Heather
I rolled around in the bed, I inhaled deeply and an unfamiliar scent surrounded me. I opened my eyes slowly. I thought I'd wake up with a sense of panic and anger, but I just felt calm.
I thought that without Tyler my world would feel like it's been destroyed but I had this strange sense of serenity. I sat upright, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
I heard voices coming from outside the door, they were muffled but I could make out a good part of what was being said.
"So, how was that event you had to go to?" A female voice that sounded like his mother asked.
"It was...interesting, thanks for bringing him to the house." Gabriele replied.
"You have this glow about you, and I know it is impossible that you are pregnant. Tell me did you do' you know what' ?" I started laughing but quieted instantly. She doesn't know I am here and it would make the question she just asked all the more possible.
"Mother! It is none of your business." I could hear embarrassment laced in Gabriele's voice.
"You know you need it, and I really want another grandchild." I started snickering softly.
"How can you ask something like that to your son?"
"Well, I know for a fact that Luca wasn't just magically made and I know that you haven't been real...active since he arrived. I'm just trying to help."
"You're worse than Aiden." I heard a muttered goodbye and the door being shut loudly. I stood up out of the bed, I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Gabriele was standing at the stove making something that I was guessing, by the smell of it, was bacon. Gabriele looked up, his eyes set on mine.
I felt a heat beginning to rise in the pit of my stomach.
"Good morning, I'm making bacon and toast." He gave me a lopsided smile. He was still in his pj's. A few minutes later Luca came in with his jet plane making plane sounds and running about.
"Be careful and watch where..." Before Gabriele could finish his sentence Luca tripped on the stairs landing with a thump on the wood floor. Tears began streaming down his face as he grabbed his knee. I rushed over to him kneeling beside him. Gabriele also followed me as he rushed to us.
"Oww!" He cried. Gabriele studied the wound where Luca skidded his knee on the wood floor. His knee skidded on the lining where the wood floors were aligned, there was a small cut. I soothed Luca rubbing his back .
"Come on let's clean that up." He hoisted Luca up with ease and walked to the bathroom beside the living room. He placed him on the edge of the bathtub. He opened the cabinet, pulling out a first aid kit.
A strong smell of burning bacon came from the kitchen. Gabriele's eyes widened.
"Oh no, the bacon!" He fled out of the bathroom. I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction and a few seconds later the smoke alarm went off. I closed the bathroom door still soothing Luca. I got out a band aid and soaked a cotton ball in surgical alcohol.
"This is going to sting a little." I dabbed it lightly and Luca just stared at me. When I was done I placed the bandaged over the small cut and placed a little kiss on the bandage, it's not such a bad cut and all he actually needs is a little sympathy.
"See, good as new." His snickering stopped and so did the smoke alarm. I opened the door and Luca hobbled out of the door. I shook my head, typical kids. I sighed and went to the kitchen. Gabriele was rinsing a pan that had black burnt pieces on it while he was I think cursing. I couldn't understand it since it was in Italian.
He continued to scrub and rinse, I walked to him. He looked startled at me and had a small frown on his face. I took the pan and put a good helping of dishwashing soap in it with water, leaving it in the sink so that it could loosen the burnt on bacon.
"Just leave it there for a while, it'll loosen the bacon," I said as I walked to the chair at the island.
"Is Luca okay?"
"It's just a scrape, I patched him up quickly. He is happily playing with his plane again." I saw Luca sitting on the couch still 'flying' his toy plane in the air.
"If he's okay it was worth the burnt bacon. I'm not sure what I'm going to make now."
"Toast?"He shook his head.
"I'd rather not since it's my staple breakfast during the week." He opened up the fridge door but then he closed it again.
"Well, I guess since there is nothing much in the fridge that breakfast is going to be at the diner today, my treat."I looked down at the clothing that Gabriel gave me yesterday. It wasn't the best outfit to be wearing and I'm not going to wear that dress again, it's got the smell of misery embedded in it after last night.
"I want to go home actually.I need to sort things out there." I sighed. I need to go and face the facts. Tyler cheated on me with a secretary. He's most likely been cheating on me for a while. It's over.
