Luca picks the man up like he's picking up a child and begins dragging him out. People make way for them to pass and give them suspicious looks. Nobody says a word. On impulse, I follow him. I don't want to stay here alone. Technically, following him isn't the best choice because he didn't even talk to me, but it's better than being harassed again. Once we get outside, he doesn't stop there. He keeps walking down the sidewalk and then makes a sharp left. I don't even know how he's managing to drag this man behind him and look like he isn't putting any effort whatsoever. I hesitate before following him into the dark alleyway. There, he drops the man like a sack of potatoes. He groans and rubs the back of his head. As he does this, he attempts to sit up but Luca kicks him down. He groans and stays on the ground. I'm standing at the mouth of the alleyway and am watching them from what can be considered a safe distance. Luca reaches inside his pocket and retrieves his phone. He says i
LucaI watch Laura walk away feeling more confused than ever. What does she mean by that? What am I supposed to know?I have no idea. The way she looked at me just now convinced me that she doesn't hate me as much as she initially did, not anymore. After I saved her tonight, I suspect that the dynamic of our relationship will change. It's not that I did this on purpose. I couldn't even if I tried. My presence at the Rose Prick tonight was purely coincidental. I was there to seal a deal when I saw her struggling against that man. Afterward, everything went black. I didn't think I'd feel the way I did. I’m curious about her, and she’s certainly the only woman that has ever made me this curious, but I think it’s safe to say that what happened tonight has surpassed curiosity. I’m still furious even though I just left her at her house and know she won’t be getting into any more trouble. It’s a feeling that I can’t control no matter how much I try to convince myself that everything is fi
MAN FOUND DEAD AT ROSE PRICK. I close the newspaper as soon as I see this headline. I close it so quickly that everyone around the table glances at me. I make a point of not looking at them as I fold the newspaper and place it beside dad. I pick up my cup of coffee and drink, but my hands are shaking. I can't seem to get that headline out of my head. I didn't even read the story. I don't believe that I have to. Luca killed that man. He had him killed. And I don't know what to feel about this. No, I do. I feel awful and nauseated. I feel like I'll pass out at any second. A man was killed because of me. This isn't anything that's easy to acknowledge even in my world. I only finish my cup of coffee. I don't have much appetite for anything else. I rarely read the morning paper, so I don't know what came into me to try to read it today. I would be better off not knowing, but at the same time, that's not quite true. I excuse myself from the table and go upstairs. Lately, all that I do
Brett searches my face for the twentieth time. I hate it when he does this because he always ends up figuring out what the hell is wrong with me. He knows me too well. I'm trying to hide my emotions because hiding is easier than explaining, and I haven't told them the ugly truth about this. I gave them a flimsy excuse about last night and lied about even going to the Rose Prick. I want to forget everything associated with that place. I don't think that I'll be going back there anytime soon. My plan after leaving Luca's hotel was to go straight home, but Victoria called and I couldn't brush her off or she'd want to pay me a visit at home and I don't want that. Home hasn't been the same in a while, and I think it's best if I keep them far away from the place. Hell, even I don't want to be there most of the time. It's scary how a place that used to be my safe haven has become a place of nightmares. At least I had Mary to keep me company on most days. Now, I don't even have that. Thin
Luca As soon as the Walsh family walk into the venue, I feel disappointment spreading through me. Laura isn't with them. I greet them kindly, of course. I do enjoy their company, unlike my parents and Eliza. They would have moved on to another family by now if I hadn't expressed my interest in Laura. A more influential family. The Walshes were never at the top of their list, and I'll confess that they weren't at the top of mine either, but things changed on that fateful morning. I looked at Laura and realized that I wanted her. And I've never been one to give up easily. "You look absolutely dashing, Luca," Angela tells me. I thank her for the compliment, then gulp my champagne down. I think of asking her where Laura is, but that will be too obvious. I don't want to make it obvious that I'm interested in her, especially because she hasn't expressed any interest in me. I saw something flash in her eyes today, something that ignited hope deep inside of me. I thought that if she cam
I crawl out of bed somewhere around eleven. Although I feel low and have nothing much to do at this time of the night, I can’t stand being alone with my thoughts. I already have a migraine and it feels like my head is going to explode. I need a momentary distraction. Food, perhaps. Anything that might help me fill this void inside of me. My family isn’t back yet, which is a relief because I don’t want to see Mary even though I’m thinking about apologizing to her for the things that I said. I was unnecessarily harsh to her, and I shouldn’t have done that. I should have gotten a better grip on my emotions and not made a reckless decision to spew out everything that I’ve been desperately trying to hold in. If anything, my outburst has made things worse. Once I’m in the kitchen, I stop in my tracks by the entrance. Constance turns around to face me. She’s in her pajamas, yet she’s still here. “Couldn’t sleep?” I ask her. A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “I was actually
I can't sleep after the conversation I've just had with Constance. We parted ways in the kitchen and she promised me that things would get better after she said that she's afraid that things will go badly. Obviously, anyone who heard what I said would say that. Mary and I have never had a disagreement this big before. We would argue about petty things. Things that felt huge at the time but were nothing, really. The two of us always got along just fine. She was always an exemplary big sister and I loved her. I still do. I hate that this is happening to us. More than anything else. I hear some noise outside my door and it makes me sit up in bed and strain my ears. Mary. I heard her bedroom door open. I keep waiting to hear more noise. Without meaning to, my heart begins racing. I hear whispers. They're talking. I get out of bed. For some reason, I want to hear what they're saying. I press my ear against the door, ignoring my feelings of guilt for eavesdropping.“…can possibly deny
I leave the shopping mall with my heart in my throat. I can't believe that crazy woman said that to me. The look in her eyes was wild and honestly, feral. I have no doubt that she was talking about Luca and not her husband. She has no reason to warn me off him. But why? Why would she say such a thing to me? What is it to her? She didn't sound like she was advising me. It sounded like she was threatening me. I decided to let the matter go. Going after her and causing a scene would lead to nothing. I'd only embarrass myself dealing with someone as crazy as her. I huff indignantly as I remember her words. This has worsened my mood considerably and cut my small me-moment short. I probably shouldn't have taken the things she said to me to the heart, but because this topic is already so sensitive to me, I can't control the way I feel about it. I search for my car keys in my purse. My hands are shaking a little; that's how infuriated I am. Her threat makes no sense although I have notice