Dedicated to @JBryan98
Please Take the time to read this before moving to the story and let me know what you think.
I'm very ugly.
So don't try to convince me that.
I am a very beautiful person.
Because at the end of the day.
I hate myself in every single way.
And I'm not going to lie to myself saying.
There's is beauty in me that matters.
So rest assured that I will remind myself.
That I am a worthless, terrible person.
And nothing you say will make me believe.
I still deserve love.
Cause no matter what.
I'm not good enough to be loved.
And I'm in no position to believe that.
Beauty does exist inside of me.
Because whenever I look in the mirror I always think
Am I as ugly as people say?
(Now read this bottom-up.)
-Abdullah Shoaib.
-Back to the story-
Leonardo POV.
After the flights of stairs, we arrived at the rooms.
It's was beautifully designed if I can say so myself.
"Oh my gosh. This is beautiful." She says falling onto the bed.
"Yep mum takes a lot of time taking care and redecorating this place," I say setting the luggage at the corner of the room.
"Ok let's set two simple rules." She says sitting up suddenly.
I arched my brow. "What kind of rules were you thinking about?"
"1. You change in the bathroom down the hall. I change here.
2. You aren't allowed to come in here with a towel wrapped around your waist so no half-naked. And it applies to me." She says.
"Ok but if you add this rule, you aren't allowed to bring another male or female without consent in the room," I said referring to my brother especially.
"Deal." She says then plunges in the bed.
"You going to sleep?" I ask.
"Yep, just a small nap." She says yawning and soon her eyes are shut.
After about an hour or more of watching her sleep (well at least for me it felt like an hour.) She was soo peaceful like the world wasn't a dark scary place. Every once in awhile her eyebrows would knit together and let's not get in the smoothness of her skin. How I longed to touch but I'm sure it would get me a punch in the face.
I shake my head, clearing the thoughts that were invading my head.
I walk out to take a shower. And walk to get dressed.
I mean why was even thinking of her? We were always bickering and I am pretty sure there isn't one bone in her body that carried my name unless it was to curse it.
I chuckled at the thought. Looking at her wondering whether or not to wake her up...
Finally, I went to wake her up cause it was 15 min to dinner and mum hates tardiness. I gently shake her.
"Hey you have drool down your mouth," I say "Gosh and that smell.... Is it eggs?"
She throws a pillow at me before burying her face in the pillow and I chuckle.
"Now I understand why you don't live with roommates," I mutter.
"Come on honey we have a dinner to attend," I say smirking.
She gets up, glares at me before she goes to the bathroom and from where I am standing I see her look at her reflection to make sure there is no drool on her face. Her hair is in a mess but she looks different, almost human.
Afterward, she dresses in a neat outfit maybe to make a better impression on my mother. I don't know, I don't think I'll ever understand this woman.
"Ok let's go." She says.
I just stare at her. Classy as usual. She never fails to surprise me.
"What?! Is it not ok what I'm wearing." She asks looking at her outfit.
"I'm just shocked, where did the yoga pants and sneakers go?" I aks.
"Are you asking for a death wish?"
"As if you could kill me...." I mutter.
"What was that?" She asked walking closer to me.
"Nothing," I reply, then clear my throat. It's hot here all of a sudden.
I look at her feet and raise a brow.
"Oh clumsy me, let me get my shoes." She says digging through her suitcase.
While she's digging a hot pink bra falls out of her suitcase. And her face reflects the exact colors.
"I didn't see anything," I say turning to face the door. Hopefully, she believes that. Soon I feel a shoe hit my back.
"Hey!" I say.
"Remember that when you pen your death wish, a shoe can cause a lot of harm." She says putting on her heels and dusting herself, her face back to normal.
Oh do shut up.
"Ok let's go." She says.
"Better?" She asks twirling around.
"Perfect," I say.
"I know! Why am I even asking you?" She says checking herself in the mirror.
"Can we go?" I asked I said offering her the crook of my elbow.
"Don't tell me I have to guide you down to the dining room!" She exclaims.
"Would you just comply?"
"Do I look like your grandmother? I can walk on my own feet thank you!" She says and starts to walk away.
"Gosh, woman! You are so stubborn!" I say frustrated. Walking up to here I extend my hand and forcefully take hers and wrap it in the crook of my elbow and we make our way down to the dinner table just on time.
"My my my. Honey, you look gorgeous." Judy says while trying to keep Loren and Anne in place.
"Mommy she looks like a princess," Loren says to her mum.
Natasha kneels down to her height and says something I didn't quite get making Judy and the twins burst in a fit of laughter.
"She does look gorgeous, doesn't she? And she's wearing my favorite colors." Massimo says from behind.
I feel my anger boil. That lizard.
"Thank you, Massimo, but all praises go to my charming boyfriend for picking out this outfit." She says walking towards me adding a little sway in her hips.
I feel my Adam apple move up and down and grin.
"Honey let's find a seat at the dining table." She says taking my hand.
My grin widens victoriously, for one thing, Natasha knows how to play the game because Massimo is left confused in his own cloud.
"Don't think I said that to save you...I just didn't want the steam coming out of your ears to smoke up the whole room." She leans in whispering to me.
Soon mum comes in with a few waiters following close by.
