QOTC: what are your thoughts on this POV? Really curious about what you'll think of this chapter. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Throughout this chapter, Visconti will say some nice things about Ali. Don't take them the wrong way. It's pure objectivity.
Dread.
It was heavy, weighing on my shoulders.
It felt as if I were immersed in a dense fluid, which was making it difficult for me to breathe. The minutes were dripping away excruciatingly slow, feeding my anxiety.
I glanced at Olivia, my lovely wife, who was giving me a list of the things that I needed to remember to take with me.
"Also, I prepared a fruit salad for your breakfast, it's in the fridge. Don't forget to take it." She added with a warm smile, resting her hand on the one that wasn't busy holding the fork. "I will miss you a lot, darling."
I turned my hand so that my palm touched hers and squeezed it. "I will miss you more, love. I will call you every night, don't you worry about it. I love you."
Olivia leaned in closer and pecked me on the cheek. "I love you, too."
Inevitably, though not surprisingly, my mind wandered back to the one person that was the origin of all of my concerns: Alison.
She was way too unpredictable, and that was enough to make me want to skip this entire trip, but it was my responsibility to accompany those three classes.
I feared that she would pull another one of her little stunts and, most considerably, I feared that I wouldn't be able to control myself and that I would give in.
I love my wife, a lot.
But Alison is simply irresistible. The mere sight of her is enough to fill any hot-blooded man with pure desire, and that makes her dangerous.
She is the ultimate temptress.
It is not in my nature to act like an asshole, but she forced me to. There was no other way I could keep her away from me, other than by treating her poorly.
And it was difficult, not because I wanted her— I loved my wife, but because it hurt to see her so sad over me. I didn't like being the cause of her pain, but that was the only solution.
Olivia placed her hands onto my shoulders, and just then I noticed that she had gotten up and had stopped behind my chair. "How about we go upstairs and make the most of these few hours? It's still pretty early, we have enough time. You're getting up at 1, right?"
"Yes, I am." I replied after clearing my throat.
I usually would've jumped at the idea of making love to my wife, but today my friend was having some issues. My agitation was making it hard for me to get... Well, hard. But I couldn't refuse her without raising any suspicions. "I just need to do one last thing in my office. You go wait for me in bed."
She grinned excitedly and walked upstairs.
I released a deep sigh once I made sure that she couldn't hear me and I dragged my hand across my face in sheer frustration. I needed to calm down and get it up.
I tried to think of the past sessions with Olivia, but I was too stressed to even remember them correctly. My mind was occupied by worry, generated by her... Alison.
And suddenly, a wave of memories washed over me: her sexy little body pressed against mine as I fingered her, her delicate moans, her plump, red lips intertwined with mine. That's all it took for my dick to rise at full mast.
Fai schifo.
Nevertheless, I paced upstairs and fucked my wife. I did not make love to her. I fucked her.
Alison was wearing a mint green sundress that heavily contrasted against her tan skin. She looked absolutely beautiful. Her eyes, however, told a story I did not want to know: she was sad, blankly gazing out of the window next to her and into the night sky.
I could see one of her friends trying to converse with her and asking her questions, only to get monosyllabic mutters in reply. It was disheartening.
I went back to my seat and sat down, taking my AirPods and plugging my ears with them, deciding to listen to some music so as to kill time and hopefully fall asleep. After all, I had 10 hours of flight to go through...
A sudden voice jolted me awake, making me realize that I'd dozed off. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Florence, where the local time is 6 pm. At this stage, you should be in your seat with your seatbelt firmly fastened. Personal television screens, footrests, and seat tables must be stowed away and all hand luggage stored either in the overhead lockers or under the seat in front. Please ensure all electronic devices including laptop computers and computer games are turned off."
I yawned and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hands as I prepared for landing.
The stress that had characterized the previous day had diminished in intensity, for it seemed that Alison was way too wrapped up into her own world to care about me.
Finally, the plane reached the ground and all the passengers— students and teachers, began getting up, grabbing their bags and impatiently shuffling towards the exit.
I tried to keep an eye on her, but she got lost in the crowd.
As soon as I set foot outside, I sighed in relief. The warm, Italian breeze caressed my face and the gentle heat enveloped my body, which was thankfully only covered by a light blue shirt and a pair of white linen pants.
All the students were scattered around, studying the scenery and chatting loudly and enthusiastically, a sight that brought a smile to my face.
