[ COMPLETED ]
Kalani Reed was a regular twenty-two year old woman who was trying to get the handle on her life. She worked at a small café, lived in a small apartment by herself, and had a kind of boyfriend. Back in highschool, she was one of those...
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"WHY HAVE YOU BEEN IGNORING me?"
Kalani was seething by the time she had stomped to Giovanni's room door and pounded on it with clenched fists.
A week had passed since the two's shopping trip and since that night, Giovanni had been ignoring the woman. Honestly, Kalani was hurt. First he was telling her that she makes him weak, next thing she knows, he's walking out of rooms when she walks in, a scowl on his face.
A week of that had put a toll on her which led her to where she is right now.
Giovanni looks down at the woman, indifferently.
She raises an eyebrow, "You're just not gonna say anything? You're just gonna have that unbothered look on your face like you don't care about anything?"
He remains quiet, eyes scanning Kalani's face. He had the words on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't will himself to say them.
She glares at him in disbelief, "You emotionless bastard."
He grabs her arm and pulls her towards him, roughly, "I am not emotionless."
"Oh yeah, you're so passionate," Kalani scoffs, mockingly. She removes her arm from his grasp, "Fuck you."
The woman wants to walk away ━ from him and his bullshit ━ but something is holding her back. She didn't want to admit it but she feels something for this man. This man who stole her from her home. This man who is using her to get to her brother. The man who is going to kill her brother.
"What are you going to do with me when you kill Kellan, huh?" She hisses, pushing at his chest. Her eyebrows furrow when he just stares down at her, "Answer me, Giovanni."
"I don't have to tell you anything." His mouth forms a scowl.
"Oh, no, you don't have to. Because you're the big boss, right? And nobody tells you what the fuck to do or else you'll kill them." Sarcasm drips from the woman's tone as she pokes a finger into his chest. Roughly, he grabs her wrist and pulls her into him.
Thrown off guard, she moves on instinct mixed with anger: her hand meets his face with a loud smack.
He scowls as his head snaps to the side before he turns to look at her quivering eyebrows. She expects him to throw her around and force her to apologize but, instead, what he does throws her off even more.
"I won't kill you." He says, tone low. He stares down at her, resolve softening.
"Then answer my question," She asserts, her voice quieting, "Please, Giovanni."
Her chest is heaving by the time she finishes her statement. Space is nonexistent between the two as Giovanni holds her to his chest. His eyes scan her face as a hand moves to cradle her face.
He takes a minute to contemplate, "What happens afterwards is up to you, Kalani..."
Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. She knows what she means but her mind can't move fast enough to process it, "What the hell does that mean?"
Giovanni sighs and tilts his head down, resting his forehead on hers, "You will have an option to go home, principessa. I will not force you to stay here."
Kalani's eyes widen in surprise. All those weeks ago when Giovanni brought up the option to go back home, she thought he was just entertaining the idea. But to know that it was true, she feels conflicted.
"Why?" She asks him before she can even think of a reasonable response.
Realizing that they were still stood at his doorway, he pulls her in gingerly and locks the door behind her. She takes a few steps forward before she spins around and send him a questioning glance.
"Do I need to give a reason on why I think you should make your own choice?" He says, stepping directly in front of her.
She shrugs, indifferently, "It's just ━ you haven't given me one before, why should now be any different?"
"Do you not want a choice?" He questions.
"Yes, I do." She says, quickly, "I just don't understand. What changed?"
A moment of silence passes between the two. Kalani's eyes scan Giovanni's, as if trying to find the answer in his soul. She watches him contemplate his answer, his neck craning to look at the portrait behind the small woman.
Then, with a sigh, he looks back down at her, eyes pleading, "I realized how wrong of me it was to bring you into this mess. You're an innocent woman. You don't deserve to be here. I'm sorry."
Kalani's jaw falls in surprise. She didn't expect an apology from her kidnapper. She quickly catches herself and steps closer to Giovanni until the tips of their toes are touching and their chests are pressed flush against each other.
She looks up only to see him already looking at her, eyes filled with something indecipherable. He cradles her face, before pressing his forehead against hers. She returns the action by reaching her hand up and brushing her hand through his hair.
Her eyes flutter closed as she nods, "I forgive you."
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y'all in the comments cracking me up — you're telling me, if a man grabbed you rough, your first instinct wouldn't be to defend yourself?
