The hem of my dress is covered in blood.Not all his guests are dead. Some remain standing, breathing heavily, absolutely horrified by what has happened around them. Women were killed, too. Who were these people, and why did he kill them? Even Enzo is shocked by what we just saw. A bloodshed. A massacre.There are many bodies on the floor. It's like most of the guests were killed. The sight of all this blood is like a punch to my gut. I want to vomit so badly that my ears tear up, but I do a little trick my mother always taught me. I hum, continuously, and the urge to throw up passes. And Giotto is still dancing around by himself, stepping on the bodies, staining the soles of his shoes with their blood. He twirls around and around, bit once looking at the ground. He sighs contentedly, "This sure does clear some bad blood, doesn't it son?" I didn't see him standing there, right beside his father. Or at least, I didn't notice that it was him. There's a cigarette dangling from the corn
"You've got your towel," I turn from him to get dressed. Yet, he's still standing there with the towel in his hand. "Isn't that what you wanted?" I find everything I'm looking for and start to dress with my back turned to him. I can still feel him standing behind me, staring at my body. Now that the thrill has passed, I'm starting to regret my decision. What was I thinking, getting naked in front of this man? I put my panties on and that's when he leaves my side and slams the bathroom door. I watch the closed door as I finish dressing up. After I'm done, I sit on the mattress and think about my next move. I hear the shower running and so that means I've got some minutes before he's done. I don't want to see him here in the room with a towel wrapped around his lower body. Besides, the way he was looking at me is making my cheeks glow red. I get up and head downstairs. I find some yogurt in the refrigerator and so I eat that. When I see a piece of strawberry inside, the red reminds m
"Bitch!" she slaps me again. "You have a lot of audacity. Moaning my man's name in your sleep. I'll kill you!"She grabs my hair, but my reactions are slow because I'm still trying to catch my breath. She's on top of me, so she has a slight advantage. I cover my face with my arms so her blows hit my arms and not my face. I taste blood in my mouth from her slap. I try kicking, but someone holds both my legs down.She's not alone."And he lied to me about who you were!" Flavia is shouting. "You were living with him this entire time. I found it strange that he wouldn't let me come over. It's because you're here, you whore!""Flavia,” someone says. A man. I start panicking. "Take what you came here to get and let's fucking leave. I don't want to have to come across Enzo.""Just shut up, Vito!" She's hysterical. "I have to teach her a lesson. He told me she was a Don's daughter hiding out at the pension for a night, but he's fucking her in our bed!"The man sighs in frustration. "Just get
Enzo hasn't returned. I spent the day fuming and punching my pillow, imagining his face. The audacity. He really thinks I should be grateful to him, after everything that's happened? After everything he's done. The notion is preposterous. He's so full of shit. What upsets me most is that for a little while, I had forgotten everything he put me through. I no longer remember that first fight, or those first days in that infernal apartment. I'd started to...I don't know, trust him. Not necessarily trust, but I'd started seeing him as someone I could count on. I was wrong, of course. He's waiting for the perfect opportunity to get rid of me, and I don't quite know in what sense. I don't think he's above killing me. He would do it if it benefited him in any way. It's night now. I'm getting used to time flying like this. Some days, when I have nothing to do, it passes by slowly. When I'm occupied, with my thoughts, it usually flies. Today was no exception. I didn't even have lunch, I was
"Calm down, Enzo," Gustavo says. "I've come in peace. I have a message to deliver to you. Your...fiancée was kind enough to let me in."I know Enzo is displeased with this. He clearly doesn't want Gustavo Puglia in his house, and I understand why. He isn't 100% trustworthy. He’s Giotto’s son, and that'll never change. Also, the things he said to me downstairs adds to the suspicion. "Upstairs, Chiara." I have to walk past him to get to the stairs. He grabs my arm, "And stay there."Of course I don't. I have to hear everything they're going to say. I don't close the door all the way so I can get in the room quickly if Enzo decides to come upstairs. Without meaning to, I'm already involved. I want Giotto dead as much as Enzo does. I don't know what his motives are, but mine are justifiable. I want to hear every word, I want to know where everything stands. Gustavo has clearly come to talk about his father. "So, what is it that you wanted to say to me? You've come a long way. You could
Maria wakes me up the next morning, telling me there's breakfast downstairs. I take some time to wash my face and brush my teeth, try to tame my hair, then I head to the kitchen. On the dinner table, there's fresh bread, butter, cheese, and freshly brewed coffee. The coffee helps in keeping me awake. I barely slept last night. I couldn't stop thinking about everything that Enzo said, and with every passing hour, I realized he's definitely keeping something hidden. I can't figure out what it is, but it's something big. Nevertheless, I was much more comfortable in the bed than I was in that thin mattress. Once again, Maria doesn't let me clean up. I don't fight with her. I have no choice but to go upstairs and sit on the edge of the bed. I've already cleaned the room, so there's nothing else for me to do. I can't wait for this to come to an end. This mundane existence is killing me on the inside. Approximately two hours later, Enzo appears at the door. He's wearing a baby blue t-shir
We get inside another car to get to the dinner. A black SUV. The whole ride, I'm pinching my legs to keep them still. I'm nervous about tonight, mainly because I don't know what to expect and how everything will go. I hate that I’m doing this. This is more humiliating than ever. Having to sit next to the man who killed my family is beyond difficult, and the fact that I can show no aggression proves how unfair this all is. I can’t understand why a man as important as him chooses to waste his time with me. If there could only be a way of me not needing to deal with him, I would take it. I don’t trust myself in his presence. My throat closes up, and I get the urge to scream until my lungs go raw. I turn to look at Enzo and ask him, "Will Giotto be there?" "No," he says. "But Gustavo will. Do me a favor and don't talk to him. If he strikes up a conversation with you, ignore him.""How can I ignore Giotto’s son?" It’s a relief that he won’t be there and I can hardly believe my luck. As
Enzo parks the car in front of a motel. He tells me to stay in the car while he pays for the room. He says 'room' and not 'rooms' and that makes me a little nervous. Does he expect us to sleep in the same room? I don't comment because there's a lot of tension as it is, and the last thing I need is for him to take out his stress on me. Those dead mice were meant for one of us, or both. I have no idea who could have sent those, but he definitely knows, he's just not telling me. But I'll pester him until I have the answer. Don't I have the right to know who's threatening to kill me? He returns to the car and slams the door. He peaks right in front of the room he rented. He switches the car off and sits with his hands on the steering wheel. Abruptly, he starts pounding his fists against it. I flinch with every punch. After he's done taking all his anger out on the steering wheel, he opens the door and slams it shut again. He walks to the door and unlocks it, leaving it wide open. I clim