Page 100 of Arturo's Temptation
I could feel the tension between Arturo and Luca as I left, it was undeniable.
“You have no idea how wrong you are, Luca,” my mother scolded. “You are so far off base.”
“Am I? She doesn’t even remember Peyton. She barely even grieved for her. But I guess I’m supposed to accept that, right? Now that perfect little Isabella is going to take over from Papa, she’s got more “important shit” to worry about, is that it?” Luca’s tone sliced through me. It hurt deeper than I’d have thought.
“Luca, you know that isn’t true. Isabella has been nothing but there for you since the day Peyton left us all. For goodness sake, she stepped up for Theo when you were too broken to be a father!” The kitchen went silent as Luca digested my mother’s words. “And as for those more important things you so venomously referred to, she only took on this role that she didn’t want becauseyoucouldn’t handle being a leader and a parent. Then the one time in five years that she forgets you treat her like shit? I won’t stand for it. No son of mine will speak to his sister that way.” Shock filled my body from the staircase. My mother had never put Luca in his place the way she did just then. Luca had always been the golden boy of the family. Never getting in trouble. Always getting good grades and having an easy time in school. Life for him had just been… easy, until it hadn’t. Just as I was about to climb the steps my mother spoke again.“And Luca, remember this… you didn’t just lose your fiancée, your sister lost her best friend.”
“Peyton was the love of my life!” he screamed. My heart tore for him, but the lack of regret in his voice told me all I needed to hear.
“I apologise in advance, Ana, but I’ve heard enough of this shit.” Arturo started and I knew it wouldn’t end well. “Since I’ve been here I have only ever seen Bella care endlessly about her family, especially you and Theo, mate. So, when exactly will you be the one to look after her, eh? When will you realise she needs time to fuckin’ grieve just as much as you do?!”Wow…“And I don’t think for one second Bella has ever given herself the chance to grieve properly. Now if you’ll excuse me, Ana, I need to go and check on your daughter. Christ knows she could do with a friend right about now.”
“I wouldn’t, Arturo. My daughter doesn’t deal well when people try to help. She likes to be left alone.” I swiped stray tears from my face.
“What she wants and what she needs are two completely different things,” Arturo was firm and made his point clear. By that point, I couldn’t have stopped the tears from falling even if I’d wanted to.
I knew he was about to make his way towards where I sat on the stairs but I couldn’t move. I felt numb. Broken and betrayed. All those years I put Luca first, hiding my grief so he could lean on me for support finally came flooding in at a rapid speed.
“Bella?” Arturo whispered, I hadn’t even felt him approach me. “Come on, let’s go,” he scooped me into his arms, and carried me to my room, meeting my father on the way.
“Bells?! Are you okay?! What happened?!” My father’s words tumbled out of his mouth in a panic.
“Why don’t you go ask your son,” Arturo replied, holding me tighter against his chest.
“Arturo, you’re new to this family so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But today is a rough day for Luca?—”
“Doesn’t give him the right to speak his own sister like she’s shit on the bottom of his shoe. What he said was down right fucked up.” With that he barged into my room, leaving the door ajar as he popped me down on the bed.
“I will speak to your brother, Bells.” My father said from behind us. I knew what Arturo had said had left him rattled, but he never crossed the line, neither of them did. They both respected the boundaries while making their feelings known.Papa’s respect for him was intact. “Would you mind keeping an eye on her, please?”
“Always,” came Arturo’s reply. And with that, my father was gone.
“I’m here,hermosa, let it all out,” Arturo sighed, as he enveloped me in his embrace.
“I can’t, I don’t know how.” And it was true. I didn’t know how to grieve. I’d spent so long hiding it. It was all I knew.
“You don’t have to hide anythin’ with me. I’m here. I will always be here.” There was something soothing about his voice, like he knew my pain so intimately.
“Arturo I feel so lost.” I stared down at my floor and felt the tears pour down my face.
“That’s okay… Being lost is good. Go with it.” And for some reason those words brought me more comfort than I’d felt in years. I leant against his shoulder and howled as I remembered my friend. The late night sleepovers. Baking cookies for camping. The first time we had gotten bad haircuts. All of it. At one point I didn’t know where Peyton started and I ended. For a long time, she’d been everything to me.
Arturo held me in his steady arms, comforting me until the sun finally went down and there were no more tears to cry.
“Talk to me,” he breathed, his fingers toying with the ends of my hair. “I know pain, Bella, I’ve suffered enough to know you’re hurtin’.”
“Lucas’s fiancée, Peyton, was my best friend. We met at school when we were really little. She was there on a scholarship, and rather than her living in the school dorms she lived here with us.” I sighed, “Sh-she was everything to me… She felt more like a sister than a friend.”
“So, what happened?” I sighed as my junior year came spinning back into memory.
“I didn’t notice it at first, but then one day when we were in junior year, I saw it… The way Luca looked at her, it was… undeniable. And the way she looked at him,” I smiled, “it was no secret she was in love with him. From their very first date, they were inseparable. They were good about not making me feel like a third wheel. Honestly, I couldn’t have been happier for them, especially when they got engaged. And then they fell pregnant with Theo…” The smile that had been gradually growing on my face dimmed.
“Bella? You don’t need to tell me the rest if you don’t want to.” I shook my head. It felt good finally talking about her. And it was about time I relieved myself of that horrid day. With Arturo’s steadying embrace I took a breath.
“They said it was complications. Arturo, she didn’t even get to hold her son for one last time.” I sniffed loudly, my heart breaking. “She just slipped away while Theo slept in Luca’s arms. I felt her grip on my hand loosen and then the machine flat lined.” I hiccupped and started sobbing. “They tried to save her, but it was too late…” I just about choked the words out, there was nothing left to give, I was empty, broken and finally able to let myself lean into the pain.
“Bella? Have you spoken to anyone since Peyton died?” He asked, wiping my cheeks with his warm palms.
“How could I? I felt as though my feelings were nothing compared to Luca’s. She was the love of his life, the mother of his child, and she got ripped away from him. They didn’t even have the chance to start a life together, Arturo. So no, I shoved it all aside and focused on him and Theo. They needed me… They’d just lost so much.” Arturo stroked the back of my head and kissed my temple.
