Lucas stretches from his position to reach for the lamp with a struggling grunt. I know Lucas is a busy man. He's been handling his family business alongside his father since he was a teenager, but he's never looked this tired before; haggard with hollow spots under his bloodshot eyes. Perhaps he's never been shot by his fiancée before, I reasoned to myself. It sounded weird even in my head to call myself his fiancée. Suddenly the ring on my finger felt heavy. That wretched thing has been making itself comfortable around my finger that sometimes I forget that it's there. I crossed my arms across my chest to hide me fidgeting and turning the ring, like it was calming me down.
"You're still alive," I joked, rounding the bed and retreating from the door as I sat on the vacant space beside Lucas.
I woke up and my eyes immediately focused on the bottle of aspirin and the glass of water on my bedside table. Thank God! Groaning, I reach for them, fighting off the growing headache from the night before. I reminded myself to take it easy with the help today.Three realizations hit me as I pop two tablets in my mouth, finishing the water in three big gulps. One, I realized how petty I reacted to the situation with Lucas. The one where I put a bullet on his thigh, and the one where I let him sleep without a blanket. He deserved it, but I know that I wouldn't hear the end of it once we actually get married. Which is why I decided to shrug it off, and finally be the big girl that I am. Two, I remembered that today was my fitting day with that gown that has been sitting in my closet for months. I'd finally get to try the laced veil that was hand sewn and shipped from Russia, courtesy of Cassandra, Lucas' friend and his family's personal seamstress. I noticed how people like Sigmund, and
Lucas~*~ I couldn't help but gape at Mari. It took every drop of self control for me not to order her to get on the table and ask her politely to strip off her robe. I wondered what she was wearing underneath the silk fabric. Or if she's wearing any. I mentally ordered my dick to knock it off before I embarrass myself with a fucking hard on while we eat. It was oddly satisfying seeing Mari like this; hair damp, barefooted, on the head of the fucking table like she's the goddamn queen. If my father waltz in the dining area and sees Mari on the head of the table and not me, he'd flip. But I let it because my girl is powerful, she deserved to be on that spot, deserved to be treated like queen despite her pettiness last night. She was sexy as hell, with her smirk and her pale legs c
You really need to fake it until you make it. I've never understood that shit before I favored that pink dress from my usual black jumpsuits. The dress was a gift from Chase. He gave it to me for Christmas. He knows I don't like flowy dresses. It was a nuisance to move around and try to cover your privates in case you needed to run. It was the bow around the waist that ruined it for me. Yet I was still a good friend and kept the dress. I knew it would be put to good use. I just reminded myself to burn it before the day ends.I needed to blend in. It was my plan of distracting Lucas' mother. From what? From my dying—probably dead—father. I needed to make her think that I was busying myself with this wedding and not with other things. She needs to see my domesticated side. A side that I clearly do not have but had the chance to develop in under an hour. It's amazing what pressure can do to a pers
It was the last fucking supper.The last dinner that I'll have before I officially become a De Marchi and I am sitting on the table filled with mouthwatering Italian dishes alone.Fucking house! Where the goddamn hell is Lucas?The entire day, my stomach was turning. I was in a shitty mood because of the nerves. All I wanted was to have a breakdown for a few hours, and remind myself how much of a bad bitch I am after. But no time for that. Instead, I poured the feeling of uneasiness to Theresa Wills who arrived before I woke up and decided to have alterations of her own. Tough luck, sister. This is my wedding. I gave her the bitch stare all day
Coconuts will forever be my comfort scent, I thought as I close my eyes and inhale the coconut-scented candles and essential oil.I woke up this morning feeling like a nervous wreck. But my nerves are now calm thanks to the three sticks of cigarettes, and a glass of wine I had for breakfast. Now I'm in the bath, my safe place, the only room in the house I know nobody could barge in. Not even Chase. Savor the moment, Caterina, my inner voice soothes. The last bath I'll have as a single woman. Just like the sleep I had last night was my last slumber as a Santelli. If you can call it sleep. I was tossing and turning the entire night, restless and frustrated that I cannot seem to find the right spot. I felt like I just closed my eyes when the alarm went off.Today's the day. The day I officially started my mission to kill the people who had the audacity to exile my
