Indebted To Marco (Slow Updates)

The Need to Stay Strong

To say that security got tightened down even more so then it already was would be an understatement. Sev made it his own personal mission to ensure that I stayed where I was supposed to, traveled back and forth from whatever errands I had with either him or Richie in the Ciel at all times. He even tried to insist that it was necessary that he stayed over with Richie, which was the point that I put my foot down and told him there was no way in hell I was letting him wonder around our house freely at night, especially with Mia. My house had turned into my own personal prison the last two days and I was fed up with it.

And to top it all off my father decided that now is the best time to take an impromptu visit to Italy, since I had 'extra hands' at home and the bakery willing to help me out. I was stunned, he hasn't even questioned why Richie has been hanging around day in and day out for the last week or Severiano's sudden need to be here every waking moment. His reaction or lack thereof was making me question how much he really knew about what was going on between Marco and I. He didn't even mention the fact that I had gone out with Marco and I know that he has to be aware of it because Mia was none too quiet about questioning me about our picture in the paper.

The only reprieve I've gotten was that Marco had been called away from Carmine's tonight and was reluctantly okay with me handing the payment over to Sev, who was currently sprawled out on my couch eating homemade pizza with Richie, Tony and Mia watching 'Stranger Things' on Netflix. I paused in the archway to the living room and took in the scene before me with a small smile tugging at my lips. Sev lounging over half the couch, his left hand tucked behind his head, Tony wedged up next to him, legs draped over Sev's that was extended out with Mia tucked up at the other end of the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest as she stared intensely at the T.V. screen and Richie leaning forward in the lounge chair, chewing on slice of pizza as he too stared at the action playing out on the show.

Despite how annoyed and angry I was with Sev and my current lock-down situation, little moments like these eased my annoyance with him. He was great with Tony, let him trail along behind whatever he was doing in the house, helped him with his homework, stopped and listened attentively to whatever story Tony was dramatically telling him, he was surprisingly patient with him and I was thankful, Tony didn't get a lot of male interaction with Papa always being so busy and he was really soaking up the attention Sev was giving him. He had also kept his exchanges with Mia PG, no flirting or suggestive glances, which I knew had to take a significant effort on both of their parts. He was making it really hard to continue to be angry with him.

Suppressing the smile spreading over my face, I continued passed the living room, through the kitchen and out to our conjoined laundry/mudroom off the back of the kitchen and started switching laundry around. I had just gotten the towels switched over from the washer to the dryer when I felt my phone vibrate and ping in the back pocket of my jean shorts, assuming it was Bri or Finn since it had only been less than two days since Kieran's contact said to give him some time to find a match for me. I ignored my phone and hauled the basket with Tony's clean clothes to the kitchen table and started folding them when a second vibrate and ping went off. Groaning I pulled out my phone and saw that it was in fact Bri texting me.