I continued to kiss him until everything rushed back to my head and hit me like a tonne of bricks. What was I doing? I immediately separated from him and just blinked at him. He looked as confused as me. I suddenly realised what I was doing. And I knew it was all wrong. “I am so sorry. I- I- I did not- not realise what- I was- what I had done.” I stammered as I tried to step away from him“No- no,” Russo said as he tried to grab me back.I quickly stepped back and tried to head to the rest of the cars to hide myself. But he followed me. It scared me even more that he followed me. “Russo, I am sorry. It should not have happened. I am taking advantage of you. I am not in the right state of mind right now, and what I did to you was wrong.” I said as I began to tear up“No, you did not take advantage of me. Relax,” he said.He was trying to assure me, but clearly, it was not working because all I could feel was guilt. “Russo, my father was already very upset that you were in my bedro
“Do you think she will tell your father?” Russo asked in a low voice, hoping that Roni was gone by then“I don’t know. We better hope she does not.” I shrugged I was about to walk away when he grabbed my hand again. “Russo… I can’t. Roni just caught us, and I have to go look for my father and find out why he needs me.” I sighed “Well, you need to fix your makeup. Anyone who sees you there will know for sure what you were doing,” he informed me. “But now I don’t have a mirror. How am I supposed to fix it?” I asked as I panicked, wondering how did I look “Here, you can use my phone,” he said as he took his phone out of his pocket. It just hit me that I could have used my own, but I remembered Roni had my bag because it had the makeup, meaning she also had my phone. I opened the camera and saw how my face looked. It was not too bad, but for sure, anyone who saw it would know that I was probably kissing someone. I pushed my hair back, wiped my face a bit, and then handed him the pho
Roni did not give any more information after saying something like that. Instead, she walked away as if she did not leave me confused and wanting to know more. I had just to tag along until we were close enough to my father and the other random people he kept taking us around to meet. But once all of that was done, I pulled her aside, desperate to know more. “What do you mean by you have been there before?” I asked in a hushed tone“Tori, that’s all I am telling you, and that’s it. You will have to find out the rest on your own. Now, we have to go back home and prepare for the prayers.” she replied. ***The drive home was the most awkward thing. I was still in between Russo and my sister in the backseat, wondering why Roni could not sit in the middle or why my father could not sit in the backseat instead. I wondered why Russo was even driving around with us like he was my father’s brother or even my mother’s brother when my own blood relatives were seated at the back and entering t
I remained outside for a while, completely and absolutely shocked, while different people continued to gather at our house. Eventually, I found the courage to put one foot in front of the other and walk towards the house where everyone was in the living room and dining room, talking, sipping on tea and juice and others pretending to be crying as they stared at the family photos. But there was no Russo in sight. I knew he did not go home because I was outside all that time, and I had not seen him pass by. I headed straight for Roni’s room, I gently knocked on the door and then twisted the handle and opened the door. She was seated on the bed, flipping through a photo album as she gently brushed and touched my mother’s face as if she could feel her. “Where is your husband?” I asked the second I sat on her bed, right next to her.“He is somewhere there in the living room. I told him I needed to get away from all those people for some time. I just feel- I don’t know… I just feel like a
“What are you doing in here?!” I asked loudly “SHH!” he attempted to shush me, but I was more than shocked. “What are you doing in here!” I asked again, but a little softer“Close the damn door and come inside!” he replied. I slowly pushed my bedroom door shut, locked it and then stood and folded my arms. “What the heck are you doing in here? This is my bedroom.” I asked one more time“I wanted to come and talk to you.” he replied “I did not want to make it look suspicious with you walking right behind me, so I went ahead, and you only came in minutes later, but then you did not come to your bedroom, so I wondered if they had caught you and were grilling you,” he responded, still in a hushed tone.“Yeah, I went to Roni’s bedroom. I went to go and check on her.” “Yeah, I eventually heard you guys talking and laughing,” he said.Did he really hear what we were talking about? “You heard us?” I asked worriedly“Yes, but no. Well, yea, I heard you guys, but no, I didn’t,” he answered
“I am confused. Is your phone on?!” my father asked“Uhmm… yes,” I answered quickly, still lying “Well, please turn it off. It keeps ringing every time I try to call Alessandro,” he said “Okay,” I responded.I turned to look at Alessandro and hoped he would turn off his phone, but instead, he was in more panic about my father standing on the other side of the door. So, my father tried to call Alessandro again and his phone rang loudly once again. “Tori!” my father called out angrily. I wondered how my father had not figured out that Alessandro’s phone was inside the room. He automatically assumed it was mine. “I told you to switch off your phone.” my father said “I am sorry. I am turning off my phone now.” I replied slowly while looking at Alessandro, hoping he would get the hint. He eventually did and slowly pulled out his phone and turned off the volume, and then pushed it back into his pocket. I heard my father on the other end pressing a few buttons, and then the phone rang
“Anyway, ladies, I will check in on you two later.” my father said as he stood up. “Let’s go and shoo these people out of the house.” My father left the room with Alessandro, leaving me in Roni’s room with her. “So, he is a quick man,” Roni said “What do you mean?” I questioned back“He comes up with lies quickly,” she replied “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Tori, we all know he was not in the bathroom. I heard you guys talking as soon as you left my room. I knew you guys were definitely in your room. There was no way you were just standing in the corridor. And then, when Dad came to your room looking for you, he tried to call Alessandro, and we all heard his ringtone coming from your room. Dad probably heard it but is just praying and crossing his fingers that Alessandro was not in your room.” she answered. There was really no point in lying to Roni. She had managed to really catch us before. So, everything else she saw was just a confirmation of all that we had done
Oh, just how I knew we were definitely going to be seen by my father, and he was definitely going to leave the other dry conversation to attend to us. I was still in Alessandro’s arms. I could not break away because he gripped me tight, but then my father approached us long ago. I decided to let out a few tears and then start screaming like a kid. Alessandro caught that quick enough and slowly started rubbing my back to comfort me. “What’s wrong with Tori?” my father questioned again“I don’t know. I guess she is just feeling sad or something.” Alessandro responded. I continued to let out a few more fake tears, feeling also content that he got on the plan so quickly and was able to help me reply. “Tori, Tori… are you okay?” My father asked as he rubbed my back. I shook my head quickly. “What do you want? What do you need? Come on, talk to us.” my father asked, sounding really worried, which caused actual tears to roll out of my eyes because I had not seen him become that soft, e