Keeley's POV
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine, Brady. Don't worry about me," I told him in what I hoped was a reassuring way.
"Keeley, don't act like everything is fine. Tomorrow is-" I abruptly cut him off.
"I'm well aware of what tomorrow is, Brady. I don't need you to remind me." I felt bad for being so harsh and snapping at him, but what I said was true. I don't need to be reminded that tomorrow marks two years since the worst day of my life.
Tomorrow is December 13th, exactly ten days after my birthday, and this year, two years after he took me. Last year was terrible, all I really remember from that day is the violent puking and the constant fear he would find me again. This year was different, though. I was with my family, in my home, in my own bed. He couldn't reach me here, or at least that's what I was telling myself.
He was quiet on the phone and I could hear his heavy breathing. No doubt he was frustrated with me, I told him he couldn't stay over and he couldn't control a damn thing that was going to happen.
"Look, I'm sorry for snapping. I just don't want to talk about it," I whispered into the phone.
"I know, Sweetness. I'll let you go and try to get some sleep. If you need me, promise you'll call, okay?" he spoke softly.
"I will, Brady. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Sweetness. I love you."
I smiled to myself. "Ditto."
I hung up the phone and looked out my bedroom window. No light was reflected onto the lawn, so I could tell everybody had gone to bed. Gus slept heavily in his plush bed by the door. No matter how many times I tried to move his bed closer to mine, he would end up dragging it right back over there, forever my protector.
Already dreading tomorrow, I turned off my bedside lamp and snuggled deeper under my covers. My body was tired but my mind was wide awake. I wouldn't tell anybody, but I'm terrified of what is going to come in my dreams, and more importantly, of what is going to come when the sun rises.
I'm not sure how long I laid there, my eyes deadset on the door, but eventually, my mind shut down and I fell asleep.
***
The sound of my screams echoed off of the concrete walls as he dragged the knife deeper and further down the length of my left side. His brown eyes darkened as he slowed to a stop and pulled the knife out of my skin. My body sagged in relief to the best of its ability as my arms were still shackled to the ceiling.
He stepped back and gave me a sickening smile before wiping off the blood on his knife with a thin rag he took from his pocket.
"Well, I guess it's quite obvious we won't be getting anything out of you today. So try not to bleed out and I'll see you soon." He sounded like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, like he didn't just slice the side of my body with a knife. He turned and began to walk carelessly towards the metal door across the room. And before I could shut my mouth, the words were already out.
"Why are you doing this, Adrik?" my voice croaked hoarsely. Besides screaming, I haven't spoken except when addressed since I've been here.
My question froze him in his steps as his shoulders went ridged. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at me, and I didn't recognize him. The light coming through the door had cast a shadow across his chiseled jaw and dark eyes, making him look more deadly than I remember him ever looking. His hair clung to the side of his face with sweat and his chest fell heavier with every breath he took.
"You're not a stupid girl, Keeley. You know exactly why you're here," he spat. I was taken aback by the amount of venom laced throughout his voice. Adrik has been angry and frustrated with me since I've been chained here, but this was different. He seemed almost... disgusted, that he had to answer my question.
"I didn't do anything wrong. I had no choice-" I winced as the pain in my side began to spread throughout the rest of my body with a slow, achy burn.
"You had no choice?!" he screamed as he made his way towards me again. I flinched back as he suddenly stopped and grabbed one of the chains holding my arms up. He yanked it to where it forced me onto my toes.
"You had a choice, Keeley. You and that petty little team of yours, for whom I still can't figure out who they work for, marched right into my house, killed my men, and attacked my family. But what hurt most is the fact that my love, my girlfriend for fuck's sake, slammed down the door of the room me and my family were in and raised a gun to our heads." Adrik's voice boomed off of the walls as a mixture of rage and frustration escaped him. He was shaking where he stood.
