MATTIA
I walked onto Athena's shoot as they began wrapping up. She saw me and smiled, giving me a wave. I returned them both, taking a seat and getting my phone out. I felt a presence next to me but ignored it, going back to the game on my phone.
"Beautiful, isn't she?"
I looked up to see a gentleman sitting next to me. He had a pretty face that had Hollywood written over it.
"I guess" I said, nodding awkwardly. I didn't know if I was allowed to call Athena pretty but then again it was never mentioned in the rules.
"She's my girlfriend" he said, looking at her. I felt my shoulders deflate a little as he kept speaking.
"2 months, not long but it's been long enough for me to know she's the one I'm marrying"
"Marriage? That's big" I said, watching Athena shake hands with the photographer. He laughed to himself, looking over at me.
"Fall in love with her" he said, an intimidating tone in his voice as he didn't let his eyes go off of me.
"And I'll kill you"
"Easy, I'm just the bodyguard" I said, backing away a little. She walked over to us as his face broke into a smile. He let out a loud laugh and patted me on the shoulder, harder than a normal person.
"He's a funny one" he said, pretending like we were making some kind of conversation.
I didn't know who I hated more, her parents or him.
"Oh this is my boyfriend, Joey" said Athena. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. Her cheeks turned red and her expression uncomfortable. I cleared my throat, standing up and placing my phone in my trousers.
"The car's ready, Ma'am"
"I told you, it's Athena to you" she said, standing up and playfully nudging my shoulders. I smiled at her but I wouldn't be caught dead by calling her that.
"I thought you were coming with me"
Joey stood up too, looking at Athena with a look of annoyance. She stuttered, looking at me for some kind of assistance.
"I'm actually unfamiliar with this town, so Athena agreed to show me around after her shoot" I lied.
"Fuck that, we have to go out for dinner" he said, reaching out for her wrist. I stepped forward, quicker than him so his hand hit me.
"Step back, Jo" I said, my voice low and calm so I wouldn't provoke his childish ass any further.
"Move, poor boy"
"Joey!" shouted Athena. I stayed put, watching his eyes bore into me. He didn't intimidate me in the slightest. I'd dealt with worse. Aka, my father.
"Fine, have fun" he said, giving us a cold glare before turning and walking out of the building. Athena let out a sigh of relief, letting her head drop onto my shoulder and linking arms with me.
"Thank you, Mattia"
"Just doing my job" I said, leading her out of the building and towards the car "your boyfriend is.."
"He's a handful" she said, getting into the car. I got into the backseat with her, giving the driver the address of a coffee shop.
"But we're in love, that's all that matters" she said firmly. A little too firmly for it to be believed.
"Are you?"
There was a brief silence before she opened her mouth to say something. But my phone started ringing, I looked at the caller to see it was my Mom.
"Hold on a second" I said, raising the phone to my ear quickly "what's up, Mamma?"
"Mattia, it's Uncle Paulo"
"Uncle Paulo? Where's Mamma?" a wave of anxiety brushed over me, Athena had noticed it as she placed her hand on my leg, telling the driver to stop driving.
"Son, come to the hospital"