Raelyn
I've never felt the blood in my body run as cold as it did before.
Stefano has moved our supposed engagement to an earlier date. Why would he-I stopped in my train of thought. It was that conversation we had. I knew it.
I even knew my behavior last night did nothing but make him want me even more. I saw it in those dark eyes of his. No matter what I did, his eyes would hold a glint in them every single time.
Then, that conversation we had when he pulled me from dinner. It wasn't really a conversation per say, but our exchange of words were laced in tension and cheekiness.
He loved it when I bit back at him. I knew his game.
"The engagement was set for January 30, he says the date is being brought to January 10." My father explained, meeting my eyes. "In 9 months?" I asked him incredulously. This couldn't be. I balled my fists. "That's too soon..." I tried to stay firm, but my voice only cracked. In 9 months I'd be getting engaged to a mobster.
My father deeply exhaled and shook his head. "What has to be done, has to be done. Stefano has made up his mind about you, Raelyn."
My jaw tightened as well. I felt like my parents weren't fighting for me. I felt like they were just throwing me into the wolves and expecting me to not come out unscathed. I became furious. My face was becoming hot and I was fighting back the urge to cry.
My father looked at me as if he was giving up something he didn't want to.
"So whatever Stefano says, goes, right?" I asked him, my voice wavering. My father sighed. "Raelyn, there's only so much that I can do."
"I don't understand any of this." I shook my head in despair.
"Raelyn-"
"How could you just give me up like that?"
He clenched his jaw. "I didn't give you up."
I didn't want to stand here any longer. In fact, I needed to clear my mind.
After that conversation with my father,I went over to Gigi's place. I texted her letting her know I was going to come by and she said she's home. I expected Gigi to open the door but instead, it was her mother standing in front of me. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Marino." I greeted her. She stretched her painted red lips into a smile before she spoke.
"How are you, Raelyn?" Mrs. Marino asked me, moving to the side to welcome me in. Gigi's mother is super kind and soft mannered. Sometimes it was hard to believe Gigi was her daughter. Then again, Gigi's mother was everything Gigi never wanted to be.
She's the obedient house wife, the lady with soft manners and elegance. She lives for pleasing her husband and taking care of the home. She's the typical wife in our society.
"I'm fine, thank you." I answered her. Everything looked so clean and spotless. I assumed she just finished cleaning.
"Would you like a drink?" She asked me going into the kitchen. I shook my head as if she could hear me. "No, no. I'm okay." I said over the loud noises the pots were making.
"Okay, Raelyn. Gianna is in her room."
"Thank you." I said to her before going to look for Gigi. Her room was cracked opened. I balled my fist to knock on her door but she muttered, "Don't bother."
I slipped in and walked over to her bed, plopping down on it. Gigi sat up in her bed and took the earplugs out of her ears. "What's wrong, Rae?" Gigi frowned as she examined my face. I shook my head and sighed.
"Things are getting worse and worse everyday." I answered her vaguely.
Gigi's eyebrows raised. "Oh! Did the dinner not go as planned?" She asked me curious. I told her about my idea of spoiling dinner at Stefano's place.
"About that..."
"Stop stalling Raelyn, what happened?" Gigi furrowed her eyebrows and scooted closer to me. "I did every embarrassing thing I could think of during the dinner. I interrupted conversations, burped obnoxiously, I chewed loudly, and was so disrespectful...and yet, that only seemed to make Stefano more interested in me." I told her.
I couldn't control the frustration I was feeling inside.
"What?" She whispered in disbelief.
I nodded my head. "He pulled me to the side...I can't exactly remember all we talked about but I do remember this..." I trailed off. Gigi's eyes urged me to continue. "I asked him why...why he wanted to marry me."
"You had the balls to ask him that?!" She whisper shouted. I shook my head. "I didn't ask him the full question, but it was implied." I told her, meeting her wild eyes.
"Well what did he say?"
I tried to remember. "He said...he said, I'm a bad man, and you're good, Rae. It was something like that." I said and bit my lips afterwards. "I'm trying to figure out exactly what he means."
Gigi looked as if she were thinking as well.
"My father also told me something this morning. I'm still shaking." I told her, literally feeling myself shaking at just the thought of it.