We had two more quickies before his dick calmed down. Shower sex was never my strong suit because it required so much leg work. My own pair has a mind of their own when there's a dick nearby. But I enjoyed it with Lucas, nonetheless. After our session, we both showered together, made out a little longer like teenagers. It was different, of course. No, I didn't let Lucas wash my hair, and no, I didn't wash his body. We were fucking grown ups in a hurry for our wedding. It was a little too intimate for me, and I don’t think Lucas and I are at that level in our relationship. In fact, I don’t know if we’ll ever be.We were quick to fuck and even quicker to shower. Time was running, and I was starving. Sex always makes me hungry."You know I'm thinking about your offer on eloping," Lucas says.We
I didn't know who the man was standing in the far corner of the room, looking as dazed as I am. Tears stained on his cheeks, blue pair of eyes like the Mediterranean ocean locked into my heterochromic ones. His gray shirt was wrinkled and his five o'clock shadow was proof of how he hasn't had time to look after himself for days. "Caterina?" I heard the doctor call, as he dragged something bright into my eyes. Snapping from my confusion, I looked at the doctor who put away his medical light and grabbed the stethoscope that hung from his neck. "Deep breaths, please." I complied, taking deep breaths as he put the end of the instrument on my chest. He pressed it a few inches around the area before removing the other end from his ears. My eyes returned to the stranger's dazed ones. "How are you feeling, Ms. Santelli?" I opened my mouth to answer but as I pushed my
When I woke up the following day, I was alone. The curtains were shut, the door closed and the lights were dim enough to make it comfortable. Being alone was a relief. I needed a moment alone to think—to try and remember. The clock on the wall opposite my bed told me it's five in the morning. I was thirsty. And hungry. Really, really hungry. I've been trying to swallow saliva a few times to test whether or not my throat still hurts. This morning, it was bearable enough to talk. Although my voice is barely a whisper, I could do it nonetheless. Which means I could ask questions. What's the last time you remember, Caterina? I asked myself. Think! Think! Japan. Something with Japan. Yes! A Japanese man rained bullets in a museum in
We had two more quickies before his dick calmed down. Shower sex was never my strong suit because it required so much leg work. My own pair has a mind of their own when there's a dick nearby. But I enjoyed it with Lucas, nonetheless. After our session, we both showered together, made out a little longer like teenagers. It was different, of course. No, I didn't let Lucas wash my hair, and no, I didn't wash his body. We were fucking grown ups in a hurry for our wedding. It was a little too intimate for me, and I don’t think Lucas and I are at that level in our relationship. In fact, I don’t know if we’ll ever be.We were quick to fuck and even quicker to shower. Time was running, and I was starving. Sex always makes me hungry."You know I'm thinking about your offer on eloping," Lucas says.We
Coconuts will forever be my comfort scent, I thought as I close my eyes and inhale the coconut-scented candles and essential oil.I woke up this morning feeling like a nervous wreck. But my nerves are now calm thanks to the three sticks of cigarettes, and a glass of wine I had for breakfast. Now I'm in the bath, my safe place, the only room in the house I know nobody could barge in. Not even Chase. Savor the moment, Caterina, my inner voice soothes. The last bath I'll have as a single woman. Just like the sleep I had last night was my last slumber as a Santelli. If you can call it sleep. I was tossing and turning the entire night, restless and frustrated that I cannot seem to find the right spot. I felt like I just closed my eyes when the alarm went off.Today's the day. The day I officially started my mission to kill the people who had the audacity to exile my
It was the last fucking supper.The last dinner that I'll have before I officially become a De Marchi and I am sitting on the table filled with mouthwatering Italian dishes alone.Fucking house! Where the goddamn hell is Lucas?The entire day, my stomach was turning. I was in a shitty mood because of the nerves. All I wanted was to have a breakdown for a few hours, and remind myself how much of a bad bitch I am after. But no time for that. Instead, I poured the feeling of uneasiness to Theresa Wills who arrived before I woke up and decided to have alterations of her own. Tough luck, sister. This is my wedding. I gave her the bitch stare all day
