Matteo
Matteo glanced down at the Rolex watch on his wrist, agitated at how slow the time was and wishes it would move a bit faster. He let out an unsatisfied groan as he saw that he had to wait about ten more minutes, and mentally slapped himself for waiting a bit too early.
He took out a cigarette from the pocket of his suit jacket and lit it. In the time that he would been waiting, he decided to have a quick smoke. He rested his back against the cold surface of the building, and placed his left foot against the wall. His demeanor mimicking those gangsters in the movies who spent their free time smoking on the corners, with his hand in the pocket of his trousers.
He didn't quite fully understand why he was doing this. He acted against his own will by standing outside of the workplace and waiting, which is something that Matteo had never done in his life. All that he knew was that he wanted more time. It was funny how his mood started changing ever since he saw the frail girl, but a small fraction of him did not mind.
He sighed.
Since when did he ever care about another person's feelings? Never did he even bother with his little sister, but deep down he always cared about her. He was that overprotective big brother that he should be but he would never show an ounce of affection. It was like he was a robot who could only mutter a few words and not express a slight change in expression, but he did care.
He cared about his family. His mafia. His friends.
He even cared about her.
A plain little woman. Nothing out of the ordinary but something captivating and so precious that he couldn't get off his mind. The slightest bit of interaction between the two had him craving for more, wanting her eyes to be on him constantly instead of the ground. So responsive and submissive that she could be controlled so easily, but he thought that she was not that type of person.
She was a walking temptress. An annoying itch that he couldn't scratch but he decided to stop ignoring it. Stop ignoring the burning sensation deep down within him whenever Aurora would appear in his mind.
The door to the cafe swung open and his head whipped to the side. He thought about fleeing because what he was doing might seemed a bit stalker-ish the more he thought about it. His movements seized when he took in the sight before him, the cigarette stopped in front of his awaited parted lips.
She rummaged through her bag, balancing another paper bag in her left hand. Her cheeks and the tip of her button nose were tinted red from the cold that nipped her skin. It was a bit cold outside as the night neared, frowning as he saw the lack of layers she had on her body.
Her head perched up and she took a step before stopping. Her eyes widened a bit when they met with his, her lips parting.
"M-Matteo?" she asked in surprise.
He took a deep breath when she heard his name falling from her lips like honey. It dripped with the sweet sound of the angelic voice she had, so soft and melodic that he wanted to hear it every day. Everything about this woman was sweet and tempting.
"W-what are you doing here?"
He took a drag from his cigarette. "I was waiting for you." he said plainly.
"For me?"
He nodded his head. "What for?"
He took one last drag from his cigarette, noticing the way her nose scrunched up from the sight of it in his hand. Realizing that she didn't like it, he threw it on the ground and stomped on it with the souls of his feet.
He shrugged. "I want to take you home."
Her eyes widened a bit before her brows furrowed. He had always found her expressions amusing, from the way her lips pouted in the most adorable fucking way, to how low her brows dipped when she was confused. When she tilted her head and he drank in her flushed state, he knew he would never get enough of this sight.
She was always rendered speechless and he would be damned if that didn't make him smile on the inside.
"Y-you don't have to." she whispered.
"I want to." he took a step closer to her.
She looked at the ground, biting her lip. "Why?"
He didn't even know why himself. He didn't have a proper answer other than telling her that he just wanted to spend more time with her, but of course he would never tell that to her.
"I don't want you walking home this late at night." he said truthfully.
"It's fine! R-really it's no problem."
"No." he told her sternly, shocking both him and Aurora. "I'm going to drop you off."
Aurora opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off. "Do you want me to throw you over my shoulder and force you into my car?"
She shut her mouth immediately and Matteo nearly smirked. He had to get a hold of himself before he would completely fall because of her innocence.
He got into his car as well as Aurora. Knowing where she lived from the background check he ran on her, which was something he knew was wrong, he sped off in the direction of her apartment.
He hated knowing in which part of the city she lived in. When he did his background check on her, he learnt that Aurora was in desperate need for money. Her financial status was non existent with her job barely having her cope with her daily necessities, she was barely holding on. It saddened him to know that someone as kind and sweet as this woman, was suffering.