"I didn't want to, Adrik, but I was ordered-"
"You had a fucking choice, Keeley! I saw that look in your eye as you stood there. For the briefest of moments, your beautiful, beautiful amber eyes flashed with pain and question. You questioned yourself if this was really the right thing to do: kill your boyfriend, who'd you been with for two years, who loved you more than anything in this world, and kill his family. But that look was gone as quick as it had come. You would have pulled the trigger had my men not stopped you." His voice broke off at the end, and while the anger and frustration were still there, it was the hurt in his eyes and his voice I couldn't shake.
"Adrik-" I tried, but he wouldn't listen. He let go of the chain and took a step back to look me over: bloody, cut, bruised. A complete and utter mess.
"That's why I'm doing this, Keeley. I'm doing this because you hurt me, you hurt my family who took you in as if you were one of their own, and because you killed my men. I love you more than you'll ever know, Darling, but your actions have consequences. You've hurt one too many people to walk away unharmed. And once you tell me what I want to know, we'll discuss the future."
Adrik turned around and was about to take a step, but I stopped him.
"I'm getting out of here. I can promise you that," I whispered as my head drooped down. I was going lightheaded as the crimson continued to pour from my left side.
His humorless chuckles filled the stiff air around us and caused all the hairs on my body to stand straight up.
"Don't play the promise game with me, Kitten. You talk a very big game, but I find it hard to believe you would actually follow through." His blackened eyes were narrowed onto me and I found myself struggling to form an actual sentence.
A satisfied smirk grew on his face as he stood up straighter and yet again went to walk away.
"I will leave here, Adrik. I will get out." He was quiet for a moment.
"My dear, do you remember when we first met?" he asked softly as he turned around to face me, his eyes immediately meeting my own. "Do you remember the state I was in?"
I didn't answer him as he stepped closer. His body was flushed with mine.
"I was a mess. Sure, I had my family, and I loved and still do love them dearly, but let's be honest here, I was the black sheep. Then here you came: your beautiful, feisty, and sassy self who treated me like I was actually worth talking to, worth getting to know. You, Keeley, listened to me. You kept my secrets and shared my dreams, and I did the same for you."
I clung to every word he was saying, for what reason I didn't know, but I couldn't find it in me to stop listening.
"You gathered up the damaged pieces of my cold and brutal heart, put it back together, and held it close to your own. You warmed it and you made me happy again. And I know that we are young, Keeley, and people float in and out of our lives, but I don't think I'd ever be able to forget and live without someone like yourself, even after all of this shit that has happened. So let me tell you this-"
He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. His eyes changed hues just like mine did, and at this moment, they were dark. Yet somehow, deep down, I could see the swirls of toffee and caramel tones within them. He wasn't completely gone yet.
"Should you ever manage to find a way out of here and leave me, I will find the person who you love most. This won't be a brother or your father, or a friend, no- it will be that one person you've subconsciously chosen to keep your secrets. That one person who you love so deeply that you can't imagine life without, and I will kill them. And you know why?"
I couldn't stop it as my body started to shake.
"Because that person to you, Keeley, is like the person you are to me. And once that person for you is dead, you will be forced to keep it all inside. Everything that has happened and will continue to happen, you won't be able to tell anybody, because I will kill them too. You will be forced to live life like I do when you are not around: dark, cold, and helpless. And believe me when I tell you, I will burn down this earth and everything in my way till I find you again. Now that, my sweet Kitten- is a promise."
He harshly let go of my face as a small cry escaped my lips. He turned around and walked straight to the door, this time, not even bothering to turn around. He looked at the guard that normally watched over me.
"I want her fed, bathed, her wounds tended to, and then immediately returned to this cell. Not one person besides a maid or nurse is allowed to lay a hand on her, do you understand?"
The guard nodded and began moving towards me. Relief flooded my body as my arms were unchained, but I could not focus on that for long. My eyes could only stay glued to one person, but he was already walking away.
***
No noise came out of me as I sat up and gasped for air. My lungs were burning and my body was clammy with the cold sweat that covered me. My legs shook as I stumbled to the bathroom and began rifling through my drawers.
I threw things all over the bathroom in a haste, praying that I actually found what I needed. My breathing was quickening and I couldn't grab onto anything as my hands were too sweaty and all too shaky to function right.
