"W-what?" I choke on my words.

Matteo's face hardens. "We are getting married." He repeats.

"No." I say. "I am not marrying you. Not in a million years."

He furrows his brows, clearly unhappy with my answer. "I wasn't asking. I was stating."

"And I am stating that I will not marry you." I retort.

Standing from the bed, a strange dizziness suddenly overcomes me and I scrunch my face in an attempt to make it go away. "Fuck." I whisper as a headache penetrates my skull.

Matteo ignores my moment of weakness and continues to pace up and down the small room. His shoes click against the wooden panelled floor like a metronome. His hair seems to be styled with gel and slick back only to have loose strands falling over his forehead. He looks tired, exhausted even.

I wonder if anyone ever gets any sleep around here.

"This is for the best." He says, and I can't tell if he's trying to convince himself or me. "I am doing this for you, Mia."

"No you're not." I say sternly. "You're doing this because you are selfish. You are doing this to punish me for Dante's death."

Matteo flinches at my words and stops his pacing. His eyes turn up towards me and he just stares for a solid few seconds. He looks pained, tortured. Is he thinking about Dante?

If I were him, I don't think I'd be able to face me. I killed his best friend, and yet he somehow can look me in the eyes, and strike fear into me.

"Dante isn't dead."

"What?" I question, taking a shaky step towards Matteo. "What?"

Matteo looks away from me, and runs his hands through his hair, messing up that perfect hairstyle. "He's alive, in a coma."

"He's alive." I say. "Alive."

Before I know what I'm doing, I'm jumping at Matteo and throwing hands. He turns around in shock, and I slap him straight across the face. The sound is satisfying and echoes through the room. I then push him with all my strength into the wall and punch his chest.

"You." I say, followed by another punch. "You made me think I killed a man." I kick him in the shin, and to my surprise, he doesn't fight back.

"I thought I had killed him. I thought I had left him for dead!" I yell. Hot tears fall down my face. Tears of pure rage and relief. "You... You are a monster--A horrible person." My face twists into one of disgust and I back away from him, shaking my head.

"I thought I deserved to die. You made me think that I was just as bad as you... Why?" I ask. "Are you happy knowing you did that to me? Are you?"

There isn't a word to describe everything I'm feeling. I want to scream and kick something. I want to release everything that has been building within me for the past few weeks. For a month, I thought I was a murderer.

I'm not a killer.

I'm just the same girl I've always been.

I let out a painful laugh.

No I'm not. After everything, after all of the things I've experienced, I know I can never leave this life. I am in it now, and I think it's time for me to grow some balls.

I need to stop thinking someone is going to come and save me. Dad isn't coming, and I am alone.

The only person who is going to help me, is me.

"No." Matteo says. "No, I'm not."

I didn't expect that.

"Then why?" I ask. "Explain, please."

"Because I thought it would make me feel better!" He yells, and I instinctively take a step backwards. "You shot him, and I wanted to make you feel pain."

I don't know what to say. "I... Didn't shoot him." I say cautiously.

Matteo looks at me, his eyes squinted as if he's looking at the sun. He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't need to.

"You... You don't believe me." I breathe. "You think I was the one who did that to Dante? That's why you're forcing me to marry you as punishment..."

He doesn't say anything, only confirming my suspicions.

"Well, did it make you feel better? Knowing that I was hating myself?" I ask, my voice filled with a venom I don't think I've ever used before.

"It didn't." He says simply.

I scoff. "Get out."

***

Hours pass and I'm stuck sitting in my bed, not having even bothered trying to leave the room. Even if it is unlocked, I don't think I could look at Matteo without wanting to rip his face off.

Hunger pains have ripped at my stomach for the past hour and I'm tempted to look for food. But the stubborn part of me is reluctant.

My eyes flick up when I hear a soft knock.

That can't be Matteo.

He never bothers to knock.

"Come in?" I question, confused as to if I even get the luxury of denying people from entering my room.

Slipping through the crack of the door is a familiar figure, one much more petite than the last time I saw her. "Hello." Hailey's comforting voice chirps as he hesitantly walks further into my room.

The last time I saw Hailey was when she told me she would help me get out of this mess. Me being naïve, actually believed her. While I know she only had the best intentions at heart, I now realise that no one can help me. I can barely help me.

"Hi." I say back.

"I thought you might be hungry... You hadn't come downstairs for lunch so I made you a dish." She smiles and I look down to see the bowl in her hands. She comes closer towards me and holds it out.

"Thank you." I say as I take it from her.

"It's nothing too fancy, I thought you might just like something simple." I stare down at the bowl of Mac and cheese.

"Thanks."

Hailey's face dampens a bit, and she takes a seat at the end of the bed, giving me space. I bring the fork up to my lips and take a but of the warm cheesy goodness. "I'm not going to bother asking how you are." She states. "Is there anything you'd like to say? To get off your chest?"

I purse my lips as I chew and swallow the food.

Shrugging, I take another bite. Hailey bite's her lip as if thinking of something to say.

I feel bad that I'm shutting down her attempts at conversation, but I just don't know what to say. I'm back in my captors possession and he is forcing me to marry him. I'm in some sort of reverse fairy tale, how am I supposed to act?

"Do you miss anything?" She asks out of the blue. I look back at her, to see her face slightly red, as if she's embarrassed to ask. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer, I know it's not the best question, considering the situation. If you want, I can leave."

