AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I push my food around the gold-rimmed plate. “Love is an emotion. You can be in love with someone without jumping into bed with them every chance you get. That’s lust, not love.”
“It’s a package deal.” Roman sips his wine.
There’s no use arguing with him, especially today. But I firmly believe that love and lust are two separate states of being. Love is with the heart, and you can love someone without being physically attracted to them. Alternatively, you can lust after someone who you don’t love—maybe even someone you hate.
One day, I want to marry for love. A kind, sophisticated, and loyal man who’s a good husband and father. That’s what I want. I don’t need passion or lust, those emotions only seem to cloud people’s minds and make them act irrationally.
Beside me, Sophia sharply inhales.
I glance over at her. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. Just fine,” she squeaks.
I try not to look too closely at my sister and new brother-in-law because I have the feeling that he’s doing something naughty to her under the table. In front of the entire family. I really don’t want to know about it.
My phone vibrates and I pull it from the hidden pocket in my dress. Distracted by my sister’s muffled moans, I mindlessly swipe to open the screen and immediately gasp. I freeze, feeling everyone’s eyes on me.
“What’s wrong?” Sophia asks, concern coating her voice.
“Nothing,” I say, feeling the blood drain from my face. This is not good. Not good at all. I shouldn’t have opened this text in front of them. “It’s nothing. Please excuse me.”
In a daze, my heart hammering against my ribcage, I flee inside the villa, as if that will somehow protect me from my stalker. Usually, I read his text messages when I’m alone and have some privacy. I can’t believe I opened his latest one in front of my entire family. What if someone saw my screen? How would I explain it to them?
My sisters, Sophia and Ginevra, catch up with me in the hallway. I guess I’m about to figure out how to explain this, because now I have no choice. I’ve never been terribly good at lying.
“What is it?” Sophia asks, drawing my attention away from my phone’s screen.
I lick my suddenly dry lips, and pocket my cell, wishing I could hide it away. “Really, it’s nothing. My stomach just doesn’t feel so well all of a sudden.” I’m not usually one to try to be deceptive, but desperate times…
Sophia places her hands on her hips and eyes me. “Liar.”
“Something's up,” Ginevra pipes in. “You’ve been checking your phone all day. That’s not like you. Oh! Is it a boy?” Her brown eyes brighten with misplaced excitement.
Have I been checking my phone all day? Maybe. Honestly, I’m always on edge these days—correction, the past several weeks. When will my stalker text me again? Will he include a photo of me? Sometimes I feel like I can track his movements by when and where he sees me. But I doubt he sends me a photo of myself every time he’s stalking me. He could be anywhere, at any time.
Fear splashes over me like icy water.
I have to remind myself that here, in Italy, I’m safe. He can’t reach me. He can’t touch me while I’m thousands of miles away from him.
“No,” I snap at Ginevra. “It’s not a boy.” At least not in the way she thinks.
Suddenly my eyes sting and my throat feels like it’s closing. I choke on a sob, and turn away from my sisters.
“Oh my god, Arianna, what’s going on? Are you in trouble?” Sophia comes in closer, hovering near me.
“I-I don’t know. Maybe.” I’m so tired of bearing this burden alone, but I also don’t want to trouble either of them with it. We’ve always been close, but I haven’t been able to find the right time or words to tell them I have a stalker. Not to mention, I don’t want them to get hurt.
“Come on, just tell us.” Gin rubs my shoulder. “Together we’ll figure it out. Whatever it is.”
I chew on my bottom lip, debating about how much to tell them. My shoulders slump as I give in to the inevitable. A half-truth won’t get us anywhere. If there is a way to find out who this man is and put an end to his harassment, then I need to come clean about everything.
“Okay. Th-these started about two weeks ago.” Pulling out my phone, I flip through several photos of myself, candid shots, taken around the city by my stalker.
“Someone’s taking pictures of you?” Ginevra asks. “Why?”
With shaking hands, I reveal the next piece of the puzzle. “They’re sent with these messages.”
Sophia takes my phone and scrolls through the text thread. I visualize what she’ll find in there, how he always compliments me in the photos, my demands for him to stop texting me, and his threat to kill anyone I tell about him. He insists this has to remain a secret between us or there will be consequences.