I saw the small bottle at the back of one of the vanity drawers and yanked it out, but it was empty. That was my last bottle of anxiety medication, and if I wanted more, I'd have to go to the doctor's and they'd do an evaluation, no doubt my father would find out.
My breathing picked up as I slid down against the tub. My palms seemed to slip on anything I put them on considering the panicked state I was in. I shook as silent tears began to fall and the air began harder to get into my lungs.
I heard the jingle of tags as I looked to the bathroom door where Gus was trotting in. He came straight to me and laid down. I followed suit and laid my cheek on his cushioned stomach. I held onto him tightly and did my best to focus on slowing my breathing.
Adrik's words were like a black cloud lingering over my head every day. He has never broken a promise to me, and I'm terrified of that. At that moment in time, when I first bust down that door, I asked myself why I was doing it. I had never been to his family's main house, so I had no way of knowing he would be behind those doors. And when I saw him, I froze. The only person that had ever loved me up to that point, I was seriously considering shooting. He understood me more than I did myself, but I remember Sergeant Phillips's orders running through my head on how if I didn't do this, many more people would die. So I was going to do it, I was, but then they stopped me and took me captive, questioning me for what now I know was five months, until I managed to escape.
I still don't know how to handle everything. How do I move on and live my life knowing that he is still out there, searching for me and willing to kill anybody in the way? All it would take is for me to slip up one time with Tommy, and he would no doubt tell Adrik where I was and my life would be over. Every relationship I've built up would be gone and they'd all be dead, and I would be at his hands.
That's why I refuse to tell anybody what happened during those times. Brady obviously is aware of what happened, but he doesn't know in detail about anything, and I'll never tell him for as long as Adrik is alive. My brothers, my father, the Moretti's, and especially Luca, they would never know. Whoever knows will be killed, and I would rather willingly hand myself over to Adrik than have any one of them dead.
The sun still hadn't risen when I felt my eyes beginning to sag, my dream finally done and leaving me, my mind, and my body exhausted. I fell asleep on the cold tile floor of my bathroom in the dark, but with my best boy.
***
I awoke from a dreamless sleep when the sunlight from the window crossed my eyes. I groggily sat up in pain and wiped the sleep from my eyes. Gus was still passed out and lightly snoring which caused the smallest of smiles to appear on my face. I used the bathtub for support as I stood up and winced from the pain in my back. I was still healing from my fight with Brady and sleeping on a tiled floor definitely didn't help.
I stumbled to the shower and turned on the hot water. I stripped out of my clothes and waited till the water was basically steaming to step in. A sigh escaped my lips as the water ran over my muscles and bruises, slowly easing the pain away.
As I showered, I tried to think of a way that would keep my mind off of today, but nothing was coming to mind. It was December, so going outside wasn't really an option, but I don't think I could be trapped here all day.
I racked my brain for anything as I stepped out of the shower and dried off. What would actually make me happy and keep me distracted from the shittiness of today?
I stepped into my closet and froze in my steps. The little safe that sat in the back of my closet mocked me as I looked at it. In it contained what tangible memories were left of me and Adrik. Anything from photos of the two of us happy, to little keepsakes, to a small collection of medical photos that were taken of me when I finally got out, all bruised and broken. I couldn't find it in me to throw them away, for what reasons I don't know, but I couldn't.
I swallowed hard as I averted my eyes from it and looked at the racks of clothing before me. I smiled to myself as I saw the ugliest cat sweater Brady had given me for- that's it.
I scavenged my closet and pulled on a stark-white sweater and a pair of light-washed skinny jeans. I ran to my bathroom and finished drying my hair before clasping Brady's necklace and Luca's bracelet on. I tucked my gun into the waistband of my jeans and grabbed my purse as I slipped on my favorite moccasins.
"C'mon, Gus!" I yelled as I ran down the hallway and stairs, ignoring the soreness in my back and abdomen. I was about to pitch my great idea to everybody, but when I reached the living room, nobody was there. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Hello?" I yelled out to no one. I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was only nine. Somebody should be here.
