Hey!! Sorry for being late but I had published this again. For some annoying reason, wattpad deleted half of it. I couldn't even find it on my drafts, and since I'm writing it only from my phone app, I needed to rewrite the missing parts.
In the meantime, I change some things from the first time. The ending mainly. I prefer it this way.
Anyway, ENJOY!!!
"Have you figured out what you're wearing in Kelly's wedding?"
Sitting across her, Valerie was knacking her half-eaten lunch looking at her intensely.
It has been a tradition for them, every Friday, no matter what they would meet for launch. Both their programs were demanding, with jobs that required their full attention, so they made this their time. Always, unless one of them was out of the country.
"I was thinking of wearing the purple one that I have with the open back."
"No, you aren't, not unless you want my mother to crucify you."
Truth be told, Alexandra, Valerie's mother, didn't need much to do that. She had made her opinions about Arianna know a long time ago. They weren't the most honest ones, not given the fact that she was protective of her children and Arianna was dating her only son.
"Why? It's an amazing dress, and one of my favorites."
"Exactly, which means mom already saw it, and it also means that she would know you didn't buy a new dress for the wedding, like everyone in the immediate family and do you want to know what that means?"
"Please do enlighten me."
"In her eyes, it means that you don't consider yourself part of the family, so you don't care about my brother in the long run."
"All this for a simple dress?"
"You know her logic..."
"So I need to buy a new dress?"
"You seriously need to buy a new dress and fast. The wedding is in about three months, and my mom will want to approve of it long before that."
"I'm screwed."
Arianna loved Fillip, she truly did but sometimes she felt so suffocated in this relationship. Fill on his own was amazing and caring and loving with a steady job and serious about his feelings. Every girl's dream, but he was not alone.
Everything she did was under the close watch of his mother, who never fail to show her disapproval. Ari was trying very hard to go along but sometimes she really wished she could just kill her.
It wasn't that she didn't respect the woman because she did. Alexandra, after all, had managed to raise four kids all on her own, while working to make the month and grieving for her husband's untimely death.
"Oh crap, I'm going to be late for an appointment with a client."
"Go, I'll pay and be on my way as well. I need to check some things for tonight."
"Again? You spend your entire day yesterday checking for some 'last minute things'. Relax, it's not like it's the first time you are making an exhibition."
"I know, I know but I want it to be perfect. It has been a while since the last time that I actually exhibited some of my photographs and this feels like a comeback, you know?"
"Ari, it will be perfect. Ok, now I really need to go. I'll see you tonight."
Watching her friend leaving Arianna couldn't help but laugh. It was a wonder that Valery still had her job and dedicated clients. She really couldn't understand the concept of time. For all the years she has known her she can count on the fingers of her one hand how many times she arrived on time.
Then again everything she missed on punctuality she made it up with her charm, style and the ability to satisfy even her most demanding clients. Indeed Valery was an amazing interior designer and highly demanded.
Instead of taking her car she chooses to walk to the gallery. It wasn't far away, and the weather was warm, not that this was unusual for the area. Sacramento was known for its dry weather and hight temperatures.
Lost in her thoughts Arianna never saw the SUV stopping just a few meters in front of her, never saw the driver that stepped out with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.He had not seen the woman in front of him for about six years.
"Arianna?"
She froze in her step. That voice she could recognize it anywhere. Stefano Tosseti, Dante's younger brother and one of her oldest and dearest friends.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here for business. You live here?"
With his answer, she visibly relaxed. He wasn't here for her. As if realized from a spell, a wide smile covered her face. She was so happy to see him. How could she not? They had grown up together, shared so much. Once upon a time, they've been inseparable. A group of four, Stefano, Elena, Lukas and herself.
She loved her life in California, it was what she wanted, her choice but a part of her has been missing. She missed her family, she missed THE family, even thought Arianna knew many would not be happy with her, not after everything that happened.
"A few years now. You know how much I like the sun."
"Do you have time to catch up? I missed you."
"I was going... You know what forget it. If you are willing to give me a ride I live few blocks from here."
"Good."
Back in her apartment, the hours passed like minutes, they had endless things to discuss. Two friends that their years apart did nothing to break the trust and loyalty between them.
"How did you even ended up becoming a photographer?"
"I don't know. I was while I was traveling, I just picked up a camera and started taking pictures of everything around me. I loved it and it turned out I was good at it."
"If you say so."
"So, any girls?"
"They come and go."
"Come on, nothing serious?"
"There was something but it ended up badly. Let's just say I'm taking a break from relationships."
