"I'm going to kill him," Anouchka announced loudly as both she and Jane stood outside the Pastine International Airport in Ciampino, right near Rome, in the cold. It had gotten dark really quickly during the time they'd been waiting for their mates to show up with their so called rental car. And although Anouchka was very adamant about wanting Luke and Levi to hurry to get to them, Jane was glad for the extra few moments to sort herself out.
There was no logical explanation for why she was so nervous but she was, she truly was and it was really messing with her mind. Nothing had changed between her and Levi, but at the same time she felt as though her whole world had changed. Maybe all this European air was toying with her head.
"I'm sure they'll be here soon," Jane muttered folding her arms across her chest against the cold.
What was she going to do when she saw Levi, act normal? Was there even such a thing as normal between them? She couldn't remember. She really shouldn't have come here, if she was still back home then she wouldn't be doubting their meeting like this would she?
Shaking away her wayward thoughts, Jane turned to Anouchka, "Remind me again how we're going to convince them to let us go to France?"
"Leave it to me," Anouchka assured her angrily glaring at her phone, "I know those two like the back of my hand, I'll come up with something."
Just as the words left Anouchka's mouth, Jane felt a familiar tingling at the base of her spine. Without turning her head she knew that Levi was walking towards her. She could tell simply from the way, her body acted like the air had just been charged with electricity, the way her heart started to beat a little faster and her throat seemed to go dry.
Jane took a deep reassuring breath as she spun around and was immediately hit by his intoxicating scent, enough that she swayed on her feet slightly. Their eyes locked and all she could do was stare. In the short amount of time that she'd been apart from him he'd somehow become more attractive and it was doing things to her. And seeing him several feet away from her confirmed her fears – somehow she'd come to care for him a lot more then she should.
As he stood in front of her, Jane could think of a million things she wanted to just yell and scream at the top of her lungs. There was a ton of things she could've said, but she just stood there and stared in all her wonder-eyed glory.
"Nice of you two to finally show," Anouchka snapped from beside her, and dragging her gaze away from Levi she noticed that Luke had also made an appearance. She felt that this looked like some sort of wild-west standoff.
She remembered that Luke was still trying to wolfs bane out of his system, and that because of the poisonous herb still in his veins, he was able to be within talking distance of Anouchka.
Luke folded his arms across his chest, and had a knowing smirk on his face, "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Ecstatic." Anouchka replied, hauling her carry on up off the pavement, "You said you have a hotel to take me to?"
Luke shook his head at Anouchka reaching a hand out, he grabbed her bag and took hold of her elbow as he steered her in the direction of the rental car. After they were gone, Jane felt an awkward silence settle between her and Levi and not wanting to enter into another staring contest she stared at her shoes.
Say something.
A little voice was chanting in her head, just say something.
Taking a deep breath Jane looked up as she said, "Hi."
She raised her eyes towards Levi's and tried to discern the expression on his face, but for the life of her she couldn't figure it out. He looked both irritated with her and almost kind of, relieved. Whatever was going on in his mind was a complete roller-coaster and she waited nervously for him to speak.
Levi's hands unclenched at his sides as he muttered, "Screw it."
Before he closed the one step of distance between them and brought his hands up to her face. Jane gasped as Levi brought his mouth down to hers in a hungry kiss filled with so much desire it was making her toes curl.
She dropped her carry on and tangled her fingers in his hair, trying to draw him impossibly closer. There wasn't an inch of space between them and she still felt as though she'd never be close enough. She missed him and she cared about him, and by the way Levi was kissing her it wouldn't be too wrong to assume he felt the same.
Feeling as though her lungs were about to burst, Levi broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers as he breathed deeply, "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
She softly shook her head, "No, it's okay. I just, wasn't expecting that."
"Neither was I," he muttered, right before he drew in a deep breath his eyes fluttering shut, "You should tell me to stop, every time I kiss you, the mark on your wrist gets higher to your heart."
Was it wrong that she felt it was almost worth it?
"Come on," Levi pulled away from her embrace and Jane felt the sharp, cold air like a slap, "Let's meet up with the others at the car."
Not another word was said between the two as Levi took her bag to the rental car that Luke and Anouchka had already been waiting in, heating it up. The car ride was silent, aside from the radio, and every now and then Anouchka shot her knowing looks that made Jane blush and look away.
Seeing Anouchka and Levi together, just reminded Jane about their pending engagement that was still very much intact, regardless of her and Luke. Speaking of, did Luke even know? Surely he didn't, there'd be no way he could let his mate marry his brother and still act like the same happy, sarcastic Luke. Or did he know and was just trying to forget about by behaving normally? Was that what Jane should be doing? Acting like the thought of Anouchka marrying Levi didn't bother her and that the engagement didn't make her want to just cry her eyes out.
Because it did.
And after meeting Levi outside the airport she was feeling more confused then ever. Neither of them had spoken about their relationship – if it could even be called that. But by Anouchka informing her about the engagement just put a stop to anything that Jane thought could've happened, well, that and the curse obviously.
