Eleonora stood in the middle of her bedroom.

She'd been standing there for god knows how long.

She didn't know what she was doing, didn't know what she was thinking.

She should sit down, but she'd probably just get right back up again.

She needed to know how he was.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and the image of Edoardo lying on the ground with that guy on top of him filled her mind.

He'd hit him with a chair.

Eleonora didn't know how she felt, didn't know what she was supposed to feel either.

She just couldn't believe that had happened. It was her worst nightmares come true. It was everything she feared would happen to Filo every time he left the house.

Her stomach churned, but she'd already almost thrown up three times and if it hadn't happened then it wasn't going to happen now. She'd thought she was going to throw up when she stood there watching them all fight.

She didn't really know why she'd left, she'd just needed to get away from it.

She brought her hands up to run through her hair, pacing slightly back and forwards. Just a few steps there and back, just something to get her moving.

Was Marti okay? Luca had taken him back inside, she hadn't been able to get a proper look at him. God, Marti.

She was the one who'd made him go near those coglioni at the last party. What was she thinking?

She needed to do something, anything. She could go check on Marti, but she knew he was okay. They'd gotten him out of there.

She didn't know what had happened to Edoardo.

What if they'd got him on his back again. What if he was torn up in a hospital?

She pulled out her phone, reading the groupchat she'd been ignoring.

According to Silvia, the boys had all walked away relatively unscathed. They were battered and bruised but didn't require hospitals. They didn't say anything about the guy Edoardo had hit with a chair.

Eleonora needed to know he was okay. She needed to see he was okay.

She walked to her bed, picking up her bag and coat from where she'd dumped them earlier.

Behind her, Filo pushed open her door. He was speaking before it was fully open.

"What happened tonight?!"

Eleonora brushed past him, walking out of her room. "Those guys from Piazza Giuochi showed up and there was a fight."

Filo followed her. "And what happened? Where are you going?"

"I don't know what happened, I left. I think they hit Marti and started it."

"Is he okay? Are the boys okay?"

Eleonora turned around to face Filo. "I don't know, okay? I have to go find out."

"Where? To Marti's?"

Eleonora sighed. Here goes nothing. "No, I'm going to Edoardo's."

"Edoardo's?"

"Yes."

Filo gave her an appraising look. "Why are you going there?"

"Because I have to know if he's okay."

Filo frowned, but he didn't look surprised. "It wasn't just one date, was it?"

Eleonora sighed again, turning around and making for the front door. "No, now I need to go."

"So he fought those guys after they hurt Marti?"

"You know he and his friends jumped in last time too."

Filo was silent for a moment. "Wait for me, I'll drive you."

Eleonora heard the sound of keys behind her.

"You will?"

Filo walked past her, opening the front door. "Well I'm going to go check on Marti, aren't I?"

Eleonora nodded. "You'll let me know how he is?"

"Of course."

It occurred to Eleonora as she walked up to Edoardo's door that he might not be home. Or someone else might be home.

She pulled out her phone, calling Edoardo. God, she hoped he was home. Filo had already driven off.

Edoardo picked up on the third ring. "Ele?"

"Are you home? I'm outside."

"Yeah, I'm home. I'll come let you in."

Within minutes Edoardo was opening the door, and Eleonora was gasping at the sight of him. His suit jacket was removed and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. There was blood staining his shirt, and it looked like he'd just washed some off his face. She could see red marks on his cheek where bruises would appear in a day or so.

"Hi."

Eleonora surged forward, cradling his face in her hands. She tried not to touch where he'd been hit, not wanting to hurt him further.

Edoardo leant forward, resting his forehead against hers.

"It's okay."

Eleonora just shook her head in response.

Edoardo pulled away, reaching for her hand and gently pulling her inside. They walked through his house to his bedroom, where his jacket was lying on the bed.

"What happened?"

"You mean after you left?"

Eleonora looked down, moving towards the bed and sitting down. "Yes."

Edoardo sat down next to her. "The Piazza Giuochi guys left pretty soon after, too. Eva, Gio, Elia and Luca went home with Marti."

