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Chapter 9: GABRIEL
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“What’s the matter? Can’t sleep?” The house was quiet when she crept into my room later that night. I was up on the computer, which I switched to sleep mode as soon as she walked in.
“No, I can’t. I think I want to call my dad.” My face must’ve given my thoughts away because she rushed to explain herself.“I think there might be something going on with him. I can’t explain it; it’s just a feeling I have like something’s wrong.” Yeah, a lot is wrong with him right now, but don’t you dare start feeling sorry for him; he doesn’t deserve it. I’ve turned the situation over time and again, and no matter what angle I look from, there’s no excuse sufficient enough for men like him.It would’ve been wrong for him to have neglected Victoria after marrying her mother and taking on that role, but what he did instead is nothing less than an abomination, and unless he’s a complete moron, there’s no way he didn’t recognize any of the signs of what was going on with his own blood right under hiRelated chapter
The Life First Love Chapter 10: VICTORIA
I sat in the dingy booth in the rundown diner someplace in New Jersey, listening to the man who claimed to be my father speak. He seemed overly excited, reminiscing about things I’d long forgotten if they ever really happened; meanwhile, I’m just here for information. He’d tried getting me to go home with him, which I staunchly refused. No doubt home for him is a grimy apartment somewhere in the city. That much I remember from my childhood, messy, broken-down apartments and the smell of onions and burnt food in the hallway.A vast difference from the life I live now, and I have no plans on going back. I just need to know why she lied. “Where’ve you been?”“About that…uh, your mom didn’t tell you?”“She told me you were dead.” No, she hadn’t, not exactly, but that’s the story she’d drilled into my head when we bounced, and it kinda became my reality after a while, until now.I was too young back then to know much of anything, but hunger is something that sticks with you no matter
The Life First Love Chapter 11: GABRIEL
The morning was chaotic, to say the least, due to her newfound popularity. I’ve never been surrounded by so many of my fellow students before and was quickly reminded why. I can’t wait to go back to the way things were because, well, people are stupid. I’d forgotten how much so.Another aspect of her rise to fame that I’d overlooked was the attention from males. I didn’t think of it because I never expected that it would affect me one way or another. Lucky for them, she seemed just as wary of their presence as I was, but I still had the urge to tell them to get bent. All it took, though, was my patented glare to get the point across, and the more daring of the bunch got the message and kept their ass out of my sight.By the time lunchtime rolled around, I’d had enough and only allowed her enough time to eat before dragging her away from the table where Lance and I were the only males allowed. I’d been out of sorts all morning, feeling out of my element a bit. Something was niggling a
The Life First Love Chapter 12: FELIX
I left the house and took a long drive so I could mull over everything that was going on. Something doesn’t seem right about either of their stories. I don’t believe for a second that the Feds had made a mistake, so what exactly is going on? Who’s the man that picked Victoria up from the station, and how can I find that out?I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know the name of Becky’s dead husband; I just never got around to asking as it never seemed important. Such is the way of our relationship, and it has ever been this way. She knows we didn’t get married for love that I was just trying to give my daughter a stable home while she was looking for the same.Intimacy between us has never been an issue; I’m still alive after all, but there was never any great passion between us, and she knows and has been fine with this. In fact, after the crisis bonding period right after Adrienne passed, the guilt had been so strong that I may have neglected my new wife there in the beginning.
The Life First Love Chapter 13: GABRIEL
I didn’t quite know what to do with my hands when our dance finally came to an end, so I left them resting gently on the curve of her ass. “Don’t ever dance with anyone else like that.” My head cleared after I said the words, but it was too late to take them back. Her eyes were still clouded, so maybe she missed the words and the meaning behind them. Feeling boyish after that little faux pas, I distracted her with the ice cream. “This probably isn’t as good now as it was when I bought it.” It was pretty much a melted blob in a soggy waffle cone, but she didn’t seem to care.Thank goodness I’d had the foresight to have the cone turned upside down in a cup which had made it easier to drive with the thing. She acted like I’d given her gold. “For me? Thank you.”“I wasn’t sure what flavor you’d like, but you look like a strawberry girl to me.” What the hell are these things that keep popping into my head and right out of my mouth?She’d zapped me with the dance; that’s the only explan
The Life First Love Chapter 14: GIANNA
