Eli and two of his close friends walked the streets of Los Angeles taking in the city.
Eli got bored about twenty minutes ago but doesn't bother saying anything since he knows his friends weren't going to let him go home.
As Eli's eyes wander around it falls on a beautiful brown skin girl holding a camera. He slows down his pace as he gets closer to her.
The gorgeous girl frowns at the camera taking a step forward but squeals as she trips over her own feet. Eli's eyes bulged as he moves quickly towards her and catches her mid-fall, then and only then does he notices her huge belly.
He stares down at her as he holds onto her until she regains her balance.
"Whoa, sweet baby Jesus" she gasps holding her stomach. She looks up and freezes as she takes in the tall handsome male that helped her.
Eli tilts his head at her comment.
"Thank you for saving me from the embarrassment of falling in public" she says, looking up into his eyes. Eli nods taking a step away from her. "Bye" she waves walking away fast.
Eli watches her as she speeds walks down the street tripping over nothing in particular. She caught herself every time though.
'What a clumsy girl' he thought to himself turning around catching up with his friends
"Eli, Ti ho visto con lei. Chi è la ragazza?"
(Eli, I saw you with her. Who is the girl?)
Elijah shrugged glaring at him, he answered "I don't care what you have seen Angelo"
"Chi è la ragazza?" Angelo asked again
(Who's the girl?)
"I don't know, I just caught her before she fell"
Angelo nods in response.
***
"How long does it take for the sun to go down" Lauren groaned
She sat impatiently in the middle of a garden full of roses. All-day she thought about the handsome man that saved her from falling.
Lauren sighed struggling to get up from her sitting position on the ground. After trying three more attempts she's finally on her feet.
Just then the sun slowly starts to go down, taking out her camera she took several pictures of it until the sun left the sky and the moon appeared.
"Okay, let's get something to eat and then head home. Sounds like a plan baby ?" She asks smiling, looking down rubbing her belly
"Aye shawty!" she heard from behind her. Lauren ignored it simply because she thought nobody would want anything to do with her since she's pregnant.
"Ma, I know you hear me!" the voice yelled
Lauren smiled to herself as her favorite Italian restaurant sign came into view. Just as she walked into the parking lot she was pulled back into something hard.
She fell onto the ground holding herself. Looking up confused she tried to get up but stopped when she noticed a gun was pointed directly in her face.
"Damnit, the one time I didn't bring my taser" she whispered shaking her head
"I called yo ass twice" the gunmen hiss "I should shoot yo dumbass since you can't hear when folks talking to you!"
"I wasn't paying attention to you and your bullshit, my apologies" Lauren sighs shutting her eyes when she heard him cock the gun. He slammed it on her forehead causing her to hiss in pain.
Lauren decided to shut her mouth and not say anything that could get not only herself but her unborn baby killed.
"Shut yo punk ass up, give me all yo money?"
Almost instantly Lauren dug in her handbag taking out the forthy dollars handing it to him.
"This all you got?" he question
"Yes" she nodded
The gunmen started kicking her sides, cursing her loudly pulling her hair. Lauren cried silently begging him to stop but he didn't.
Suddenly the man grunted falling beside her. He quickly got up running away with her money.
A large hand grabbed her arm gently pulling her off the ground. Sniffling she looked up at thinking the worst. Lauren looked into the eyes of the man she met earlier, Eli. For some reason she felt safe, something she hasn't felt in a long time.
"Are you okay?"
She nods dusting herself off looking around for her camera. Grumbling to herself she found it, she had a hard time picking it up sadly.
"Let me" Eli insisted
He picked the camera up handing it to her, he led her into the restaurant.
"Great, now I have to buy another one" Lauren sighed lowly
"Hungry?" Eli asked watching her sliding into a booth fiddling with her camera lens
"Very, but I just got mugged. I don't have any money"
"What would you like?"
"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to pay for my food. I'll just make something when I get home." she shook her head
"You didn't ask" Eli raised an eyebrow "what would you like?" he asked again
"I normally get a number 3, I can't pronounce the name of it so don't ask"
Eli nodded walking away.
'Why does this woman attract me? Why do I keep running into her?' he thought to himself glancing back at her as he stood inline
***
Lauren ate silently as Eli watched her. She avoided eye contact leaning back against the seat. Groaning at the pain in her lower back she sat up.
"I should get going, I can't see at night. The longer I wait the darker it gets" Lauren smiles faintly "I can't thank you enough for helping twice and paying for my food"
Eli stands up holding his hand out, Lauren hesitantly takes it sliding out of the booth. Stumbling back, Eli places his hand on her lower back giving her extra support.
"Did you drive here?" Eli asks once they got outside
"No. I walked, my house is twenty minutes from here"
"Would you like a ride there?"
"No" she answers almost immediately "I can walk, it's fine"
Taking a step forward Lauren rolls her ankle on a rock. Eli pulls her into him, confusion takes over his face.
"la ragazza è troppo maldestra per il suo bene" Angelo appears out of nowhere.
(the girl is too clumsy for her good.)
"Hello beautiful" a man nods at Lauren standing beside Angelo
"I know, I can't help it" Lauren sighed taking Eli and his friends by surprise.
"Tu parli Italiano?" Angelo raises a brow
you speak Italian
"No, but I understand it. I should get going." she shakes her head walking away.
"Wait! Can I use your phone for a sec?" Eli's friend asked grabbing her arm gently
Lauren looks at Eli while she hands over her phone. The man smirks at her while typing in Eli's number.
"I'm Alessandro, nice to meet you.."
"Hey, I'm Lauren" she smiles briefly
"Call that number if you ever need anything, and I mean anything" he smirks
"This is your number?" Lauren asks staring at her phone then at Alessandro
"No it's Eli's" he smiles pointing to the tattooed man that stood quietly behind her
"I um wow" she was speechless, she never thought it'd be so easy to get his number. Then she remembered he didn't give it to her. His friend did.
"Alessandro sei un idiota" Angelo scoffs (Alexander you're an idiot)
"Oh hush Angelo, you're so uptight"
"It was nice um meeting you guys but I should probably get going" Lauren checks the time then looked up at Eli, who was already staring at her. "Bye" she says to him then started walking away.
"è Bella, maldestra ma bellissima" Angelo sighs (She is beautiful, clumsy but beautiful)
Eli nods watching her until she was no longer visible anymore.
He left Alessandro and Angelo standing in the parking lot of the restaurant as he sped off in the opposite direction of Lauren, heading to his house.
•
The plot doesn't form until chapter 21, I was just typing random shït up until then