The trip to the hotel, ended up being shorter than Jane had anticipated. And the suite that the four of them were now going to share, was a lot nicer than Jane had thought it would be also. She watched as Anouchka and Luke came bounding into the huge room sitting in front of the television fighting over what movie they were going to watch.
Jane found the couple cute, wondering if the curse never existed, how much happier Luke and Anouchka would've been. She'd never seen either of them smile or be so flirtatious, normally the two of them look like wounded animals, and in a way they were.
Watching them interact, Jane could see how clearly they both loved each other and it pained Jane to think the two of them would consider death to save the other.
"You wanted to see if there's a TV in one of the rooms?" Levi asked her, hiking his thumb over his shoulder. Shooting one last look at the couple still playfully arguing over a movie, Jane nodded, "Sound's good."
***
Sitting on the hotel bed and watching an old Italian movie with Levi gave Jane a lot of time to think about a lot of different things. A lot of different questions that she'd never had the opportunity to ask, a lot of scenario's she'd never had the time to think about playing out.
Watching the melodramatic actors on screen, Jane didn't look up at Levi as she voiced one of her questions. One she'd been dying to ask for some time now, "If we weren't cursed, would you still have rejected me?"
She shifted her eyes to her silent mate, watching Levi reclined along the hotel bed shovelling popcorn into his mouth. For a moment she thought that he wasn't going to answer her but to her surprise he did.
"You're asking this because of the engagement, aren't you?"
Frowning, Jane drew her knees up to her chest, "You can't answer a question with a question."
Levi's eyes shifted to Jane's and he held them there as he replied, "Honestly? No. I wouldn't have rejected you. My dad would've been furious with me but... you're too tempting."
A sly grin broke out on Jane's face as she tipped her head to the side, "How tempting?"
"Enough for me to wish I was doing something else then watching a movie with you."
Jane could feel her face heating up with a very visible blush and to avoid Levi seeing she tilted her head forward, allowing her hair to shield her from his gaze as she tried to change the topic of the conversation, "How about you take me on a date."
"A date?" Levi started choking on his popcorn and looking up Jane had to hide her laughter as best as she could. Levi's face was priceless, he acted as though she'd asked to elope or something.
"Yeah a date, a real one, while we're here in Rome."
Recovering from his outburst, Levi set the bowl aside as he turned to look at her, "It's not that I don't want to, but... should you and I. I don't know how safe it is for me to become anymore attached to you."
Mustering her best pouty-face, Jane clasped her hands together, "Please! Just one date, it doesn't even have to be anything fancy."
Levi seemed to be considering what she was saying and for a while, Jane was sure he was going to shake his head and just suggest they go to sleep, when he let out a deep breath and said, "Okay."
Jane did an internal fist pump, as she congratulated her persuasive skills right before she watched Levi shut off the TV and put the popcorn aside, "Alright let's go."
"You mean now?" Jane frowned, "Like right now, this very second. At ten o'clock?"
Levi rolled his eyes, "Well, have you got anything better to do right now?"
"No but, I'm supposed to get all pretty and stuff."
If this was the only date she was ever going to get with Levi she wanted to do it properly. And as much as she detested painting her face with makeup she would do it for him. Isn't that what she's supposed to do, make him proud of her? Make the other guys jealous and wish that they were Levi?
"You always look pretty." Levi shrugged as though it was the most natural thing to say in the world, and Jane's internal worrying stopped immediately.
Jane was so shocked by the compliment she almost forgot how to breathe and barley stammered a response "Uh o-okay. Let's go on a date then."
Levi shot her a genuine real smile, right before he grabbed his jacket off his chair, and the smile looked so amazing on him that she found herself willing to do almost anything to keep him looking that happy and carefree.
Having not changed out of her daytime clothes yet, Jane still had on her jeans and her sweater so she only had to shove her sneakers on and grabbed her jacket and her scarf. She couldn't actually believe Levi had just decided to all of a sudden pick now to go on their date. He was right in saying that they didn't have that much else to do right now, but Jane was really not expecting him to just agree to go out with her right then and there.
Walking back out into the main room past Anouchka and Luke, Jane watched as the couple turned to shoot them a curious gaze.
"Where're you two going?" Anouchka probed curiously as Jane made sure to grab her hotel key and her handbag ready to come up with some type of cover story, right as she felt Levi's arm drape around her shoulders as he announced, "We're going on a date."
~*~
Authors Note
I know, I know, another cliff hanger, just don't maim me.
I hope this chapter was a little more romantical for all of you who'd been requesting a little more lovey-dovey parts. What do you think is going to happen on their date???
Also shout out to @aryannabolletta for translating RR into Italian! Check out her profile for the book!
QUESTION: how many of you speak English as a second language??
I'm curious, I'm an English speaker who knows the tinniest bit of Spanish. Anyone else in the same boat as me?
NEXT UPDATE: 1 week (have a few tests this week so don't expect anything really quick, but keep your eye out for a private chapter beforehand ;)