We start talking at the same time and then chuckle, sharing an amused look. Alina’s chuckle still sounds nervous, though, and I notice the way she’s still holding on to her bag, pressing herself to the wall. Yeah, she needs a moment to come back to her senses.
“Alina, right?” I say after a moment, and she nods, casting her gaze down. “You have to be careful in a neighborhood like this one, especially when you don’t have a gun with you.”
She swallows and nods, giving me a tense smile. “Yeah, it was…a good lesson. Thank you, Gio. You saved my life.”
“I think I just saved your wallet,” I huff, in an attempt to make her feel better, but Alina gives me a look that tells me she doesn’t believe me. Fair enough. Those guys could’ve done much worse than just taking her bag away.
I look around, quickly thinking about where to go from here. It’s a perfect opportunity to gain her trust, so instead of just sending her away, I have to find a way to stay close to her and help her calm down. Besides, seeing Alina so distressed makes me agitated as well. But where should I take her?
My gaze falls on the sign of a 24/7 coffee shop in the distance, and before I can think about it, I turn to Alina. “Hey, do you want a cup of
coffee? You need something to warm up.”
After a moment of hesitance, Alina nods and pushes herself off the wall, looking up at me with a small smile. “Thank you.”
“So what are you doing here so late?” I ask, after we settle at a rickety table in the corner of the tiny coffee shop.
The place is dirty, empty, and no safer than the street outside. The cashier is nodding off behind the counter, so I eye our order with suspicion before taking a sip. Well, it doesn’t taste bad. Alina hums with appreciation after drinking her own, her hands folded cutely around the cup to keep her warm, and looks out of the window with a frown.
“I just wanted to take some photos of Chicago. Usually, my family is all around me, but I managed to get out of the house tonight, and I just…I don’t know. I wanted to see the city on my own. I wanted to learn more about it, you know?” She glances at me and sighs, looking down at her cup. “But I guess Chicago doesn’t accept me either.”
Alina looks so sad about her own words that I raise my voice to object without even thinking about it. “What? No, that’s not true. It’s a difficult city, but trust me, once you get to know it better, it will open up for you.”
“Ah, I don’t know…” She shakes her head, sounding unsure, and I don’t know what nudges me to do it, but I reach out over the table and put my hand on her wrist.
“Do you want me to show it to you?”
Alina blinks in surprise and looks up at me, finally looking like her usual self. “What?”
I shrug, still holding her wrist. “I can take you on a midnight tour. I know a few good places around here, I’m sure you will love them.”
But Alina still looks hesitant, and I clear my throat and pull my hand back.
“But I understand if you don’t trust me yet. It probably sounds creepy to-”
“No, no, Gio, it’s not creepy!” She immediately shakes her head, looking at me with big eyes. “Actually, I’d be happy to accept your offer. I’m sure I’ll be safe with you.”
As soon as Alina realizes what she just said, she blinks and looks away, taking a sip of her coffee as if it’ll make the blush on her cheeks
weaker. My gaze lingers on her for a moment before I chuckle and nod at her cup of coffee. “Then, you better finish this first.”
She frowns. “Why?” “You’ll see.”
When I finally take Alina to my motorcycle, she freezes for a moment with her eyes wide and her lips parted before letting out a cute squeak and bouncing on her feet with an excited smile. It’s been a while since I met a girl as sweet and open as her, and I can’t help but smile as I guide her arms to wrap around me. It makes my task so much more pleasant.
“Hold on tight, baby,” I tell her, and I can feel her press her face against my back and nod. I don’t have to see Alina’s face to know she’s blushing.
I take Alina to a couple of beautiful spots-one on the bank of the Chicago River, the other in a cozy corner of downtown-that fill her eyes with amazement and her smile with pure joy. It’s nice to see her go back to her usual self. And I don’t know what nudges me to do it, but after we leave downtown, I guide my motorcycle to the lake.
There’s a place I found many years ago, and I’ve never shared it with anyone before. But for some reason, it feels right to bring Alina here. I know she’ll appreciate its quiet beauty like I do. It’s a small and secluded place where big rocks are guarding the water and thin trees are rustling in the wind. It’s been a while since the last time I was here, but I’m glad to see that this place remains as serene and beautiful as I remember it.
“You like it, I guess,” I say with a smirk, leaning back on the grass, after Alina takes what feels like a hundred photos of the lake, the park, the rocks, and the city lights.
“Are you joking? This place is amazing!” She stands up and looks around with a pretty smile, her blonde hair slightly waving in the wind. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”
“Well, at this time of the day, you might as well be.”
I demonstratively check my watch, and Alina huffs and waves a hand at me. Her gaze lingers on me, and after a moment of hesitation, she walks over and takes a seat on the grass by my side. There are a few inches between us, but I can feel the warmth and anticipation ooze off her. She isn’t looking at me, checking her photos, but I know a woman who wants me when I see one.
Not that I would mind pushing my hands under Alina’s shirt and taking her right here on the grass…but no, it may ruin my plans. If I want her to like me, I have to keep myself at bay.
“Have you enjoyed the tour?” I say after a moment, turning to look at her, and Alina nods a few times, meeting my gaze.
“Yes, it…it’s the best thing that’s happened to me since I arrived.” She turns away, looking down at her phone again, and I can see the corners of her lips turn down. “This is how I imagined spending time with my family, but…anyway.”
Alina shakes her head and gives me an empty smile, trying to make me forget about the last sentence, but I frown and shift my position to look at her better. “It’s hard to get along with them, huh?”
I hope it doesn’t sound too personal. I’m not supposed to know anything about her family at this point, so-
“It’s not just that.” Well, it seems Alina doesn’t mind the question. She shakes her head, looking genuinely upset, and I move closer to put my hand on her shoulder. “It’s like I’m not even a part of the family anymore. I feel like a stranger in the house I grew up in, I don’t know how to talk to my mom, and my sisters have their own lives that don’t include me. It’s- god, it’s so lonely here. There. Everywhere.”
I can’t say I don’t understand her feelings. When I had just joined the Escarra family, everything was so strange and different, and I didn’t know where my place was and what I was supposed to do there. I was so lost at the time-and now, I can’t help but feel sympathy toward the girl in front of me.
I squeeze Alina’s shoulder slightly, pulling her attention, and when our eyes meet I give her a lopsided smile. “I can help you if you want.”
“How?” Her gaze lingers on me, her cheeks flushed pink from our closeness, and all of a sudden I feel something pulling me forward.
“I can be your friend.” I linger a few inches away from her face and look into her eyes. “Or something more. Whatever you want, baby.”
Alina doesn’t move away, only looking at me with doe eyes, so I close the distance between us and steal a kiss from her parted lips. She
startles from the warmth of my touch, but before I can pull back, she presses the kiss back into my lips and moves closer. I raise my hand to her neck, stroking it gently, and the frantic heartbeat I feel in her veins makes something in me warm up.
It’s just a game for me, it’s just a part of my mission-but why does this kiss feel so special?