" Are you crazy, Brianna?! " My best friend exclaimed.
She was sitting across from me at a table in the cafè we frequented. I fidgeted with the envelope in my hands, sweat threatening to wet it.
" No, can you blame me? Malcolm has a stable income that can support the both of us. He loves me and I love him. What's getting in the way? " I shrugged it off like it was a simple decision but my heartbeat was fast.
" You have an envelope containing a job offer from the company you've wanted to work for since I can remember. It's in your hands. You want to throw it all away and for what? A man who isn't serious with you? "
I started burning up with anger. She was my best friend, supporting me was her job not trying to trample on my happiness.
" How could you say that? We've been together for five years. He's my soulmate, Lily. He's the man I want to get married to. " I defended, raising my voice at her.
The topic of I and Malcolm's relationship was always a sore subject.
" You've been together for two years. The other three he was on the other side of the planet barely answering your calls, forgetting your birthday, and not replying to your letters. " Lily said, making me angrier.
Every word she uttered seemed to gnaw at me.
" He answers my calls and he texts me back. "
" Barely. We both know this, Brianna. You can't uproot your whole life for someone who doesn't care. You want stability and the familiarity that comes with him. You don't love him and he doesn't love you. You can't uproot your whole life and abandon your dream job to go to Italy for some man who doesn't deserve it. "
Lily tried to reach for my hand but I pulled it away and stood up from my seat. I refused to hear her criticize my relationship. I knew it was flawed but we were in different countries.
I wouldn't give up on us. It would get better when we stayed together like we had always planned. I left the coffee shop while clutching the envelope tightly in my hands.
Lily tried to call out for me but I wouldn't turn. I didn't know why I even confided in her. She always took every opportunity to judge me. Was she even my best friend?
I got in my car and drove to the apartment. I ignored her thousand and one phone calls and texts. She just didn't want me to be happy and that is what I wanted most of all.
I booked the first flight to Amsterdam and started packing all my essentials. The flight was set for the next day at 7 am. Before then, I had to discard all my belongings.
This is something I had already planned out and I wouldn't let anyone deter me. I had yet to tell Malcolm that I was going to him. It would be a surprise as I already knew his address.
Wasn't serious with me my ass. He wouldn’t have given me his address if he wasn’t.
I sat on my desk and typed an email declining the job offer. I had always wanted to be an editor. The biggest publishing company in Seattle had offered me a job and I was declining it.
I convinced myself that it was all worth it in the end.
A knock on the door pulled me out of my reverie. I stood up and went to open it. There were men outside wearing uniforms.
“ We are here for the furniture, ma'am, “ one of them said.
I opened the door further and they got in and carried all the furniture and stuff I had put in boxes outside. I had donated everything that I didn’t need to charity. My apartment now looked empty and bleak without all the furniture.
I got excited just thinking of the next day.
***
I woke up early and got ready quickly. After giving my keys to the caretaker, I hailed a taxi to take me to the airport. I checked in at the counter and then boarded the plane after everything was cleared.
I got comfortable on the chair since the flight to Amsterdam was a long one. Nine hours later, I arrived. I boarded another flight to Sicily, Italy.
When I got there, it was late and I was tired. I didn’t have the energy to take a taxi to the other side of the city where Malcolm lived. I decided to sleep at a motel and get to him the next day. I checked it at the closest one I could find and settled in.
After a long shower, I slept. I was so tired and jet lagged but I was also excited. Sicily was such a beautiful city and I could imagine building a life with Malcolm there. We had always talked about that.
A few minutes later, I succumbed to sleep.
When I woke up the next day, I wasted no time preparing myself and checking out. I recited Malcom’s address to the taxi driver. I had to use a language app to be able to know what to say to the driver. I needed to learn Italian quickly if Sicily was going to be my home.
After two hours, I was in front of where Malcolm lived. I compensated the taxi driver and stood near the short gate with my luggage. My skin tingled and my heart was beating very fast. I couldn’t wait to see him for the first time in three years.
I pushed the gate open and walked into the compound. I climbed the three steps to the front door and knocked. I waited for the door to open with a wide smile on my face. When I heard footsteps, I fixed my attire and placed my hands on the handle of the suitcase.
The door opened and Malcolm came into sight. I fought the urge to gasp. I was completely speechless. He was different from when I last saw him. His short hair was now long, reaching his neck. There was a thick beard on his face and his dull eyes were now bright and gleaming.
“ B-Brianna? “ He asked.
The smile he was sporting was replaced with a frown. He looked spooked. It wasn’t the look I was waiting for when I went to see him. I expected him to have a wide smile on his face and to lift me off the ground to twirl me. The look he was giving me made me feel like he wanted me to disappear off the face of the earth.
“ Hey, Malcolm, “ I said softly.
“ What are you doing here? “
I raised my eyebrow at his question. What did he mean by that? That wasn’t what you asked your long-distance girlfriend that you hadn’t seen in three years. Where was my hug? My kiss? My smile?
