Against Everything Else

7. It looks better on you

Avery's POV

I don't even know how long we stayed up talking to, but I must have knocked out at some point because I was no longer seated on the couch by the fire place, instead, I was back in my own little bed, the blankets tucked tightly against my sides.

Last nights event flashed through my head once more and I found my arms wrapped around myself, holding me tightly. Thats when I noticed the brown hoodie that had engulfed my body. It was huge on me and fell below my knees, covering my shorts almost completely.

After I had asked him to stay with me, Vince sat back beside me. We didn't talk much, just stayed in each others company in quiet. Strangely enough, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, I was admiring the stars behind me and he was just sipping on his liquor watching me.

My eyes widened.

He must have given me his jumper when I fell asleep unexpectedly.

I crawled out of the comfort of my bed and quickly made my way towards the bathroom to freshen myself up. I needed to return his jumper as soon as possible, it would be rude to keep it for longer than a night.

But its so comfy, it felt like I was inside of a freshly toasted marshmallow.

Maybe he won't mind if I keep it on for a few more hours?

What he won't know won't hurt right?

After brushing out my hair and cleaning my teeth, I made my way back to my room. But before I entered I caught a strong whiff of freshly cooked potatoes and sugary pancakes. My stomach growled so loudly that a group of girls that walked by stared at me a giggled to one another.

I looked at them bashfully and made my way towards the dining all where the smell was coming from. Breakfast would be good right now, maybe after breakfast i'll find him and return his jumper.

I pushed open the tall double doors that lead to the dining hall, my mouth almost dropping to the floor. The long tables were filled with endless amounts of food, from stacked pancakes covered in maple syrup, to bacon cooked to a crisp, freshly fried diced potatos, eggs bennedict toast, a spread of french toast with wild berries and honey, and charcoal grilled sausages from what I could see.

The room was filled with all sorts of men and women, covered in tattoos, They all looked menacing.

In the far corner of the room, I could make out a few of the girls that worked with me at the bar last night. They were all chatting away as if they were lifelong friends. I fiddled with the ends of the jumper, its sleeves hanging past my hands as the girls looked up at me and whispered amongst each other laughing.

A brunette haired girl looked me up and down. her eyes sending me daggers before she turned to the girl beside her, whispering something in her ear. They then looked back at me and scoffed disgustedly.

Maybe i'll just eat when everyones gone.

I hurriedly turned around to head back out of the dining hall, my face landing smack bang in the middle of someone's rock hard chest.

"Ooft" He grunted, his arms came around to my side, holding me by my arms to steady me. By now the room fell silent and I felt all eyes on me.

"I'm sorry!" I pushed myself away from the man and looked up to him, my cheeks reddening in embarssment.

My eyes widened at the sight of Vincenzo towering above me, behind him, Zo, Luca, Dante, Nicollo and Antonio (Tony). Vincenzo's eyes raised at my flustered reaction, observing me amusingly as I played with the hems of the jumper nervously.

The jumper. Which belonged to him.

''I was going to give it back I swear, I was just gonna wash it first but then it was so cold this morning and it just felt so comfortable, I promise i'll wash it for you! I'll do that now, i'm so sor-"

''You can keep it." He cut me off, looking down at me with a soft smile, amusement clear in his dark hazel eyes.

"Is it cause I wore it to sleep? If so I promise you I was gonna wash it and then return it to you, I swear!" I rambled on.

His eyes scanned my body up down, a smirk now forming on his lips. The jumper had fallen below my knees, covering my small shorts, I must've looked half naked.

"Keep it." His eyes now fell on my own, not breaking any eye contact, ''It looks better on you."

And with that, he walked past me, making his way to the seat situated at the end of the table, one that was reserved specifically for him. At this point, all eyes were still on me.

"What the fuck was that." Luca looked at me and then back at the now seated Vincenzo, his eyebrows raised in a confused manner. Antonio just pulled him away by the hem of his shirt, both of them making their way to the head of the table where Vincenzo was.

Dante raised his eyebrows, giving me a knowing look while Niccolo gave me a playful wink. I looked at Zo who was standing in the middle of the hallway, her mouth agape.

"Tell. Me. Everything." She pulled me by my wrists, dragging us towards the empty seats in the middle of the table. She grabbed us both some plates and started filling them with a bit of everything that was lying on the table. "Let me eat first, that meeting took ten years and I'm starving."

I thanked her quietly and started to take apart the fluffy stacked pancakes she had plated for me. I let out a soft moan as soon as it entered my mouth. It tasted like what I imagine a cloud would taste like. A cloud full of sugar.

"So... What the fuck was that?" She eyed me curiously after shoving a handful of bacon into her mouth. A few of the girls on the table looked at her in disgust.

"I have no idea." I wasn't lying. I was confused as much as she was.

''Bullshit." This time she shoved a cream cheese bagel in her mouth, "He never talks like that. I have never heard him speak like that to anyone, ever. And how the hell did you get his jumper? That fucker never shares anything." She grabbed some toast and sausages, folding them together and downing it in one massive bite.

"We stayed up talking by the window." I eyed the table around me, no one was paying attention to us besides some of the girls from the table on the far end. A brunette, glared at me and turned away.

"How'd he give you his jumper in the first place?" She let out a burp and leaned back in her chair, sipping on her cup of iced coffee satisfied.

"I have no clue." I took a bite of the bacon and almost threw my head back. How'd they cook every dish in absolute perfection, amazes me.

"What do you mean you have no clue?" She sat back up now, her iced coffee in hand.

I shrugged my shoulders, popping a strawberry in my mouth as I did.

"I fell asleep talking to him and then I woke up in my own bed with it on me." I grabbed a glass of orange juice, taking a small sip from it. I never liked the taste of coffee.

"Vin placed it on you then, and he was probably the one that carried you to bed. I was here when we came back but you were already in your room when we got home." Zo looked at me with the same confused expression she had worn earlier.

Why would he do that?

I turned my head to look past her, surely enough he was looking over here, his eyes held an expression I couldn't read. When he saw me staring, he gave a small smirk and turned his head back to Luca.

Strange.

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