I looked around the room. "Keeley!"
I turned my head as I saw Giovanni step into the living room. He was wearing dark jeans and a flannel, and I don't think I'd ever seen him so casual.
"Where is everyone?" I asked as he walked closer.
"They all had to work today so I stayed here with you so you wouldn't be lonely. Wanna watch a movie?" His voice was light and chipper, which was odd because if there's one thing I'd learned about Giovanni, it's that he hates the mornings.
"What's up with you? I thought you hated mornings?"
"I do," he spoke while clapping his hands together. He rounded the couch and plopped down in the corner. "But I don't have to leave the house today, so I'm excited."
I smirked to myself. "Actually, you do. I need you to take me into town."
His head whipped around. "I don't think so. Last time I checked, you're still on house arrest and I'm not getting my ass up from this couch."
"Please? I need to go to the store and my keys were taken away. It's only to the store." I was doing my best to beg him, but let's be honest, like my brothers, he won't do anything he doesn't want to unless something is on the line.
"I said no, Keeley. The last thing I'm going to do is break Dominic's rules for shopping of all things." There was a tone in his voice that reminded me of Nick when he's annoyed, but lucky for me, I knew how to deal with it.
"I'll tell everyone you sleep with a nightlight," I smirked. His body froze and his eyes widened at my statement.
He cleared his throat before talking again. "I do not, and even if I did, you'd have no way to prove it."
"I don't? Because if I remember correctly," I laughed as he stood up, "when I walked by your room the other night, your door was cracked. I could see a little Scooby-Doo nightlight plugged into the wall. And when I went to ask you about it the next day, I watched as you hid it in the top drawer of your dresser."
He stared me down like he was one of my brothers. He was annoyed, but by the way his neck turned a tad pink, I knew he was embarrassed.
"And if the guys got ahold of that information, that'd be embarrassing. I mean not just for you, think about your dad. How would he feel if he learned that the heir to Angeli dell'Inferno slept with a-" Gio let out a frustrated groan and stopped me from going further. I gave him a wild smile as I knew that I had won this battle.
"Get your fucking coat on," he grumbled as he walked across the room to grab his keys. I giggled to myself as I grabbed my coat from the closet and slipped it on. I also grabbed Gus's heather grey hoodie that I'd had specially made for him. It was pretty worn at this point, but it still kept him warm.
"He's not coming with," I heard Giovanni say as he got closer to the door. I turned my head and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Do I need to remind you of the conversation we had not even thirty seconds ago?"
He sighed and gave me an annoyed look.
"Just get in the fucking car."
***
"Are we almost done? It's about noon and thanks to you, I haven't eaten." This was the fourth complaint I'd heard from Giovanni in the past hour. And I answered it like I did the past three times:
"Not yet."
We had gotten to Box o' Stuff at ten this morning. Box o' Stuff is this giant store a couple of towns over that sells just about anything you could ever need, including Christmas.
The only time I've ever celebrated Christmas has been with Brady, and for some reason, it's always made me happy. And considering the work levels and the stress that's been in the house lately, I think we could all use a little happy.
So that's why we have three carts full of Christmas stuff that I plan to buy and decorate the house with all before the family gets home tonight. Gio is pushing one and pulling the other while Gus and I lead us through the aisles upon aisles of stuff. The only thing we need now is a tree.
"Gio, how do you feel about cutting down a tree?" I asked him as I stopped suddenly causing him to stumble. In his efforts to try and not hit me with the carts, he just so happened to hit a poor lady and her child. He apologized profusely but she just hit him upside the head with her purse and continued on.
I stifled a laugh as he turned to me and rubbed his temple where a small red spot was growing
"I'm not cutting down a tree. As it is, I'm ready to just leave you here and face the eternal embarrassment of sleeping with a nightlight. There are fifty fake trees right over there that you could buy," he told me as he gestured wildly to the far wall. I smiled and shook my head as we began to walk towards them.