“ What do you mean? I came all the way from Seattle to see you and you ask that? Aren’t you going to at least invite me in? “
“ Brie, a lot has-”
“ Malcolm, who is that at the door? “ A woman’s voice asked from inside.
She came into sight with a toddler in her arms and stared at me in question.
I stepped back like someone had slapped me across the face. That was when I saw it. There was a ring on his left finger. There was also a ring on her left finger. I couldn’t stop the tears that were falling down my face and blurring my sight.
“ Go back inside, Gianna. I’ll handle this. “ He said to the woman.
She hesitated before going back inside. I knew she would be looking out the window to see what was happening.
“ Brianna-”
“ No! You don’t get to act like a good guy now and let me down easy. You should’ve told me! I uprooted my life for you and you had a whole other life here. I declined my dream job for you. “
He had a somber look on his face and he didn’t have the bravery to even look me in the eye.
“ I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen, okay? There is nothing I can do about it now. “ There was an Italian accent in his voice. He had adjusted to this life that I wasn’t even a part of.
“ Oh, you mean you didn’t mean to hit on her, kiss her, fuck her, ask her to be your wife, and then proceed to marry her? You tripped and there was suddenly a ring on your finger, right? All this happened and you didn’t tell me. You led me on, Malcolm. “
At the moment, I didn’t care that I was shouting. The neighbors were peeking out of their windows to see what was going on.
“ Please, calm down-”
“ Calm down? I won’t fucking calm down you cowardly fucker! I hate you! My life is over because of you! “ I screamed.
He tried to get closer to me but I held out my hand to stop him.
“ I’m so sorry, “ he said softly, trying to make me feel guilty for shouting.
“ Sorry means nothing. I hope you fall on your fucking face and die! Does your wife know we sexted mere weeks ago? That we had phone sex three days ago? I have been faithful to you and this is what I get in return? “ I asked, not caring that I was dragging his name through the mud.
By the look on his face, I knew the answer.
“ Shut the fuck up, Brianna! “ He growled at me.
“ Go to hell you pathetic piece of shit! You better pray that I don’t see your disgusting face again. I will cut off your balls and feed them to the fish. “ I said and left angrily.
The anger was a mask for my pain. Lily was right. He wasn’t serious about me and he never had been. I shouldn’t have uprooted my life for him. Only three blocks away, I broke down and cried.
I carried my suitcase to the beach and sat in the sand while I bawled my eyes out. After deciding I had had enough crying, I left the beach and hailed a taxi. I didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I had to be as far away from Malcolm as possible.
He took me to a motel. I checked in and ignored the pitiful look the lady at the counter gave me. After putting the luggage in the room, I left the motel and went to the nearest bar. What I needed was alcohol to help me forget.
I ordered a vodka and sat on the barstool while sipping my drink. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed someone coming and sitting beside me.
“ Take it easy, bellissima, “ a deep velvety voice drawled out in a thick Italian accent.
“ Don’t tell me what to do-” I started but my words were caught in my throat.
The man next to me was a sight for sore eyes. Let’s just say that Malcolm had nothing on him.
He was wearing a suit but without a jacket. He had on a waistcoat and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbow, showing off his muscular tattooed arms. He looked like a man who frequented the gym with the way his body looked powerful under that suit. He had a perfectly sculpted face with a sharp jawline and high cheekbones. There was a 5 O'clock shadow beard covering his face. His gray eyes held nothing but mischief and bad behavior. Not the boyish one, no. He exuded manliness, dominance, and sex appeal. On top of all that? He had glasses. Did he have an eye problem? I had never thought glasses looked that hot on somebody until him. His black hair fell over his face and he pushed it back with his tattooed hand that black rings on some fingers. I was undeniably attracted to the man. I tried to defend that it was the alcohol but I knew it wasn't. There was something dangerous and forbidden about him that pulled me in, daring me to jump into the fire. I turned to my d
I sat in the interrogation room with my hands on my head. It was pounding so hard and I wished it would stop. I didn’t know how many hours I had been in there. All I knew was that it was way too long. I still didn’t know why I had been arrested on my second day in Sicily. Suddenly, the door opened and a man stepped in. He looked like he was in his early forties. He had a bushy beard covering his face and empty green eyes. He was tall but I could tell his height stood lower than six feet. He handed me a water bottle and I took it carefully. I unsealed it and drank from it, almost downing the whole thing. He chuckled at my behavior and I gave him a bad look. “ Why am I here? “ I asked. “ We are carrying out a murder investigation and you are on our list of suspects. “ He answered and sat in the chair across from me. I looked at him in disbelief and fought the urge to scoff. Surely that must have been a mistake. I hadn’t been in Sicily long enough to know anyone let alone kill the
