75 | Champagne Problems
The continuing stretch of not seeing Vittoria ended when I was pulled into the backyard by Camila.
Vittoria's familiar practised smile was plastered on her face as she listened to Toby play a song on his guitar.
Mason and Alli passed our interconnected hands a disapproved stare while Liam chose to disregard us.
Nothing was the same in this house. No one was happy apart from Camila. And all the blame fell on me, even though no one said it out loud.
Harrison cast Vittoria a rather troubled look as I took a seat opposite to her. Can't believe I kept on hating a person who was actually trying to get us back together.
How many sins do I have on my hand? Many, I guess.
"Hey." Toby passed us a small, unwilling smile when he ended the piece he was playing on his guitar.
"You're amazing at this, Toby." Camila said, her cheerful mood suddenly turning sorrowful the moment we came here. I don't understand what keeps happening to her.
"Thanks." He replied sheepishly.
"I think our Tobo is in love." Vittoria shouldered him playfully.
Her smile only hurt us more for we knew how much agony had been wrapped in it. The conversation I had with her two days ago kept playing in my mind. I was becoming increasingly restless.
Until now it was in thinking— I'll marry Camila, forget Vittoria, get over it. Done. But now it was all getting so real and no, I wasn't sure of it anymore.
Two days later, I would be married to Camila. The mere thought of it scared me.
"Rafael told me you sing as well, Vittoria." Camila said, examining her nails. "I've never heard you sing. Why don't you sing something for us. He really praised your music skills." She chuckled, hitching her hand with mine.
Vittoria's eyes never met mine even for a second. At this point, I wasn't sure if she was hurt, angry or simply disgusted with me.
Those pretty eyes were swollen and the amount of concealer applied under them did nothing to hide the dark circles beneath it.
All this pain was caused by me. I did this to her.
"Sure, Camila. If you wish to bleed through your ears," She laughed, picking up her black glitter guitar. "Tell me what shall I present for my fans."
Who exactly was she kidding by pretending to be all normal? Why was she hurting herself. Wasn't I enough for it?
"How about... Champagne Problems?"
"Camila." I gritted.
Could she be a good sister for once! She won't leave a single chance to hurt Vittoria.
"Uh.. She hasn't learned that one." Toby jumped in quickly, handling the situation. Allegra visisbly relaxed, nodding at him discreetly.
"No I have." Vittoria stated, staring dead into Camila's eyes as if accepting her challenge. "You've got good taste, sister."
"Life is too short to not like Taylor Swift and her music." Camila stated.
"Yeah. But Rafael is her greatest fan. He would 'die' for her." Mason snorted, referring to the time when Vittoria tried killing me for the second time.
"You bet." Vittoria smirked at him and began strumming the strings lightly. "Back me up, Tobo." She hit his chest with the back of her hand.
No no no! Don't do this Vittoria. Please!
"Um, okay." Toby adjusted his guitar hesitantly. Liam looked away as if not having the courage to look at Vittoria.
A stormy flash of anger swarmed through her whiskey brown eyes as she, just for a split second locked her gaze with mine. My world stopped like my heartbeat. That fleeting moment was the most painful moment of my life.
Then suddenly her eyes closed. I felt disconnected with her and it drew out out the life out of me.
You booked the night train for a reason
So you could sit there in this hurt...
Her voice was so soothing. It reverberated right through my heart. The pain this song demanded was at its peak, threatening to overflow from her voice.
Your mom's ring in your pocket
My picture in your wallet
Your heart was glass, I dropped it
Champagne problems
Right there on my face. The fictional element morphed into a suffering reality. My mom's ring was still lying inert in a tiny black box, probably suffocating like I was right now.
You had a speech, you're speechless
Love slipped beyond your reaches
And I couldn't give a reason
Champagne problems
There was so much I wanted to tell her— stories of how I loved her with all my heart and how I'd continue to do so until my last breath, promises of how I'd keep her happy, vows of the beat of my heart which only wanted her.
Something ticked inside me.
How could I let this happen? How could I hurt the girl I loved more than my life? How could I break my promises?
"This dorm was once a madhouse"
I made a joke, "Well, it's made for me"
It is.
Everything I own has your name written on it, Vittoria.
Amidst all the fights and misunderstandings and blaming, I forgot what I used to fight for.
Her.
I promised her I would fight for us until the end. How could I give up on her so easily?
One for the money, two for the show
I never was ready, so I watch you go
A lone tear absconded from her closed eyes. Toby stopped playing his guitar. He tried calling her out but she wasn't in this world with us.
"She would've made such a lovely bride
What a shame she's fucked in her head, " they said
She would. And she will.
The thick mantle of dark haze lifted from my head and the moonlight, like the one sparkling over her face lightened up my heart.
She was going to be my bride. Not Camila. I call off this wedding.
