Arianna’s POV
It felt strange that Gabriele was being so gentle with me. His words had somehow strengthened me and I felt my broken heart begin to weave back to its form.
My parents thought –no! Scratch that.
Those people thought that they could break me. But they are wrong. They sold me for twenty bucks, I would throw it back to their faces.
I would rise again –somehow– I shall find a way to be great. So great, that guilt would kill them.
Gabriele wiped my lips with a napkin he had brought with him and put the plate aside.
My heart jolted each time our eyes met and I hated to admit that it felt good having him with me.
God knew I wouldn’t have been able to handle the pain alone. He had listened to all my babbles and he had held me when I felt torn apart.
“I should probably let you rest. You cried so much you must sleep early so you don’t get a headache,” He said making to rise.
I couldn’t deny the fact that it felt good, to hear him act this sweet toward me with no intentions. Only genuine care for someone who understood what I was going through.
I held his arm and his intense eyes fixed on mine captivating me to his very soul.
“Can you please –stay over with me?”
He ran his hand through his hair and pulled his lips to his mouth. His eyes looked troubled. It almost felt like he wanted to run far away from me.
Like he was trying to hide something he couldn’t suppress.
“It’s fine if you have other things to do…” I said hesitantly dropping my gaze away from him.
He had other women in the house with fewer problems. I was being stupid.
I felt his fingers on my jaw and I looked up at him again. “No, it’s not fine. I don’t want you crying yourself to sleep and then getting sick.”
My stomach knotted as a small smile danced on my lips.
“I’ll stay,” he said and sat back down.
The atmosphere lingered tensely above us and I didn’t know what to do anymore. I wanted him to stay, now that I did. I was speechless.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He gave me a curt nod and then checked the time on his golden wristwatch.
“We should go to bed,” he said. “Come, let’s wash your hands.”
He got up and pulled me to the bathroom with him. He led me to the basin and turned on the tap.
I was pulled into a dazzled dream as I watched him take care of me. He washed my hands like I was a baby.
He dabbed a small cloth with water and wiped my face with it.
“Go lie down. I’ll just wash my hands as well and join you,” he said, pulling a stray strand of hair away from my face.
I felt like a small child and he became the man that took care of me while my parents abandoned me.
“Okay,” I replied and took slow steps out of the bathroom. I was already in my nightmare. So I just crawled onto the bed and lay down staring at the bathroom door.
A few minutes later, Gabriele stepped out with his shirt in his right hand flashing me those unholy abs.
He placed his shirt on the side and joined me on the bed. I wanted him to hold me, for it felt safer in his arms.
But saying it made me feel dirty and clingy.
I just laid still by his side, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed slowly into my hair.
I turned around so that my back was against his. I figured if I wasn’t seeing his abs, I should be able to get some sleep.
“Fuck it!” He cursed as I suddenly felt his cold fingers wrap around my waist as he pulled me closer.
I let out a soft gasp as our bodies melted into one another and all the stress of the entire day came to the surface and I let out a yawn.
“Goodnight Arianna,” he whispered into my ear.
I mumbled an incoherent answer as my eyes became too heavy to stay open. I fell into a deep comforting sleep.
Gabriele’s warmth gave me the protection I needed and I had sweet dreams of us playing around in the house. Laughing about things that didn’t make sense and eating together. It was beautiful.
Until the scenery changed and Gabriele started screaming. At first, I thought it was just a nightmare until the sound became too loud and I gasped out of sleep.
That was when I realized it wasn’t a dream.
Gabriele’s hands were no longer around me. He was kicking his feet and pushing himself away.
I turned around and looked into his face. He was pulling his hair in pain.
Gabriele was mumbling some words in his sleep. He was struggling with invisible people and –I paused as I noticed the tears.
Gabriele was crying?
He seemed to be having a horrible nightmare and from the way, his face was pale and full of trauma, I knew I had to wake him.
Fear and concern consumed me as I shook him gently, begging for him to wake up but he didn’t.
“Gabriele?” I called, shaking him again.
I noticed that his temperature was hotter than normal and the veins around his temples strained under his skin as he fought the demons I couldn’t see.
“Gabriele!” I called louder than the other times.
My heart was starting to race as my fear dominated my concern. I needed to wake him up.
I placed my palms on his cheeks and tapped him.
“Gabriele!”
He was sweating so profusely, I feared it might be a medical condition no one told me about.
Should I go call Basilio?
I checked the time on his wristwatch –which he had placed on the bedside table and saw that it was only five in the morning.
Basilio would probably be sleeping but he wouldn’t mind. Gabriele was more than just a boss to him, right?
I was just about to leave the bed when Gabriele screamed, causing me to jump out of my skin.
“Fuck!” He jolted awake and sat up breathing as if he had just escaped the devil.
Sweat dripped from his forehead and his hair clung to his skull like a newborn child.
His eyes were bloodshot and his hands trembled –this must be a medical condition!
I let him catch his breath till his face regained some of its original colors. He looked everywhere in the room except for me.
It almost felt like he was avoiding my face.
It must have felt embarrassing having an episode like that in front of me but I wanted him to know that I didn’t mind.
If not anything, it made me realize that he was human and was capable of changing.
“Are you okay?” I tried to touch his hair but he pushed my hand away.
A small crack appeared in my heart as he pushed me away.
“I am fine,” he gritted, getting off the bed.
“Gabriele?” I called again but he was already by the door.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked as confusion and shame washed over me.
He stopped at the door and turned “I have other women that give me the kind of pleasure that I need. Check the time, men like me need to offload!” He hissed before walking away from me.
It felt like a slap had crossed my cheeks as he spat the words at me. I couldn’t believe it was the same man that had been so gentle with me last night.
What was wrong with Gabriele?
I tried to get my head around it but it was just impossible to understand him
Was he afraid of falling for me?
“No, that was crazy,” I chided myself.
He was just stressed out about everything and needed a break. But he didn’t know how to say it.
I tried to go back to sleep but it was in vain. Frustrated, I went to the bathroom and took a long shower.
I lay on the bed and thought of my life… With Gabriele.
What if we got married and he was no longer a killer?
Jane Lee could help out with more businesses and we would live fine. He wouldn’t have to be worried again for a couple of months to come.
I remained like this for hours till Sofie stepped in to inform me about breakfast.
“How are you feeling now? I heard the master spent the night here…” She trailed as she folded his shirt –which she had picked from the floor.
“I am fine… I guess…” I said with a shrug.
Sofie watched me for a few seconds shaking her head.
“Something is bothering you… yet you do not want to tell me about it,” Sofia blurted out.