FOUR DAYs LATER.The air smells like unclean, wet soil, and the gusting wind whips around us, creating whirlpools that dance in the open air.Droplets of tears fall from my eyes like raindrops falling from the cloudy sky, which reminds me of a certain pair of stormy blue eyes that I miss gazing into.The same pair of eyes that haunt me in my sleep and tortures my every waking moment.Today, alongside Nic and Jax, I stand in front of my father's freshly dug grave, listening to the priest's concluding prayer.I feel numb.Void of any real emotions, zilch, nothing!Though my eyes are bloodshot and a small stream of tears flows down my flushed cheeks, my mind and heart have closed themselves off from me emotionally. I don't even remember arriving here or how we got to this point. I twirl the single red rose in my hand that has a single thorn peeking out of the stem, carelessly, I puncture my finger against it hoping to feel something. But I don't, I just frown, watching the crimson liq
The sound of water running in the background pulls me out of my deep slumber.I turn over onto my back, stretching my aching limbs, slowly prying my eyelids open, and I shoot upright when my eyes land on the white, pristine ceiling I know too well. The moon illuminates the room as the sun has already set, and the rain has also stopped. My eyes dart around the room, looking for Alessandro, and I quickly realise the water that's running in the background is the shower.A feverish chill runs down my spine when I think about Alessandro being naked in the shower in the next room. His bodywash wafts through the room as clouds of condensation escape under the ensuite doorway. I flip over the bedding and swing my legs over the side of the enormous bed. I peer down at myself, and the clothes I once adorned have been stripped from my body, leaving me in my maroon lacy bralette and thong. Alessandro would not have stripped me unless he had a solid reason, which I can only presume was becaus
THREE HOURs AND MANY WHISKEYs LATER.I sigh, laughing. “I don't believe you!” I utter, laying down on the carpet and looking up at the ceiling, with a half-naked Alessandro next to me. “It's true.” He mutters. “The very first time I kissed a girl, I was fourteen years old, and she was the cook's daughter.” For some odd reason, it surprises me that Rose wasn’t his first kiss."Hmm, how old was she?"Clearing his throat. “She was twenty-four years old, and she was the first person I slept with too.” He slowly shifts, sitting upright with his legs fanned out in front of him. He's silent as he stares straight ahead into the distance. I slowly manoeuvre into an upright stance, with my focus solely on him. The tension in the air shifts. It becomes icy, bitter, and raw, and I realise immediately that this is not a scenario he is bragging about.I touch his forearm, letting him know that I am still beside him and that he has my undivided attention if he wishes to express himself further.
I lay awake on my side, watching Alessandro sleep as the sun begins to rise. Beautiful hues of yellow, red and orange cast off the windows, shining through the room gloriously. The gentle rumbling sound of him snoring reverberates off the walls; his features are soft, long lashes fan his cheeks, and he looks peaceful, calm and so relaxed for once. After his confession about Maria grooming him by his fathers' orders, my heart bleeds for him, deeply, and I fear it may bleed itself dry. How can two damaged souls with different outlooks on life try to repair one another? They can't. Especially when all the odds are stacked against you. I need to sort my life out and I can't do that here with all the distractions. And it's why I've made the tough decision to move to Wellington City and stay with my Aunt Mae on my father's side of the family. Aunt Mae with a glass eye. Looking past Alessandro, straining my neck, I glance at the digital alarm clock sitting on top of his bedside
ALESSANDRO, AKA DON VALENTINO. Reaching across the bed with my arm in the hopes to entice Ivy back into my embrace once more, a mischievous smirk plays on the corner of my mouth. I have not slept this well since she left. But having her back in my bed and sharing my hidden truths, has taken some of the weight that has been weighing me down for years off my shoulders. But what makes me weak, is that Ivy didn’t judge me. I am capable of dealing with glances of distaste and repulsiveness. These sentiments are irrelevant to a man like me. A man accustomed to the disdainful, frigid glances of individuals who mean nothing to me. It acts as a buffer between my mind and my emotions. It is the pity that would have been most painful. The sensitivity with which her watery hazel eyes glance at me will be my undoing. She is my vulnerability, my everything, and I wish I could figure out how to stop wounding her fragile heart. When I extend my hand further across the bed, all that remains
“Please, Miss Bishop. There is so much we have to discuss and time is very limited.” The kind doctor insists. Sighing, “all right, this doesn't sound too promising.” I say as I sit back in the armchair. I watch as the doctor walks around her badly damaged desk and sits in her office chair, which looks very outdated as well. She places the small pile of papers down on the desk and moves the mouse to her computer. I wait in silence as I watch her, wishing she would hurry and skip straight to the point. “Okay,” she breathes out as she raises her gaze to meet mine. “The blood work came back, and you are very well, indeed, pregnant.” She pauses as she waits for my reaction. “Pre-pregnant?” I stutter as if the two-syllable word has always been difficult for me to say. “Yes, pregnant.” She states firmly. “When was the last time you had a menstrual cycle?” I think back, “the last time was about six months ago. They aren't regular, so I paid it no attention.” “Mmm-hmm,” the doct
ALESSANDRO, AKA DON VALENTINO. TWO WEEKs EARLIER. I swivel in my chair, turning myself, so I can stare out the window. The same window I always found Ivy gazing out of. Ivy. Ivy Bishop. My headache. The only woman who has managed to put my very existence on hold. She is the only woman who has ever run away from me, causing my heart to stop beating and my breath to cease. Each time Ryan enters my office with an update, a glimmer of optimism for him tracking her down sits on my shoulders. Sadly, that sliver of hope is genuinely starting to disappear, along with the desire of me striving to track her down. The morning she abandoned me in bed, I had relentlessly called her number, but her phone continuously kept going straight to voice mail. By that time, the evening had come around. I had a bad feeling and I drove myself to Nicole's house, the same friend that wouldn't let me leave without her by my side like a thorn in a rose when Ivy had fainted at her papa's funeral
Groaning, I slowly feel myself rousing from my slumber and my abdomen feels like it is on fire. “Sweetie, don't move too much.” I recognise my Aunt Maes’ sweet voice. “Aunt Mae?” I croak. “Is that you?” “Shhh, love. Save your energy.” She says quietly in a trembling voice as she rubs my arm. I breathe heavily, feeling emotional, and swallow the lump that coaxes the back of my throat. “Is it over?” My voice shakes with sadness. “Did they… remove it?” The desire to know is too consuming for me not to ask. I force myself to stay awake, fluttering my eyelids open as I stare up at the ceiling that looks very different to the one I saw before I was sedated. I slowly twist my neck, looking at Aunt Mae, who has tears in her eyes. “It is, Ivy.” She sighs, shaking her head as her bottom lip trembles. “It's over, and I am so sorry for your loss. For your pain and suffering.” She sobs as she wipes the tip of her nose with a tissue. I close my eyes, tears of agony and torment staini