His grip on my neck tightened a little and he chuckled before letting me go. He must have seen the look of alarm on my face. I wasn’t going to let the bastard force me into a loveless marriage. I wasn’t like all the compliant Italian girls he had met. “ Over my dead body! “ I screamed and spit on him. He closed his eyes and wiped my saliva from his face. He stared at me with a deadly look to show me just how dangerous he was. I didn’t falter. I continued moving my body in an attempt to break free from the binds around my wrists. However, all I achieved was hurting myself. “ I hate you! “ I screamed out in frustration and flung myself at Nikolai, just to hurt him. “ Why don’t you scream one more time and see what happens? “ Nikolai said after removing a gun and putting it on my temple. My mouth snapped shut and I stayed still. The patient and sweet Nikolai was gone. In his place was a dangerous and ruthless man. Did he wear glasses or was it also part of his act? I didn’t doubt
I jerked awake and frantically looked around. Sweat was trickling down my body and my heart was beating rapidly. I didn’t know what I was dreaming about but I knew it wasn’t pleasant. My life was a nightmare in itself so I wasn’t shocked that it had translated into my dreams. I put my hand on my chest and that was when I realized I was on the bed. How did I get here? I vividly remembered being on the floor. Someone must have carried me to the bed. When I looked down at my body, I saw that I was dressed in silk pajamas. I hadn't done that. My nostrils flared when I registered that there was a possibility that Nikolai put his dirty bloodied mafia hands on me. Just then, the door opened and a maid walked in. She was dressed in a black and white uniform. In her hands was a tray full of breakfast. “ Maam, Sir. Nikolai asked me to bring you breakfast. He also asked me to tell you to shower and then meet him in his study. “ She said in a low soft voice. I wanted to argue and tell her
Vivienne dragged me down the stairs to the kitchen. For the first time, I took a good look at the house. It had a black Gothic design. The ceilings were high and the staircase was spiral. It had black marble floors that glinted in the light. The windows were floor-to-ceiling and they were covered by black and gray curtains. The kitchen was very spacious and it had a black counter in the middle. Contrary to the design of the rest of the house, the kitchen was white and gray. I was convinced that it was the only bright room in the house. The devil had made his house black like his heart. Vivienne guided me to sit on a stool that was near the counter. I was worried that she would get in trouble with Nikolai for being nice to me. “ Hey, Patrizia. I’m sure you know, Brie. Please give her your infamous chocolate cake so she can feel better. “ Vivienne said to a middle-aged lady with dark hair. She looked between us and smiled. “ Hey, Brie, “ she greeted and I greeted her back. Sh
I looked at my reflection in the mirror as the girls moved around while trying to get me to look presentable. The dead look in my eyes scared them. No matter how hard I tried to smile, I ended up looking constipated. “ Honey, are you okay? “ One of the designers asked. I nodded my head even though I wanted to shake it. I knew if I told her what was going on, I would probably get her killed. She wanted to ask more but she must have thought better of it because she snapped her mouth shut. The door opened and the groom came in. He smirked at me through the mirror and turned to face the girls who were working on me. “ Leave! “ His voice boomed and the girls scurried away. It was just me and him in the little room he had kept me prisoner in. He looked good in his black Armani suit and his hair slicked back. With great difficulty, I peeled my eyes away from him. “ Don’t you know it’s bad luck to see a bride in her wedding dress before the wedding? “ I asked with a bored look on my
The ceremony went by in a blur. I could barely remember reciting my vows and saying yes to being Nikolai’s wife. The only thing I remember vividly was the kiss. Oh, the kiss. I could still feel his lips lingering on mine. Every now and then, I found myself touching them. They still tingled and it was a feeling I could not explain. I wanted to hate him but it seemed my body thought otherwise. “ Smile, mìa regìna, “ Nikolai said. We were in the car and headed to the venue for the wedding night reception. I hadn’t even realized that he was looking at me. He had been so busy with phone calls ever since we got into the car. News of our marriage must have traveled like wildfire. His vows must have traveled the fastest. Nikolai had me there. He expressed such emotion that if I wasn’t the bride, I would have believed that he loved me with all his heart. If only they knew how much he hated me. “ What does that even mean? “ I asked, irritated. He always called me names in Italian and I
" I'm taking my wife home now, " Nikolai announced to the men he had previously introduced me to before they started talking business.They laughed and congratulated him once more before he guided me away with his hand on the small of my back.It felt protective and somewhat territorial, like he was letting everyone know I belonged to him.I had already informed him that Lily was not leaving Italy and he had agreed to host her in his–our house. He led me to the car, and acted like a perfect gentleman by opening the door for me. I rolled my eyes at his silly attempt to prove to me that he was a decent man." I'll fix that attitude of yours, " he muttered." Maybe if you had courted me the right way I wouldn't have an attitude. " I replied with a scoff.There was silence after that. Nikolai smirked and stared at me the whole way back. It was like he knew something I didn't.The feel of his eyes, however, sent a shiver down my spine. It felt good for a man that handsome to eye me like t