"How bad was bad exactly?"
"Ended up with her on the wrong side of my barrel."
"Did she deserve it?"
"She was working for an enemy family, trying to get intel on us."
"Sorry."
"When I found out, I didn't even blink about it. I knew what had to be done and I did it. A person that I thought I loved and I just killed her. Now I don't even know if it was the right thing to do."
"Do you regret it?"
"No."
"Then there's your answer. You did the right thing, you protected your family."
"I know and yet there is this feeling in me that is drowning me half the times with gilt and the other half with fear over the knowledge that I would do it again in a heartbeat."
"Trust me I know that feeling, better than most. You need to let it go. Trust me, Stefano, if you don't it will consume you."
"Was that why you left after what happened?"
"Yes and No. For me it was different, I killed one of our own Stefano."
"He was a rat."
"He was my father."
"Do YOU regret it?"
"I don't regret the act itself, I regret what it cost. I regret the look on my grandfather's face when I told him his son was dead. I regret my grandmother's tears when she had to bury him. I regret what it did to my family. How could I look them in the eye knowing what I did?"
"No-one blamed you, Rina. Your father was lost to us the day your mother jumped in front of a bullet sacrificing her life to save his. As it is, people admired you for the choice you made."
"I shot my father."
"If you hadn't half the family would have ended up in jail. Including your brothers."
"I know, I don't regret it."
"Good. And I don't regret it either."
"Good."
Suddenly this conversation was too much, too sudden. Arianna couldn't hold it back. She burst out laughing. There wasn't really a choice it was either that or crying.
Stefano looked at her as if she had grown a second head. He always knew she was crazy but it was at times like this that was reminded just how much.
As if the laughter was contagious he joined in. In that moment the both wished they were back in Chicago with Lucas and Elena, messing with each other to no end.
It was in that moment that Philip walked in, to find an unknown man with his girlfriend in a what one could consider a very weird situation.
The first one to notice him was the man, Stefano after all had been trained since he was a little boy to always be aware of his surroundings.
He sobered up quickly after that. Uneasy thoughts crept into his mind. What was this man doing having keys to Rina's apartment? He knew the answer, it was right in front of him but he didn't want to believe it. If his brother found out...
He was one of the few people that knew of their relationship and knew exactly what Rina meant to him. He knew that even now he wait, put his patience was running thin and the man there was a threat.
Noticing the change in Stefano, Ari turned as well, flashing him with her brightest of smiles.
"Phill! I thought you had a meeting today."
"I do but a certain someone was distracting me this morning making me forget some of my notes."
"Sound like an awful person."
"Remember, you said it not me."
He bearly saw the pillow flying towards him and had just enough time to step out of the way, laughing at her.
"Let me introduce you two, Fill this is Stefano, an old childhood friend of mine. Stefano this is Phillip, my boyfriend."
Standing up Stefano offered a handshake to the man. To the average person, he would appear normal, nothing but friendly and relaxed.
Arianna was not your average person. Growing up with him and many other men such as him she could see past the pretenses, to the predator hiding inside. The handshake was just a bit too firm, a bit too long. His gaze evaluated Fillip, trying to determine how much of a threat he was.
"Are you here for the exhibition?"
Fillip unaware of the danger the man in front of him posed, tried to engage in a pleasant conversation. It was so rear for Arianna to talk for her family and childhood years that he could not believe he was finally meeting someone from her past.
"Unfortunately no. I have a plane to catch but I will surely keep an eye out for her next one."
"That's a shame. I would have loved to talk to you more. I wish I could stay now but I am already late as it is. Next time maybe.
I won't be able to come from home tonight so I'll have to meet you straight at the gallery. Do you mind?"
"No, no. I'll see you tonight."
Arianna kissed him good-by and all but dragged him out of the door, only letting him get his necessary notes. She watched him leave, relaxing with every step he was taking away from this appointment and Stefano.
"I hope you know what you are doing kid. If my brother finds out this could get really bad really quick."
"Dante and I have been done with each other a long time now."
"We both know that's a lie. He seems like a good man."
"He is and he loves me."
"Do you?"
"I... I mean.. Yes.."
If anyone else asked her the same question she would have never hesitated but it was as if Stefano was digging every layer she had. She could not lie she could not hide and she was plainly aware of her hesitation.
"I have to go. We'll talk soon."
"Yeah"
Lost in her momentary thoughts she had forgone what Stefano had run into and just what exactly his opinion about it was. Arianna knew what he told her was true they would be speaking again soon but next time it would not be under her terms.