AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ileave the room, frustrated. Each breath I suck in is shallow and cuts like a blade. The party below me blurs together as I scurry down the stairs to escape. There have to be a hundred eyes shooting toward me. Each one digs a little deeper. My body vibrates, but I refuse to show all these strangers my pain.
I slow my steps as the nightmare of tonight collides with my chest, bruising my heart. I should go home. What I set out to do is complete. But sitting in a dark room by myself doesn’t sound appealing. I don’t want to be here, and I don’t want to be alone. My instinct is to run to Alfonso, but I need to break that habit. He is no longer mine.
I go back into the kitchen and grab another Solo cup. I watch it fill with gross, warm beer, the liquid foaming more than it should. The first gulp is bitter but is hardly noticeable. I take another drink to make my pain go away. The constant chatter in the room is humming with energy. The deep bass of the music helps to amp up the volatile energy. I feel anything but alive.
“Slow down there. I wouldn’t be getting passed-out drunk at a party like this with no one to protect you.” Romeo’s deep voice grates along my body, making it tenser than it already was.
“Is that what you do? Prey on passed-out girls?” I raise my hand and point at him with my drink. A bit of the liquid sloshes over the edges with my movement.
He steps into me. My feet falter backward until I’m against a counter. The people who were in the room disappear. Anger burns in his eyes, and his nostrils flare. His mouth pinches, making his facial features sharper than normal. His stare burns into me like lasers.
“I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole. Trust me. I get enough offers from sober women who fight for a chance with me. There’s no need to slum it with you.”
I glare right back at him, refusing to back down. My lip curls in annoyance. Hatred oozes off him, and I’m reminded that we have never liked each other. We’ve always fought, just like our feuding families.
I can’t hold off my scoff. “Let’s get this straight. I will never fuck you, date you, or even give you the time of day.”
An arrogant chuckle leaves him. “Then how is it you keep finding me tonight?” He dips his head closer to me, into the crook of my neck. “By the looks of it, no one in here wants to be near you. Where are your friends, now that you’re not with Alfonso? Not even your sister likes you. Being Nicoli’s daughter can only get you so far in life.” He lifts his head, his lips curved upward, wanting to see me in more pain. I try to hide it deep inside, not wanting to crack with him around. It’s impossible. My pain shines louder than anything, refusing to be brushed away.
A muscle in his jaw tics when I refuse to fight back. There’s an electrifying feeling in the atmosphere. It will take one small match to light the party up with disaster.
I hold on to the counter, my legs growing weak and my head getting dizzy. All the Mancinis are awful human beings. Romeo is the worst one. He will never find happiness, because he thrives on the suffering of others. I hate this man. How I even thought he was good-looking is insulting to my judgment.
I swallow, trying to gather my voice to make it come out strong. I want to walk away, but the need to see someone hurt even a sliver of what I’m feeling is too great. I’m a nice person, but I’ve been pushed too far today. Romeo is the perfect outlet for my breaking heart. “I guess you would know all about how far parents can get you in life. How’s yours going?”
His face falls for a fraction of a second. Bullseye, I hit a sore spot. I take this opportunity to push him away, brushing my shoulder against him as I walk straight out of the kitchen and out of the house. Taking another sip of beer, I toss the cup onto the front lawn.
I sway on my feet, and I have to stop to get my bearings again. Seeing Romeo’s car, with him nowhere in sight, I get an idea. I’m going to show him no one messes with a Rossi, and if you do, be prepared for the burn afterward.
I pull my keys out and walk down the length of his car, digging the metal into his paint job. The distinctive metal-on-metal sound makes me smile. Next, I pull out my lipstick, twisting the tube up, and write ASSHOLE in big red letters over his windshield. Then I draw a dick for good measure.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he yells, running over to me.
He’s holding his shoulder-length hair back as he watches me damage his car. When I see him, I see his father trying to kill my oldest sister. I laugh, knowing we killed his father in retribution for his actions. I remember all the times his family has attempted to ruin mine. He deserves everything he gets.
“Red is your color.” I admire my dick drawing before glancing at him. His hand is touching the scraped paint.
My feet stumble, and I catch myself on his car.
“You’re a bitch. You deserve everything you get.” His fingers wrap around my throat in a shocking grip. He’s not squeezing to hurt me but applying enough pressure I can feel my pulse beating against his grip.
“No, this is payback for everything your family has done.” I refuse to cower.
I’m immobilized with the way his eyes pierce into mine.
“I did nothing, Gia.” His words come out hoarse, and I think he may cry over a stupid, materialistic thing like a car. Romeo isn’t lacking in anything but power. He can go buy another one. One that ups this one.
“Guilty by association.” I hiccup. The air around us is electrified as we stare at each other unblinking, neither one of us willing to back down. In the darkness of the night, I witness his eyes turning from black to a vibrant green that holds something other than anger. It’s enough to break the spell that washed over me.
My guards are watching, ready to intervene. I tug myself away from his grip and begin to walk to my car. I look toward it, then to his, and get another great idea. If I’m going to lose my shadows, I’m going to need a fast car. Romeo is still checking out the new artwork I created, his keys hanging off his fingertips.
Suddenly, I hear someone shriek. “Katrina is dead!”
My heart stops.
My world spins.
“Her sister was the last one in there with her” is said somewhere in the distance.