Eleonora looked up and over at Edoardo, reaching out a hand to touch his face. He leant his face into the palm of her hand.

Her voice was small when she spoke. "You were on the ground."

He sighed. "I told you to stay inside. I didn't want you to see."

"I still would have been worried inside. I had to know what was happening."

She stroked his cheek with her thumb, and they were both silent for a moment.

"Why did you have to fight them? Why couldn't you just call security?"

"Ele, they hit Marti. You didn't like how they treated Eva, they called Emma a slut. They're not nice guys."

"I know that, but look at you. All of you got hurt." Eleonora paused before speaking again. "Maybe if you hadn't got into a fight with them after they called Emma a slut, they wouldn't have come tonight."

Edoardo shook his head, standing up. "No. You know that's not true. They'd have still showed up to the raffle and they'd have still talked shit to Marti." He ran his fingers through his hair before making an exasperated gesture with his hands. "Ele, I was looking after your friends. We can't let people treat them like that. We have to let them know we don't agree with them."

"By breaking a chair on their back?"

"I did that to look after Fede. You were there, you saw that."

"Why do you have to be the one defending everyone?"

"Ele, listen to yourself. You've defended your friends before, you wouldn't listen to me if I told you not to."

Eleonora's fear burst out of her, ripping her chest open. "I don't want to see you get hurt! I don't want to worry about you all the time! I already have to worry about Filo, and now Marti. I can't stop thinking about you lying on your back on the ground!" A sob ripped through her chest, and she frantically tried to wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks.

Edoardo's hands replaced hers, wiping away her tears. He knelt down in front of her, his face level with hers. His voice was gentle when he spoke.

"Ele, I'm sorry I scared you. I'm sorry we have to deal with this. But I'm going to look after our friends. I have to."

Eleonora shook her head, fresh tears running down her cheeks. "Why can't people just leave them alone?"

Edoardo moved to sit next to her on the bed, pulling her into his side. "I don't know, I don't understand it. I just know we have to show them we don't agree with them, okay?"

She nodded, but she hated it. "Can you please just try not to get hurt?"

"I'll try."

Eleonora looked up at him, reaching for his face and guiding it down to hers. Their lips met, and she kissed him desperately. She was wrapped up in his arms, and she felt safe. After all the bullshit they'd encountered that night, she felt safe in his arms. She just wanted her friends to be this safe too.

She was holding him a little too close, gripping him a little too tight, but she didn't care. Her hands gripped the sides of his face, and he jolted away from her slightly when her thumb came into contact with a sore spot on his cheek.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault" he said, resting his forehead against hers.

"You should have a shower and change clothes."

He nodded, his forehead still against hers. "Do you want to shower too? I'll get you something to wear."

She smiled slightly, remembering the last time she'd stayed the night. "Okay."

"I can get you my jacket if you want."

She laughed. "Hmm, no that won't be necessary. It wasn't very comfortable."

He grinned. "Ah, so you only wore it because it smelt like me, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I just knew I looked good."

"That you did."

"I'm going to go make some tea, you shower."

He laughed at her. "Okay."

Eleonora set her empty cup down on the bedside table, moving to lie down in Edoardo's bed. Edoardo did the same next to her, rolling onto his side so he was facing her.

"Come here."

She looked over at him, her heart picking up at his words. His arms reached out for her, wrapping around her when she came closer.

She snuggled up into his chest, wrapping one arm around his waist. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head and she buried her face further into his shoulder. He was wearing a t-shirt, and she wondered how battered he was underneath it.

Her phone vibrated and she extricated herself from Edoardo's arms so she could check it. He made a disapproving sound and she smirked in response.

She reached for her, turning it on to see a text from Eva.

"So Filo tells us you're at Edoardo's."

She closed her eyes for a second, annoyed at herself for not telling Filo to keep his mouth shut.

Oh well, she'd deal with that tomorrow.

She put her phone down again, moving back to Edoardo's arms.

No, tonight was just this.