Mafia's Woman

19- Matt

I couldn't decipher a single emotion on his face, but his jaw was clenched tight as I told him my backstory. While I didn't exactly want to reveal my past traumas, it was refreshing to have someone listen to me.

After I had explained everything, I sat awkwardly in silence, not sure where to go from there. The last we saw each other, things were not great between us. He'd hurt me, and he did it intentionally. I'd wanted to believe there was good in him, and he'd let me believe that sentiment before quickly setting a rapid inferno to any of the hope I had.

He stood from the side of my bed and glanced at me one last time before leaving my room. I was thankful he left. I didn't want to be around him any longer. For the remaining duration of my stay at his house, no matter how long it was, I planned to be done with him. I would no longer try to engage in menial conversation. I wouldn't delude myself by believing there was any good in him. I would simply ignore him because trying to force my way into his life only brought me pain.

I glanced at my phone, checking the time. Shit. I had to make him dinner. With a sigh, I pulled myself from my bed. I preferred to have stayed in my bed, away from the owner of the house.

Just as I had set the table for him to eat, he entered the kitchen and sat down at his usual spot. I walked away, waiting behind the counter as I always did.

I was surprised when his voice spoke my name. "Eloise, grab a plate and silverware and come here."

I did as he said and stood before him. "Sit."

I obeyed. Arguing with him would get me nowhere. Instead, I would simply obey from now on.

He gestured toward the food and I understood that he wanted me to eat. In the time I'd lived there, we had never once eaten at the same time let alone together. I wasn't sure why he was demanding me to eat with him, but I chose not to give it much thought. I was done.

I felt him staring at me but I refused to look up, to acknowledge him. After he had toyed with me, intentionally and deliberately fooled me, he didn't deserve my acknowledgment. Unfortunately, my face heated up under his intense gaze.

When we finished our dinner, I moved the dishes from the table to the counter. I put all of the leftovers away and then quickly washed the dishes. I wanted to return to my room as soon as possible.

After drying and putting the freshly washed dishes away, I tried escaping to my room, but a ring of the doorbell made me hesitate. I stood there not knowing if I should answer it or not.

"Answer the door and tell them to come to my office," I heard Arsenio's voice boom from the second floor, making me jump.

I quickly walked to the door and pulled my uniform down, trying to cover as much skin as possible before I opened the door.

"Hey, Eloise." Ermanno greeted me when I opened the door. There were two other men beside Ermanno. They were all about the same height and build, but the one man gave me a look that made me feel queasy.

"Hello. Mr. Campione wants you to meet him in his office," I said quietly and opened the door wider so they could walk through.

When the man that gave me the weird look passed, he shot me a creepy smile and then followed behind the other two.

"Oh, Eloise, the guy standing closest to you is Matt and this other one is Stefano," Ermanno said.

"Hello." I greeted them with an awkward wave. I wasn't sure how to address them. I was the outsider in the house.

"Hey," the man named Stefano greeted before walking in the direction of Arsenio's office.

"Hello," the one named Matt said and gave me another creepy smile. I gave a small smile in return and then turned to shut the door. When I turned back around, I noticed Matt's gaze on my legs.

His gaze made me severely uncomfortable and I shifted awkwardly, squeezing my legs together and tugging my dress down as far as it would go.

He saw my uncomfortable movements and smiled at me once more before walking off with Ermanno to the office.

Once they were out of view, I ran into the kitchen and itched all over my legs trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling Matt's gaze caused.

Before I could hide away in my room though, I remembered I had to vacuum and dust a wing of the house I forgot about earlier. "Shit," I mumbled to myself as I walked up the stairs to the supply closet. Crawling into my bed seemed like an increasingly distant dream that I couldn't reach.

After I finished my chore, I took everything back to the closet, but before I could get there, I bumped into Matt.

My heart started beating erratically in my chest. He reminded me of my father's friends in the way they used to stare at me. I hated it then and I hated it now. I apologized when I bumped into him and tried to walk away, but he grabbed my elbow before I could.

My skin crawled where he touched me and my heartbeat sped up even more. I did not want this strange man touching me.

"Hey," he said, his hand still wrapped around my arm.

"Uh, hi."

He didn't say anything for quite some time, just stared at me.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked.

"Yes, actually. Would you want to go out with me?"

"Go out with you?" I was shocked. This had never happened before. Boys never acknowledged me, not that I wanted them to. I preferred to be alone, it was easier that way.

"Yeah. You're hot, especially in that little outfit."

I stared at him, astonished. I hated the uniform Arsenio made me wear. It was objectifying and revealing and utterly inappropriate. But when someone other than Arsenio mentioned it, I felt even more uncomfortable.

"Um, I'm sorry, but no."

"No? Why?"

Was he never taught that no meant exactly that, no?

"I have a boyfriend," I lied.

His cocky demeanor wavered some. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"I'm almost positive he would." I lied, I didn't have a boyfriend. I just needed an excuse and I couldn't think of anything better. I did know that the only man in my life, Arsenio, would not be pleased if I left his house

He dropped his hand from my arm and I felt like I could actually get a full breath into my lungs.

"Fine. He's a lucky guy." He turned and walked back down the hallway.

I stared at him as he walked away, disbelief written across my face. How could somebody lack any and all awareness? I rolled my eyes and started to put everything back into the cleaning closet. "Sick pig," I mumbled to myself, angry that he felt the need to objectify me.

After the meeting was over and everyone had left, Arsenio and I passed each other in the hallway as I walked back to my room. As he passed me, he said a simple goodnight to me. While it wasn't much, it was completely out of the ordinary. He never initiated small talk with me. Ever.

As I continued walking, I pondered his action. He'd told me Goodnight. What did that mean? I wish it simply meant "Goodnight," but he'd never told me that before in passing. It was odd, an anomaly perhaps.

I groaned and flipped on my bed after turning the lights out. I shook my head, a symbolic gesture of shaking the thoughts out of my mind. I didn't want to think about Arsenio any longer. I just wanted to fall into a relaxing and peaceful slumber.

He was far too confusing to figure out and I wanted to be done trying.

'Goodnight,' he said.

I groaned into my pillow. My mind wouldn't stop.