He hated how she went on with her life as if everything was okay. He couldn't understand why she was never driven to the brink of self destruction or even depression. She always looked happy, her eyes always tired but never let that get her down or spoil her mood.
It was bad enough to know that she was in terrible shape with the condition she had, but now she was suffering from financial problems that had him want to help her. He had to help her so bad or he wouldn't live with himself. He was in a turmoil ever since he found out her lifestyle since it would be difficult for him to want to help her.
He would never drag her into his dangerous lifestyle. He could never damage her precious soul with his twisted ways and terrible life choices. He would never show her this side of him, whatever she saw in the restaurant would never happen in front of her again. He had to sit with the guilt from having her fear him already and there was no way that he would want her to see even more from him.
That was a side of him he wanted to be kept hidden from her. He could never have her hate him, never.
The silent ride had come to an end when they stopped in front of her apartment complex. He had to refrain from asking her to move out this instant, but good would it do for the both of them. She had no money to move to another side of town, and there was no way she could live with him.
"T-thank you for the lift home." she said.
He just looked at her. His conversation skills still needed work, but she must know that he was silently telling her it was no problem.
He noticed the distant look on her face and immediately knew that she was thinking about something. His assumption was correct when she opened her mouth.
Shyly she asked him, "Do you want to come inside?"
He didn't know what to feel at this moment and all he knew was, he would be a bitch if he declined her offer. Freeing her from the flustered state she was in when he took a bit too long to answer, he had agreed. It was cute to see her freak out if he was going to say no, but that's not what he did.
The two entered the apartment complex and disgust was the only feeling he could feel. He didn't show it but he hated the type of environment she had to live in. A bunch of junkies sat on the stairs that they walked on, watching Matteo closely as they took in his expensive attire and their eyes zeroed in on his watch.
He wanted to bash their heads for even trying to come near him, knowing what their motives were. He had countless run ins with drug addicts and wasted men that he could tell from the look on their face if they were high. He snarled at them, making their eyes bulge nearly out of their sockets when he showed them a peak of his gun.
They stopped in front of her door.
"It's n-not much and it isn't like your house o-or anything. I know this isn't your scene or anything but-"
"Aurora," he cut her off, "It's okay."
She gave him a small smile before opening the door. When he stepped inside he was in a state of immense shock when he took in the small living space where she had to stay in. He thought he could deal with whatever he would see, knowing that it would be unkept but what he saw made him a bit furious.
She barely had any furniture. The apartment was cold. The paint on the walls were cracked and needed a fresh coat, badly. The further he stepped inside, it became worse for him. He knew it wasn't her fault for not keeping the place tidy but it wasn't good to be living in an awful place like this.
How could she live like this?
There were mold stains in the corners of the walls, due to the water soaking in from the rain with showed it was poorly constructed and not maintained. Yellow and brown spots, visible enough for the eye, were almost everywhere. Never in his life had he seen such a terrible place for someone to stay in.
He tore his gaze away from the apartment when he heard her come up behind him. In her hands was a white cat with patches of light brown on random places on its body. She held the cat the way the mother would hold a baby, and his eyes narrowed on its paw latched on one of her breasts.
"T-this is Kitty." she told him.
The wuss she was crying over.
He felt awkward if he were to greet the cat so he remained quiet, just staring at Aurora. He noticed her squirm and she cleared her throat.
"Would you like anything? I'm sorry but the only thing I can offer is w-water. I don't h-have much." she said, her voice a bit sad.
He shook his head. "I'm fine."
She gave him a small smile. "You don't t-talk much." she stated.
He raised a brow. "Do you want me to talk more?"
She blushed a bit. "I like hearing your voice."
I like hearing yours, agnellino.
Even though he didn't smile teasingly at her, he had an amused expression on his face. "Really?"
"And also w-when you talk alien. I want to learn alien language so that I can understand you." she said happily.
Fucking adorable.
"I'll teach you."
She gave him a wide smile. "Really?"
