Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Luca’s POV
I forced each forkful of food into my mouth even though I knew it was supposed to taste way better
than how it was tasting at the moment, due to my sudden loss of appetite.
Swallowing the food was the hard part, trying not to have come right back out was the hard part, which
made me sip a little bit of water after each forkful off food. After clearing off the plate, I shoved the tray
away from me and dragged the tablets towards me on the counter. I picked up the first pack and stared
at with without reading a thing off it. A sudden beep suddenly vibrated from my phone which was on my
side of the counter, a few feet away from me, along with the screen of the phone lightening up at the
same time, signaling the incoming of a text.
I dropped the pack of tablet back on the counter and picked up the phone which unlocked immediately
once my face got scanned. I clicked on my iMessage and saw who the most recent text was from.
My cousin, Aria.
Aria and I had a weird relationship. One moment, we’d been talking for a while and suddenly we
wouldn't hear from each other for months.
Aria: Hey Ricci, did I meet you at a good time?
I dropped the phone back on the counter and picked up the first pack of tablet which I had picked up
before but dropped when a text came into my phone. I opened the pack and shook a couple of tablets
into my palm and washed it down with a mouthful of water. I did the same for the two remaining packs
of tablets on the counter before using a mouthful of water to chase the whole thing down completely.
I felt really weak.
I bent my head from side to side and started massaging my forehead when it started to pound really
badly. I sighed Matilda when she walked into the kitchen once again, from the corner of my eyes.
She walked around the counter to stand at the spot opposite me where she could watch me openly. I
raised my head up and nodded at the empty plate on the piece of tray where the food got served to me
on.
“Thank you for the meal, Matilda.” I said to her and watched as she shook her head with a small smile
before reaching forward and tugging the tray towards her to cradle it carefully in her hands. “You’re
welcome.”
I picked up my phone once again and opened Aria’s text once again just as Matilda started washing my Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
dirty plate and cutleries.
I stared at the text once again before finally typing in a reply, an honest one at that.
Luca: You honestly didn’t. What’s up with you?
I might be feeling like I fall on my face or on my ass if I dare try anything that doesn't involve— taking a
shower and falling into bed to get a long ass sleep— tonight. But nevertheless, if Aria needed me
urgently, then I’d go to her aid immediately.
Her reply came in almost immediately, even before I could exit her direct messages.
Aria: Is it a really, really bad time?
I rolled my eyes slightly and scrubbed my left hand over my face instantly — and regretted doing that
immediately, because my left hand which smelled of tablets had been pressed against my nose, a
moment ago, making me sniff in the nauseating smell into my lungs, and upsetting my insides in that
process.
I sucked in a deep breath and puffed it out slowly, and repeated the action a couple of times more
before finally starting to type back a reply for Aria.
Luca: It really is.
I sent the message over, because it was true. Now was a really horrible time. I started typing back
another reply immediately.
Luca: Do you need my help with something?
I glanced up to find Matilda leaning against the spot beside the dishwasher while staring at me. She
jolted the moment our eyes met and whirled around almost immediately, facing the dishwasher and
turning her back to me.
I glanced back down towards my phone, dismissing her out of my head that same moment.
A text from Aria was already waiting for me.
Aria: I did before, but never mind since this is a bad time.
Just as I was starting in a message, another text from Aria popped on the screen.
Aria: What about tomorrow? Is tomorrow also a bad time?
I squinted down at the phone when my eyes suddenly started to sting slowly as I typed in a reply.
Luca: What’s wrong?
I waited a few minutes before my phone vibrated oh the counter beside my elbow, signaling the
incoming of a text. I lifted my head from my hands and picked up the phone which opened immediately
to allow me access to read the text.
Aria: I have a huge problem, which I don’t know how to solve at this point.
I read the message and let out a small sigh, why couldn’t girls learn the act of going straight to the point
without beating around the bush unnecessarily.
Luca: I know you have a problem tf. Just tell me what it is.
I sent the text over and dropped the phone on the counter before sliding over the chair I had been
sitting in. I moved from side to side, stretching my shoulders muscles a little while I waited for Aria’s
reply.
I needed to know if she needed the said help tonight, or if she would be able to wait until tomorrow —
hopefully, because I feel like shit at the moment and wasn’t sure I could go out tonight, with how bad
my muscles were hurting and how my head was still pounding intensely. The moment my phone
vibrated on the counter, I reached for it immediately and slid it open.
