NFTMB)Chapter 106
Alessandro
(Take Care Of Yourself)
Flashback
It was a rainy night in New York approximately five years ago.
I was driving down the highway maybe speeding even, but who cares?
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of whatever hip hop junk was playing on the stereo.
I had gone out to celebrate and maybe catch some fun in celebration of the successful opening of Phantom Hotels.
I had shut down the club and made it rain.
I was young. I was successful. I was handsome. Of course I had the world at my feet.
Not to talk of the underworld. I was the mafia boss of the Italian mafia. My life couldn’t get any better.
I had whatever I wanted and got whatever I wanted. Things came easy to me. Money, women, power.
I had it all in abundance.
I snapped my finger to the beat as I focused on the road ahead as it was raining and the roads were always slippery when it poured.
I was driving home alone to my empty house after having such a fun night at the club. All good things must come to an end.
Yeah.
My phone that was on my lap vibrated with an incoming call and fell off my lap and into the floor.
“Shit!”. I cussed before bringing my right hand down to the floor of the car and searching around for the phone.
I still couldn’t find it with my eyes glued to the road so I took my eyes off for a second to look down and search for my phone only to hear a high pitched and frightened scream from in front of me.
Immediately I stepped on the brakes before lifting my face and laying my eyes on the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.
She was breathtakingly gorgeous.
She stood there in the rain, soaked from head to toe as she wrapped her arms around her body.
I would have knocked her down had it not been for my quick-wittedness.
I sat charmed inside my car as she stood in the rain watching me. Was she even seeing me with the headlights that shone directly on her face?
Who is she?
Without a word she just slowly rounded my car and started to walk away.
What the hell?
I immediately stepped down from my car and got out in the rain to chase after her.
Does she not know who I am?
“Hey!”. I said running after her and reached her in no time before grabbing her by the arm.
“Don’t touch my arm!”. She said before jerking her arm from my hold.
What the hell? No one speaks to me like that.
“Don’t you know who I am?”
“Should I know who you are?”
“I can’t believe this? You jumped in front of my car and you just walk out like it’s nothing. You didn’t even fucking apologize!”. I said while feeling my anger get the best of me.
“I’m sorry. Now please leave me alone”. She said before wrapping her arms around herself and slowly walking out.
“Don’t you dare walk out on me!”. I screamed out only to have her give me no attention and continue on her way.
“I’m not walking out on you. I’m merely going to somewhere safe. It’s raining and if you didn’t notice I don’t have a car like you. So please, leave me alone. I’m not trying to be rude or disrespectful”. She slowly said before walking away.
“Fuck!”
She continued walking away as I noticed that she walked with a slight limp in her gait.
“What happened to your leg?”. I asked her while following her behind.
“Nothing. And it’s none of your business. Stop asking”.
I pulled her by her arm once more, dragging her to me.
“I said what happened to your leg?!”
“Can’t you just listen and leave me alone?!”
“It’s raining and you’re out in the cold night without an umbrella. Do you want to die?”
“Maybe that would be better”. She said dryly.
What the hell?
“Shut up and come with me”. I said before dragging her to my car.
“Let go of me! I don’t even know you! I’m not going anywhere with you!”. She said while struggling to remove my hand from her arm.
“I’m not going to harm you”.
“Why would I trust you? You might be a killer or an escaped lunatic for all I know!”
“No. I’m not any of those. I’m Alessandro Rossi”
“Still doesn’t ring a bell. Now let me go!”. She said as I strapped her in, taking note of the handprint on her face.
“What happened to your face?”
“Nothing.” She said before turning to the other side and folding her arms across her chest.
“I see. What’s your name?”
No answer.
“I repeat, what is your name?!”
“I don’t know you. Leave me alone!”
“I’m merely trying to help you and save you from dying of extreme cold”
“I don’t need your help!”. She said,
“Can you stop being so damn stubborn? You’re grating on my last nerve! You want proof? Fine!”
She still didn’t look at me as I fished around for my ID card and shoved it in her face.
“See?! I’m a businessman and not a lunatic! Hope that’s enough proof for you!”
She looked from the ID card and back to my face before speaking.
“Sorry”
“Where were you going to?”
“Nowhere. Anywhere.” She said with a shrug still not meeting my eye.
“Who did that to your face?”
“My boyfriend”. She slowly said.
“What’s your name?”
“Amara. My name is Amara”.
Flashback Ends.
“Alessandro! Alessandro!! Snap out of it!”. Niccolo said while waving his hands in front of my face.
I came back from my memories and focused on my environment.
I was in my office with Niccolo who was carrying Matteo.
I was thankful to Rome, who allowed my mother, Bianca and Niccolo to stay at his place.
His wife, Audrey, was more than happy with the additional company, especially that of Matteo. I heard she was quite taken by him.
Maybe I should have insisted on Amara going with them. At least she would have still been alive.
I told her to go with them but she refused. She insisted on being here. With me. Only for her to jump in front of a gun.
That was stupid.
Stupid but selfless.
It’s been a week but I still could never get over that fact.
Without thinking about her life and her safety, she took a bullet for me.
No one has ever done that for me.