She cast Natasha a glimpse and gives her a smile of approval. Natasha radiates with joy. It's clear that making my mother like her is her number one priority.
"Yet you are the one trying to gain my mom's favor," I whisper back.
"Yeah, that's to prove myself and my dignity, something you lost after all the 'girls' you brought home. You don't flatter yourself that I will be kissing your mom's fingers begging her to make me daughter-in-law." She says, smiles politely before returning to her plate.
I look at her. Who was this woman I brought with me?
The dinner went well, everyone was very interested in Natasha.
"So where did you and my son meet." My mum says.
I freeze but Natasha answers as if she has practiced her whole life this part.
"We met at a charity function. My mum's function precisely. She works for Cherish the moment. So she wanted to give every underprivileged girl a beautiful dress so that they can feel beautiful outside too, me being the clumsy one stumbled down the stairs after my announcement and was gratefully caught by your son." She says before adding a forkful of Chicken Parmesan pasta in her mouth.
Then it comes to me that it did happen. I just didn't pay to much attention to her. I went my way and she went hers.
"Your mum is Maria Claire?" My mom gasp.
"Yep. Anyways..." Natasha says and I can sense that she is uncomfortable.
"I must meet her soon." My mum exclaims.
"So now my status had changed because you know my mom," Natasha mutters soft enough but I caught it. I nudge her knee and shake my head.
"I've been trying to get a hold of her for months." My mum carries on.
"We've all tried to get hold of her," Natasha whispers. I nudge her again, her head whips to my direction and she glares at me.
"Ok, mum I'm sure Natasha is extremely tired maybe we should call it a night," I say folding my napkin.
"What about your dessert honey?" My mum asks.
"Send it up to my room. Come on dear let's get you some rest." I say taking Natasha's hand.
She gets up, glares at me yet looks relieved to have left the table.
"Are you ok?" I ask.
"The next time you nudge my legs as hard as you do, I promise I will turn you into an amputee." She glares rubbing her knee.
"What?! I just saved you?" I said.
"From what? Your dinosaur of a mother? What is the worse she would have done to me? Kill me with the question marks at the end of her sentences?" She huffed. Then she sighed.
"But yes, thanks I am ok." she says softly.
"I promise you sometimes I think you are bipolar..." I breathe.
She opens her mouth just to be interrupted.
"Natasha wait!" I hear my brother Massimo shout.
I internally roll my eyes. Natasha smiles and I can just imagine that my eye roll wasn't too internal.
"Yes, Massimo?" She says as sweet as ever.
"I was wondering if I could show you the city tomorrow cause mum said that she and Lorenzo had a conference tomorrow and ask me to replace him." He announced.
"How did you know I wanted to see the city?" Natasha questions dramatically.
"Well, I just assumed that being in a city like London you would like to go." He says smiling.
I nearly vomit at his innocence. Natasha contemplates it's for a moment Looks at me and smiles before turning back to Massimo.
"Sure thank you, Massimo." She says. Then turns to me.
"Babe we can reschedule our little outing to Thursday right?" she says.
I shivered when she said, babe. How smooth those words sound out of her mouth.
"Sure I'll look into my schedule," I said mad.
"Gosh, sometimes I want to iron your forehead, she says flicking away my frown. "The wifi is strong around here no need to add an extra router."
"Ok can't wait to see you tomorrow," Massimo says laughing and suddenly reflecting the victory smile I earlier displayed.
"Stop being so dramatic. You'll wait tonight. Plus don't get too excited I could also change my mind. Night!" she says. Before taking my hand and walking us away.
I was fuming. How could she accept my older brother's invitation? Doesn't she know his motives?
"I'm going to bed," she says getting her PJs.
I didn't feel like talking to her. Not tonight.
"Finally some quiet time. If you plan on giving me the silent treatment at least switch off the lights, your face may mess up my eyes." She said before shutting her eyes.
Once she had gone to bed. I crept out of the room trying not to wake her up and went straight to Massimo's room. Banging on his door.
"Woah I'm coming," he says.
"What is your problem?" I shove him not caring that he just came out of the shower.
"What I can't even take a shower?! You know with Natasha around it gets pretty hot." He says wiping his hair.
Gosh, I was going to pounce on him.
"What game are you playing at here?" I say through tight teeth.
"I didn't even know we were in a game. What are the scores?" He says looking at me. "What now?! Offering her a tour is now dangerous? "
"You are dangerous, big brother. I've seen how you do with girls and Natasha doesn't deserve this." I say.
"Lil bro. I've changed that was the teenage me. But around Natasha I feel different, I feel like her happiness is my oxygen." He says."Plus how do you know what she deserves?"
Before I can actually realize what I'm doing I feel my knuckles collide with his face.
He messages his jaw.
"You still throw like a girl. And why you so protective?" He asks.
"That's none of your business," I say. "Just leave my girlfriend alone."
"Where is she now? Am I with her? Isn't she by herself in the bedroom?"
Plus if this is a game, it's only fair we play fairly. Just watch out tomorrow she'll be falling for me in no time because you won't be there to stop her," he states.
"Is that a challenge?" I ask. Fuming wouldn't come close to what I was feeling.
"Didn't you say we were in a game? Afraid of a little heat? Plus you know how competitive I can get." He says. "See you at the finish line."
With that, he slams the door in my face.
I have to stop that tour tomorrow!