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“I can’t,” I replied. “I’m still working through what happened earlier.”
Alessandro nodded as I paced the floor. On the bed, Nix shivered in his sleep, and I walked over to fix the blankets around him. “I’m worried about him,” I whispered.
“Me too. What do you usually do when you want to turn off your mind?” he asked.
“Watch the news,” I answered with a shrug before stepping back and continuing my pacing. It was impossible to stand still.
Alessandro squinted before grabbing the remote to the TV off the nightstand and tossing it to me. “I’ve never seen you watch the news.”
“It helps me fall asleep,” I murmured before turning on the aged TV and lowering the volume so as not to bother Nix. “It was something my mother taught me. Helps provide some perspective, you know? Someone always has it worse than you.”
“It’s kind of depressing,” Alessandro whispered.
“Not as depressing as seeing the man you love with your best friend,” I snapped back.
Alessandro grimaced. “It sucks, huh?” At least he wasn’t denying it.
I started flipping through channels until I found the news. I felt myself immediately relax as the weatherman talked about the heat index. It reminded me of my childhood, sitting on the mattress on my floor and rocking back and forth while my mother was with some guy outside my door. The news used to drown out her screams and his grunts. I used to fall asleep to reports of stabbings and gun violence.
“It sucks,” I agreed. “But I’m surprisingly happy for you. I guess I love you as much as I hate sharing.” It was true. Ididlove Alessandro more than I hated this nasty feeling in my chest. Jealousy was like a virus taking over my body, and love was the cure.
“It’s all about balance, I suppose,” Alessandro replied. I moved to sit on the edge of the bed, my eyes fixed on the television. “I love you as much as I hate sharing, too.”
“Think we'll ever get used to it?” I asked.
“We have to survive the Ringleaders, first,” he replied.
The anchorwoman appeared on the screen, and I leaned in closer, my mind hungry for someone else’s bad fortune so I could cope with my own trauma. It wasn’t healthy. It wasn’t normal to compare pain to deal with your own.
“We’re coming to you with breaking news,” she said while adjusting the papers on her desk. “It appears a private plane has crashed off the coast of Sydney. The chartered flight was coming here from the United States. We have just received confirmation of who was on the flight.”
I shivered. Flying was the worst. I seriously wanted to avoid it at all costs for the near future. That was another reason I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the flames of Gavriel’s plane burning through the air.
“Billionaire Gavriel Moretti and his wife, Sunshine, were confirmed to be on the flight,” the news anchor continued, as if it was a normal thing to say. My mind was sluggish to process her statement. No.
My heart fucking stopped. No. Certainly she didn't…
“What?” Alessandro croaked. “Turn it up.”
My trembling hands couldn’t grip the remote. I slipped off the mattress and fell to my knees while watching a photo of Sunshine and Gavriel appear on the screen. They were holding hands and walking into Gavriel’s apartment building, both wearing sunglasses and a secret smile. “A search and rescue team is currently scanning the area, but officials are not anticipating any survivors.” The screen transitioned to Callum, then Blaise, then Ryker. “Celebrity MMA fighter Ryker Hill was reportedly on the flight, as well as Blaise Bennett and Callum Mercer.”
“No,” I sobbed. “No. They’re wrong.”
“Flight logs have been released, and authorities are trying to get in contact with family members now. Gavriel Moretti has been on an international watch list for the last eight years. His father was a well-known criminal and is currently serving a life sentence in prison. We don’t know the details of the crash, but we do know that it caught on fire in the air.”
It caught fire in the air…
The Ringleaders send their highest regards…
“Turn it off,” Nix’s voice roared. I couldn’t see through the tears streaming down my face. Sunshine. Gavriel. Callum. Blaise. Ryker. They were all gone.
The baby.
The Ringleaders send their highest regards…
“Turn it off!” Nix screamed. His booming voice echoed around me as I clutched my ears and curled in on myself. A booming crash sent glass shattering around me. He’d thrown a lamp at the screen.
The Ringleaders send their highest regards…
