“My mind is currently occupied, Liliana.”
“With what?” I ask curiously
Something flashes in his eyes, “Ever heard of the saying curiosity killed the cat?”
“One of your favorites, I’m guessing.”
“Yes, many cats have ended up dead in this house for asking too many questions,” he says, and I know without a doubt he means that.
For a man with a moral code that stops him from hurting women, he sure does threaten them a lot.
A shiver runs through me, “Anyone ever tell you, you’re kind of an asshole?”
“I’ve been called worse. Now eat your food,” he orders.
I huff out a breath before doing as he said. We both finish our breakfast in silence. Once we’re done, I look up at him, wondering what will happen next. He places the plate on the sink before grabbing his phone to text someone.
A minute later, one of his guards appears in the kitchen.
“Give him your address and he’ll take you home, Liliana.”
I realize that’s his way of saying good bye. Something sharp pierces my chest at his words. I could ask him what’s going on.Push for him to open up, to at least acknowledge last night and how it felt. I can’t be the only one that felt it.
But his eyes stop me. So far I haven’t been made privy to the reason behind their darkness. A apart of me wanted to find out, to know why, to make it better. But now I think it’ll be better if I walk away. Back off and leave him to the abyss.
He’s not my problem to fix. Not my puzzle to solve.
So I exhale softly before forcing a smile on to my lips as I stare at him.
“Good bye, Rafaelle.”
He nods once in reply. I grab my things and follow the guard out the door and into a car, different from the one last night. In the backseat, I stare at the house until it disappears, at the expanse of land I’m sure belongs to him. I stare at the trees rolling past as I’m driven away.
I wonder why it all had to happen in the first place. If the ending would have left me with nothing but pain and misery.
I call in sick at work. I arrive at home and lock myself in, lying in bed trying to ignore the ache in my chest. My raw emotional state turns out to be great inspiration though. I end up writing two songs, I even manage to add in some melodies I think will fit. They’re far from completed but they’re mine.
A part of me feels ridiculous. Rafaelle was nothing but a man that stumbled into a bar, said all the right things, got me interested in me only to pull the carpet out from under me. He’s inconsequential and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make it so.
When I arrive at the bar later the next day, Carlos is waiting for me. Hand on his hips and anger in his expression.
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have skipped work yesterday,” I say bored.
“No, Lily,” he says coldly. “This isn’t about work. Bryan told me who you went home with.”
“What? Why would that make you angry?”
I know he tends to be overprotective at times but he’s never tried to be my father and has certainly never cared about any extracurricular activities.
“Do you even know who that man was?!” he spits.
“Do you?” I retort, because I have no interest in confessing I slept with him and all I had was the name he gave me.
Carlos lets out a huge breath, pity swirls in the depths of his eyes. I don’t like it. Not at all. I grow a little scared, wondering what could be so bad and why he’s looking at me like I’m a child way in over her head.
“That was Rafaelle Vitale! His family runs the biggest mafia organization in this city. And Rafaelle is the worst of them all! You have no idea who you’ve involved yourself with.”
My heart stops for a minute, “He’s in the mafia?” I whisper.