I swallowed hard, I need to get on with my life, no crying, no sulking, and no pitying myself. He turned his head to the side looking at me like I grew another head.
"Now?"
"The sooner the better."
"Do you need any help?" I shook my head. He stared at me for another moment before he ran his hands through his hair. His hair looked so soft, I felt my fingers itching to run them in his soft mane. He shook his head and a frown formed on his forehead.
"I shouldn't." He grumbled to himself before he turned to me.
"Shouldn't what? Help me?" He shook his head again.
"No, kiss you like last night. I know you need to recover from this heartbreak and I need to distance myself from you for a while." I swallowed hard trying to process what he just said. His breathing was shallow like he was fighting a battle with himself.
Everything was so different, these feelings I'm beginning to have is just so overwhelming. He is right-distance.
"Distance, distance so that I don't kiss you, so that I don't forget you work for me and have to look after Luca, so that when you're ready we can resume whatever this is. Distance for now," He clarified for me. I wanted so badly to kiss him like there was no tomorrow but he is my boss like he said.
I nodded and retreated back to the guestroom. I tried to look better since my hair was a mess and my eyes were still puffy from last night. I looked at the purple dress hanging over the laundry bin. I picked it up and dressed in it, even though I didn't want to I had to wear the remains of last night and go back to the apartment. When I was finished I walked to Luca's room. He was inside on the carpet playing with his toys, when I opened his door he looked up.
"I'm going to have to go now, I'll see you tomorrow." He stood up, rushed to me and grappled onto my legs.
"Don't go!" I was surprised by his actions.
I ruffled his hair.
"I have to go home."
"I'm sure daddy will let you stay here. Please?" It was strange that he suddenly wanted me to stay. I bend down so I was eye level with him.
"Why do you want me to stay?"He rubbed his band-aid and gave me the signature smile his father had.
"You make my daddy happy," He said, I couldn't help but smile.
"I'll come back you know." He sighed and pouted in disapproval.
"Okay." He trudged back to his toys still a little peeved. I walked downstairs seeing that Gabriele decided he should make toast since he wouldn't be going to the diner. He was reading a newspaper and biting into a piece of toast. His stubble made him look rugged. He had a pensive expression as he was eating.
He looked up at me and for some reason, his face turned into a deep angry scowl. I felt my stomach drop. What did I do that made him angry? The kiss popped into my head, maybe I overstepped the boundary but if I did he would've told me.
I timidly turned around heading for the front door, but he stopped me before I could.
"Heather..." I turned around.
"Oh, I'm just leaving."
"You shouldn't wear that dress again." I looked down at the dress it was unlikely that I would wear it again anyway, but why does he care about some dress?
"Why?" I felt a new surge of something, I mean if I wanted to I could wear it and he couldn't just tell me that I shouldn't.
"It's too sexy, makes me imagine it lying on the ground." My eyes widened, this sexual tension had me digging my nails into my palms just not to tell him that he had no idea what I wanted to do to him with his own tie. I bit my lip trying to form a sentence in my mind that would help me escape what I'm feeling.
"What are you thinking about?" I forgot about him for a moment as I racked my mind as to what I could say.
"Uh, that..."I stood up placing his toast and newspaper down. He walked to me until he was in front of me.
"Sorry, these things just start pouring out of my mouth and I'm frightening you." I shook my head.
"No, actually...I...I was thinking about, what I was thinking last night." I omitted.
"And that is?" He gave me a cheeky grin, I had to lie now.
"Your tie...it looked nice last night."
He looked at me surprised.
"My tie? Really, I can tell your lying." How did he know? My expression was a giveaway.
"But I'll take that explanation, goodbye Miss Jackson see you tomorrow." I let out a relieved breath walking to the door.
When I got to my apartment. I opened it warily. Nobody was there and most of Tyler's things were gone. He was out of my life for good. There was a note on the desk, my name was written on it in Tyler's handwriting. I didn't want to read it, the anger of his actions last night simmering deep within me.
I threw it away. I used to love him but now, now it's over.