Gigi wrapped her arms around me.
"Stefano called my father this morning..." I said softly. Gigi gasped in shock. "He told him that my engagement has been over to an earlier date. It's in nine months, Gigi."
"Asshole!" Gigi said.
My warms tears cascaded down my face. "Gigi, I don't know what to do. I feel so hopeless."
"I want so badly to comfort you but I don't know how." Gigi squeezed me tight. "It's okay, Gigi." I sniffed and wiped my face with my sleeve. Silence passed us for ages minutes, neither of us saying a single word.
"What are you thinking?" Gigi asked, breaking that silence.
"I'm thinking how in the world I'm going to break up with Vincent."
"Seriously?" She puked away from me. I sighed. "What else am I to do, Gigi? Keep dragging him along as if we're going to be something one day? That's just evil." I hated how I was speaking. I wasn't this pessimistic.
"I can't do that to him..." I said again, quietly. "I have to tell him what I just told you." I added. "Raelyn..." gigi started.
"This will hurt me more than it'll hurt him, I'm sure."
Gigi and I continued to talk and somehow the topic became lighter.
"I can't believe the restaurant was burned down." Gigi shook her head. I raised an eyebrow and stretched a grin. "Which one? There were a couple." I said with humor. Gigi nudged me in my side. "The one we work at." She said and rolled her eyes. "Used to work at, actually." I corrected her.
Gigi sighed and shook her head. "My mother is so happy that I no longer work." She chuckled, tapping on her phone. "Mine too." I said rolling my eyes. Gigi looked up from her phone and grinned at me. "Not for long, though. Stefano is giving money to the community for repairs." She said.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Oh."
"Mhm. He's also helping to pay funeral costs." She added and I scoffed. "-And he's a philanthropist..." I said slowly. Gigi pursed her lips. "We do have many funerals to go to though."
"That's a lot of money."
"That's what he and his predecessors have been doing. That's why this community adores him so much. I've heard on the block that he's donated already more than half as much his father in years." Gigi added with a shrug.
"What else do you know?" I asked her and bit my lip. "Well, that's it on that. However...have you heard about Gillian Franklin?" She asked me giving me a weird look.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Who's that?"
Gillian leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. She didn't have to, but she wanted to be dramatic. "The senator's daughter. I've seen Stefano and her in an article together."
"Really?" I asked in shock.
"Yeah. You know that event you went to? It was hosted by Senator Franklin. Of course you knew Stefano was there-"
"And so was she..." I finished her sentence.
Gigi pulled back. "I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure they have some type of relationship going on."
Gigi said she's seen them in a recent article. I wasn't as surprised because everyone in my neighborhood kept up with these kind of articles. He's always seen with a different fling but I never paid much attention to his affairs.
Even with all the information people read of him, Stefano still remained a mystery.
*
The next week my family, practically the town's church, and I, attended several funerals. They were funerals for those that had died due to "savage Russians" attack on our town.
During the many I attended, I saw Stefano a few times. I was never sure if he saw me, though. If he did, he didn't make it known because it seemed as if I didn't even exist.
Hopefully he's moved on to this Gillian woman that's better suited for him and I'm not actually getting a ring slid down my finger by a ruthless monster. Maybe the day before the engagement, my parents will tell me things didn't work out.
The places my wishful thinking could take me.
I also saw Gigi on these occasions. We would sometimes break away from our parents and chat with each other. Apparently, Gigi was now fawning over Adriano Vanzetti, Stefano's cousin who has just recently started making more appearances in the town.
Adriano also attended these funerals and so did other mob men. According to Gigi, Adriano is the consigliere's son. That meant he wasn't as powerful as Stefano, but he was still of elite status.
I only saw Vincent once or twice at the funerals and at each one, I noticed something different about him. I didn't know what it was, but he never looked comfortable.
It wasn't like we could kiss or hug or talk to each other either. I had to keep my distance from stefano which was hard for both of us. I wanted nothing more than to be with Vincent, and Vincent is a very passionate and touchy-feely guy. We could only look at each other longingly from a distance.
He knew my engagement was approaching. There would only be a week left until Vincent could no longer call me his.