Heart of Fury - Stone and Fire # 2 [17+]

Chapter 33

im sure u'll feel amazing after this one !! 🤗😄🥰🥰

made it extra lovey dovey just for u 🫵🏽🫵🏽🥳🥳

Aurora's POV

"I'm going on a run!"

My response was a sleepy grumble deep enough that it rebounded up the basement stairs and cut through the music in my headphones.

I sat down on the front steps to tie up my laces and fill the time, because according to Papa, running in a gated community with security guards meant I was gonna get my head blown off. By who, a gardener? Elio wouldn't hurt a fly.

It was early-seven o'clock, which was far less risky than than the times I'd been waking up for the past week. I felt like shit, but maybe that was just my brain concluding the effects of staying up until four a.m binging Hermosa and her double-teaming boyfriend go on a dramatic rally of why they hate and love each other at the same time. The toxicity hurt to watch, but props to Hermosa for keeping me hooked.

A couple servants were doing unneeded tasks, dusting off paintings for the thousandth time, wiping spotless and unused tables. When I married and had my own home, I'd wanna roam around naked. Not for anyone, just for myself. Hopefully it was an inducement motivating enough for my husband to stay.

A moment later, the door swung open behind me and Matteo appeared, his hair mussed and face broodier than usual. I saw the outline of a gun under his running shorts, and a paired black-full sleeve. 

"Isn't Lorenzo coming out?"

Usually it was the both of them that ran with me, but today even Matteo seemed more capricious than usual. I only hoped the underlying cause was alcohol- and that I wouldn't trudge downstairs to find a handful of strippers hogging the couch.

He shook his head, eyes on his phone. "Hungover."

Go figure.

He ran a firm hand through his tuft of black hair and nodded towards the sun beating down on our block. "Let's go before it gets too hot."

We ran the entirety of 57th East, passing by silent properties who's owners I'd never sneaked a peek of. We passed the Ricci's, the Pisano's, even the Castellano's- who's windows I'd spent a few extra seconds peering through as I ran alongside my cousin.

It'd never occurred to me the striking ache in my chest would be so consistent. The cause? My sister. A week had passed since our fight, and I felt out of sorts in every way.

I was never hard to motivate, consistency came with whatever I did. Routines were habitual, and I'd never paid much attention to the parts of me that lacked instruction. I just.. did what I needed to do, without caring too much.

So the sweat running down my forehead wasn't really the result of stress, but a cooperative mission along with my aching feet to get back inside. That's what my body was telling me. I, on the other hand, could survive a few more minutes stretching out my diaphragm. The air was cool, whipping back my flyaway strands, and keeping my midriff under my sports bra free from tension. The chirping birds were my music, and the wind was the bass behind it. I could almost close my eyes and imagine something close to the dream that was peace. 

Most importantly, there wasn't a soul in sight. I've always taken pride in being social butterfly- it was one of my most esteemed abilities. Making conversating and the such was instinct. It was only until now, when the only voices I could hear were natures', that made me feel less confident in that same belief.