I was also able to spot Alison, who looked completely in her element. I guessed that she liked the climate.
We then got on the buses that we had rented, which drove us to Palazzo Vecchietti, the hotel we had booked.
Everyone was in awe as they admired the architectural beauty and the refinement of the hotel.
Clark Gordon, the English teacher, loudly cleared his throat to catch the students' attention and started giving out the necessary instructions. "Alright, each one of you has to choose a same-sex friend or classmate. Choose with care, because you're going to be sharing a room for the entire duration of the trip."
I decided to leave them to their things and get in the elevator, pressing the button to the top floor, where I was going to reside. There was going to be an adult on each floor, to make controlling the teens easier.
"Hold the door, please!" I heard a masculine voice yell, and soon enough all the top floor students flooded the spacious elevator, complaining about how tired and hungry they were, but gushing over the hotel and the delicious food that they knew they were going to adore.
Just as the doors were about to close, Alison stepped between them, followed by her friend. She didn't notice me standing in one corner, for she was far too busy telling a story. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, perfectly showcasing her face, which showed signs of tiredness and sadness. Yet she still managed to brighten up every room she was in, and that was evident to everyone, judging by the glances and occasional glares she received.
Once we reached our destination, we scurried out of the elevator and into the wide hallway, looking around for our respective rooms.
"91... 91..." I mumbled under my breath, walking past each door until I could find the one with the number 91 engraved in a small golden plate.
I swiped my card and unlocked the door, finally getting inside. I walked into the bedroom and abandoned my luggage next to the bed, before letting myself fall onto the plush mattress.
I checked my watch and noticed that it was 7:15 pm, meaning that it was time for dinner. After releasing an annoyed groan, I got back onto my feet and exited my room, seeing all the students gradually do the same.
"I miss you so much already." Olivia complained into her phone camera, a pouty expression plastered onto her beautiful face. "Especially after last night. What's gotten into you?"
I smirked at the laptop screen. "I was really craving my sexy wife. Still am." I half-lied.
Of course, I did crave her, but that hadn't been the reason why I'd fucked her like that.
A blush crept up from her neck to her cheeks, making her appear younger than her 37 years. "Oh, stop it, you. You're making it harder for me to spend this week without you."
"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you as soon as I get home. I love you, honey, have a nice night." I said affectionately, sending her a loving smile.
She grinned back at me like a teenager in love. "I cannot wait. I love you so much, baby. Take care, enjoy yourself and goodnight."
I closed the FaceTime app and, after seeing that it was already 12 am, turned off my laptop.
Silence reigned on the top floor, and rightfully so: everyone was exhausted after having to wake up in the middle of the night.
Just as I was about to go to the bathroom to wash up, I heard the noise of a door closing as quietly as possible.
We had made it clear to the students that they were not allowed to sneak out, and that there were going to be serious consequences if they did. Of course, we weren't going to keep them inside the hotel every night, they were allowed to stay out until 2 am if they wished to, but not today.
I rolled my eyes and sighed deeply, because it was my job to deal with this situation, since this was a top floor student. I approached the door and opened it as soundlessly as I could, only to see that it was Alison the one walking away from her room. I would've immediately said something, but I saw that she wasn't walking towards the stairs.
She lightly and mindlessly stepped closer and closer to the French window that led to the terrace, before placing her hand on the handle and turning it open.
It was my responsibility to look after her, so I followed her, keeping my distance to avoid being noticed.
Alison was wearing a short, lavender silk nightgown underneath an equally short matching silk robe and, as she slightly leaned over the balustrade, both those garments rode up her legs, gifting me with a spectacular vision of her inner upper thighs. The moonlight that cascaded over her dainty figure made her look almost ethereal.
I dragged my eyes away from that area and looked straight ahead, pondering my options whilst the stars glinted and danced before me.
Ever since the day I had told her to stay away from me, she hadn't tried anything. Not even on the plane, or after dinner. It truly seemed as though she had given up, and that gave me the necessary confidence to speak with her.
I owed her an apology and, most importantly, I wanted her to go back to being the smiling, carefree girl she used to be. I couldn't bear seeing her so low-spirited on her senior trip, it just wasn't right.
She was resting her head on her hand, staring either into the night sky or at the breathtaking view of Florence, which was nowhere near as noisy and lively as New York at this hour, on a Monday.
I carefully approached her and brought my fingers to her shoulder, before changing my mind and quickly retracting them. I decided instead to clear my throat. "Miss Rivers?"