Affairs Of The Heart

✔V E N T I C I N Q U E

There's a stretcher before me and an unknown body covered by a white sheet or tarp of some sort, the detective glances at me as if to ask if I'm ready and I nod hesitantly.

But I was lying. How could one truly be ready to identify the lifeless corpse of someone who could possibly be a loved one? Never you could never be ready.

The paramedic humphs at the Detective and pulls the sheet back.

I turn away quickly having enough of a look, burying my face in Luca's chest, relief washes over me. Letting out a breath I didn't even know I was holding, I swallow hard.

The lifeless eyes of the man of the stretcher still in my mind.

"It's not him." I mumble softly into Luca's shirt breathing in his comforting and safe scent.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that ma'am?" The detective questions hesitantly.

"It's not him." I inform him, unburying my face from Luca's shirt to glance at the cop. "That's not my James."

"Well," he clears his throat, nodding and the paramedic covers the body. "thank you for coming ma'am."

I hum not at all listening to what he says, again the ghastly, place face of the man flashing in my mind. By time I've zoned back in to the real world the detective is gone and we've walked some distance from the now covered body.

"Hey you okay?" Luca questions looking down at me with his warm concerned eyes, fidgeting with my hands I nod apprehensively.

"Yeah I'm fine, I think I wanna go home now." I mutter, sending one last brief look at the covered body.

Luca leads me to the car, opening the door for me, I get in on autopilot. Once I'm in, he closes the door and goes around to the other side, also getting in.

Securing my seatbelt, Luca starts the car up and drive us back home. The soft lull of the music from the radio and Luca's warm hand on mine stroking soothing circles makes my eyes droop feeling as heavy as bags of cement.

✨

I'm not sure when I fell asleep or when we got home but I woke up to the feel of silk sheets against my body as well as an arm wrapped securely around my waist.

I crack an eye open only to be blinded by the immense sunshine streaming in from the windows, squirming slightly in Luca's death grip, I huff unable to escape.

"Let go." I mumble raspy, wriggling some more. "Luca, let me go."

Luca stirs slightly pulling me even closer, glaring hard at his handsome sleeping face, I flick his forehead trying to get him to let me go.

"Torna a dormire, amore." Luca murmurs sleepily, making me purse my lips and glare harder.

"I swear, Luca, if you don't let me go, I'm going to grind your balls in a grinder and turn them into Italian meatballs." I hiss, busting for a pee.

Luca sighs heavily and reluctantly releases me, getting out of bed I hurry to the bathroom and do my business as well as doing the other human necessities i.e showering, brushing my teeth and getting dressed in one of his many shirts.