Their Little Princess | ✔️

Chapter Twenty-One

"Expand," Carlo says darkly.

Wow, he's taking this really seriously. "Well, Xander is the black cat, and you're the golden retriever," I decide to explain before he can interrogate me again, "You're funny, and you wouldn't hurt a fly."

Xander breathes a slight laugh, turning off the exit, he's leaned back and his elbow is resting on the window. But Carlo looks offended, "That's—" He stops, turning back to the front with an offended expression.

We pull into the parking lot outside of the market and climb out. "Zip your coat," Xander says, shutting his door and walking toward the store. Carlo still looks offended as he walks by my side into the store. "Are you mad?" I ask. "No, why would I be mad about some pointless tiktok dynamic."

I shrug, "Yeah, it's really not that serious. My best friends from home have a golden retriever, black cat dynamic and I like them."

I've always considered Jess the black cat and Chase the golden retriever. Whereas Jess said I would be the black cat and Chase is still the golden retriever, and Chase said Jess was the black cat and I was the golden retriever. We liked to put labels on each other.

We also liked to say that Chase would most likely be a college frat boy, Jess would be the sorority girl/overachiever and I would be the med student that never left her dorm and they'd have to drag me out to parties.

I smile a little at the thought as we walk into the market, Xander grabs the block of cheese and the heavy cream as Carlo walks away to find the flour for the pasta. I follow closely to Xander, not wanting to get lost in the labyrinth of this super market.

Xander stares frustrated at whatever instructions Carlo forwarded him to get, his jaw is hard. He looks back at the shelf to scan the different types of chicken. 

I stand there absently. I hear feet pattering and then a dog runs into the aisle. I scream and jump up subconsciously, my arms fling around Xander's neck from behind and he falls back a bit, "What the hell?!" He says to me, the stuff falls out of his hand as his hands fly up to my wrists to keep me from strangling him.

The dog stays at Xander's feet barking. The owner, a balding middle-aged man rushes into the aisle, grabbing the leash, "I'm sorry." My eyes stay on the man's face as he grabs the dog, he looks familiar.

"Keep your dog on the fucking leash or I'll kill it," Xander says sharply, "And dogs don't belong in the store, stronzo."

The man looks up, about to shoot something back, but one look at Xander and he doesn't. Simply grabbing the dog's leash and walking away, "Come on, Rosco," I hear him mutter to his dog.

My face flushes as Xander kneels down to grab the groceries and I stand back on my own 2 feet. Xander looks furious, and I get nervous. "Fucking idiot." I begin to believe he's talking about the dog-man.

My heart pounds. My panic system is broken. My body doesn't know how to process little bits of panic and it goes into overdrive. I dig my nail into the center of my palm until I calm down as Carlo walks into the aisle with the flour, looking at something in the front of the store as he walks, "Some guy brought his dog in. Walked by muttering something about Rossi and Wilson. You said something to him?"

"Wilson?" I say quietly.

They look over (and down) at me. "Yeah," Carlo says, "Why?"

"That was Daniel's friend's last name," I say.

His friend was over often, he was comfortable back at home. Too comfortable. 

Often, he would join in on Daniel's angry outbursts and violent sprees.

"Isn't Wilson..." Carlo trails off in thought, sharing a look with Xander. They make eye contact, Xander's brows furrowed slightly, his jaw is tense. His glare is withering, warning Carlo to stop talking. Carlo shakes his head, "We're all probably talking about 3 different people," He shrugs.

We pay for the groceries and leave the market. The moment we pull off, a call from Elijah syncs up to the radio.

"You're on speaker," Carlo says the moment the call syncs.

"Did you get the ingredients?" Elijah asks, "Hurry up and get back, I don't trust you 2 out in public with her."

Xander rolls his eyes, "Yeah, whatever."

Elijah goes on asking about shipments and cartridges. He's talking very vaguely and in half italian, I've realized they hardly talk about the 'business' around me. I thought it was because they figured they'd bore me with that stuff, but they're being secretive. Whenever I ask about it, I get brushed off or scolded.

Their conversation lulls my eyes shut, and I begin to doze off.

Before I know it, I'm asleep.