Diavolo

xxxv

PRESLEY

        "Darling." His rough voice floated through the phone, easing some of the worry I'd been carrying around since Silvio walked out, stealing his warmth back and leaving me cold on the couch. With nothing but a shattered heart and illogical reasoning in the wake of his eerily behavior.

"Fuck, It's midnight. This better be good. Everything okay?"

        I choked back a sob as I found one of his T-shirts to slip on, wiping a tear that'd slipped down my cheek.

        "Beast." My voice was a little shaky and timid as I rested my forehead against the wardrobe. "He walked out on me."

        "What?" He grunted out and moved around almost like he was looking for the light switch, the sound of rustling and a feminine groan in the background.

        I heard a click and another groan before the phone went silent for a few seconds and he came back. Grunting and muttering curse words in Italian. "The hell happened? You both were fine when I left you two."

        "I told him I loved him."

        "Oh."

        I sniffed, choking back a laugh at his tone. "Yeah."

        "Fuck."

        "Yeah." I sighed heavily into the phone and hit myself with the back of my hand and hoping some of my common sense would have returned by now because what the hell was I thinking?

        "I didn't think he would just walk out and just leave. Who does that, Beast?"

        He exhaled a rough sigh. "It's Silvio we're talking about, darling. He's got a lot of trauma with the word love because he was never loved as a child, and you probably caught him by surprise."

        He was silent for a few trepid heartbeats and then I heard the sound of a car engine purring to life. "I'm not excusing his actions but his past's got him fucked up."

        I knew this. I knew all of this but I didn't expect him to leave me cold and empty all by myself in this penthouse when I told him I loved him. I was expecting him to not return my advances, or even pretend he hadn't heard it but this was the worst of my expectations.

        "Do you know if he's okay?"

        Beast grumbled lowly, "I'll check in on him or try. Octavius will probably have a better idea of where he's going right now but everything will be okay, darling. You know he probably didn't mean to do this."

        When I didn't respond, Beast followed up with another comforting statement, "I can't speak for Silvio's feelings but I know he cares about you. A lot. He needs you and you're the only thing in his life that makes sense. Give him hell when he comes back for forgiveness but also understand, yes?"

        "Yeah." I nodded slowly in response even though he couldn't see me. "You'll let me know when you find him?"

        "Absolutely, darling. I'll deliver him safe and sound. Now, off to bed."

        Even though I ended the call with Beast, snuggled in the living room under a thick blanket and Brown's furry coat warming me up, I couldn't help but overthink.

He wasn't picking up my calls and Tommaso had been shocked to discover he'd left after he promptly dropped off Brown.

        There was a cheesy hallmark rom-com playing on the tv, brushing the loneliness and despair I was feeling right now and playing as background chatter as I mindlessly ate the Chinese food Tommaso ordered.