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Soon, my love, I thought grimly. First I had wicked deeds ahead that her light could have no part in. But once finished, nothing would keep me from her side again.
I sped off into the city, fortified knowing Natalia waited for me. Come what may, I would find my way back to her.
CHAPTER 13
THE VIPER’S NEST
Natalia's POV:
I watched Leonardo's car disappear down the street, my heart heavy as it turned the corner out of sight. Our time together had been far too brief. Already the house felt cold and foreign without him here.
But I understood why he had to leave. Whatever dangerous unfinished business called him away was clearly weighing on Leonardo. I knew he would not go unless absolutely necessary.
Still, now faced again with his absence, the bleak emptiness threatened to swallow me back up. I shook myself. I could notspiral into melancholy. Not when Leonardo needed my strength and faith now more than ever.
Heading back inside, I went in search of Ashley, craving her lively company. I found her in the kitchen cleaning up the rest of breakfast.
She looked up with a sympathetic smile, seeing my expression. “That bad, huh?”
I managed a small shrug. “I just got used to having him close again. The house feels too quiet now.”
Ashley wrapped me in a comforting hug. “I know, babe. But at least you got a little time together.” She pulled back, eyes searching mine. “And he’s coming back, right?”
“As soon as he can,” I affirmed, as much to bolster my own spirits as reassure her. I had to cling to that promise of Leonardo’s return to get through this.
Ashley glanced at the clock and clapped her hands decisively. “Alright, enough moping. Get dressed - you're coming to school with me today.”
I blinked in surprise. “Really? Is that allowed?”
“A perk of friendship with the principal’s daughter,” Ashley said with a cheeky grin. “Dad won't care. It’ll be good distraction for you.”
The thought of getting out of this house, being around other people did lift my spirits slightly. “If you’re sure it’s not an issue...” I said.
Ashley waved off my concerns. “Please, the teachers love when we bring guests. It'll spice up their boring days.” She shooed me towards the stairs playfully. “Go on, get ready!”
I laughed, shoving aside my melancholy. Trust Ashley to know exactly how to lift me up when I needed it most. Her lively spirit was a balm to my soul.
Upstairs, I quickly showered and changed into some casually stylish clothes of Ashley’s. Simple jeans and a soft cashmere sweater, but it made me feel more put together. Normal.
Ashley approved my outfit with an emphatic thumbs up as I slid into the passenger seat of her sporty hatchback. “Lookin’ cute! You’ll be beating guys off with a stick,” she said with an exaggerated wink.
I rolled my eyes but smiled, comfortable bantering with her. Ashley’s buoyant humor never failed to raise my spirits. We sang loudly along with pop songs on the radio as the scenery rolled by outside.
At school, Ashley showed me to my locker and helped me stash my bag there. The crowds of chattering students were energizing. I found myself eagerly drinking in this taste of regular teenage life.
“Okay, so I just have English Lit and Calc before free period,” Ashley told me as we walked. “The classes are super dull but they go quick. Then we can hang in the quad or whatever.”
“Sounds perfect,” I said sincerely. The freedom and novelty of just being a normal student for a day was exhilarating.
Ashley's elite preparatory academy was worlds away from any school I had seen before. The sprawling campus was more reminiscent of a prestigious university than a high school, with ivy-covered brick buildings and meticulously manicured lawns.
Students dressed in tidy uniforms strolled along casually chatting and laughing. I grinned, drinking in the quintessential picture of carefree youth before me. It was all so wonderfully ordinary.
As we walked past groups of teenagers lounging on sun-drenched patios outside the academic halls, I noticed admiring glances turned our way. Ashley waved and called out greetings to several handsome boys by name, clearly accustomed to the attention.
"Hope you don't mind the entourage," she said breezily to me as we continued on. "These guys are all infatuated with that whole unattainable mystique thing I've got going on."
I just laughed. "Please, if anything I'm basking in your popularity glow. I might have to start fake swooning to keep them interested."