He nodded at her. She gushed in excitement and even though she was overreacting a bit by just learning one language, she never seized to amaze him.
Like any other time, it was silent again. Aurora looked down at her car, stroking its fur while Matteo did his usual staring.
He came closer to her after a while of just looking at her. "I don't like this place." he said, not able to hold it in anymore.
She frowned, looking hurt from his words. He now wished he hadn't said it so rudely but there was no other way he could put it. He was an honest man and couldn't ignore what was on his mind, so he had to let her know what he wanted to say.
"It's a-all I could afford." she responded softly.
Just a few moments ago she was happy and smiling but it turned solemn after Matteo mentioned that he didn't like this place where she stayed.
"You can't live in a place like this." Someone knock his head with a crowbar for stating the fucking obvious.
She agreed. "I won't have anywhere else to go."
He heard her sniffle."I-I don't even like living here. The people are mean and t-too noisy. I don't e-even have warm water and I don't like the cold showers." she clutched Kitty closer to her, not looking at Matteo when she spoke.
His heart hurt when he heard her shaky voice, her bottom lip trembling.
His hands balled into fists. "You shower with cold water?"
He was going to break every bone in the person's body who owned this place. He hated tardiness and could not stand it even in the business world. He was angered that such a fucker was the owner of this building and paid no attention to the poor living conditions of his residents. Especially with Aurora being one of the people living here.
She nodded. "It w-was warm at your place. I felt g-good."
Stay with me then.
"Y-you're lucky, Matteo. I'm happy t-that you are living a good life."
Aurora looked up at Matteo. She gave him the brightest smile he had ever seen, but that smile hadn't quite reached her eyes. It had fresh tears in them, poking at his heart as he started in them. This woman has no idea what she was doing to him and all he wanted was to pull her closer and wrap his arms around her.
He hated when Aurora did that. Smile as if nothing bothered her when she should be crying, screaming and looking a bit more bothered by her situation. He remembered the hatred he felt for her when they had first met on that night and that emotion resurfaced again. He wanted to snap at her for always ignoring the negatives in her life and looking unbothered by it.
He wanted to take away her pain, rid her from all her sufferings and buy her everything she wanted. He wanted to give her a better life, one that she truly deserves. There was nothing he wished more than to see her have everything she desired.
Stay with me, agnellino.
He felt warm arms wrap around his torso. Her frail little arms burnt against his skin, the contact between them had his heart beating a little too fast for his liking. His breathing seized as he took in the current situation where Aurora had just hugged him. If it were some else he would have pushed them away, put a bullet through their skull for even touching him, but for her he didn't mind.
Her touch felt good.A bit too good.
He didn't move when her arms wrapped around his body. Her face buried in the centre of his chest and hopefully she hadn't heard his erratic heartbeat.
"P-please be grateful for what you have. Be happy about your warm showers." she giggled softly.
How could she fucking giggle at a time like this?
His arms were limp at his sides, his eyes staring straight ahead of him looking at a wall with so many thoughts swirling in his head. He couldn't show his affection to her no matter how hard he wanted to or try, by hugging her back. His arms couldn't move to hug her back and push her body further into his, craving for more of her warmth.
He felt his throat clog up. If anyone knew Matteo Vitali, they would know that he was a man who never cried. He had been to countless funerals to mourn the death of his family members and mafia men, but not once had he ever shed a tear. He had been stabbed in his right side but Matteo had not cried that night even when the pain became unbearable.
But in this moment, he had a broken heart. And inside, he was crying for her. His heart ached for the woman in his arms and he knew what he wanted to do.
"Stay with me."
Heyyyyyy
So uhm that chapter was a bit long and emotional. I'm not crying you are *wipes tears* My heart honestly aches for this sweet little bean and all I want is for Matteo to help her like the Prince Charming he is supposed to be.
This chapter honestly had me sobbing a bit ngl. It's shocking that Mr Toughguy felt sad for her, like what?! AND HE ASKED HER TO LIVE WITH HIM? I guess he has a heart after all huh.
Anyway until the next update!
Don't forget to click that star button and comment :)