"He would set fire to the world around him but never let a flame touch her."
Arabella karve
"When I was a kid, my absolute worst fear was of walking down the grand stairs in our house foyer" Dimitri says with a laugh as he leans back against the velvet, brown sofa.
After an awful night of sleep, plagued by nightmares and... memories, I had received a charming text from Dimitri out of the blue, asking me to go get coffee with him from a local cafe.
I decided that it would be nice to go meet up with him, since it would help get the torturous night off of my mind.
I tightly grasp the toasty cup of hot chocolate within my cold hands, trying to attain some warmth from it. I love fall, but hate the cold.
"The stairs?" I say with a confused look.
"I had a fear that someone lived under them and one day going to pull me under with them" Dimitri says while shaking his head and laughing. His perfect smile lines display themselves proudly, reaching from his perfectly straight nose, all the way down to his smiling mouth.
"So my parents had to install an elevator because I could not walk up them"
I stare at him with a small, baffled grin.
"That sounded pretty spoiled didn't it" he says with an awkward expression.
"Just a little, but don't worry I am not one to judge" I say with a light laugh.
"My fear was dolls" I say while raising my eyebrows and thinking about the odd fear I had. "My grandma used to buy me all the vintage, collectible dolls for every occasion. Then one night there were so many in my room, and I freaked out, so I threw them all out my bedroom window." I miss my grandma.
"To say the least my parents weren't thrilled" I say with a laugh as I try to not think about the bad parts of the childhood memory.
"I don't blame you gorgeous, dolls are not up my alley"
Dimitri smiles as he takes a sip of his dark Irish cappuccino.
"I can tell your bodyguard is just delighted to be here" Dimitri says with a sarcastic grin as he nods towards the pissed off Eros, who is glaring at me darkly, in his usual black attire.
He refused to come any closer to Dimitri, so he ultimately decided to pout by the front entrance and scare off everybody.
"What are you talking about? He was leaping with joy when he heard he got to see you" I tease Dimitri as I sit crossed leg and lean slightly forward.
"I am a delight, aren't I?"
"Well obviously" I laugh.
I leisurely look around the delightful, quiet cafe and enjoy the cozy peacefulness of it.
I study softly, as a young child clings on tightly to his pretty mothers leg, as he tries and order his food from the cashier who just smiles understandably.
A cute elderly man with a content smile, wearing a navy newsies hat, walks through the little door that lets out a small chime of a bell. The man flashes Eros a sweet smile and Eros, to my surprise, gives the man a polite nod while sticking his hands in his pockets.
It's odd to think that all these people live a different life, and have been through different things. And yet, here we are in the same place at the same time, as one, all experiencing something together.
"You have a pretty smile" Dimitri says softly as he leans the side his head against the back of the sofa, and studies me with kind eyes.
I immediately look back towards him, and pull away from my thoughts, with a considerate smile.
"Thank you Dimitri" I say sincerely.
"What was it like where you grew up?" I ask Dimitri, wondering what it could be like to grow up in Russia.
"Honestly since my parents were well off, me and my brother grew up in a pretty easy and stable house"
"You have a brother?" I question curiously, having never heard him talk about a brother.
"Oh yes my older brother by, I believe six years" He says with a loaded smile.
"That's nice, do you guys get along?"
"Ah yes, we talk and work together all the time" Dimitri replied.
"I always wanted a sibling" I say with a disappointed grin as I take another drink off the hot chocolate, that was beginning to cool off.
"It's nice to have one sometimes, but other times it's not" Is all he says with a weird gleam in his eyes.
"Do you ever want to go back to Russia?" I question softly a few moments later.
"I don't know, but I suppose maybe one day" He says while still staring calmly at me.
"Do you ever want to leave the mafia world?" Dimitri asks quietly while softly furrowing his eyebrows.
"I want to right now" I whisper softly, while trying to not let myself get emotional.
"Why?"
"It's not what I want."
"What do you mean Arabella?"
"The violence, the people, the-. It's awful. I don't know. I just want to live a simple life, you know?" I say quietly while tucking my hair behind my ear, and pushing down the welling tears in my glossy eyes. He asked me this question on a bad day.
"What have you been through?" Dimitri questions quietly, almost more to himself then me.
"My life just feels like a stepping stone for the mafia. Like it doesn't matter, and there is nothing more to me then an heir to something I didn't even choose."
"I have truly just never mattered, and I am only seen as less then a human being... It just seems like nobody even bothers to care about what I actually say or want. I am just an object in this cruel, sick world" I continue on heavily.