Aria: I might have offered some huge people from one of the neighboring mafias, and now they are
searching for me.
I blinked as I slowly went through her text, after reading it the first time.
Luca: What?! Aria!
I swear to God, my cousins would not be the end of me.
Her reply came in a few seconds later and I slid the phone open and swept my eyes over the text.
Aria: I know, I know. It sounds really bad, but it isn’t as bad as it sounds.
A second text from her came in right after, a second later.
Aria: It’s actually really bad. I wouldn’t be reaching out to you if it isn’t.
I sighed out slowly, dragging in another deep breath to puff it out slowly.
A third text came in before I could start to type in a reply into the phone.
Aria: I’m so dumb, I’m sorry.
I started typing in a reply after her third message, and sending it over immediately.
Luca: Relax, it’s fine.
It actually wasn’t, I should have had my bath by now, but here I was, seeing my cousin and one of her
problems.
Luca: Where are you at the moment?
I sent in the second message once I was done typing. Aria had also started typing, a second later.
Aria: At the house of one of my friend’s.
A second later, another text from her came in.
Aria: I can’t stay at home anymore, I heard they raided there this afternoon in search of me. I was
thankfully not at home when it happened.
Just what the hell has she gotten herself into now? I thought to myself as I started typing in a message.
Luca: Is your friend’s place safe for now at least?
Aria: Yeah, I really hope so. Nobody saw me when I was coming here tonight with my friends, so I think
it’s pretty safe for now.
Luca: Good.
I continued to type in another text almost immediately.
Luca: What did you do?
Aria: I might have angered the future lord of a mafia, but it was for a really good cause.
Right as I was reading the first message and wondering why she still hadn't informed me about what
she had done, another text came in.
Aria: I went out with him, and then while returning. He started kissing me in the car and I went along
with it at first, because I found him hot from the start, which was why I had accepted to go out with him
in the first place.
My eyes skimmed over the text and my lips thinned almost immediately, a part of my mind already
knew where this was going.
Aria: But then, the kiss was just so off and horrible. I slowed and broke the kiss after a few minutes and
told him to drive me back home. He got pissed and started informing me that I had wasted his precious
time and that I should have told him that I wasn’t going to be willing to go all the way with him when I
had accepted to go out.
Luca: Jesus. The fuck?
Was the only thing I could type as I carefully read her text message, those were the same words that
echoed in my head. I looked up in the kitchen and noticed that Matilda wasn’t in here anymore and had
most definitely exited in the kitchen when I was on the phone.
I slid into my seat once again when my feet started to slowly hurt after I had shifted my weight from foot
to foot. Aria’s text chooses that moment to come in.
Aria: I told him that he was being stupid and dumb, and then I demanded he take me home
immediately. Which was when he decided to teach me a lesson by taking me against my will.
My stomach squeezed tight in an uncomfortable manner the moment I was done reading her text and I
felt my heart painfully squeeze in my chest.
No. No.
Another text came in from Aria.
Aria: I fought back instantly, but was no match for him, when he was almost having his way with me, I
pulled out my knife which was always strapped against my right thigh and stabbed him.
… so this was the crime she committed? Standing up for herself?
Luca: The fuck was wrong with him? Where the hell did he hear about women only going out with men
to end up in their bed?
I sent in the reply and started typing in another one immediately, I was currently seething.
This stupid dude and his gang are going to get it from me.
Luca: Are you sure he didn’t end up doing a thing to you?
I massaged my fingers against my forehead when it started pounding strongly again. When were the
damn pills going to finally kick in? I thought to myself as I breathed out a deep sigh. My curls were
getting into my face due to how I was moving and I brushed it back with my fingers.
Aria: He didn’t do any serious damage to me, I stopped him before he could go further.
Fuck.
Aria: I stabbed him first, on the thigh. He reared back and struck me across my face. I used that
moment to kick against his chest with my heels and was sure I bursted his chin with one of my heels.
When I reached for me again, I stabbed his arm twice until he let me go.
I read the text that had just come in and shook my head from side to side, I was going to be paying
some piece of shit a visit tomorrow.
Most definitely.
Aria: And then I took my purse and stepped out of the car. None of the guards were around us at that
moment so I ran and ran and stopped a taxi once I got to the bus stop or his street.
Luca: Who the fuck is he? What is his name and what mafia family is he from?
I started typing in another text message immediately.
Luca: I am going to be paying him a visit tomorrow, and you’re coming with me.