"Dare I say you look breathtaking in your dress?"
Arabella smiled at Enzo, bowing her head slightly, "Thank you, Enzo. I like your suit," She said, tilting her glass to him. Enzo shrugged, "It was Giovanni's originally, he passed it on to me when he grew out of it,"
"Giovanni has good taste, I see,"
"He does. In all things,"
Enzo shot her a playful wink before he turned, walking past Giovanni as he made his way to his Sun. She smiled at him, "Are you all right?" She asked, noticing his clenched jaw. He nodded, "I am. Are you?"
"Mostly all right, people have just been looking at me weird,"
Giovanni's eyes narrowed, "Who? I'll deal with them,"
Arabella shook her head quickly, her smile widening, "No! Giovanni, you can't shoot people just because they look at me,"
Giovanni chuckled, "I can shoot anyone for anything, Arabella." The girl rolled her eyes, looking away from him and observing the group. He smirked playfully at her, taking a sip from his glass. Enzo then made his way back to the pair, his face pulled into anger.
He leaned towards Giovanni, whispering in his ear. The taller man tsked, taking his whiskey in one gulp down his throat. His face was emotionless as usual as he asked, "Who the fuck invited her?"
"She's here with an American, boss."
Giovanni's lips tilted up into a grin. He turned to Arabella, noting her confused face. He pressed a kiss to her lips, "Business," He said as he pulled away. Then, he followed behind Enzo, lighting a cigarette in the process.
She sighed, taking a few large gulps from her vodka. It was when she felt a presence next to her that she turned.
It was a girl. An incredibly beautiful girl. With long, curly black hair to just above her backside, eye makeup dark, making her grey eyes pop. She smiled at Arabella, "He's always off doing something, isn't he? Never has time for anything else,"
Arabella frowned, and the girl smiled at her, "Forgive me, my name is Bianca Armani,"
Arabella's brows shot up, and she accepted her outstretched hand. "You're the sister, I assume?"
"Sadly, yes,"
Arabella smiled widely, "Arabella Jones, pleased to finally meet you." She said, shaking her hand momentarily. Bianca smiled, "Oh, I know. Giovanni called me a few days ago, rambling on and on about you, I told him I had to meet you as soon as possible. I must say, you're much prettier than he explained,"
Arabella blushed, "You're very kind. Forgive me, Giovanni didn't tell me much about you,"
"That's all right," She smiled, her American accent clear, "He's always been secretive. I work in the States as a publisher, and that over there," She pointed to a redhead standing next to her mother, smiling widely, "Is my girlfriend of six years,"
"Six years? That sounds like a lifetime. How old were you two when you met?"
"She was twenty- one, I was twenty,"
Arabella smiled, nodding slowly. Then Bianca turned to her, facing her now, "I should tell you, Arabella. My brother is my bestfriend so I'm allowed to say this, but he's incredibly stupid. He'll try to push you away, deem you too fragile to be in this life, but I can see that you are not. Maybe even stronger than him."
"If you love him, you need to help him. And in turn he'll help you,"
She grinned, "Understood,"
Bianco shot her a curt, smiling nod, "Very good. Now, let's drink,"
Giovanni had been away for two hours now. Arabella, Bianca and surprisingly, Marie had joined up, standing at the bar as they drowned themselves in liquor.
Finally, Arabella heard the loud, sharp footsteps of Giovanni walking to the bar, under the large grass ceiling that covered it.
She smiled upon seeing him, "Hi!" She beamed up at Giovanni, her smile wide and drunk. Giovanni raised a curious brow, "I see you found my sister,"
"No, no. She found me,"
Giovanni smiled at his sister, taking her by her shoulder as he pulled her into his chest, her head just short under his chin.
"Mi sei mancato, Bee."
[I've missed you]
"How sweet of you, I haven't missed you at all,"
Giovanni rolled his eyes, pushing her from him. She smiled at him and stuck her tongue out, receiving a sharp glare from Giovanni.
