Fatalé (18+)

Chapter eighteen

Ilaria

"Does it always have to be because of work? Can I not call you out of my free will?"

It's always this ache that I feel when I return to Manhattan from Seattle, like I was leaving behind my home but Seattle was never my home. I felt it in my foot as I drag it across the staircase leading up to the private condo Ricardo had for me. It was situated near the heart of it, not the centre or the outskirts, which was definitely not suspicious. When I first moved in here two weeks ago, I sighed so hard. Mind you, I taught myself to never make something as my permanent home because I know I'll end up moving. I'm always on the move, it's inevitable for the job that I do but I wasn't complaining because it's my only way of survival.

"Of course you can." I breathe, my new set of keys jingle in my hand as I try to find the right one for my door. My phone was balancing between my ear and my shoulder when I find the key and shove it right through the keyhole. "Not that I can avoid it anyway. It's not like I can ignore you."

"Ilaria." He warned, the tone of his voice indicated that he didn't like my response. I roll my eyes and swallow my saliva to feed the thirst I felt. When was the last time I drank water? Alfonso exhales out and I grab my luggage and drag it inside with me. "It's good to talk, you're always on the move-"

"If I need a therapist, I'll be sure to call you." I grunt, padding to the kitchen and reach for the freshly squeezed orange juice I prepared a week ago. As I take it out of my refrigerator, I wonder if it's fresh anymore. Probably not. "Have you thought that perhaps you're calling me because you're in dire need of a therapist?" I probe, I could imagine Alfonso face right about now, he must be annoyed. "I'm not a therapist Alfonso."

"What happened to us?"

I lean on the counter with my hand and stare at the glass of juice, I was dwelling on his question. His question seemed outrageous to me, considering he's the reason why everything changed between us. What did happened to us? For as long as I could remember, there was a time where I tolerated him but now, I just can't seem to stand him. Maybe it was because I knew how many secrets he hid from me, or how many times he has lied to me. So to prove it, I put it to the test.

"Did Pablito die because of his lies or was it because he was connected to the Torricellis?"

"Ilaria," he groans, "we've been through this. You know we can't discuss matters like that."

That's what has happened between us. The distance between us was because of the amount of lies he feeds me, and having the audacity to think that I'd fall for it.

"I don't know what's happened between us Alfonso. Maybe you should've never taken me to bed, perhaps things would've been different if you and I never happened. You definitely would never have been this stupid to think I'd fall for your pack of lies."

I pull the phone away from my ear and hang up before Alfonso could even make out another word or two. I've had it with his lies and the unfortunate thing about this was that I couldn't retaliate, not yet when I had a lot to consider. One of those was something I thought would never become a problem but it has. I feel a burn, a heated burn grow on my skin, especially the back of my head. I stare at the juice again and clench my jaw together, hoping that my suspicions were just suspicions and not actually true, but when I lean off the counter and turn around, calmly, I'm faced with my spontaneous problem.

In front of me stood a very tall, and broad mafia man who doesn't say a word, but scrutinise me. I felt his presence the second I walked into my home but didn't react sooner because I had Alfonso on the phone. When I move into a home, I began to familiarise myself with it, it become a natural habit to do so in cases like today, in case an intruder I'm more likely to kill interrupts me in my own home. It's happened before and when it does, it never happens again like this time. This time, it's happening far too much.