Stupid.
Stupid. Dumb. London.
I repeated those words to myself as I walked down the dark hallway and headed toward the room located all the way to the end. From what I remembered, that white double door was introduced to me as the door led to the master bedroom of the west wing.
I could not sleep.
No matter how long I had laid there in my perfectly comfortable bed and waited for sleep to take over me, it did not. I shifted and rolled around for hours and hours. Each time I closed my eyes, the only thing I saw was her.
Her face. Her yelling. Her blood.
She came running toward me even in my sleep and I had to keep my eyes open. I could not bear being alone in that dark room any longer. I needed someone. As frightening as the idea of disturbing Liam at this time of the night was, it was the only choice I was left with
Getting my act together, I stood in front of the french-style double door. My hand reached up and fell into a tight fist before I knocked on the wood twice. I closed my eyes when I heard heavy footsteps approaching and when the door swung open, I looked up to a sweaty, panting man.
"Yes?" He snapped to me with a hint of irritation in his tone.
"I am so sorry. I did not mean to wake you up."
Wake him up. His terribly messy hair and those bright red lipstick stains all over his neck were suggesting otherwise. Clearly, he was not sleeping.
"It's fine." He sighed, "Do you need something?"
Yes. Damn right, I do. What else did he think I was standing there for? Surely, I did not mean to disturb his fun activity with whoever that lady was. Or was it a lady?
"I couldn't sleep." I replied shyly and could hear him curse under his breath.
He then muttered to me under his heavy breathing, "Next time, when I ask you if you are going to be okay or not, think before you answer."
"Right." I nodded. Well, he was not wrong.
I looked down pathetically when he forced an exhale, "I have a visitor right now. Maybe come back in a bit. Bring your own blanket. It gets really chilly in here during the night"
My eyes flew open at his statement.
"Liam, that's not what I am here for." I said, awkwardly, "I am here to ask you if I could go spend a night with Giovanna."
"I have already told you, London. You are not here for a sleepover." He mumbled, "My sister is only going to get you distracted."
I bit the inside of my cheek in order to stop myself from rolling my eyes. The only person who was distracting me was not Giovanna but the girl he shot.
"Go down the hallway. When you saw the stairway, take the right turn then keep walking until you see a big white door. Take the left turn and take the stairs two floors down. Giovanna's room should be on your right." He instructed me before adding a big sigh, "If you are late tomorrow-"
"It's probably not because of Giovanna but rather the fact that I am probably lost." I noted, "Seriously, your house needs a map of its own."
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips and I was taken aback. For once, I could tell he was genuinely grinning. Maybe he found me stupid or that my sarcasm was being perceived as some kind of a joke. Whichever one, that was not my problem.
"Thank you for the instruction. I should get going now that everything is still fresh in my mind." I said
And when I was about to turn around, his voice stopped me, "Wait." His shoulder squared as he heaved another big sigh, "I will walk with you."
"Liam, it's oka-"
I was too late. He had already disappeared.
Should have listened to mama when she said sarcasm does get you nowhere. Apparently, it got Liam Luciano to walk me places in the middle of the night. Tapping my chin impatiently, I leaned my back against the wall beside the door and prayed for Liam to quickly reappear. I just could not wait to get back in bed now that I was out of it.
"So, you are Giovanna's friend."
My eyes landed on a female stranger standing at the doorway. She looked at me from head to toe, hard and long before she smacked her red lips together annoyingly.
"Are you deaf?" She snapped at me one more time. With those eyes, she could literally have a man peeing his pants at her glare.
"No." I uttered, feeling a bit puzzled as to why I was so afraid of her. Maybe the fact that she had just stepped out of Liam's bedroom and her lipstick happened to match the same shade as the one imprinted on his neck earlier.
The only word that immediately came to mind was, girlfriend.
"Stupid bitch." The fearful lady sneered under her breath, "What are you standing here for? Isn't Giovanna's room like on the other side of the mansion completely?"
For a beautiful lady, she had a very ugly personality. The way she was eying me was as if I was begging for her money when in fact, I was the best friend of her boyfriend's sister. But before I could say anything, Liam had reappeared. He sighed unhappily when his eyes landed on me and the red-lips lady at the doorway.
"Felicia." He turned to her, head shaking in disapproval, "Go put your clothes on. It's time to leave."
____________________
It was awkward.
