Chapter 1:
This is the end. I couldn't take anymore. No more hurt. No more pain. No more life. I stood looking at the dull water, fingering the cool object in the pocket of my soft woolen coat.
People bustled around me, crossing the bridge, on phones or walking hand in hand with a lover. I was alone. Completely, utterly, purely alone. No more.
The gray, gloomy overcast darkened more, snow starting to fall lightly as night began to take its hold on the world. Beautiful. The one thing I would regret leaving behind. But little white flakes that melted away faster than they arrived would not-could not stop me. Taking a deep breath, I slid the little pistol out of my pocket, grabbing hold of the lamppost I had been standing next to for support. NO! STOP! YOU CAN GET THROUGH THIS! Reason shrieked like the wind, howling through my thoughts.
But I could not. It was over. I stepped up onto the side of the bridge, giving the soft flakes a last longing look. I raised the pistol to my temple…
"Stop!"
Shut up! You don't understand.
"Please, NO!"
I said SHUT UP! You have no idea how hard this is.
"Bella! Stop! Please!" a voice pleaded.
I put my finger to the trigger and closed my eyes. Just a bit more pressure on the trigger, then I would be rid of it all…
Two strong arms grabbed me around my waist, pulling me off the wall. I crashed into the person, the gun slipping out of my hand and into the dark water below. Instantly, angry tears welled up in my eyes. My chance to be free… gone in seconds, because someone…
"Thank GOD! You got to her just in time!" a thickly accented voice shouted to the "rescuer", running over.
"Did he…" Someone else, also with an accent, came striding over, "Thank GOD!"
The first person who ran over bent and wrapped his arms around me and picked me up. The one who "saved" me stood up as the one holding me spoke. "Are you alright, bella?"
I fervently shook my head and squirmed, trying to get away. If I couldn't use the gun, I could drown myself…
I was almost free, and I prepared to bolt. No more…
One of the people noticed. "Hold her, Piero!" I stomped on the guy's foot in whose arms I was locked and leapt towards the low wall again.
The person who had grabbed me before lunged towards me, trapping me tightly around my middle. Despite my struggles, he dragged me, practically kicking and screaming, off the bridge. I thought the man-boy really- was going to stop and let me go right when we walked to the street. Instead, he said something unintelligible over his shoulder to the two other people who had tried to keep me from jumping, and, arms wrapped around me in a death-grip, tugged me down the street, to a hotel building, into the elevator, and up to a large, comfortable looking hotel room.
By the time he let me go (not until after the person who's foot I stomped on locked the door to keep me from escaping) we were both breathing heavily.
The one who locked the door walked over to me where I was standing defensively in the corner. He soft spoke to me. "Buonasera, Signorina. I am so very sorry about being so…rude…My name is Piero Barone." He pointed to the tall one standing next to the other boy, "And that is Ignazio Boschetto. And that," Piero pointed to the boy who grabbed me and dragged me to their hotel room, "Is Gianluca Ginoble."
I blinked. The names were so familiar. And the accents-Italian-I was sure I had heard them before. They even looked familiar. I knew I had seen them before somewhere… It didn't matter. I was extremely mad. The three attractive boys took away every mean I had to die. Nothing else had worked-from hanging to overdose. My body just wouldn't stop living. But my mind and heart had experienced more than enough.
"Leave me alone! Just…let me go!..." I sobbed, sliding down the wall and wrapping my arms around my knees, whispering a devastated plea, "Please."
My rescuer-Gianluca was his name-came over and pushed his friend to the side. He knelt in front of me and whispered in a thick, very soothing accent, "Please listen to me. I-we saw you standing there, looking like an angel…You are too beautiful to die. The world would be dark and devoid of beauty if you were not part of it. "
That made my tears fall even faster. What he said was so lovely, but he didn't understand. He didn't even know me.
The dark curly haired boy spoke quietly again, "Look at me, bella." I looked over at him, meeting his intense, chocolate brown eyes. "The moment I saw you, I immediately knew our destinies were woven together in a tight bond. And that can never be broken. I know I could never live without you, as we together make one."
I could not believe what he was saying. He was practically professing his love to me, and he didn't even know my name, let alone all of the dark things about me. "But, Gianluca…you don't…"
He interrupted me softly. "It does not matter that I know nothing about you. We can learn in time." He stood up and offered me a hand, smiling brightly, eyes pleading, "Please, bella. Leave the darkness behind you."
I gazed at his face, his handsome, smiling, passionate, bright face. The sun. I reached out my hand and took his. He pulled me up effortlessly. At that moment, I left the darkness and entered the light, not looking back.