I’m extremely nervous to the point I want to back out of going back home this soon. It may have only been days since I left, but it feels like ten lifetimes had already passed for all that has happened since then. I’m not going to lie; part of me wants the three of them to see me looking the way I do now; I guess it’s only natural to feel that way.Part of me is genuinely worried about my dad. I guess it’s not that easy separating the bad from the good; I still recall the way things were in the beginning, and for that reason, I can’t cut all ties completely, though my respect level for him is pretty low.And then there’s this other part of me, the part that remembers the trauma of living under their shadow, of not being heard or believed when it mattered, of being replaced in my own home, having my life completely taken over. That part still feels fear at the thought of facing my tormentors.I had to keep gripping one hand with the other to keep them from shaking. The only thing sto
The Life First Love Chapter 15: GABRIEL
There were two very pale females in that room, while one adult male looked like someone had goosed him. Come on, jerk, get your shit together for Pete’s sake. “So, you look well; they’ve been taking care of you?” Felix, you are a lost fucking cause. That was my first thought when he dropped that sentence into the silence that fell.No, wait, that seems way off. The words never judge a book by its cover are never actually talking about books. No man is that dumb, that clueless when faced with the truth. So I looked again. I watched him as he spoke to his daughter, and good old Felix was clutching his hands together so tight, they’d turned white. My eyes went back to his face, and no, he wasn’t angry at her, but he was livid about something.I knew when I saw him last night that the tide in his house had changed as well, but this was better than expected. I know he’d talked to the Feds and heard about Victoria’s dad being alive, but I have no doubt these two could spin a spider out of
The Life First Love Chapter 16: FELIX
Stupid! Stupid, gullible fool, and worst of all, negligent. Is that why the kid had brought Gia to the house looking like that? Did he know how much it would shake things up, especially me? It’s amazing what you learn when people think you’re not listening, I’m just ashamed that it took me this long.Apparently, there’s more to the story that Becky told me about Victoria being suspended for arguing in school. What did the Russo kid mean by looking for a new school? You don’t change schools over suspension. But more to the point, how many times in the past did Victoria make that snarky comment about her adoption being an improvement? Always before, she’d passed it off as a joke, but today for the first time, it sounded ugly, mean.She’d been Gia’s closest friend, as close as sisters Adrienne had once said. I believed that, had that too been a lie? I want to run and hide, bury my head in the proverbial sand. Weak, I know, but thinking of the mess I would need to unravel if all this is
The Life First Love Chapter 17: GABRIEL
The tears started before we made it to the door. In fact, as soon as I helped her out of the car, four women, with the grandmother leading the pack, came rushing down the steps, well, as much as society mavens rush. To be frank, the Russo billions are about a hundred, a hundred- and fifty-years tops. Her maiden family looks like the type who brought theirs over before the state was even named.I could smell something in their blood that surpassed blue; these people are the real deal. “Oh, Gianna, my beautiful Gianna.” I had to bite my tongue not to tell grandma that I was the only one allowed to call her that. I didn’t hold back to make a good impression or anything like that; I just didn’t want to put a damper on her first visit.So, imagine my surprise when she did it for me. “I go by Gia.” She still had a death grip on my hand, so maybe she’d felt me tense up when the old lady used her name. Don’t ask me why I won’t let anyone else use her name. Maybe it’s because no one stepped i
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The Life First Love Chapter 37: GABRIEL
Breakfast in the morning was a riotous mess. Ma was in her element, having the whole family here, including the grands as well as Gianna’s relatives who had gone from talking about the party the night before to the upcoming trip to Paris and the ball. I learned that Gianna was going to be busy once we returned from the Caribbean, which is a good thing. It will give me time to put the finishing touches on the Fontane issue while gearing up for mine. Aside from finding her the perfect gowns last minute, which they didn’t seem as worried about as the other stuff her invite entailed, there was a mind-numbing amount of crap she had to go through. I’d been there for my sisters’ and knew she had a long road ahead of her. I’d gained a whole new respect for the tradition after getting an up-close look from behind the scenes. Before, I thought it was a lot of waste for what boiled down to just a party. But the way the women in my family act it’s almost like a rite of passage, and I can see w
The Life First Love Chapter 36: GABRIEL
“Let me grab a jacket. Be right back.” She started to fret that there was nothing to do justice to her gown like a typical female before I stopped her.“No need. Here.” I walked to the coat closet where the rest of her outfit waited and removed the cape I’d left hanging there.“Oh my, it’s beautiful.” I draped the ermine coat around her shoulders and stood back to look. The padded silk cape had been died to match her gown in daffodil yellow, while the white ermine border glistened beneath the light of the chandelier. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” She ran her hands over the fur in awe.I took her hand and led her to the door, or I have a feeling she’d have stood there all night admiring herself. She hadn’t yet noticed the butterflies outlined with gold thread pattern that flitted along the back and sides of the cape, but I knew that would be a whole other conversation if she did, and I didn’t want my prey to retreat before the finale I had planned.“It’s not too cold, is it?
