Their bambina

1 ~ Decisions

Isabella's POV ~

"BELLA!", I hear him shout as I start running down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"What this time?", I question, looking at the boy in front of me.

"We have no nutella left.", Nikolai pouts as I chuckle.

Nikolai Romanof.

The person who nearly ended my life, but consequently saved it.

That night in the warehouse, I should have died, but this little git saved me. I mean of course I'm grateful but still.

"No don't give me that look, I'm not buying more nutella.", I say glaring at the blue eyed boy.

"I saved your life.", Nikolai smirks at me.

"And I ran into a building that was about to explode to save yours.", I rebuttal.

"Pleaseee."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"No. Wait! Damn it!", Nikolai groans as he slumps onto a kitchen stool.

"For an 18 year old mafia leader, you aren't very clever.", I snicker as I reach for a bowl of cereal.

"I am clever! I just happened to not be paying attention when you did that.", he pouts again.

"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.", I sigh.

We sit down in silence as we continue eating our breakfast.

"Um Bella.", Nikolai starts.

"Yes?"

"What was that letter about?", Nikolai asks and I freeze in place.

We had promised not to bring up that letter. I looked back up at Nikolai with icy cold eyes.

"Nikolai.", I warn.

"Bells, you can't keep your emotions cooped up. I know you let them out once you read them but that was weeks ago. What did the letter say?", Nikolai questions further, leaving forwards in his chair.

I sigh, knowing that I can't get out of this no matter how hard I tried.

"It was a letter that Enzo wrote to me. My 'dead' self.", I say, I tear slipping down my cheek as the memory of that day came rushing back.

Flashback ~

I look carefully picked up the letter that lay on top of the flowers, my hands shaking as I did so.

Peeling open the envelope, I look at the neatly written writing on the sheet, immediately recognising it as Lorenzo's.

Dear Bella,

I hate you.

I hate you for leaving us. For leaving me. For never saying goodbye. But more importantly for leaving in the first place.

Even to this day I still wait for you to walk through the front door all happy and smiley after school, ranting about something that happened with your friends, but I know that will never happen.

It's only been a month but it already feels like a lifetime, a lifetime without the most precious thing in my life.

It has been so hard without you and I don't know if I'll be able to go on. I miss you more than anything. We all miss you and your laugh and your cuddles. Oh how I miss you cuddles.

It feels like a part of all of us is missing and it's hard to know we'll never get that back. It's breaking all of us. Not having you with us is torture.

I still don't know why you ran back into the warehouse, and I guess I never will, but I know you had a reason.

I just wish I got the chance to say goodbye, to hold you one last time. Or just for you not to go at all.

We are all broken without you Bella.

Please, if you're reading this from above, just know that we all love you, forever and always.

Your star will shine brighter than any other.

You will always be our principessa.

I hope to see you again one day.

Lorenzo x

Flashback over ~

A tear made it's way down my face as I thought back to the letter, to the pain I had caused my family.

It was best for me to stay away. I needed to find something, and I'd put my family at risk if they knew I was alive.

"Come here.", Nikolai says as he pulls me into a hug, "You needed to stay away for their sake. Once you find the documents, you can return, or they could always help you."

I stare at him in disbelief. Did this guy actually come up with a decent suggestion?

"Help?", I question, pulling away from the hug.

"Bella. Did you ever think that maybe the biggest mafia in the world could help you find the documents?", Nikolai says giving me the 'are you stupid or what?' look, to which I just glare at him.

"Okay I didn't think of it like that.", I sigh, slumping into a seat at the kitchen counter.

"We'll what do you want to do?", he ask, also sitting back in his seat.

"I don't know."

"You have to make a decision Bells."

"Okay then."

"So what's it going to be?", Nikolai asks, leaning forward in his chair.

"I guess we're going to LA."