You really need to fake it until you make it. I've never understood that shit before I favored that pink dress from my usual black jumpsuits. The dress was a gift from Chase. He gave it to me for Christmas. He knows I don't like flowy dresses. It was a nuisance to move around and try to cover your privates in case you needed to run. It was the bow around the waist that ruined it for me. Yet I was still a good friend and kept the dress. I knew it would be put to good use. I just reminded myself to burn it before the day ends.I needed to blend in. It was my plan of distracting Lucas' mother. From what? From my dying—probably dead—father. I needed to make her think that I was busying myself with this wedding and not with other things. She needs to see my domesticated side. A side that I clearly do not have but had the chance to develop in under an hour. It's amazing what pressure can do to a pers
Lucas~*~ I couldn't help but gape at Mari. It took every drop of self control for me not to order her to get on the table and ask her politely to strip off her robe. I wondered what she was wearing underneath the silk fabric. Or if she's wearing any. I mentally ordered my dick to knock it off before I embarrass myself with a fucking hard on while we eat. It was oddly satisfying seeing Mari like this; hair damp, barefooted, on the head of the fucking table like she's the goddamn queen. If my father waltz in the dining area and sees Mari on the head of the table and not me, he'd flip. But I let it because my girl is powerful, she deserved to be on that spot, deserved to be treated like queen despite her pettiness last night. She was sexy as hell, with her smirk and her pale legs c
I woke up and my eyes immediately focused on the bottle of aspirin and the glass of water on my bedside table. Thank God! Groaning, I reach for them, fighting off the growing headache from the night before. I reminded myself to take it easy with the help today.Three realizations hit me as I pop two tablets in my mouth, finishing the water in three big gulps. One, I realized how petty I reacted to the situation with Lucas. The one where I put a bullet on his thigh, and the one where I let him sleep without a blanket. He deserved it, but I know that I wouldn't hear the end of it once we actually get married. Which is why I decided to shrug it off, and finally be the big girl that I am. Two, I remembered that today was my fitting day with that gown that has been sitting in my closet for months. I'd finally get to try the laced veil that was hand sewn and shipped from Russia, courtesy of Cassandra, Lucas' friend and his family's personal seamstress. I noticed how people like Sigmund, and
Lucas stretches from his position to reach for the lamp with a struggling grunt. I know Lucas is a busy man. He's been handling his family business alongside his father since he was a teenager, but he's never looked this tired before; haggard with hollow spots under his bloodshot eyes. Perhaps he's never been shot by his fiancée before, I reasoned to myself. It sounded weird even in my head to call myself his fiancée. Suddenly the ring on my finger felt heavy. That wretched thing has been making itself comfortable around my finger that sometimes I forget that it's there. I crossed my arms across my chest to hide me fidgeting and turning the ring, like it was calming me down. "You're still alive," I joked, rounding the bed and retreating from the door as I sat on the vacant space beside Lucas.
Lucas had his eyes closed when Sigmund and I entered the room. He was on his back, his forearm resting on his forehead, his chest bare, perfectly chiseled like an old statue. I wanted to jump on top of him if it weren't for Sigmund being with us. I didn't even care that he was injured. He still wore the slacks he wore earlier, with a huge rip on the thigh, the fabric probably hard and dried with blood. I knocked twice on the open door to let him know there was company. He groaned and sighed deeply like he was annoyed. "I'm not hungry, Da—" he stopped mid-sentence after he removed his arms and saw that it was us. I try not to twitch with Lucas' unfinished sentence. I'm tired, but I wasn't stupid. That wretched bitch, trying to take what's not hers. I reminded myself to put her in place when I have the opportunity. "Sigmund." Lucas frowned, trying to sit up, but the doctor stopped him. I shut the door behind me, locking it in case Daphne decides to parade inside like she owns the place
I threw my entire attire (sans shoes) in the fireplace in my room, that's hot enough to burn the entire house, before I went into the bathroom to clean Lucas' blood off my body. I didn't leave the shower until I was red as a tomato from scrubbing all the gunk off with a loofa.I didn't know how it happened but I had managed to bring him to his room successfully without suspicious and concerned looks from the help. Daphne, however, stepped in front of us when we were about to take the stairs and asked if I wanted help. Lucas, with all his strength left, shooed her with a dismissing hand. That girl better understands the hierarchy order in this house. That and Lucas was not interested in her whatsoever. Lucas and I, for some weird, unfathomable reason, belonged to each other.When Lucas was settled on his bed in one of the guest rooms, he groaned in relief as his body hit the soft mattress. I debated if I should remove his clothes and change him into something cleaner, but my pride didn