CARLO'S POV:
"Why?" Adelaide is now leaning back a little as I try to get the words out.
I pull the small black book out of my inside pocket and watch as her face falls and pales. I put it beside her on the table and move back.
I keep my eyes on her and tell her what happened:
****
FLASHBACK:
"Bella, I'll be right back, I have to grab something okay?"
Bella nods her head and I quickly go up the stairs to Adelaide's and mine's old bedroom. I try to close the door but a foot gets in the way.
"Hello son."
I glare at the man I share blood with. "Rico."
"How have you been? Is your little slut in here?" He tries to look behind me and into the room but I push him away.
"She's not a slut Rico! Why did you even come here?"
Rico smiles at me and tilts his head to the side. "I wonder what Adelaide would say if I killed you. Do you think she would come running to me?"
I stifle a laugh. "No."
"How about we make a deal?" He suggests.
"I'm not making a deal over my future wife!" I deadpan.
"That's up to you. My plan will work anyway." He mumbles to himself before holding his hand out for me to shake.
"No."
I slam the door in his face and lock it. I turn around and laid out on the bed is a very naked Lexi.
I turn around quickly. "What the actual fuck!?" I shout.
I hear the bed squeak and then the sound of bare feet on the floor making its way to me. Before I know it a hand is gliding down my chest and cupping my dick.
Quickly smacking her hands away I take my suit jacket off and wrap it around her shoulders, only looking her in the eyes and not at her body. "Don't embarrass yourself Lexi." I warn and walk over to the corner of the room knocking on the floorboard.
Until I find the one I think is right. Lexi comes back behind me stroking my thighs. "Lexi." I grab her wrists and stand up to my full height. "Don't." My jaw clenched in irritation.
Lexi leans forward for a kiss but I turn to the side so she falls right past me. I walk past her and go to a different corner knocking on the floorboards ignoring the naked girl in the room with me.
I bend down with my hand in the floor before I get pushed down and Lexi smashes her lips to mine , i lay there feeling her lips move against mine in shock. I realise what's happening when she rolls her hips on mine. I push her off me and she falls to the ground.
"Stop." I warn in a demanding tone. Standing up.
I go into the floorboard and try to find the rings that I put in there only to pull out a black book.
I open the floorboard next to it and grab the rings from it. Lexi looks up at me from the floor with fear and horny eyes. I go to the wardrobe and grab another suit jacket, the last one I left here.
I walk out of the room saying, "Get yourself dressed and talk to your husband." I look down at the black book in my hands with eyebrows furrowed. I make my way to Giovanni's office and walk in without knocking.
"Hello." I mutter, sitting down on the couch leaning back.
"You okay?" I hear papers rustle from Giovanni's desk.
Looking up I notice him doing paperwork, "Lexi touched me." I shudder, realising what fully happened.
Giovanni pauses and looks at me confused, "Where?" I raise my eyebrows at him and he seems to get the memo, "Have you told Adelaide?"
"She's still talking to mom, I will after." I take the elastic band off around the book and wrap it around my wrist before opening up the book.
Some book entries:
'Some days I want to live and others I want to die.'
'My head has become too loud.'
"The day I die will be the happiest night of my life. I will be free.'
'I know I shouldn't get attached to this temporary feeling.'
End of some entries.
I flip through the book more skin reading the pages until the right becomes dark and concerning.
' Dear Journal,
Life is supposed to be a beautiful lie. Whereas death is the painful truth.
But why is death looked upon as negatively?
It's the welcoming hug you receive after your time is up. Whether that be 18 or 81 years. Considering no one has yet come back to intrigue us with their experience, it must be amazing. My chances of being born were 1 in 400 trillion.
If life is supposed to be the greatest gift of all...
Why is death always on my mind?
Amore, xx'
I pause as I feel my eyes tear up. I turn the next page and then next looking at the names on the top of a few pages,
'To Izzy.'
'To Giovanni and Alessia.'
'To Rose.'
'To Carlo.'
I read mine and read it properly. About how she felt at the start, like she wasn't good enough because I slept around and then called her mine. The way I changed her mind on the situation and helped her become confident, but also the way she feels trapped in her own mind and she wants to escape.
I shouldn't have read this... if she wanted me to know she would tell me.
She's going to think I invaded her privacy.
You did idiot.
What do I do?
End of flashback:
Okay maybe I was overreacting a little but why did I even feel the need to go through it in the first place.
This book seems to be her safe place.
Adelaide doesn't say anything with her face still pale until she pushes off the counter and storms out of the kitchen.
"Adelaide!" I shout, running after her with tears falling down my face.
Adelaide speed walks around the house until she gets to a door, she kicks it open and inside is a guy with Lexi on top. Adelaide storms inside and yanks her to the ground climbing on top of Lexi and throwing punches after punches to her face.
Lexi starts to bleed and the guy she was on top of, scurries around the room before running out, I step to the side letting him run out.
"Touch him again and I won't care that you're a mom. I'll fucking kill you." Adelaide punches her one more time before getting off her, leaving Lexi crying beneath her.
Adelaide kicks her in the rib and whispers something in her ear that I can't make out. She walks past me and I follow after her like some lost puppy with its tail between its legs, Adelaide walks out of the house after shouting bye and goes into a car on the drivers side.
I follow her lead and get in the passenger side. The car ride is quiet until we get close to the penthouse.
"Have you still got it?" She asks, referring to the book.
"Yeah." I answer. "Are you angry at me for reading it?"
Adelaide sighs. "No. I think I would've struggled telling you if you hadn't found it."
"Were you actually going to do it?"
Adelaide pulls up in front of the apartment. "Yeah." She whispers, before getting out and I follow once more to the elevator.
"I'm sorry." I apologise. "For the girls. And everything."
She nods her head and gives me a small smile.
The elevator dings and we both walk out, Adelaide goes over to the couch and lays down on her back with her head turned to the window.
"Can I hold you?" I ask once I'm standing near her.
"Yeah." She whispers, holding her arms out not removing her eyes from the window.
I lay down her chest resting my head on her breasts and the rest of myself between her legs, I wrap my arms under her and close my eyes.
"Please don't leave me." I whisper into the silence.
Adelaide's hand finds my hair and she plays with my curls whilst the other holds my pinky in hers.
"Go to sleep Carlo. I'm not going anywhere, not right now." She mumbles.
I know I can't make her stay, I can help but if she has her mind built into leaving she will do so. Whether she lets me know or not is up to her.
I just have to be with her in the moment because I never know when or if she will be snatched away from my grip.
"Do you forgive me?" I mumble.
"For reading my book?" She questions.
I nod my head.
"Yeah. You scared me for a second. I thought it was something a little worse than that." She chuckles.
"I might have overreacted a little." I chuckle with her. I hold her tightly and kiss her chest. "I love you."
"I love you more." She whispers.
I wait until her breathing goes steady and calm before I go to sleep myself, squeezing her every now and again to make sure she's still there.