And hold your hand while dancing
Never leave you standing
Crestfallen on the landing
With champagne problems
I was ready to fall if it's with you. I was ready to get my heart broken a million times if it was going to be broken by you. Although disintegrated, the pieces of my shattered heart would still be yours.
No other hand can support me the way you do. No other woman was strong enough to be my strength.
Your mom's ring in your pocket
Her picture in your wallet
No, Vittoria. Not her. You! It's going to be just you. My mom's ring will soon reach its rightful owner.
You won't remember all my
Champagne prob-
She couldn't complete it. Her voice wavered and then it broke down completely just like her.
The tormenting silence was met by nothing but her sobs which she was trying so hard to suppress. Her eyes were shut and her breath came out as short gasps in between the hiccups.
"Vittoria, hey." Liam lightly, hesitantly shook her arm.
"I'm sorry." She cried, finally opening her eyes only to get up and make a dash for the the door.
Camila was going to fucking regret hurting her like that.
"Vittoria." Mason held his sister tight while she buried her face into his chest.
"This is so humiliating."
"You don't have to feel this way, Vit-"
"Just shut up alright. Do her a favor and stay quiet." Liam snapped, throwing daggers at me.
"Can you all not interfere with our relationship for once?" I shot back.
Every damn time there's someone or the other wanting to give in their not so required contribution.
He laughed at me. "You relationship with her? Did I hear that right? About interfering, that necessary because when we left it up to you, you went on to destroy four lives with your decision."
Those words hit at the right spot. Nothing he said was wrong. I just keep fucking up, don't I?
The momentary culpable silence shattered with Mason's frail whisper. "I'm sorry, Vittoria."
I was surprised he still let me live after seeing her in so much pain because of me. But it was like he had given up. No anger, no disgust. Just a harrowing sense of defeat.
"Why don't we let this settle for a while. We don't want to make it any worse." Allegra tried to reason.
"I'll second that." Toby caressed her back. "You wanna watch some movies? Or we can go out for some-"
"Are you happy now, Camila?" Mason whispered, once again startling us with not going ballistic on her.
All eyes turned to her and we received yet another round of shock.
I expected her to be happy and smirk and all that but what we instead witnessed were tears flowing from her eyes which were set at Mason as if she was almost begging him for forgiveness.
Was she bipolar? Or was there something utterly wrong with her?
"I- I'm sorry Mase." She quivered, taking faltering steps in his direction.
Something was definitely wrong here. I could sense it but couldn't quite put my finger on it.
He shook his head with a disgusted look he hurled her way. "I had one job. That was to keep you happy." He cupped Vittoria's cheeks. "And I happen to terribly fail at it everytime. I shouldn't have sent you here. It was all my fault."
"No, Masey. Don't say that."
"No, you don't understand Vittoria. I.. I.." He trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry, Mason. I really am." Camila rigorously shook his arm, desperately wanting him to believe her.
This can't be what I was thinking, can it? Even so, Toby was the only one sharing the shocked look with me. Maybe we were overthinking.
"Stay away from my brother." Vittoria shoved her back violently causing her to stumble.
Emerald eyes never left Mason. A moment of quietude prevailed. Everything stopped. Camila shut her eyes as if trying to ease some kind of an unbearable pain. And when she opened them back, everything changed.
"I call off this wedding, Rafael."
Bold of you to assume I'd still marry you, Camila.
"You what!" A new voice added to the chaos from behind. "What in the world is happening here?" Oliver raked his displeased eyes at us.
"I don't want to marry someone who is in love with someone else." She blurted.
A blatant lie.
"You didn't know that before?" Toby raised a brow.
Who was she fooling?
However, I didn't dwell over it. Something good happened after a very long time which I would rather focus on.
"Vittoria please listen to me." I laced my hands with her ignoring her protests. "We'll make things right between us."
She laughed.
My hands dropped, the quiver running down my body rendering me weak enough to maintain the contact.
"Of course, Rafael." She laughed harder, throwing her head back. "Now that she has dumped you-"
"I dare you to complete that, Vittoria." My throat hurt as I dragged words out.
The mocking curve of her lips set into a twisted scowl as she took a step closer to me, boring holes through me with her red eyes. "Now that she has dumped you, you will come back to me. It's always that way."
"How can you say that?"
"Uh.. I think we should leave them alone." Allegra said.
"No wait." Vittoria protested. "Say it Rafael. Let everyone see how low can you fall and how much of a selfish bitch you are."
"I had changed my mind about marrying her before she declared it. Trust me, Vittoria, please."
"Like you did two days ago when I was literally begging you to come back to me? What now? Suddenly all the reasons you gave me back then are invalid now? Now all of a sudden you trust me?"
This looked bad. And it was. Her anger was justified. But I really didn't expect her to think that way.
