CHAPTER 30 - FLASHES

Alina POV:

Its time for me to go home, doctor Monroe has given me the clear, he said my memory loss is not permanent and is up to me whether I really want to remember or simply forget. I in all honesty have had one or two flashes, of that night but there's a whole three months missing. It's so brief though, I see someone above me, he looks like Romeo, but doesn't, now I know it's not Romeo, and it was his cousin Angel, but the similarities are there, and it's strange because I know Romeo won't ever hurt me, oh hell my brain is all jumbled up. I'm guessing we were intimate Romeo and I, but will he want me after Angel tried to violate me?

Doctor Monroe gave me a name of a very good psychiatrist to work with. I probably do need therapy, more so I want to remember Romeo, and the good things not the bad I'm associating with him. I know he doesn't deserve that. The door opens and Mari is standing there with a small smile "Ready to go home?" She asks trying to make light of the far away look I have.

She walks in and gives me a hug. "Where's home Mari? With you or Romeo?" I ask sadly.

"Well I have moved in with Leo, and we don't have the apartment anymore, we have a spare room, if you want it?" She answers with sadness, and I realise she's actually with Leo now.

"I guess that answers my question. Home is with Romeo. God Mari I don't know what to do, I don't remember a lot, and I appreciate it, I guess I need to have a talk with Romeo and see what he wants," I answer with a sigh.

"Do what's comfortable for you right now, it's all you can do, neither of you deserve being only halfway there right now. Try and stay with him for a night or two, and if you don't feel it's right, right now then come stay with Leo and me, he wouldn't mind it at all and Romeo knows Leo would take care of you," Mari says sweetly and I hug her tighter.

"Thank you, I will keep it in mind," I answer sniffing, we hear a knock at the door and standing in all his glory is Romeo De Luca, looking as flawless as always, but if I look closely he looks just plain tired.

"Bella? Do you need any help, or are you ready?" Romeo asks, not coming close to me, but holding his hand out, which I take reluctantly, my heart beating faster, I get to the front desk and sign the release forms. "Your family will be over tonight along with mine to celebrate you coming home, is that alright? Just a small dinner," Romeo asks sounding hesitant.

"I guess that's fine, I could handle a dinner, can Mari, Leo, Dario and Luc come? With their partners I guess?" I ask hopefully, I feel the need to be around all of them, they have all been amazing.

"That's fine Lina, I will let them all know. It gives us a chance to finally meet Blake and whomever the girl is that stole Dario's heart, we don't even have a name yet," Romeo says chuckling, but I can hear its strained.

"Who's Blake?" I ask not knowing the name.

"Luc's boyfriend or guy he's seeing, don't really know what they are yet," he answers truthfully.

"Luc is gay? That explains a lot," I blurt out, and Romeo laughs a bit. We finally reach the underground parking and we get into the SUV. I'm nervous and I think it's showing, I'm balling my fists so hard it's hurting.

"Alina, what's wrong?" Romeo asks.

"I don't know how it's going to feel being back in the house, I had a few flashbacks, just of that night, nothing else yet," I answer truthfully.

"Well then I have a surprise for you, I hope you like it," Romeo says cryptically and my heart beats just a little faster. He doesn't say anything else. About twenty minutes later and a very awkward silence we pull up to a different house.

"Romeo, whose house is this?" I ask as we drive into the fortress, but it's absolutely beautiful.

"It's our new house. I figured you would want a fresh start, nothing with bad memories attached to it. I hope you like it, I had people put together something with both our tastes, so you would feel at home," Romeo says sounding extremely nervous.

"Thank you for thinking of me in that way," I answer in awe, he gave up his house to buy us a home. We walk in and it's beautiful, modern yet it has a Mediterranean twist, which I love, it reminds of a villa. Its all decorated in dark browns, creams and black. "I love it," I say with a small smile, and Romeo nods in acknowledgement.

He leads me to the master bedroom, it's nothing like the old one which feels so much better already. It has a large ceiling to floor window with a sliding door that leads to the balcony, it takes up the whole one wall with cream drapes, it's overlooking the garden and pool area.

The bed is in the middle with the TV mounted across and a vanity for myself with a large stand alone full length mirror. There's two large walk in closets, one for Romeo and one for myself, all filled up already. I see the bathroom, done in cream and black, a large sunken tub, massive shower taking up a wall and his and hers basins. "It's all so beautiful, thank you," I say in all fairness.

"I will be staying just next to this room a bit down the hall, first door on the left," Romeo says shocking me.

"You don't have too, I mean I should be, I don't know, or we could just stay here together," I stutter.