So awkward as we walked in total silence for nearly ten minutes. I blamed Mr. and Mrs. Luciano for building their house the size of a department store. It was like there was no ending to these hallways.
Throughout the long walk, I kept myself occupied by the expensive artworks and sophisticated design of each room we passed. Several times, I failed. I ended up getting caught red-handed staring right at him.
When all was said and done, Liam eventually got to the bottom of my mind.
"She is just a friend." He blurted out instinctively.
I looked at him. My lips parted slightly in shock, "Oh, I see."
He nodded his head, looking somewhat guilty and a bit embarrassed.
"You don't need to explain yourself to me. It's not like we are in a relationship or anything." I spoke casually and honestly, I meant it. He and I, we were not dating. He should not be feeling guilty that he was caught with another lady. In contrast, I was the one who should be feeling something here. The man was taken and our dear parents had to force us to be together.
If I was her, I would hate me too.
"I find it funny." I said and we both looked at each other. Liam, then raised his brows questionably, "That you are in a relationship with someone, yet your parents insist on us getting married."
I heard him let out a sigh but did not bother to say anything.
"Do they not like her? Your girlfriend."
If anybody was hearing our conversation right then, they must be thinking I was one brave girl. The fact that I had the gut to ask Liam about his private life was astonishing that even I was surprised with myself.
"Was my statement earlier not clear enough for you?" He snapped at me, "She is not my girlfriend, London."
"Liam, I am not that stupid." I chuckled, "Clearly, you guys were-"
"Yes, we were but that doesn't mean we are dating." He stated, turning to give me a weird look, "I do this with many girls. None of them are mine. I don't date. It's stupid."
I was stunned by his answer. But what did I expect the way he rudely dismissed her earlier. I doubted any girlfriends would be okay with their boyfriends treating them like that.
"If relationships are so stupid to you then why did you agree on marrying me?" I asked him smartly.
"Well, do you want a relationship with me?" His response, however, was much smarter.
"Of course not." I hissed but trying to keep my voice low. It was almost one in the morning for god sake. People could take us having a midnight walk together all by ourselves very wrongly.
"I get it but still, don't you think you could have fought them a little harder." I said to him, "For sure, my parents will definitely listen to you."
"They don't even listen to their own daughter. What makes you think they will listen to me?" He snorted.
And my god, for once that he actually had a point.
"Doesn't it piss you off?" I continued to ask, "The way they are treating us like our lives belonged to them."
Liam looked like he was in deep thought for a while but then he shook his head slowly and went on.
"It pisses me off more when they would not stop nagging about how they want me to settle down already." He muttered.
"So, that's the reason why you agree on marrying me." I assumed, "To get your parents off your back."
And honestly, I was betting against myself that his answer was probably going to be a simply 'yes' but the next thing he said was unexpected.
"It's one of them." Liam murmured.
His answer caused my eyebrows to fall into a knot, "What about the others?" I asked sharply.
What was it. The other reasons, he meant.
A man like Liam Alvaro Luciano had no trouble getting any girls he had his eyes on. The way I saw it was he blew a whistle and all the ladies would come running. I was at his level, definitely but even among my tiny little group of friends, I considered myself to be the least interesting. So, what were his reasons to marry someone like me?
That, I was curious.
"We're here."
My face immediately fell into a deep frown. Right when our conversation was reaching its peak, we arrived.
Liam stepped forward and began to knock at Giovanna's door. Sooner after, she came to open it and revealed a strange look on her face as her eyes examined both of us.
"May I help the two of you?" She asked, dropping a sly smirk.
Liam rolled his eyes annoyingly, "Your friend could not sleep."
Giovanna looked at her brother and then me. Her drowsy gaze narrowed in perplexity.
"What's the matter?" She asked.
"It's what we talked about earlier." He revealed.
I watched as the two siblings communicated in silence and Giovanna knowingly gave her brother a nod.
"Come on in, bestie." She smiled at me before stepping aside, "Thank you for bringing her to me, brother."
"It's nothing." Liam prompted then he turned to look at me one last time, "Don't stay up too late. You have a dress fitting tomorrow at eight."
The reminder came alarmingly, "I do?" I mumbled back in surprise.
We had been walking together for almost half an hour and he did not bother to bring that up.
"Unfortunately, yes." He replied with a small shrug and his look hardened, "Now, get to bed already."