Chapter 3

Allesia 

“This came for you last night.” Dana threw the deep red roses on my bed without even a good morning. Scrambling backwards against the headboard to get away from flying petals , I stared at her. She looked furious. I just didn’t know why she was angry at me.

“Um-“ I reached for the card that had fallen loose. “Thanks.” Not bothering to open the card, I continued to stare at her.  “What’s eating you?”

She blinked slowly and when she locked eyes with me again , I could see that she wasn’t just angry. She was furious. “You and him disappeared last night.” She left the words hanging between us. “And you didn’t come back.”

I swallowed hard. “It’s not what you think.” And I was telling the truth even though I knew she didn’t believe me. “I went to the bathroom and felt sick.” Now I was lying but it wasn’t like I could tell her the truth. To do that would break her heart even more. Or even worse for me she wouldn’t believe me.

I loved Dana like a sister and I knew I wouldn’t be able to bear it if she didn’t believe me. That she took some strangers word over mine.

“I didn’t even see him. He didn’t come back to the table?” I raised an eyebrow in question. That surprised me. When the stranger had stumbled into the bathroom drunk, I had thought he would go back and act like he hadn’t just tried to assault me. But if what Dana had said was true then he hadn’t.

“No, and then the others started going crazy and saying some pretty awful things.” She levelled her eyes on me. “About you.”

I felt the blood rush from my face. “What were they saying?” I couldn’t help it , my voice shook.

A wave of sympathy flickered into her eyes. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. It was all complete and utter bullcrap. I think they were all just jealous because you weren’t looking at any of them twice.” A weak smile and then she flopped down on to the end of my bed. “And I don’t blame you. Men are dicks. Only after one thing.” Reaching out she plucked one of the petals from the roses nestled in my lap. “Although I guess you have found a good one. Who are they from?”

I shrugged. “I have no clue. I haven’t opened the card.”

Dana’s eyebrows shot up. “You don’t know?”

“No idea. I haven’t met anyone.”

She eyed me and then grinned. “Maybe they are from your dad?” She sighed. “I’ve never seen a man as romantic as your dad. Your mum really did hit the jackpot.

It was my turn to smile. My father, the legendary Luca Moretti, was a  romantic and he had sent me flowers before. But I wasn’t sure lucky was the word I would have used to describe my mums luck when he had plucked her out of obscurity and back into the seedy underworld. Luckily for him my mum Alice was ruthless and clever. The perfect match for him.

I was cut from a different cloth. Tough because I had to be in my family but softer as well. I didn’t want that life.

“Yeah probably.”

She nodded her head. “Well open it then. Don’t keep us in defence.”

Tearing into the tiny white envelope I stared at the little card and frowned.

“What does it say?”

Slowly I lifted my eyes to her.  “Nothing.”

Dana groaned. “It has to say something.”

“It doesn’t. It’s completely blank.” I tossed the card at her.

She caught it out of thin air. Turning it over and over in her hands.

“Maybe they aren’t meant for me.” I shrugged but I already knew that wasn’t right. My name had been scribbled on the front of the envelope in a beautiful cursive way and I didn’t exactly have a common name. Turning the envelope over I ran my fingers over the script. “Weird.”

“Strange. Maybe you have a secret admirer?” She giggled. “That would be awesome.”

I laughed right along with her even though my stomach flip flopped in my body. Maybe to girls like her, normal girls having flowers sent mysteriously to her was a thing to swoon over but in my world? With my family who they were, this whole situation just made me uncomfortable.

“Anyway. Are you going to class today?”

“Sure am.” That was the most stupid question that she had asked since I had opened my eyes. Of course I was going to lectures. I always went to lectures. Leaving the flowers on the bed, I flung back the duvet and stood so I couldn’t stretch and crack my back.

“I’ll be ready in a few. I just need to make a quick call and shower and I’ll meet you for breakfast in a second-“ my eyes travelled to the flowers and my palms were suddenly  sweaty. The no message thing was bothering me.

“Do you want me to put them in water?”

I shrugged. “You can throw them out if you like, or keep them.” Another shrug.

“They might be from your dad.” Dana frowned, a line appearing between her eyebrows.

“Yeah maybe, they will look good in the kitchen don’t you think. Or your room. Red is your favourite colour.”

My best friend's eyes sparkled. “Are you sure you don’t want them?”

In answer I thrust them into her hands, catching my finger on a stray thorn. I sucked the bloody finger into my mouth as I watched her almost skip away.

Red was also the colour of blood. And those flowers reminded me so much of blood. It felt like an omen. My gut was telling me something was wrong.

Sighing, I picked up my phone. Hitting speed dial number one. And my father answered on the third ring, his face sleepy.

“Allesia? Is everything alright?”

I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry to ring so late Papa.” Suddenly I was feeling silly. They were just flowers. Probably from some guy I went to school with. 

“Has something happened?” There was no sign of sleep in his voice now. Only worry.

“No papa.” I took a deep breath. “I just wanted to know whether you had sent me roses? And tell you thank you.”

There was a pause that stretched on and on. “We didn’t send flowers, sweet girl. Do you have an admirer?” He chucked. “Do I need to get Stefano over there to chase some spotty guy off?”

“No Papa.” I couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t need uncle stefanos help just yet.”

“If this guy gets too handsy. I’ll do one better and send your mother. She’s far more scary.”

I laughed. Alice Moretti , my mother looked just like me. Blonde haired blue eyes and innocent looking but looks could be deceiving.

My mother was - ruthless.

“I love you papa , but I have to get ready for class. Tell everyone I miss them.”

“We love and miss you as well Allesia.”

I hung up before he could say anything else. The flowers hadn’t been from my family. So who had they been from?