"You will need your space Lina, I understand that, you can't remember the last three months. I can't just get into bed next to you and expect everything to go back to normal," Romeo says with a small smile. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I guess he's right. "I will let you rest, and you can call me of you need anything, I will be in the house, most likely in my study, you have one too right next to mine, all your things are in there. We have a new housekeeper Clara, she will bring you food and anything else you need, she worked in Italy for my parents, so you can trust her," Romeo finishes.

"Ok, thank you. I think I would like a shower and to get some sleep, will you let me know when to get ready for dinner?" I ask, and Romeo nods.

He leaves and I'm left alone in this massive room, I go get some clothes out heading into Romeo's closer I pull out a grey CK hoodie and some tights from my closet with socks. I lay it on the bed and have a shower, it's heavenly, as I'm enjoying the shower I start having more flashbacks of that night. I see him, I'm fighting him, he hits me, I feel my nose break, he throws my head and reaches for my robe and it ends. "Oh God," I slide down in the shower and start crying hysterically.

"Alina?" Romeo calls but I can't answer. I see him through my tears and he climbs in the shower with his suit on, not caring at all, he turns the shower off and he tries to pick me up but I push him away, fighting him the more he tries. "Come on baby, I'm not going to hurt you, it's going to be okay," I cry harder and eventually I find myself on the bed wrapped in an enormous towel. Romeo holds me soaked to his skin, until I calm down. He dries me softly as if he's scared to touch me, I must disgust him. He dries my hair lightly and slips on a t-shirt, the grey hoodie, my underwear and tights, and finally my socks. He puts my hair up in a clip and picks me up and pulls the covers back.

Romeo hands me some pills and water and I manage to swallow. "I'm cancelling the dinner tonight, we can do it when you feel better alright bella?" Romeo says more as a statement than a question, I nod unable to speak. He moves to go out the room but I stop him.

"Please don't leave me," I whisper.

"I won't leave you, I'm just going to put on some dry clothes and I will be right here, Clara can get my laptop," Romeo says and I nod. Romeo leaves the closet door open and brings out a t-shirt and grey sweatpants, socks and boxers. He starts stripping right there, and for the first time ever I don't know if I should look or look away, he's obviously not thinking, and it's natural, he's about to remove his wet boxers and he pauses. "Oh, I'm sorry Lina, I will change in the bathroom, I wasn't thinking," before I can protest and tell him it's ok he walks off to change and comes back in a black tee and sweats with black socks.

He calls down to Clara and asks her to bring his laptop and late lunch to the bedroom. She knocks and makes her way in remarkably with everything in her arms, Romeo takes the laptop and she puts the food on a small coffee table by the couch. She nods and leaves. "Hungry?" Romeo asks and I nod. He brings the food to me in bed, Mac and cheese with a cup of tea for me and Romeo has a bottle of water. He sits next to me careful not to touch me, and switches on the TV and finds the Notebook and puts that on for me while he eats and works. I manage to eat with my one hand, and Romeo is typing away. Eventually we finish and he takes the dishes out into the hall and calls for Clara to come get it and hands me my pills and I gladly take them. I open the bed so Romeo can slide in next to me.

"Romeo, please stay don't leave," I say slightly panicked to be alone if he leaves while I'm asleep.

"I will be here when you wake up, don't worry baby," Romeo says. I fall into a restless sleep.

I'm in the old house, "Romeo where are you?" I call out and get no answer. I walk up stairs and take a bath and it's relaxing. I stand to get out knocking the wine glass over and it stains the tiles red.

Suddenly I'm sitting at my vanity in the bedroom, I look up into the mirror and I'm grabbed. "Romeo! Help me!" I scream, to no avail. The next thing I'm on the ground being beaten, his hands are all over me, I can't see his face properly, and I finally get a look, "Angel? No please stop!"

"You stupid bitch! I will show you a real De Luca!" He growls at me hitting my head on the floor, I try to fight, and he hits me in the face breaking my nose and as I scream out and he chokes me, I try to hit him but he breaks my wrist slamming it down against the ground and repeatedly hitting my head on the ground.

"Romeo..." I whisper as I feel him hit me harder and it hurts, I feel myself fading.

"Lina, wake up baby!" I feel someone shake me. "Lina! It's a dream baby wake up!" It's Romeo. I wake up with a start screaming and tears stain my face, and I finally focus and see Romeo, "baby I'm here I'm right here, it's was just a dream, he can't hurt you," Romeo says full of hurt.

"He already did," I spit out bitterly, "and you weren't there!" I shout.