She was the first.
The day after her funeral, I had walked into the house lifelessly to discover that there was nothing to remember her by.
There was no picture of her anywhere. There was nothing to remind you that once upon a time someone like her once existed.
I had been inconsiderate of her feelings all these years. I took her for granted. I didn’t notice her.
I only noticed her beauty.
I did not even have a photo of her.
The only photo of her I had was the one her mother gave to me at her funeral.
She looked happy. She looked younger. She smiled into the camera with her teeth on display.
I had taken away that smile. It was my fault. I made her sad and unhappy.
She didn’t deserve to be sad.
She didn’t deserve to be unhappy.
I didn’t even deserve someone like her.
“Stop beating yourself up over this, Alessandro. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t do anything. She made a choice. That was her decision to give her life up for you. You’re not to blame. You’re only hurting yourself”
“I mistreated her. I didn’t treat her right. I caused this. I even refused her the one thing she begged of me”
“No, dude stop. Stop that, Alessandro. You’re only going to make things worse”
“But that’s the truth. She wanted a baby. She begged me for it. She begged me but I didn’t agree. I deceived her. I took her for granted and all for what? for my arrogance”
“Stop doing that. If she actually got pregnant then the baby would have died with her as well”
“I just can’t forgive myself for her death”
“Don’t beat yourself up over this. You’re making your wife feel bad. You made her feel insignificant”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t help it”
“Get a hold of yourself. You’ll be fine. This is not the end of the world”
“You think so?”
“I know so”
“It’s still very difficult. It hurts”
Valentino walks into the room all dressed as Niccolo and I look towards his direction.
“We’re all set. She’s done packing”
“Alright”. I said quietly.
With great difficulty I got up from my seat and set out to see Victoria before she left.
She was hurt by the way I reacted to Amara’s death that she requested to leave for Paris with Valentino.
She wouldn’t understand. I don’t blame her though.
I couldn’t say no.
So, I let her go.
They would be leaving today. Even though I had told myself that I would be there when she gives birth to our child, but if it’s her decision to do it with Valentino and not me then who am I to say no.
I can’t hold her against her will.
Maybe over a week ago I would but for now, I didn’t have it in me.
“Knock knock”. I said as I stood at the door and watched her arrange her things into a bag.
She was dressed in a green floral dress and a sweater.
“Oh Alessandro. Come in”. She said while rubbing her palms together.
Her face was bare and free of every trace of makeup but she wasn’t happy.
Her eyes were sad and dull. I can tell.
I’ve been there.
“Valentino says you’re done packing”
“Yes, I am. I’m just trying to put together most of the baby’s things”. She slowly said, making me feel sad.
“Ohh. I see”
“I’m sorry”. She said
“No. It’s__it’s fine. I totally understand you. You need space and I get that”. I said to her,
“Thank you. I also wanted to give you this”. She said before walking closer to me and placing something in my palm.
Her wedding ring.
“Oh okay. But I’d rather you have it”. I said to her,
“No. I don’t know when I’ll be back. If I’ll ever be back.”
“So I’m not going to be there for the baby’s birth?”
“I’m sorry, Alessandro. I just need to do this. I hope you understand”
“It’s fine. It’s your decision.”
“Okay. Since that’s out of the way I’d rather get back to packing. You kind of bought a lot of things for the baby”. She laughed a bit.
“I was just an excited father. You can’t blame me”
“No. I’m not faulting you. It’s actually kind of cool. It’s nice”
“Well, I’ll leave you to do your thing now. Have a safe trip and take care of yourself there”
“Thank you”.
I gave her a nod before turning to leave.
“Alessandro!”
I turned around the sound of her voice before I saw her walking to me and pressing her lips to mine.
“Thank you”
“I’m sorry”
“Don’t apologize. It’s all in the past now.”
“Would you ever forgive me?”
“I have already forgiven you. I don’t hold a grudge against you”. She said before hugging me.
I hugged her tight and close to me bearing in mind that it might be the last time that I’ll see her.
“Take care of yourself, Alessandro”
“Take care of my baby”
“I will. I’m sorry about Amara”
“Thank you”.
I kissed her on the forehead before leaving.
It’s better this way.
“She’s done packing”. I said to Valentino immediately I walked into the office.
“I’ll miss you, Sandro.” He said before giving me a hug.
“Same here”
“Don’t worry about me, Alessandro. I will never leave you”. Niccolo said
“Shut the fuck up Nic!”
“He is afraid of Las Vegas now. He doesn’t want to meet anymore Jasmines’ ‘. Valentino said before laughing.
“Shut up!”. He said to Valentino
“So you don’t plan on going back?”
“No. At least for now. I don’t know about the future.”
“Bianca will be permanently moving back here too”
“Sounds like a full house then”
“Yeah. Well, we’ve got to get going. We’ve got a flight to catch”. Valentino said.
“Oh shut up, it’s private”
“Doesn’t matter. Bye guys. I’ll inform you when we get to France”
“Bye. Take care of her”
He nodded before turning to the door.
“Valentino?”
“Yes?”. He said as he turned to look at me.
“Touch her and you’re dead”