Today was a snap shot of what my life would be like with Armand.
It ripped the fabric of reason from beneath me and left me floating in midair not knowing what to do, or where I was going. It left me empty with darkness filling my soul. Draining hope from me.
“It means a lot that you said that.”
“I mean it. It was bad Jia and I nearly killed him. I think I would have if Frankie hadn’t stop me.”
Today with Armand was bad, but there was more wasn’t there?
There was what I saw the other day with Frankie, and the suspicions Frankie raised.
Should I even tell Xander?
It wasn’t that we saw anything big happen but the significant thing about it was it was suspicious.
“It grieves me to no end that I’m going to end up with someone like that. He’s not someone I can trust, and… I saw something the other day. Something suspicious. Maybe it will be of interest to you.”
“What was it?” He looked curious.
“Armand exchanging a packet with a guy and it crossed my mind that maybe it was him who allowed those people to come in the night of the shoot out.”
“Did you see the guy?”
“Looked Italian like a boss. That was what I thought. I doubt it though. The other crime families don’t just come on Marchesi turf like that, not even casually. They keep away. Whatever it was it looked suspicious.” I left out what Frankie said. I didn’t want to drop his name when I didn’t need to. It wouldn’t be right.
“Thank you. I’ll consider it.”
I breathed out a sigh. “Did that just make me an informant?”
“No, and I won’t ask you to be either. We don’t talk about any of that stuff when we’re together.”
I smiled at that.
“Could we… could we just forget. Like we always do?” I asked. “We could pretend that we’re back to a week or so ago and we’re together.”
“I can do that. What should we do?”
“Can you just lie next to me. I just want you to hold me, even for a little while.”
“Of course, baby.” He shuffled and I rested against his chest while I nibbled on the sandwich.
“Xander.” I thought I’d start talking about something else. Something to bring the conversation back to finding out more things about him.
“Yeah?” He stroked my cheek.
“I want to know more about you. Not your job. But you. What do you like? What don’t you like?”
His sensual lips arched and I savored the rise and fall of his chest. “I like peanut butter and I hate ketchup.”
I lifted my head and laughed. “I hate peanut butter and I totally love ketchup. I have it with everything.”
He made a face of distaste. “God Jia, the thing looks like blood. The nasty kind.”
“It tastes amazing and there’s spicy ketchup.”
“Spicy blood.”
I laughed and really looked at him as he smirked. This talk of food and the mundane made me think of other things too, other things I could ask.