The trees were lit with white and colored lights and some were flocked with fake snow and others weren't. They went all the way up to twenty feet, but let's be honest here, we don't really need a twenty-foot tree.
Gio and I split up in search of the perfect one. I went down a couple of rows until I stopped in front of a tree that if I didn't know was fake, I would have sworn it was real. I reached out a hand and brushed it over the dark green needles. It was prelit with soft white lights and the card said it reached twelve feet, not too big and not too small.
I remember one of the first Christmas's I knew Adrik, he took me to a Christmas tree farm on one of my off days. We spent hours there laughing and causing trouble. We ended up getting escorted out and having to call his dad to pick us up because the car was out of gas. Looking back, that's one of the good memories I had that was blackened by the way he ended up treating me.
"See one you like?"
I flinched as Gio's voice snuck up on me. For the briefest of moments, I had thought he'd found me.
I stumbled over my words and cleared my throat. "Yeah-um, this one I think."
He gave me a concerned look. "You okay, Keels? You look like you saw a ghost."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just find someone to get this for us." I gave him what I had hoped was a reassuring smile. He slowly nodded his head, but I could tell he didn't believe me.
After a moment, he walked down a couple of aisles and asked a worker to get one of the trees for us from the back. The worker assured us it would be waiting by the registers when we were ready.
"Well, I think we've got everything. You ready to go?" I nodded at Gio and we headed off to the registers. We waited in the line closest to the door till it was our turn. By the time everything was scanned, bagged, paid for, and put in the car, it was about forty minutes and a couple of thousand dollars later, thanks to the giant tree.
Gio and I sat in the car for a second with nothing spoken between us.
"Where the hell did you get all that money?" he laughed while shaking his head.
"I've been saving for years, and now that I also get money from my father and the mafia, I'm sitting pretty well," I explained as he pulled his truck out of the parking spot.
He nodded at me and nothing else was said. He turned the music up and that's how it stayed the rest of the way home.
***
"Okay, that's the last ornament and what I think is the last thing we have to put up," Gio sighed while plopping down on the couch. I followed suit in the leggings and Luca's t-shirt that I had changed into, and stared up at the giant tree that had taken all of three hours to set up on top of everything else, as it was now five-thirty.
Pretty red, green, silver, and gold ornaments filled the tree that was topped with a sparkly silver star. But besides the tree, the rest of the house was completely decorated. The banisters on the stairs had fluffy green garland wrapped around them with white lights and little ornaments. There were new Christmas blankets, pillows, knick-knacks, cups, plates, and wreaths on every door. You name it, it was here, but I think my favorite part was the mantle.
I had bought twelve matching stockings to hang on the fireplace, one for each person and even one for Gus. Each of them had a small tag I had made that said their name, but they looked great. All of the decorations made this big and sometimes cold house feel warm and like an actual family lived here. A small fire was going and the smell of cookies filled the air as I had somehow had time to make some for us to decorate.
Giovanni and I were quiet for a few minutes, just listening to the soft Christmas music playing in the background. He doesn't know it, but he kept me okay today. I wasn't alone and I felt safe. I wasn't focused on anything but what we were doing, and I think he was actually excited about the decorations.
He and Matteo had become brothers to me with how they always watched my back and made me feel loved. I went from no one to all these people, and I don't think they realize how much that means to me.
I scooched closer to Gio and pulled my legs up onto the couch and leaned into him. I could tell he was caught off guard as I never really show affection to anybody besides Brady and Luca, but he eventually warmed up and put his arm around my shoulder.
"Thank you for doing this with me today," I told him softly. He really did help. Being alone today I think would have been one of the worst things possible.
"Anytime, Keels, anytime."
I small smile grew on my face, but it was quickly replaced with confusion as I heard a loud grumbling sound come from his stomach.
"You good there?" I asked.
"Yeah," he laughed. "Just hungry."
I sat up and set my feet on the floor. "Well, I ordered pizzas to be delivered around seven-thirty. That will give us time once everyone is home to decorate cookies."
"You had the money for pizzas after today?" He sounded shocked as he asked me.
I laughed. "Please, I used my father's card."