I slowly look towards Dimitri, scared of judgment because of my thoughtless, broken rambling, but he just stares at me with a soft, understanding eyes.
I think I just needed to get some of that off of my chest.
"I care about you. You are a beautiful human being with beautiful thoughts" Dimitri says with a caring smile.
"Thank you Dimitri-" I begin before a sudden, dark presence cuts me off.
I glance up quickly, and am met with Eros's icy eyes which are coldly narrowed, as he stands over me.
"Your parents expect you home Bella" Is all Eros mutters before swiftly picking my black purse up from the carpeted ground.
I slowly stand up and after smoothing out my black, low cut blouse, and my white farah pants, I turn toward Dimitri, who is grinning up at me with mischievous, and intrigued eyes.
"Are you just going home for the night" Dimitri asks as he reluctantly stands up and watches me.
"Oh yes, such an exciting night ahead of me"
"I'm sure, Eros does seem like lovely company" Dimitri says with a sarcastic laugh.
"Fucking prick" Eros utters darkly, making Dimitri slightly stop laughing.
"He can be if he wants to" I say defensively, before I can stop myself. I slowly feel my demeanor vaguely change towards Dimitri.
"I apologize" Dimitri says with a raised eyebrow as he takes a slow drink out of his cup.
"Well goodbye Dimitri" I say with a friendly wave as I take a step back.
"You as well gorgeous, I hope we can do it again"
I give him one last polite smile before I turn around and begin to walk out of the small cafe.
I make it outside, and softly close my eyes as I stand in the cold fall air, enjoying the small bite of the breeze.
After a moment my eyes flutter open and I glance over towards Eros who has now began walking towards where we had parked when we first arrived.
"Thanks for waiting up" I seethe at Eros as I walk behind him.
"Sorry I didn't want to meditate with you right in front of the fucking door"
"Oh right, because you have better things to do" I say, sarcasm dripping in my words.
"I do"
"You don't read, you don't have any people who you socialize with, besides well...me, when you are being an asshole. You don't watch tv nor listen to music. You don't have anywhere to go, and you don't take me as much of a scholar or artist on your off time. So no, you don't"
"Congratulations, you came to a half-ass conclusion on what I do in my fucking free time"
"Thank you" I say pointedly.
"What about you? You fucking read and sit alone in your bedroom. Exciting"
"Suck my dick"
Eros just scoff as he continues walking, his masculine, black trench coat slightly blowing back in the breeze.
This morning our driver called in saying that he was unable to drive me, do to a family emergency, so after begging Eros relentlessly for almost an hour, he finally gave in and decided to drive me.
We eventually reach the black suv, which our driver usually takes us around in, and I quickly run to the passenger side before Eros can stop me.
I climb in rapidly, and watch as Eros opens the door to the drivers seat with an unamused face.
"Back seat" is all he says while glaring at me.
"I'm already here, I might as well stay"
"Now"
"No" I say sternly, while not making any move to go to the back seat.
"maledetto rompicoglioni" is all Eros grumbles before climbing into his seat and slamming the door shut.
We make it onto the empty road and after a while I glance over at Eros, finally bored from the quiet.
Eros stares at the dark road with an emotionless face and his defined jaw slightly locked.
His strong veiny hands tightly grip the steering wheel, making the top of his knuckles slightly white from the pressure.
His many sliver rings glimmer in the soft light with ever small movement that he make.
"Do you have any phobias?" I ask while slightly furrowing my eyebrows.
"Why?" Eros asks lowly. He seems almost slightly shocked, as if nobody has ever asked him a question about himself, such as I just did.
"So that I can make your life a living hell" i depan while rolling my eyes.
"You" Is all he says while keeping his eyes on the road. Was that a joke he just said?
"Haha. That was a good one." I say sarcastically.
"I don't like people." He says coldly. No shit Sherlock.
"Hm odd. But I guess that makes sense for you. What about people don't you like?"
"All people are fucking awful."
"I don't think that's true. Or at least, I don't want to."
"They don't care about anything but themselves. And they are all born sick in the fucking head."
"... so you don't like them?" I say slowly trying to understand what Eros is saying.
"Yes. And that's exactly the reason I don't get close to people. Because all that happens if you trust someone or care for someone, is you get fucking damaged in the end." Eros mutters coldly while slightly gripping the wheel tighter.
"So you don't care for... anyone?" I question carefully.
"No."
"Damn" is all I say while silently staring out the window.
"...I have emetophobia" I say randomly as I glance down at my red nails that are slightly chipped.
"Fear of... vomiting?" Eros says slowly.