Hailey gets up from the bed, but I quickly stop her much to my confusion. "No. Stay, please. It's fine." I say. Hailey gives me a tight-lipped smile and sits back down. "I... I think I miss clubbing." I say sheepishly.

Hailey laughs, which makes me smile. "It sounds dumb, but I miss not having a care in the world, and when I went out clubbing with my friend Alice, we just got so pissed... And it was fun."

Oh gosh, just thinking about it is making me nostalgic. I want what I can no longer have.

"When I was your age, I went clubbing almost everyday." Hailey admits.

"How old are you now?" I ask.

"Twenty-three."

My eyes widen. Twenty-three? And she's married, with a kid? "I know what you're thinking." She says. "But, I'm happy, and I do the things which make me happy, so here I am."

I smile. I think that Hailey is beautiful in every way. It's almost strange to see her in this world. The juxtaposition between her and everything around her is surreal. Her soul is so...Beautiful.

"I want you and I to be friends." Hailey says.

I look back down at the bowl of food in my hands.

I should've suspected that Hailey was put up to this by Matteo.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Did Matteo tell you to become friends with me?" I ask. "Because you can tell him to shove it."

"No!" Hailey gasps. "Matteo hasn't said anything, I honestly want to be your friend Mia. And I know that you need a friend in this place. But don't worry, I'll still tell him to shove it." She chuckles.

"Oh." I smile, embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"I think It's time for you to stop being sorry, especially for yourself." Hailey says standing. She holds out her hand towards me. "Come. You need fresh air, and I think I know something that might cheer you up a bit." Haile encourages.

I don't know if I'm ready to stop feeling bad for myself. But I know I should. Otherwise I'll be stuck in this room for the next week dwelling on how bad my life is, and the marriage which Matteo has planned for us.

"Okay." I take her hand and she pulls me from the bed. I leave my half-eaten bowl of mac and cheese on the dresser and let her lead me out of the bedroom.

As soon as I step out of the door, I'm greeted by the brightness of midday. I hadn't realised just how dark it was due to the blinds cocooning me in a perpetual state of depression and darkness.

Hailey leads me down an unfamiliar corridor and into a small room fitted with a white crib lining the furthest wall, opposite a window looking out onto the city of New York.

Letting go of me, Hailey steps towards the crib and reaches down, picking up a bundle of blankets. She brings them over to me and it's then that I notice, coddled in those blankets is a very small baby.

"Oh my gosh," I whisper. "They're adorable."

"Her name is Mirabella." Hailey states.

Mirabella's eyes open and her face scrunches up, though as soon as she sees her mother above her, her face brightens and a beautiful, toothless smile spreads across her lips, followed by a rosy-red tinge appearing on her cheeks. "Would you like to hold her?" Hailey asks.

I nod my head eagerly as Hailey places her in my arms. My maternal instincts seem to kick in, and I instantly feel the need to protect this child with my life. How is something so innocent brought into a place like this?

If everyone is born innocent, how do they end up so evil?

Was Matteo born innocent?

"Aren't you just an adorable baby." I coo. Mirabella laughs, though it comes out more like a gurgle. Either way, it's the cutest thing I have ever seen. I didn't think anything could make me happy or smile, but the baby has proven otherwise.

I hope one day that I can have a child. I've almost wanted to make my own family, eventually settle down--I still hope that I can do that. Preferably not with Matteo. I have no idea what's going to happen if we get married, but I am absolutely positive that it won't be good.

"She likes you." Hailey smiles.

"You think?"

I make silly faces at Mirabella and gain the most heart melting smile ever.

"Thank you." I say, handing Mirabella back to her mother. "I really needed this, and she is the cutest thing I have ever seen."

"Babies cheer everyone up." Hailey grins. "She even makes Matteo smile." Hailey whispers.

I laugh along with her. I didn't pin him for the type to fawn over a baby. But I guess none of us are really as we seem.

"Hello ladies." A man's voice enters the bedroom and I spin around to see Alistair at the door frame.

I don't say anything, however Hailey goes up and gives him a kiss. "Already sick of working in the office?" She asks.

"You know how he is, always ambitious as ever." Alistair replies.

They look madly in love, and I have no doubt that they will be spending the rest of their lives together. Hailey really does look happy, and it makes a part of me happy knowing she is living a life she likes.

"The boss would like to see you." He says, turning his head towards me.

"He would like to see me?" I question.

"Yeah, I was surprised too." He breaths. "I'll take you to him."

"No, c'mon, we were just getting to know each other." Hailey groans as she leans into Alistair's chest.

"I'm sure you'll be able to talk later." He says, pulling away from his wife reluctantly before moving from the door, gesturing for me to leave.

Giving Hailey a warm smile, I follow Alistair through the maze of an apartment to another mysterious door which I suspect Matteo lies behind.

Opening the door, I say my thanks to Alistair, and enter hesitantly.

Matteo sits at a long desk opposite the door, looking over the beautiful New York city skyline. It looks like something out of a movie.

His eyes flick up to me and he quickly drops his pen after scribbling something into his notebook. "Mia." He says, his voice soft and gentle, a complete contrast to how he was hours ago.

I don't walk further into the room, and he seems to notice that, so he stands from his desk and comes towards me.

"What do you want?" I spit.

"Mia, there's something that I need to tell you..." Matteo says, a sombre expression plastered on his face.

A queasy feeling settles itself in the pit of my stomach. "What?" I ask warily.

"Your friend Alice... Is dead."

------------------------------------------------------