Bought by The Mafia Boss

Chapter 23

Numb.

The world became silent and numb as I dropped my suitcase in front of Lily and I's shared room. I stepped forward in a haze as the noiseless pain enveloped me. Somehow I found myself on the couch with the rest of Lily's family as they opened presents, but all the sounds were inaudible to me. The focus was on Andres and Lily's engagement which also allowed me to quietly disappear into the tranquil darkness of my torture.

At some point Oliver walked into the room and spoke with Marcus, but I remained frozen, utterly confused yet torn into shreds so much so that I didn't care to figure out what he had meant by being the reason his mother might die. His orange eyes were dull and dark as he glanced at me one last time before fading into the abyss.

I never wanted to see him again. I never wanted to hear his name or his voice. I cursed myself for falling for him as the days turned into nights and the nights into days. My mind couldn't seem to process time despite the ending of the holiday celebrations and Lily dragging me along to many of her wedding planning activities.

The pain began to subside a little, after a month had passed, but I was still numb to it all. Numb to the sounds of daily life. Numb to the agony, so maybe it wasn't that the pain had subsided but it had become a constant companion in my life and was no longer something that made me uncomfortable. A new desperation filled me as I realized I wanted out. Too many times I would round a corner at Marcus' home and expect to find Oliver or one of his shadows. Too many times I would open my eyes and expect to see him raise that stupid amused eyebrow.

It was too much. I wanted out.

So I finally decided a month and a half of moping was enough and told Marcus that I needed to move out. I somehow managed to secure a job as a receptionist at a software company and found an apartment despite being so unkempt with heartbreak within a week of that announcement. Marcus also kept telling me I could stay as long as I wanted but I needed out. Now.

Lily wrapped her arms around me. "We still have so much planning to do. I'll call you." She said to me and I embraced her back with a half-hearted smile.

"I expect nothing less." I answered and she squeezed me tighter. "I have to do this, Lil. I have to move on." I whispered to her and felt her nod against my shoulder. She finally released me and I walked out of the mansion to get into the cab.

The drive into the middle of the city was over an hour long and I listened to the cab driver try to talk to me for the first twenty minutes before finally giving up when I didn't respond. Things seemed less colorful, less bright than I remembered as the lights from the city flooded into view and I didn't know if it was because Christmas and New Year's was long gone or it was reflecting how I was feeling. Either way, I didn't care anymore. Time was the ultimate healer and I was now just waiting for time to kick in and do its job. Somehow, it would ease my pain that I was becoming so comfortable drowning in.

The driver pulled over and put the car in park. Luckily I was a light traveler and could literally carry my suitcase and the stupid dress up the stairs to my third floor apartment that I would be sharing with two other roommates. The tall, cream stucco building loomed in front of me, casting a matching shadow across my body that covered my heart.

I paid the taxi driver and strolled inside the building. The lobby of the apartment was decently taken care of, almost hotel-like with a security man sitting behind the desk directly across from the entrance. Mailboxes lined the wall to the left and an elevator was to the right next to a pair of stairs. You could continue to the right of the security desk and I assumed you'd find the entrance to the first floor apartments that way.

The light brown and cream shades inside matched the exterior of the building as I made my way to the elevator. The ride to the third floor seemed to last a lifetime as the elevator groaned moving upwards. The lights flickered as the elevator dinged and lurched to a stop. As the door slid open I took a steadying breath and stepped out into the hallway.