𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 || 𝙋𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙤 𝙂𝙖𝙫𝙞

Chapter 8

We were melting into each other; so engrossed into the warmth we provided one another that I nearly gave in to his sweet touches and hot kisses. Nearly.

It was the fraction of a second, when I opened my eyes, that I realized what I was doing. His eyes were closed, but I could feel his heat, his racing heart as he aggressively tried to be one with me. I cannot deny that I wanted it too, but my head won the battle, like it always did.

"Stop", I whispered against his lips. He paused immediately, opening his eyes, searching mine for answers. I knew he wanted to know, but the cold air against my lips after his kiss, froze them into silence. "What's wrong", He asked, searching for me through my eyes. I turned my head to the side. I didn't want him to look into me, into the me who wanted him as desperately as he wanted me in that moment. "I'm sorry", I said, getting up. He got to the side and faced the window, avoiding me. I chose to avoid him too.

I quickly gathered myself before walking out of the room.

"What are you doing Evelyn?", My conscience asked me. I wanted to cry right there in the corridor. I couldn't understand what was happening to me and why it was happening to me, and all I wanted at that moment was someone to hold me. Instead, I chose to blink away the tears like always, before walking to the lift like I wasn't going to cry 20 seconds ago.

*Sorry, I had to leave early. Had some business to take care of*

I quickly typed before sending hit. He was a good person. He'd understand. Pedri.

Pedri.

The name kept ringing in my head like an annoying alarm clock refusing to go off, no matter how hard I tried. It rang all the way to my home, which I barely made to after having to climb through my back window, because of the crowd that'd formed outside the building.

"When will you grow up, Evelyn"

My head snapped up as I quickly reached backwards for the door handle. "Don't".

I switched on the lights quickly, adjusting to sudden brightness before an idiotic smiling face appeared before me. "You!", I groaned slapping my jacket into his arms. "It's you who needs to do the growing up part, last time I checked, I was living on my own while you were begging your parents to sponsor your trip to some exotic island", I stated walking into the kitchen with him following me like a lost puppy, "And climbing into a single girl's apartment, why're you here anyway? Isn't your trip like, on for two weeks more?".

"I had to return early, Mom's not well, that's why I came to you", He replied. My usually cheerful and hyperactive friend's hanging head wasn't like him. That's when I noticed the forming dark circles and the monotony that was taking over his voice slowly. "What do you mean?", I asked, closing the water bottle, placing it back in the fridge. "You remember that one time when we faked being a couple to throw my parents off my back about marriage?", He asked. I nodded, not liking how the conversation was going. "Well...My mother, you see, she thinks I was faking it, which I obviously was, because she doesn't see you with me as often as her mind would like, to have some peace. And now, yeah? She's set on the ultimatum that we either produce a baby or I get married to a daughter of this friend of hers".

I stared at him wide eyed.

"What?", I managed to squeak, trying my best not to blow out the water like a whale, when it refused to go down my throat.

"We need to produce a human child because my mothe-"

I quickly spat the water into the sink before looking back up at him. "No, I meant, what the fuck Nico!! I can't be producing babies!! I'm not a fucking machine! Two, I love your mother, she's a nice lady to have around and I get why you'd want to do what you want to do, but boy no, I'm sorry but I stretched it far with the whole fake marriage thing as it is, I can't go on about creating children!!".

"Then we can adopt!!", He replied, as if it was all oh so simple.

"And who'll take care of it after your mother's seen it for her satisfaction?"

"We can hire a nanny?"

I slapped my hand on my head at his idiocy. Everything was so simple for him. No. He made it simple for himself even though it was clear to every sane person that it wasn't. But Nicolo Bernardi wasn't a sane person. Not even a normal person, at that. He was the billionaire bachelor that Victoria's Secret Angels RAN to have a shot with.

But beyond all that, he was the soft hearted, kind and sweet guy who'd helped me multiple times over the years.

"Nico", I began, "We can't just adopt a kid, it's too much. Anyway, I don't want an adopted kid, sure they're lovable and would be wonderful to have and I'm sure they've fulfilled many families, but I can't love someone else's child as much as I would want to, knowing I can have children of my own. Marriage, family and children are not things we can just play around with,for beginners. I think you need to come clean . It's time you tell your family the truth".

Nico sat in silence, taking in all I'd said. 

"I understand where you're coming from", He started, with an understanding expression, "I understand that you've already done a lot for me and it's been hard on you and that's why-"

A loud knock interrupted him mid sentence.

"God, I hope it's not the mob", I prayed walking to the door, while signalling for my uninvited guest to hide in the kitchen closet. The last thing I needed after the rollercoaster of a day I'd had, was a bunch of cameras and mics on my face with girls and men shouting at me after being spotted with yet another guy. I swung open the door after confirming that there wasn't any kind of noise outside that could be made by a crowd of people.

"You need to stop running away, especially without me", Pedri smiled walking in, with Gavi behind him as I watched them wipe their shoes before walking into the living room and making themselves comfortable, as though they'd lived in the house for years. "What are you doing here and how did you get here? Past the mob?".

"Don't worry about that", Pedri answered, "Why'd you leave?".

I bit my tongue as I gazed over at Gavi who was looking straight ahead, never giving me a glance.

"I got agitated, so- and I did text you"

" That's not a good enough excuse", Pedri sighed, "Anyway, the people somehow got to our room and we had to make yet another run. The club officials told us that any last minute arrangements for suitable rooms was impossible since it's late and also most hotels are packed because of the season, so we came here, hope you don't mind if we spend the night".

It wasn't like they'd left my any other choice.

"Sure...", I answered, "It's a bit cramped but the guest room should be able to hold you two, if you're fine that is, or...my room's a bit bigger in size, would you like that?". I was fully concentrating on Pedri, making sure not to look at his companion unless I looked desperate for his attention.

"I'll sound greedy but your room probably, this man kicks like a high donkey when he's asleep", Pedri answered.

"Great, I'll go arrange the rooms, stay here", I instructed before quickly walking to my room, feeling Nico's eyes watch me in confusion through the gaps of the kitchen closet as I walked past him to the guest room, signalling for him to follow me as quietly and unnoticed, as possible.