*She fell first, but he fell harder.*
My breath hitched, the moment he held my wrist to stop me, his grip so light as if he was holding something made out of feathers.
He pleaded, while looking down at his feet, "Then... take me Ava, to where sinner...
I peeked down, from the gap between my curtains, holding my breath at the view. That was the first time I saw him, a man who looked too beautiful to be standing on the face of earth. He might even belong to the heavens above, rather than this filthy place full of pain, lies and mischief.
What a sight he is! I thought. His hair as dark as the night sky, with eyes as light as they could be, the lightest shade of grey. His skin was just coloured enough to make his eyes more prominent. His hair came down to the base of his neck.
A strand of hair fell in front of his eyes. At that I put my finger on the glass in front of me. I swiped my finger over his hair on the glass, acting as though fixing his hair from afar. His brows creased slightly, showing his annoyance at the strand over his eyes.
With one swift movement of his hand, he pushed all his hair back. Off his forehead. They fell in waves over his ear and the back of his head. The white snow piled all around him, dulled in colour in comparison to his eyes.
I wish I could look at him from a little closer... I sighed moving away from the window. Wait! That Angel of a man was standing in front of our door, wasn't he? I peeked again and saw him stepping inside our mansion. Which aroused a desire in me to squeal in excitement, like a child.
I ran out of my room thinking of an excuse to go to my father's study. Arnold Abramov, the owner of a well known pharmaceutical company, was my father. Though we didn't interact much, I have always been told that he was a good man.
I walked towards my father's study and halted the moment I spotted his glasses on our dining table. Here comes the excuse of visiting him! That pretty guy would be there too. Well, hopefully! With this running in my mind, I continued my strides.
I knocked on his door and walked in. The rooms here were soundproof so I wouldn't have heard him say 'come in', anyway. The moment I stepped in I saw the man standing in front of my father's shiny, expensive desk. He had his palms flat on the desk in front of him. His body was hovering over my dad, who was sitting in his seat on the opposite side of the desk.
The pretty looking guy was staring at my father. His gaze fixed on my father's eyes. As though he was the Soul Eater from the horror books I've read. For sure he was trying to suck my father's soul out from his eyes.
What is happening? I thought nervously. My father's posture also looked nervous. "Papa...?" I said in a tiny voice. The pretty, yet scary looking person moved his eyes from dad to me. My father looked at me at the exact moment.
"Oh! Ava, my precious little child. You're right on time!" He sounded relieved for some reason. And I found it pretty odd that he didn't ask for my reason to step in his study. I clenched his glasses in my fist, feeling my nerves rumbling.
"Meet my daughter, Avalyn Abramov. Isn't she the prettiest little girl?" I shrinked at his voice. So that was what that person was here for. Just like those five other people who came this month. My father always told me to look pretty in front of them. They all looked at me creepily, but this man moved his eyes away from me the moment my father told him my name. So, he was looking at ME all this time before my father introduced me? I shouldn't be excited about it! He is a stranger!
All of us were silent for a minute, waiting for his reply, anything from him, but nothing came. He just leaned back from his hovering position and sat down on his seat in front of the table and looked at his watch. "Well, Ava meet Mr Agosti. This gentleman here is persistent upon marrying you! Isn't it exciting?" His voice had a hint of warning at the end. As though he was telling me that, I better behave myself. "Yes, father." That was all I could say. My father is a good man, he would choose a good man for me. I reassured myself.
"Mr Agosti, it's a pleasure to meet you." At my words his eyes met mine for a moment, then he turned again and looked in front of him. "Likewise." That's all he said, in a deep rumble of a voice. But Oh! That voice of his! Lord have mercy! I swallowed visibly. My best friend, Avery would have been rolling her eyes at me if she was there.
Because she was the only person who knew what was going on inside my head. And she would have known how I wanted something to lean on to, just by hearing those 2 words from him. Likewise, how much power a simple word can have on us, depending upon who says it.
Well, I'm in love ain't I? I said to myself, what more do you expect from an eighteen year old. I'm a simp am I not? Look at me mister. Let me see those crystal clear eyes of yours. Avery, please understand me. I know I'm putting dirt on your name by behaving like this, but I'm not strong enough to resist this! No one is strong enough! I screamed in my head, thinking about how my friend Avery didn't give men a second glance.
"Ava, how do you like December for a wedding?" My father asked calmly and all I could do was stare at him in disbelief. December will be in 2 days! No, surely! He must be talking about next year! I just turned 18, what is he thinking about? I was having a panic attack inside my head.
"You mean, December like, next year?" I asked, hoping for my guess to be true. "I mean December, like this week." He said calmly, flipping through some papers and signing them. My eyes were wide open in shock. What the f*ck? Avery! Help me! She was the only one to save me every time. But she is not here right now! What should I do?!
A phone rang, which made me turn towards the sound. Mr. Agosti pulled out his phone from his pocket and put it against his ear. The action made the muscle in his arms flex under his expensive suite. I gulped and the view in front of me trying not to imagine how his arms would look exposed from all those coverings.
He listened to someone without saying a word. "Hmm." He said at last, before cutting the call and pushing the phone back in his pocket. He stood up and smoothed his long coat, as he looked at my father, dead in the eyes.
"In bocca al lupo." He said in a low deep voice, sending its vibration to my feet. With that he walked away, without looking back, or sparing us a single glance. Not once.
Translation: Into the wolf's mouth.
Earlier, when his eyes were on my father, he looked more like a wolf rather than an angel. Until he left, the room was burning with heat and tension. So much that someone could have lit a match in the room and it would have made no difference. This encounter made me realise that he could either be the best thing that ever happened to me or the worst. I just hoped it was not the latter.
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Translation: Into the wolf's mouth.
Note:
Avalyn: When she saw Salvatore Agosti for the first time.
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