facial expression as him.
"Gawd, I wanted to do that for a long loooong time." She was out of breath after laughing like an idiot.
A few minutes later, Enzo took her out, almost pushing her from behind.
"Hehehe hey, Zozo, did you see my work of art?" She asked while showing almost all of her teeth, when they reached the door.
"Shut up Lau." He chuckled while watching the comic figure jumping and laughing in front of him. Erin too was smiling at them.
She closed the door, and almost five minutes later a light knock came at the door.
When she opened the door Enzo was there. He hurriedly instructs her to hide the book that Carl was reading, somewhere in the room without any one knowing, not even Carl. She just nodded without asking any questions.
He walks away gracefully but as soon as she closes the door he runs like crazy cause he doesn't want his intended to come back searching for him.
.
Hearing a rhythmic knock on the door, Erin looks up the time, 4 a.m.
"Why does everybody keep knocking? It's not that the door is locked or something…" She was blabbering to herself before opening the door.
Leà and Nero were standing in the hallway. She looked at them, both were holding trays. Leà was holding up a tray to her, she can tell without looking - what's in the bowl - just by smelling.
Noodles!
Her eyes were sparkling at the bowl, then she turned to look at sleeping Carl. She smiled at Leà widely before taking the tray.
Nero peeked through the half open door at Carl then raised an eyebrow at her curiously. Erin just nervously smiled back and watched the tray he was holding. Milk and cookies?
"That's for him." She pointed at Carl with her forefinger.
"Thanks!"
"Both of you didn't eat anything at dinner time. So Nero suggested..." She was telling.
"Leà did everything. I just came to help her with this..." Nero glanced at the tray in his hands.
"Yeah but you told me that doctor Erin loves noodles and that your cousin Carl didn't like this at all. Because there's chemicals in the taste maker which are very unhealthy." She spilled the tea but looked quite confused.
Erin just smiled showing her shiny teeth. "Why don't you two come inside."
Leà was about to go in when Nero's voice halted her. "Nope we're just leaving." He looked quite bored. Well that's his usual expression.
"Come on Nero. You said you wanted to check on Brother Vin. You even said you wanted to take the IV bottle before he woke up. Because after seeing a needle attached to his hand he would freak out. And you also said that..." She was mumbling nonstop.
"Fine we're going in. Stop repeating everything I said." He entered while complaining.
Leà was grinning looking happy with what she accomplished, she even winked at Erin sharing a secret look.
Erin smiled back and praised her by showing a thumb's up.
Nero glanced at Carl and put down the tray on the table. Erin was busy eating her noodles while sitting on the floor. Gawd, she was starving. Leà sat on the foot side of the bed looking at Vin.
Nero came around and sat on one knee on the floor, looking charming as ever. He pulled out the needle from his brother's hand and placed the bandage on it. Then he took the IV bottle and rolled the thin tube around it. After that he half threw, half placed it near the door.
Erin was watching his movements from time to time. Leà touched Vin's hand out of curiosity. Maybe it didn't hurt because Vin didn't show any reaction.
Nero lay down on the side of his brother without taking off his shoes. And started playing with his cell phone while Leà kept talking to Erin in a low voice. She was telling her about the games that she played with Nero all night. She also complains about how she's bad at games and how he beat her up in the game without any mercy. She even bragged about how she lost all the rounds to him. Erin kept listening to her chattering while holding back her laughter.
After she was done eating, Erin stood up at once, taking the tray from her hand and signaling Leà to leave.
Erin was quite surprised by the way he acted. He was waiting for her to finish eating the whole time?
He was holding a tray in his right hand and the IV bottle in his left, Leà opened the door for him and then they were gone.
Erin was feeling happy now after eating. She sat near Vin and waited for a few seconds.
One
Two
Three
Sigh!
"Are you not going to say anything?" She asked in a low but clear voice.
Carl sat up and rubbed his face a little before looking at her.
"..."
"Yeah I knew you were awake." She smiles and brushes Vin's front hair with her fingers, Carl stares at her affectionate act towards his first cousin but doesn't comment.
"How can I not! That little Parrot talks a lot. As if that was not enough... The whole room smells of noodles." She chuckled lightly at his silly complaints "You know you would ruin your health eating all those chemicals." Carl looked quite concerned over a bowl of noodles.
"That's nonsense." She rolled up his eyes. "By the way, that's for you." She pointed at the tray on the table.
"Milk and cookies?" He raised an eyebrow in question.
"What did you expect at this hour? Mushroom soup or steak! Anyway, that's from Nero and Leà? Bon appetit." She faked a smile.
Carl just shook his head but took a cookie to eat anyway.
"Er.. Erin!" A raspy voice came from her side.
"Young master? You're awake!" She looked happy. "How are you feeling? Should I call the doctor?" She was asking but the second question was for Carl.
"Relax! He'll be fine." He walked casually while carrying the glass of milk. He stopped near Vin's side and took a sip from the glass.
"Erin is... mine." Vin murmur. Carl almost pour the whole glass of milk at his face.
"..."
"See! I told you he's fine. Annoying as ever." He said under his cold but calm breath.
"Vin, how are you feeling?" She asked, ignoring what Carl just said.
"I won't. let... you go." Vin said in a little voice but both of them catch every single word.
She smiled a little while Carl tightened his grip over the glass.
"I will keep..." Vin started and Carl looked so done with his cousin that he was about to throw a pillow at him "Carl as well " Vin muttered in sleep.
Pillow stops in mid air.
"!" Carl was thunderstruck.
"..."
Both were looking at each other dumbfounded.
"He's psycho..." Vin's voice breaks the silence. Carl glared at him. "...but he's cool like... devil. I like... Cooool~" Even in his sleep-talk Vin was crazy but strangely sound amused.
Carl furrowed his brows too hard, should he take that as a compliment? He was staring at his crazy cousin. Is he for real?
A few minutes went by silently, Carl didn't say anything, Erin remained silent, not even Vin murmured anything in sleep.
Ten minutes later, she was looking quite bored while waiting for Vin to wake up. Carl walked around the room then he came near her and pulled out the book from under the mattress where she hid it earlier.
She looked up at the ceiling, took a deep breath first then looked at him who winked at her in reply.
Of course, he was not sleeping. Obviously he knew about Enzo and Laure's visit. He even knew where she hid the book. Bloody hell!
She was looking at the book with curiosity. What is so special about the book anyway? It looks old and not that expensive.
She curiously looked at the cover where the name of its original owner was written in bold letters "LORENZO" so she didn't even try to look at what's inside. How can she? The book belongs to Master Enzo, the capo of the Mafia clan.
Carl sat beside Vin on the bed, looking relaxed and comfortable, then opened the book and started reading from where he left off before sleeping.
She too lies down between them. Just in case.
"I got... a smile...in the end." Vin murmured in his sleep a corner of his lip was up as if he was smiling.
She raised a little up on her elbow to look at Vin's face, Carl also raised his eyes from the page he was reading. Both were curious what Vin would say next.
After a long minute, they finally gave up. She lay down while Karl continued his reading.
"I earned... that smile." Vin murmured softly.
Carl raised his brows smiling, a sign that he is curious and amused at the same time.
"... looked me in the eye...and fought back."
"Is he..?" Carl started, looking at Erin.
"Shhhh.." She places her hand on his mouth and leans over Vin. "Who?"
Pin drop silence…
.
.
And then a light whisper.
.
"Amy."
****