A loud, thunderous laugh bubbled from his chest and filled the room.
"Hey- what the hell happened in here?"
Gio and I looked over to the main entrance of the living room where our families slowly started to pile in. Their faces were priceless and caught somewhere between awe and confusion.
"Well," I started hesitantly as I stood up and faced them, "I thought this year we could celebrate Christmas, so Gio and I went shopping."
My brothers looked happy and really excited, but my father looked just a tad bit pissed. He walked over to the tree and motioned for me to follow. I did so wearily, slightly concerned about my well-being.
Chatter filled the room as he stared at me. His suit was still unwrinkled and sharp, which I'm hoping means he had a good day and that he wouldn't go bat-shit crazy on me for breaking his rules.
"I thought I told you that you were not to go anywhere." His voice was cold and held no clues as to what he was actually thinking.
"You did," I told him. I didn't give him anything further. He raised his eyebrows at me and motioned with his hand to keep going.
"So why did you?"
"I needed a bit of happy today and this was my happy. I've spent the past five years celebrating Christmas, which we as a family never did, and I thought it would be fun." I kept my head held high as I told him the truth, and I could tell he was having a hard time trying to figure out what to say.
"Well-" he stumbled. He couldn't find the right words and nothing coherent was coming from him.
"Now if you'd excuse me, I have cookies to take out of the oven." I walked through the living room like nobody could stop me, because for the first time today, I didn't feel weak. I felt good.
I sent Luca a wink as I walked by, and the tips of his ears went pink. I giggled and continued to the kitchen where I pulled the last batch of sugar cookies out of the oven. I would have done gingerbread, but Finn's allergic to molasses and Sam physically vomits at the smell.
"I don't think that's your shirt, Tesoro," a smooth, Italian voice spoke behind me. I smirked and kept moving the cookies off the sheet as he walked up behind me and placed his hands on my hips. He leaned down and buried his face in my neck, the feeling of his five o'clock shadow causing a ripple of chills up my spine.
Luca placed heated kisses under my ear and on my jaw and I was having a hard time moving the cookies off the sheet.
"Luca, I can't focus," I told him as I tried to move away, but he ended up just pulling me closer and pressing against me.
"Good, now dance with me," he whispered as he moved the spatula from my hand and turned me around.
You can play it here or scroll back to the top so you can listen as you read. It's up to you!
Elvis Presley's Santa Claus Is Back In Town came on and almost immediately, Luca started spinning me around the kitchen and all over the room. My head fell back in laughter as he pulled me close and moved us like we were dancing on the clouds.
I wrapped one of my arms around his neck and he held the other one in his hand. I took dance lessons till I was twelve, so I kinda knew what I was doing, but I swear Luca made the two of us look like we had been dancing together for years. He knew exactly where to move and what to do, and to be honest, it had to be one of the most attractive things I'd ever seen.
He moved both of his hands to my hips and moved us together. He leaned in and kissed me in one of his breathtaking kisses that leave never fail to leave me speechless. His lips pressed hard against my own as one hand dug into my hip and the other reached up and pressed my head closer to his. He used his tongue to part my lips as he continued to control every little thing that was happening, and really, I didn't mind.
He pulled back slowly and held onto me tightly. I stared at him with a lazy smile and a dazed look in my eyes.
"I've been waiting to do that all day," he whispered, his voice noticeably thicker with Italian.
I couldn't seem to form words so I just sat there and nodded at him. Of course, this just inflated his ego and made that dazzling smile I love so much appear on his face. He squeezed my hips one last time before backing away.
"I'm going to get changed and when I get back, I'll help you decorate those cookies, yeah?"
I nodded my head wordlessly as he disappeared out of the kitchen. It took me a second to realize that, yet again, he kissed me and left me flustered. I shook my head and smiled to myself for what seemed like the hundredth time today.
What am I going to do with him?
I finished getting all of the cookies off the tray and then got out the different colored frostings I had made earlier along with the sprinkles and other decorations. I made enough so that everybody, including my father and Stefano, could decorate three. They were shaped as either people or snowmen, and judging by the fact we are a mafia family and therefore nothing is normal, I had a feeling this would end up a mess. But, it would be fun.