"Wow. I am so proud of you for coming to that conclusion. And yes because it's fucking terrifying"
"That's the stupidest fucking phobia I've ever heard" Eros says while rolling his eyes.
"Says the one scared of people when they are a person" I say as I glance into the rearview mirror so that I can check my makeup. I tilt my head upwards, so that I can make sure nothing looks patchy, but my attention is pulled away when I see a black car following closely behind us.
Hm weird.
"What do you like to do in your free time?" I ask while resting back against the headrest.
"Workout"
"I fucking hate working out" I say in response.
"I didn't ask"
"Can I ask one more question?"
"No"
"Why is there always a stick up your fucking ass?" I say with a sarcastic smile as I bat my eyelashes.
Eros just ignores my comment and continues driving carefully down the road.
About ten minutes later of sitting in comfortable silence, I glance out the rearview window, and see that the black car is still tailing closely behind us.
"Hey Eros?"
"What could you possibly have to say?"
"I think we are being followed" I say, sudden nervousness dripping in my words. I feel my heartbeat begin to slowly pick up as I look towards Eros who now looks slightly stressed.
"What the fuck" Eros grumbles under his breath as he takes another random turn and the scary car continues riding our ass. They are going to fucking kill us.
Eros rapidly begins to increase the cars speed while taking multiple different turns, trying to loose them.
I feel the familiar panic slowly begin to wrap around my heart causing nausea to rack my head.
I continue staring directly at the car behind us. Suddenly the passenger side window rolls down, and I watch as a man dressed in complete black, sticks the upper part of his large body out of the window. His arm slowly rises, and just then do I notice the pistol he is holding in his hand.
"Eros he has a gun" I say hurriedly as I turn back around. Right after I speak, a loud gunshot rings through the air, causing my hands to begin shaking with fear.
The entire car violently swerves, and hits the side of the curve, making me believe we where hit.
Without a blink of an eye, Eros immediately throws one of his strong arms over my chest protectively, in order to keep me against my seat. I would have smashed my head into the dashboard.
Eros doesn't make a move to remove his arm from across my chest, and for the moment it doesn't bother me because of the way it is adding a slight sense of security.
He continues swiftly steering the car with one arm, as he grumbles dark words under his breath with vengeful eyes.
"Did they hit us?"
"No, but nearly" Eros mutters while taking another rapid turn down a small, one way road.
The car speed up rapidly and almost lines up with us, but Eros quickly swerves, making the car scratch against the brick wall.
An awful sound of screeching sounds out, from the car begin caught between ours, and the remorseless wall.
The car quickly recovers, and the many people in the car start screaming threats out the window as they try and shoot at us.
I flinch as gunshots slice throughout the air.
"Eros-" I begin to say with panic drenched in my words. I feel myself unable to catch my breath as I begin to hyperventilate, and choke on panic.
He's back. He's coming for me.
He's back. He's coming for me.
He's back. He's coming for me.
He's back. He's coming for me.
He's back. He's coming for me.
He's back. He's coming for me.
"Bella, breathe, we are going to be okay" Eros mumbles hurriedly as he removes his arm from me so that he can have more control of the car. Breathe.
His words slowly help snap me out of my panicked daze, and I quickly begin to take deep breaths while telling myself that it's going to be okay. Panicking is not going to help anything.
Eros is the best trained in all of Italy. We will be okay.
I look back towards Eros as he smoothly rolls down the car window, and before I can even react, grabs the steering wheel with one hand, and uses the other to pull a black gun out of his belt.
He turns his head out of the window, and precisely aims the gun straight at the accelerating car. Please work.
"marcire all'inferno, cazzo" I can barley hear Eros grumble.
I stare in shock as Eros pulls the trigger, and the entire windshield of the car behind us shatters and glass ruptures throughout the air. The car immediately begins to spin out and crash into a nearby lamppost. Black smoke instantly begins wafting out of the crushed hood of the car, as it comes to a rough stop.
Eros pulls his arm out of the window and immediately rolls it up, leaving us in a heavy silence.
"Who the actual fuck where they?" Eros growls minutes later, while looking over at me. I breathlessly look over at him with glossy eyes.
He's back.
"I don't know" I whisper, lying with every breath.
"Yes you fucking do Bella" Eros says angrily as he look over at me with an enraged expression.
"I don't know what your talking about" I say defensively while looking out the window and trying to control my unstable breathing.
"Right now your face says you know exactly who just tried to fucking kill us. I'm not stupid so tell me Arabella Karve, who the fuck where they." Eros says with anger dripping in his voice.
"Eros, Shut the fuck up" Is the last thing that is said for the entirety of the tense ride, back to the daunting manor.
He's back.
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