The Beginning

Chapter Seven

ARIA

Giovanni's lips were pressed against mine. I wanted to believe he did this because he wanted to, but he was drunk. I pulled back and Giovanni looked at me. I opened the door and helped him walk in. He stumbled but I held him as he was wrapped around me. We walked towards the bed and he fell on it causing him to laugh.

"Gio, we have to get you out of those clothes and put something comfortable on", I said.

I was drunk but not like Giovanni, he was hammered.

"Gio", I said.

He was knocked out on the bed his legs hanging off the side of the bed. He was still in his suit, and his body was spread out on the bed.

I sighed and walked out of the room and down the deck. I sat at the edge and put my feet in the water. My lips were still tingling from when Gio kissed me. I was attracted to Giovanni, I've had the biggest crush on him since I was fifteen. I'd see him around town when I'd walk home from school. No one ever knew how I felt about him since he was my family's rival. When I first saw him he was with a woman, who later I found out was his wife. He always looked so happy when he was with her. The way he looked at her, I used to imagine he'd look at me that way.

I was a stupid teenager who had a crush on a married man who was against my family. I didn't plan on letting my family or anyone know. Even now that I was married to him.

When my father came to me with the proposal of marrying Giovanni, my heart nearly did flips. I played it off cool and protested at first but then gave in. I knew Giovanni wouldn't like the idea, I saw how devastated he was after his wife died. Everyone saw it but Gio denied it. It did make me feel uncomfortable that even though I was his wife, I would never be his wife. He would never treat me like a wife. I didn't want to try and take the past of his last wife, I wouldn't want him to forget her. She was apart of his life and the love of his life. Everyone knew that. I just wished that eventually, he would want to know me. He would want to actually make this marriage more than just what it was.

It did hurt when Giovanni told me that this marriage was just for peace. He didn't want to know me. He was a gentleman and I was grateful for that.

I got up from the deck and walked inside. I grabbed some blankets and walked over to the couch. I laid on the couch and covered myself with the blanket. I touched my lips knowing that tomorrow Giovanni wouldn't remember tonight, and if he did he wouldn't want to acknowledge it.

***

I woke up to the smell of bacon, my eyes fluttered open. I got off the couch and I walked into the kitchen to see Giovanni cooking breakfast. He was still only in his boxers, I analyzed his body. He was muscular and he had tattoos on his chest and down his left arm. He looked up to see me and I gave him a small smile.

"Morning", he said.

"Morning", I said. I walked to the stool and sat down on it watch Giovanni cook. He scrambled the eggs, he moved to another pan that had bacon crackling on it. I stood quiet watching him, not wanting to bring up last night. Giovanni didn't seem to have anything to say. He finished cooking then set a plate in front of me.

"Better eat", he said as he grabbed his own plate and walked to the table.

I was right. He didn't remember kissing me yesterday. I grabbed my plate and sat across from Giovanni. He kept his eyes down and didn't even throw me a glance. I was getting a bit upset, he had to of remembered or else he wouldn't avoid eye contact.

I finished my food, I grabbed our plates and washed them. Giovanni walked pasted me and looked into the fridge. He was in his swimming trunks, he grabbed a beer and walked outside to the deck. I dried my hands off and sighed. I took a quick shower before rummaging through my bag and grabbing a book I packed. I took the pills I saw near the bed with water. I sat on the bed facing the sliding door that leads to the deck outside. It was a beautiful view, the water was clear and blue. I saw Giovanni sitting on the edge of the deck, his feet in the water. I could see his back muscles tensed. I brought my attention to my book. I wanted to go see if Giovanni was okay, but there was no point in trying when I couldn't even get him to have a conversation with me. I just wish he would try.