STAR GAZING

Ariana’s pov~

Silvio threw me softly and I landed on the bed with a light thud, “im never going to be yours! You can take me anywhere, I don't care if you take me to Massimo’s island, I'll still never be yours, my child will never call you father!” I exclaimed loudly, I watched him clench his fist in anger as he looked straight at me.

“I've tried to give you chances! But it seems you derive joy in humiliating me when the opportunity presents itself” he started.

 “I'm warning you, Ariana, I don't want you to meet the other side of me,” he added.

“Silvio you need to let me go, I can't be your wife, I don't want to” I replied subtly.

“I don't want this life '' I retorted.

 “I never did, my father forced me into this! I know you have a woman in Florence, you love her don't you?'' I inquired, I watched Silvio's gait change as he tilted sideways and looked away.

“Gloria has nothing to do with anything, she’s just my mistress, she can never be anything more than you..” he mentioned moving close to me.

He leaned into me and kissed my lips.

 “You are going to be my wife” he replied.

His stubborn relentless behaviour infuriated me but it also did something to my body, it made me start to tingle.

“You don't ever have to worry about Gloria, she knows her place” he added before pulling me up.

“Ariana, by tomorrow we will be married, legally, you need to come to terms and accept it” he started again, tracing his hand down the skin of my arm.

“I'm not going to make a great wife for you, I barely know how to be a better person, Silvio you need to let me go” I cried.

He was unwavering, he moved closer to me and pulled me close, he planted a soft kiss on my lips and said

 “I'll give you a few moments to get yourself together, the guests are still waiting for a happy couple, I'll see you outside soon”.

He let me go and soon he was out the door, I watched him go, the smell of his cologne lingered in the air, a whiff of it, and I could sense his masculine aura.

After a while I went back down, I regretted it as soon as I did, I met my father at the end of the stairs, his hand ready to take mine.

“If you ever disgrace me like that again, in front of my peers, I won't care that you are my daughter, you will disappear from the face of the earth,” he said clenching my hand tightly, he walked me over to Silvio and placed my hands in his with a warm smile and disappeared into the disapproving crowd.

Silvio took them and kissed them, he spun me around and settled me opposite the greenery glass, I looked up at him and a shame overtook me, I blushed lightly.

He smiled at me as he kissed my forehead and everyone cheered and returned to their normal chatter.

“Everyone can I get your attention?” he called loudly, people stopped chattering and turned to us.

I wondered what he was going to do next,

 “I have an early wedding gift for my fiance” he started, he turned to me, took my hand again and led me towards the balcony and everyone followed.

“I know im a hard man to be with” he started, touching the balcony rails, “and you are probably right to be scared, but I want you and you mean to me what heaven is to angels, home” he led me to the centre of the balcony, I could hear my stepmother and luna chattering behind me.

“Look” he started, as he settled behind me, his arm around me, he pointed to the sky, I followed his finger and all I could see was a tiny dot in the horizon.

“That star you see is the Ariana constellation” he finished.

The next thing I heard was everyone gasping in shock.

“What?” I asked softly, my heart beating out of my chest, he turned me around and raised my chin to his gaze.

 “No matter where you are or where I am, whenever you look up to it, know that it is my promise to always come home to you” he declared and kissed me softly on the lips.

I couldn't believe it, he bought a star in my name? What kind of lunatic would do this? Yet I couldn't deny this sudden shift I felt in my heart when he kissed my lips.

The thought of Mateo ran through my mind at that moment, guilt washed through me and I pulled away.

“Impatient, I'll wait for you to accept my feelings” he continued, I looked away, to the greenery, the beautiful flowers that exude life eased my pain, and that's when I saw it.

The clown from before, stood inside the greenery and I could see his reflection looking at me, he stood there, like a wounded lion.

His eyes looked familiar, felt familiar, I could feel it longing, longing for me.

He disappeared as soon as Silvio turned, he looked back at me, “And one more thing’ he smiled, leading me towards the piano that had suddenly appeared while we were away.

“This is for you Ariana” he mentioned as he sat at the piano and balanced his fingers on the keys.

Soon a melodious rhythm started to play, it sounded like a tale I'd heard before.

 I knew this song, my mother had played it once before.

I could feel the tears start to build up in my eyes, my mind wandered to my earlier years when I spent mornings and evenings in my mother’s arms.

How does Silvio know this song? I sniffled and he smiled.

 I looked at the greenery again and I saw him.

The clown, this time his face was different, the make-up was gone, I looked closer.

Mateo?

Before I could take another look, everyone gasped as someone entered the hall.

The music stopped and we all looked in the direction of this mystery person.

Soon a beautiful woman with red flowing hair emerged from the crowd.

 she wore white with shiny glitters that flowed down to her ankle, and she wore gold heels, she stood in front of me and posed.

her nicely shaved legs that shone slid out from the slit on the side of her gown, I could take it up to her thigh, she offered the beautiful water lilies to me and looked at Silvio.

 “your favorite, if I remember clearly” she stated. Silvio was speechless, he looked at her, and his face turned into an unlikeable scowl, he was very angry.

She turned back to me, “I came to wish the happy couple my best” she started, she smiled at me but I could tell they were dangerous smiles, her eyes gave me the opposite feeling.