The Life First Love Chapter 35: VICTORIA
Who has this kind of security for a sweet sixteen? I couldn’t even get close to the gate. What am I even doing here anyway? Like a lost puppy searching for its owner. I don’t know what came over me, what made me get into mom’s car and sneak away, but I needed to know if everyone else had been invited but me.Just thinking about it made me too sick to my stomach to sit still. I couldn’t stand the thought of all of them laughing at me, talking about me behind my back, reminiscing about all the things I’d said and done in the past, and laughing at me. It always comes back to them laughing at me; that’s the one thing I can’t stand.But it’s like there’s an information blackout, and I’m the only one left looking in from the outside. My so-called friends aren’t returning my calls, and there’s no one else for me to ask. At least I haven’t seen any of them show up, and I’ve been here since well before the party started. I thought it would’ve been easy with all these people going in and out
The Life First Love Chapter 34: GABRIEL
“I wish the fuck you would.” Gianna jumped a good foot off the floor at my outburst when she stepped out of the room ahead of the others. My vision blurred for a few seconds, and I was lucky I was leaning against the wall, or I might’ve fallen on my ass at the sight. I couldn’t even find my voice for another minute or so, too perplexed by what I was seeing.I knew it, I knew they were up to some shit when they refused to show me what they were wearing for this dance number, but this, this goes beyond anything I could’ve imagined.“Gabriel, what’s wrong?” She looked spooked and more than a little wary at my tone, but what the hell.“What’s wrong? I’m going to wring your neck; that’s what’s wrong.”“Look, here comes the other two and their entourage.” Lance huffed beside me.“Gianna, what the hell do you think you’re wearing?” I reached for my jacket to cover her, only then remembering I wasn’t wearing one, and besides, I didn’t dare walk towards her, or I just might follow through
The Life First Love Chapter 33: GABRIEL
The next day there was nothing but chaos in the house. People talk about bridezillas, but I bet they have nothing on two Italian princesses who have their father wrapped around their fingers and a bevy of people willing to do their bidding for the right price. I didn’t see my girl all day because the twins wanted her with them. There were stylists, makeup artists, and who knows what else milling around the house since breakfast and the noise level was off the charts. Her ankle-biter kept me company all day while I kept him out of the way until it was time to get ready for the party. Pop had made his escape with Uncle Marcus on the golf course while I stayed in my room doing what I do best.I spent most of the morning eavesdropping on her family home and the other half preparing for Sicily. There was still no news of my grandfather, but I’d at least made headway in finding my way into the Ricci circle. My first plan of action has always been to find out who was at the party that nigh
The Life First Love Chapter 32: GABRIEL
The week flew by, or maybe it was the excitement surrounding the twins’ party that made it seem like it had. I’m always amazed at how life still goes on for others, even in the midst of your own turmoil. Gianna was being brave, but I’m almost certain she’s still in the trauma bonding stage, which is why I’ve been distracting her these last few days with anything other than sex.Sometime around Wednesday, which was the third day she cried in her sleep, I was hit by a thunderbolt. She’s going through trauma, but what’s my excuse? Why am I allowing this to happen when I know in the back of my mind that it’s not right? I’m not sure why it took me this long, but while everyone else is in a celebratory mood, I’ve been dealing with the guilt of taking an innocent’s innocence.Refusing her when I still want her is proving to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I’m doing it for her. I still won’t let her go back to her own bed, though, because she needs me in the night, so I stay
The Life First Love Chapter 31: GABRIEL
She’s asleep. Exhausted, hurt, confused, it was all written on her face, even as she slept. I watched over her for a little while longer before easing out from under her and going to get cleaned up. The water burned the scratches she’d left on my back and shoulders, but instead of being elated at the wildness she’d shown in my bed, I felt true nervousness for the first time in my life.Something has changed inside her. She no longer seems like the levelheaded innocent I’d saved that day not too long ago. To add even more to my worry, now that the excitement of the moment is over, my mind keeps throwing horrifying scenarios my way. There’s so much that could’ve happened to her in that house, so much that could’ve gone wrong, and I’ll be forever grateful to my sisters for not letting her go there alone.My thoughts wouldn’t settle down enough for me to do what I need to because I’m too worried that she’d go rogue again and wondering how the hell I can prevent it. Right now, her blood i
The Life First Love Chapter 30: VICTORIA
I’m going to kill her. I’m going to kill all of them. There was a wild fury building inside me, a pressure that needed release soon or I’d explode, so I screamed. It didn’t do much, but at the very least, it helped ease some of the pressure from my head and chest. The air around me thickened, making my head spin as I made my way up the stairs to my room, all the while fighting back the tears that I refused to let fall. Tears are for the weak, like Gia.I stood in front of the mirror in my room, assessing the damage and feeling both angry and embarrassed. I can’t believe I let her do this to me and in front of Gabriel Russo, no less. Now that it was over, I thought of all the things I should’ve done to her, but I’ve never been much of a fighter; then again, neither has she. Where the hell did she learn to fight like that?My lips were already starting to swell when I cleaned the blood away, and I could barely see out of my left eye. I had the urge to just let myself cry just this once
The Life First Love Chapter 29: GIANNA
It’s been days, and still, no matter how hard I push myself, I can’t escape the anger that now lives inside me. It’s frightening and all-consuming in a way not even my grief had been. It was hard enough dealing with my mother being gone at such a young age, enduring the things I have with her not here.I’d learned to keep my head down and wait for the day I could make my escape, but now, there’s no way I’m leaving without that bitch’s head. “Hey!” Hey, Gianna, calm down, come here.” I felt Gabriel’s arms come around me from behind me, pulling me back away from the punching bag in the home gym. I’d forgotten he was here.“It’s okay; I’m fine, really.” I also forgot how he watches over me like a hawk with its young these days. Maybe he, too, has noticed the change in me though I’ve done a pretty good job of hiding it. I’ve been pushing myself to the point of exhaustion these days to get rid of some of the pent-up anger and frustration, but today I seem to have reached my breaking point