I was about to call for everyone, but when I heard the chatter getting closer to me, I knew they were coming. Everybody filed in and surrounded the island where all of the cookie stuff was. I was squished between Luca and Callan and across from my father. He looked more confused than I was when I walked in on Finn trying to wipe peanut butter off of Sam this past week. I'm still not quite sure what happened there.
"So, how do we do this?" Stefano asked, who, unlike my father, looked like a kid in a candy shop.
"So each person chooses three cookies and then uses whatever frostings and decorations they want. It's really whatever you feel like doing," I explain to them.
It didn't take much time before everybody was covered in frosting and laughing their asses off. Sam had used the frosting as glue to stick sprinkles to his eyebrows while Donnie tried to stop him. I'm pretty sure Nick and Giovanni were competing against each other. Finn was trying to explain how to frost a cookie to my father who just couldn't seem to grasp the idea behind it, Stefano laughing at him the whole time. Callan was listening as Matteo talked to him about who knows what. That left just me and Luca together.
We didn't talk much, but rather just watched our families bicker and make a mess.
"Hey, Gnocco?" I said to him. He had changed into sweatpants and a worn, red hoodie, and might I say he looked very attractive.
"Yes?" He was very focused on the cookies in front of him. Each of them were frosted beautifully with different colors, and it looked like each sprinkle had been placed with purpose.
"You've got some frosting on your nose." He set down his frosting and the cookie before getting a paper towel to wipe it. But when he looked at the napkin, there was no frosting.
"Where? I don't see any- wait!" He knew exactly what I was about to do, but that didn't stop me. I took the glob of frosting that was in my hand and smeared it across his face. The kitchen fell quiet and the only thing I could hear was the faint sounds of Run Run Rudolph and Sam's hacking, my guess is because he inhaled some sprinkles.
A mischievous smile grew on my face as Luca reached up and wiped off the frosting from his eyes. He took a moment to look between the frosting in his hand and me, his face dead serious.
"You're so dead."
And then it was madness. The entire kitchen erupted into a full-on food fight with frosting flying everywhere and the sprinkles spilling all over the ground. I didn't pay any attention to what the others were doing as I ran from Luca.
I tried to run out the door, but I wasn't fast enough. Luca grabbed my waist as a squeal escaped me. He turned me around and shoved my face in a whole bowl of frosting and sprinkles. I wiped my hands across my face and proceeded to attack Luca with my face-frosting. He tried to push me away, but he was not going to get away so easily.
I quickly stopped and ran around Luca, hoping to get by, but at that moment, the biggest glob of frosting flew across the kitchen and hit me square in the face. I tripped over something, what though I'm not really sure, and the floor became my next closest friend. And then there was Luca.
He had somehow managed to slip on the floor and land right on me, causing both of us to groan in pain. He rolled off of me and we lay there as chaos continues on above us and sprinkles rain down to the floor. I turned my head and found that he was already grinning at me.
"You, Tesoro, are the definition of trouble," he laughed as one of his strong hands came up and wiped a clump of frosting off my face. I laughed loudly as I leaned towards him.
"I know." And I kissed him.
***
I exited my closet in a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top. I had to shower for the second time today because of the frosting incident, but I didn't mind one bit. After we had gotten the kitchen cleaned up, the pizzas arrived and for the next few hours, the family hung out and we just talked. It was nice, we haven't done anything like that lately.
But now I was alone for the first time since this morning, and it honestly sucked. The silence was deafening to me, and if it stayed like this much longer, the memories I worked hard to forget would make their way back up.
It was well past midnight at this point, and I knew that Luca had had a long day, but I didn't care. I needed to see him.
I tip-toed out of my room and down the hall to Luca's. I hesitated as I raised my fist to knock on the door, but after a small pep-talk, I knocked softly three times. I didn't hear footsteps and just as I was about to walk away, the door opened and there Luca stood.