"Arabella, tell him to loosen up a bit, maybe have some fun. It's a party after all,"
Arabella looked at him expectantly, her eyebrows lifted. "I am... loose." Giovanni said, raising his brows at his mother when she turned back to them, stumbling slightly. She smiled at her son, "Hello, my boy! Here, have a drink,"
"No, thank you, mama. I've got to make sure Arabella doesn't fall head first into the pool now,"
Arabella's mouth fell open, swatting him on his bicep, "I'm not that drunk, I'll pull you in with me if it comes to it,"
He smirked at her, "Pool sex?"
Bianca grimaced, taking her mothers wrist, "Gross," She mumbled, pulling Arie behind her and towards her girlfriend. Arabella sighed, her cheeks a bright pink, "Must you ruin everything?"
"Yes. Anyways, I've got something to tell you,"
She smiled as he cleared his throat seemingly readying himself to tell her. "Catherine's here," He mumbled, saying her name like he was spitting a curse onto something.
Arabella nodded, "Will you be okay seeing her?"
"Of course, I have no business with her. Only with the man on her hip." He said quickly, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead as he pulled her into his chest, cocooning her with safety. he looked upon his men, his eyes narrowed and lips pulled into a small, appreciated smile.
She smiled up at Giovanni, and he looked down at her, "I have to go find Enzo, be good and mingle, my love."
She nodded, and he released her as he made his way into the massive crowd. Arabella made her way behind him, going to up to Marie. Catherine stood next to her, a blue midnight dress clung to her skin marvelously, making her took ten times taller and thinner.
"Oh, hello you!" She began, her smile tight-lipped. Arabella shot her one back, "Hello, Catherine. How've you been?" She asked, looking up at her. She was a few inches taller than Arabella, and when she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin, Arabella shifted her eyes from the woman, putting them on the ground.
"Well, thank you."
Marie inhaled, "I have to go check up on the food," She mumbled, stepping away uncomfortably. Arabella almost asked her to stay, but Catherine interjected, "How're you and Giovanni's situation? He tell you the never-spoken off situation of his?"
Arabella raised her brow, "We're good. What situation?"
Catherine smirked devilishly, "I see he hadn't told you yet, well, I don't know if it's my place but, it is the reason I left him after all,"
A pang of anxieth landed on Arabella's chest. Another lie. "He told me he left you because you were sleeping with his staff?"
The woman shrugged, "Well, there's always two sides to a story, Arabella. But you must promise that you won't tell him I told you, okay? He'll have my head," She laughed at the end, apparently finding her malicious words amusing. Arabella nodded.
"Giovanni can't have children,"
Sadness. Then pain, and then anger. All these emotions mixed in Arabella's chest. She couldn't say a word, couldn't move. She only spun around when she heard loud, strenuous screaming from behind her.
Giovanni and Enzo, along with Rafael and three other men were sprinting towards the crowd, Giovanni gripped his mother's shoulders, panic clear on his face. His lips moved quick and his eyes bore into her, and then she was gently shoved into Enzo's arms by Giovanni.
The man's eyes lapped amongst the faces in the crowd as they started dispersing, well-dressed men whipping guns out from their suits, dashing towards the house.
Then, his eyes landed on hers.
She was frowning, putting her glass on the table next to her, looking at him. Giovanni's legs carried him to her in seconds and he gripped her shoulders too.
"Listen, baby. You need to find Enzo and my mother and go with them, follow them, do as Enzo tells you. We've been fucking ambushed,"
Panic and fear filled her veins and she merely nodded before she rushed out: "What are you doing?"
"Fighting, doll." He said, taking her hand as he looked behind him, finding Enzo's face. "Go, darling." He ordered. His hand slipped from hers and maybe if Arabella knew that it would be the last time for a while that she would touch him, maybe she would held onto him a little longer, maybe she would've kissed him.
Or maybe she would've told him the three words that were burning on her tongue since she day she had noticed herself falling in love with him.