Lonely Together

32

MARIAH

Emotions were always something that I felt incredibly deeply and seemingly to the fullest extent. And still, I acted as if they weren't there or downplayed them in an effort to act as if they weren't there.

I was done doing that. I had done it for so long to protect myself from what I thought would end in more hurt and heartbreak. Yet here, lying in bed beside Valentino—my boyfriend—I was ready to relinquish myself of that detrimental trait.

Turning to completely face Valentino, I watched as he slept peacefully. My eyes traced his stunning face, memorizing his perfect features. The small freckles that were lightly littered under his eyes and across his nose, his perfectly symmetrical nose, his plump lips that I loved to kiss, and his sculpted jawline.

This was another moment when I was overcome with another overpowering emotion—one that I couldn't give a name to. I had never felt so deeply for someone in such a short amount of time and I was never the type of person to do something like that. I liked to take things slow, pick and choose what I thought was a red flag, and consider everything logically—but it was completely different this time. And I was fine with it.

Standing from the bed, I let out a yawn and gazed out at the beautiful sun hanging over the Pacific Ocean. Grabbing a pair of lounge clothes, I walked into the bathroom and took a warm, long, and peaceful shower as my mind was swarmed with thoughts.

How was I so lucky to find a guy like Valentino? Were these past few days the best of my life? How would my friends react to the news? How would my parents react to me being in a relationship with a man in the mafia.

"Good morning, love," I heard Valentino's deep morning voice say from somewhere close behind me.

I spun around to see Valentino standing in the shower with me, towering over me as the water fell down onto him, cascading down his perfect frame.

"Good morning, babe," I replied, sticking my tongue out at him as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "What do you have planned for today?"

"Nothing, amore. It's a day for us to just be together...enjoy us," he explained, sending butterflies to my stomach.

There were so many things I loved—liked—about Valentino, and one of them was how considerate he was. When I was being irrational, he didn't mind and calmed me down; when I needed a break he reminded me that it was fine; when I needed anything, he was there. And I hoped that I was the same for him.

As soon as we got dressed after our shower, someone rang the doorbell of the house. Val and I looked at each other with a confused expression before the person began to ring the doorbell repeatedly.

"What the fuck?" He said with furrowed eyebrows as I followed him downstairs to the door, nervous as he pulled it open.

Standing on the other side were his brothers, a bag in each of their hands as they stood there with blank emotions.

Valentino's tone was laced with anger as he said, "Why are you two here?"

"What, we can't congratulate our little brother and treat him and his...lady friend to breakfast?" Adriano inquired with a smirk as the men pushed past him and I and over to the kitchen of the home.

Valentino shook his head at me, mouthing an apology as we followed after his brothers who were emptying the bags of food they had brought.

"Here, love," Valentino muttered as he passed me a bagel, moving his free hand so that it rested on my waist.