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But she was stubborn. Clearing my throat again, I opened my mouth to say something but quickly snapped it shut when I realized I didn’t know what to say.
I stared at the wall in frustration but the painting caught my attention. It was a beautiful landscape painting of a field of vibrant, colorful flowers.
That’s it, I thought.
“Did you like the flowers?” I asked, breaking the painful silence between us.
“They were okay,” she replied stiffly before looking down at the book again.
What kind of answer was that?
“So you liked them?”
Ayla shrugged. “They weren’t bad.”
“Oh,” I murmured, my shoulders dropping in disappointment.
She didn’t like them.
Swallowing hard, I leaned back against the sofa. Ayla was so happy with the flowers that Maddie had given her that I thought she would love them.
I rubbed a hand over my face and closed my eyes tiredly. In my attempt to make her feel better, I messed up.
After a few minutes, I realized she was looking at me. She stiffened and her gaze quickly snapped down. I saw a defiant scowl on her face.
Suddenly, she stood up and started to leave.
“Where are you going?” I asked, standing up too. Her steps faltered and she turned around, facing me again. Her shoulders were pushed back boldly and she looked straight at me, her green eyes vibrant and filled with unreadable emotions.
“I’m going to sleep,” she said. “It’s late.”
That’s it? I cleared my throat and then nodded. “Okay. Goodnight.”
We stared at each other silently for a few seconds. Nodding at me mutely, she swiveled around and walked out of the room.
I stared at her retreating back, speechless. What the fuck just happened?
I stepped back until I hit the sofa.
Ayla hadn’t even said goodnight.
***
It had been three days. I growled in frustration and pushed the papers away. Three days of Ayla barely speaking a word to me.
I sat down against my chair and rolled my neck left and right, trying to release the tension.
I didn’t understand what I did wrong. I tried everything, yet she stayed completely closed off. I knew she wasn’t like that with the others. I saw her talking animatedly to Maddie, a smile always present on her face, her eyes shining brightly.
But with me, she either scowled or frowned in my direction. Or sometimes, her expression was completely impassive.
And I was growing desperate. Just once, I wanted her to smile at me. I wanted to see her eyes sparkle with happiness while she looked at me. Just like at the creek or when she played the piano the first time.
Closing my eyes tightly, I rubbed my forehead, a weary sigh escaping my lips. When I heard the door open, my eyes snapped open and I leaned forward to see Maddie walking into my office.
She closed the door and then leaned against it silently.
“What is it?” I asked, placing both elbows on my desk as I waited for the answer.
“What is Ayla to you?” Maddie asked, stepping closer.
I was completely taken aback by her question. Pushing my chair away from the desk, I stood up and walked around it. “What type of question is that?”
“It’s an important one.”
I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it. I sent her a chilling look. “Listen—”
“Ayla is not someone to play around with. So if you just want to fuck her, then don’t. Don’t hurt her, Alessio. She doesn’t deserve it and she’s not like those whores you fuck around with,” Maddie spat.
“What are you talking about?” I growled. “I would never treat Ayla like that!” When I took a step forward, she only pushed her shoulders back in defiance.
“How do you feel about her?” Maddie was going to drive me crazy.
“None of your business,” I hissed.
“Yes, it is! Because if you hurt her—”
“I’m not going to hurt her!”
Her shoulders dropped and she sighed. “Ayla was really hurt when she saw you with Nina.”
“I know,” I murmured.
“She likes you, Alessio. A lot. She’s already emotionally involved.”
My heart accelerated and my stomach felt weird. A ball of emotions sat at the base of my throat as my chest felt unbearably tight. The thought of Ayla feeling even a little bit of what I felt made my heart go wild.
Fear was always a constant. I didn’t want to mess this up, but I never knew how to deal with my feelings. Whenever they became too much, I closed down. And I didn’t want Ayla to feel the impact of it. I wanted to protect her from pain.
“If you don’t feel the same way, let her go. Don’t hurt her,” Maddie added.
I swallowed and then shifted my gaze away. “What I feel for Ayla…I don’t understand it. But I can’t bear to see her hurt or sad. When I’m with her, I’m completely lost in her. She is all I can think about.”
Her eyes widened in shock.