"Harrison." Oliver sighed, directing his eyes towards him who was silently watching all of it. "Please explain what the fuck is going on between all of you because I've seriously given up on these people."
"Hold on! That's my fucking favorite part." Vittoria chuckled darkly. "So me, Vittoria Andress who loves making a fool of herself like I'm doing right now thought that Rafael Grayson would get over his anger seeing me with some other guy and decided to play this stupid game of fake dating Harri to make him jealous."
A series of gasps flew around hearing the grand revelation.
"Go ahead. Laugh at me." She yelled. "You too Camila."
"Rot in hell for all I care." Camila twisted her jaw.
"Camila!" Oliver roared, making her flinch but shut her mouth.
"Vittoria please don't let these misunderstandings come in between us again. I'm sorry. I wasn't seeing beyond my rage. Please Vittoria, don't do this to us."
Hearing that rather got her shocked. For a brief moment she was speechless, struggling to find words.
"I.. I.." She tugged on her hair. "I have feelings, you asshole."
Then there was silence which snapped by her sobs again.
"You have any idea how ashamed I'm of myself right now? Look at me Rafael." She pointed at her worn out form. "You said you stepped over your ego. But I stepped over my self respect for you. And it still didn't affect you. Then you expect me to believe you?"
"I'm ready to face any punishment. If you want to kill me then do it. If that's the only way to make your pain go away then I'm ready for it."
Mason discreetly rolled his eyes. "You know she'll do that, don't you?"
Mason Andress was back.
And that was terrible news for me.
"You still didn't answer, Harrison." Oliver redirected his eyes at him.
"He was just helping. Don't go lashing out on him." Mason stated.
To say we were shocked was an understatement.
He knew?
"Yeah." He spat, probably feeling mad at himself. "The monkeys had taken my brain cells captive when I changed my mind about you." He pointed at me. "Should have known I can never be wrong and should've instead tried getting Vittoria over him."
"Just great!" Oliver muttered under his breath.
Vittoria shook her head, wiping her tears aggressively and began stomping into the house.
"Where are you going?" Allegra stopped her.
"I don't know and I don't care." She shrugged her hand away. "Travis get my car ready."
"No!" Harrison blurted. "You can't drive in this state."
I silently warned Travis to not listen to her.
She stopped, glared at me and then back at Travis. "That's an order, Travis."
His eyes pitched down. He hesitated. But listened to her nonetheless. "Yes ma'am."
Of course. How dare I forget who the boss is!
"You aren't going anywhere, Vittoria." I grabbed her hand, trying to look intimidating like it would work.
You're technically a fool if you think you can boss around someone more powerful than you.
"I'm not your problem now, Rafael." She jerked my hand away as if I was the filthiest thing to touch. "So you don't have to worry about my tiring nonsense."
I knew it. I knew she'd heard me say that.
"You're not in your right mind now, Vittoria. Will you for once listen to us and not make this any more difficult?" Oliver scolded, holding her back.
"Don't yell at her, Oliver." Alli warned.
"Then what shall I do? Please enlightenment me. How do I deal with her and this and everything?"
"Well I'm sorry, Oliver." Vittoria pushed him back. "I'm sorry I couldn't be the perfect well mannered and responsible and... and civilized person. But you have Camila for that, don't you?"
"That's enough, Vittoria. Don't get out someone else's anger on him." Mason stated.
This was getting worse every passing second.
"I'm not saying that, Vittoria." Oliver tried speaking as calmly as he could.
"Oh really?" She jerked open a drawer and thrusted a gun into her black denims and stuck two daggers inside her boots. "Is that why you used the word 'deal'?"
"Come on, Vittoria." He huffed.
"Sometimes I do feel like I'm the problem. I'm tiring. I create chaos. I mess things up. And I'm sorry for that, alright. I'm suddenly starting to question all of it now. Maybe you were right, Camila."
A new stream of tears escaped her eyes. How I wish I could hold her and tell her it was going to be okay. But right now, I wasn't so sure of it myself.
"About what?" She crossed her arms, a victorious smirk playing on her lips.
"About why mom threw me away but kept you. Maybe a disgrace like me really doesn't belong here."
The force of her words was so much that I felt the windows rattle and the floor below me shake like it was going to open up and engulf us in it.
Leaving every single one of us rooted to our spot as she stormed down the stairs to her car.
Travis tried stopping her again once she reached her car. It was weird. And more than that, it was suspicious. He whispered something into her ears frantically but I doubt she heard him.
He stepped aside as I ran down the stairs as if he was caught red handed doing something wrong.
"Vittoria!" Oliver called her out from behind with Mason on his trail. "Did she really say that?"
She jerked open the car door, slipping inside it. "Yes. And I apologized to her for that in front of all my colleagues."
And then she was gone.
Allegra: Vote and comment if you want these idiots to regret their actions and start valuing my soul sister.