𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 |𝟏𝟖+

45 || The Fight For Control

"No thanks." I say.

Alessio pauses and for the first time all morning he lifts his head up to look at me. His indifferent gaze meets mine before he sends me a hard look. "I wasn't asking." He states, his tone firm and absolute.

His mind is set and there's no changing it.

Instead of arguing with him about it, I purse my lips and look to my breakfast. I wasn't going to give him the reaction he wanted and something about the way he was watching me told me he wanted me to fight him on it. He wanted to get a reaction out of me.

I didn't know why, but I knew it would result in nothing good. I wasn't going to show him that he had an affect on me. "Where to?" I hum, in that same tone of indifference I had been using with him.

"Miami." His voice is hard and I can feel his eyes on me.

I have no idea where he's going with this or even thinking, but I know I don't like it because it's making me feel like I have less control here.

"You have business for an entire week?" I get out, trying to distract myself from the intimidation radiating from the man sitting adjacent to me.

"Business, amongst other things." He replies ominously, his tone making my eyes trail up to him.

He's starring straight at me expectantly, his breakfast disregarded and his demeanour that of a powerful businessman. One that's in charge and daring me to push further, show I care.

But I don't.

"For your own well being I suggest you book me an entirely different trip if you plan on bringing you're little bitch along." I say swiftly, referring to Greta. "Because I'd rather run away then be around the two of you." I state, not allowing any emotion to slip onto my face.

He stares back at me, his gaze unwaveringly hard yet I don't miss the subtle ticking of his jaw. "When will this back and forth with Greta, stop?" Unlike me, the annoyance in his voice slips through his indifferent facade and I want to smile.

I had the control.

Instead I turn back to my food and show him just how little he's affecting me. "Once she's out of my life for good. Or once you grow a backbone and stop acting like a hot headed caveman that lets her get away with anything and everything."

"pop a strawberry in my mouth and chew before pursing my lips. "But with the way things have been going, the latter seems impossible."

I'm met with silence and when I look up, Alessio's face is scrunched up in concentration, like he's thinking long and hard about something. It's only when his eyes lift to meet mine that I see a hint of vulnerability in his hard gaze. "You think I'm too much to handle?"

He's not asking if he's too much to handle, he's asking for confirmation and with the way his face is scrunched up it tells me he's seemed to already be thinking of a solution.

Like he can fix it.

I blink taken aback by his attitude, I can't get a read on him and something tells me that he's already made up his mind about whatever he's thinking about.

But I stop myself from worrying. I couldn't get sucked back into his twisted games.

I clear my throat and decide to change the subject. "And why is my presence required?" I challenge, not understanding why he needs me with him.