A couple of water droplets fell down his forehead and neck from the shower he had probably just taken. A pair of sweatpants hung low on his hips and his tanned chest was bare as he stood in front of me.
"Are you okay, Tesoro?" he asked quietly as his dark ocean blues stared back at me. His eyes searched my face as I tried not to gawk at him. His hair was stuck to his forehead with water and the thin silver chain around his neck seemed to sparkle more than normal. The few remaining water droplets from his shower fell down his chest and over his torso. His tattered sweatpants hung low on his hips, only showcasing his deep V that much more.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" I asked timidly while switching my gaze to meet his eyes. I shifted my weight in my spot as I watched him carefully.
"Of course, baby. Is everything okay?" He moved out of the doorway and I walked into his room which, for some reason, was a lot warmer than mine.
He shut the door quietly as I stood in the middle of the room. He walked towards me and placed a hand on my low back. I sat down on his bed and he followed behind me.
"It's fine. I just didn't- um," I stumbled over what words to say because I knew whatever I said would spark questions or make me seem weak, but then I looked at Luca who was staring at me with his undivided attention and a look on his face that told me I was safe.
"I just didn't want to be by myself," I told him softly. I don't know what I expected him to say, but what he did say made me happy.
"Okay. Do you want to watch a movie?" he asked me. I smiled at him and nodded my head. He scooted back till his back rested against the headboard and I curled up into his chest as he pulled the blankets up over us. One of his hands ran gently over my skin where my shirt had ridden up while the other flipped through Netflix on the remote.
He turned on some movie I had never seen before and we sat there together for a few minutes till he finally spoke up.
"Keeley, your tattoos, do they- do they cover up more scars?"
My body froze and tensed. I hadn't expected that question from him, but here it was, out in the open. I contemplated telling him no, but I think we both knew that that would be a lie.
"Yeah, they do." I didn't say anything else nor did he ask any more questions. And for some odd reason, I felt better telling him that. It was the truth and just the smallest bit of my past as well. It's not a lot of information, but I feel like just telling him this explains a lot.
I snuggle closer into him and run my hand up and down his chest tracing the outline of each muscle. I feel both of his arms wrap around me tighter as his lips kiss the crown of my head.
"Tesoro?" I looked up at him at the sound of his voice. His dark hair fell over his eyes and I mindlessly reached up and brushed it away.
"Yes, Gnocco?"
His eyes met mine and there was so much emotion swirling within them, that I knew whatever he was about to say would be important.
"I- I um-" he stumbled over his words and held onto me tighter as if I would slip away.
He took a deep breath and his breathing was uneven.
"What is it, Luca? You can tell me anything," I assure him while sitting up straighter. He moves me onto his lap and I straddle him with my legs. I place my hands on his chest as his hands slide down and rest gently on my hips.
He stared at me deeply for a moment just taking in everything about and around me.
"I love you."
I felt my body freeze and I can tell my face did too by the way Luca's face switched to concern. Luca loves me. Shit. I mean deep down I love him too, but with Adrik, I can't- well I can but I- shit. I don't know.
I stared at him as my mind turned and tried to process everything. Loving Luca, or at least admitting it, it would mean putting him in harm's way. It would mean handing him to Adrik. But on the other hand, he doesn't know my past. Adrik said he would only kill the people that knew my secrets, and I knew he wouldn't stray from that. No matter what I said, it would change things, and that thought scared me. But I had to do what I thought was best: for me, for Luca, for us. Do I keep living in fear, or do I take a chance?
"Shit- I knew you weren't ready and I shouldn't have said anything and you don't have to say it back. I just wanted-"
I cut him off as I leaned forward and pressed my lips gently to his. It took him a second, but he finally kissed me back.
I pulled back slowly and stared long and hard at him. I took a deep breath and leaned my forehead against his.
"I love you too."
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Haha, early update! I was so excited for this chapter that I couldn't wait to post it! And now you have a backstory! Maybe not the whole thing, but it's something! Tell me what you think and I hope you loved the chapter!
Happy Reading!
Final Word Count: 7599