Adara
The papers on the bedside table were the first thing I saw. First, a marriage license. There it was, my signature. Along with his, Vincenzo's, and Vittoria's. Didn't forget the wedding officiant's as well. Under the license was a certificate.
I grimace at the 'Cacciatore' that replaced my last name. But at the same time, it made me feel a little better knowing that I was no longer a Zarcone. I look under the certificate to see another paper that was filled with a list of numbers for many people. Florists, wedding planners, cooks, photographers. You name it. Below all the numbers was a note from him.
"I'm not sure what you want so feel free to plan the wedding however you'd like."
The knock at the door startles me and I slightly flinch at the sound.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiqjZYS3ab
"Come in," I mumble, already guessing that it was him behind the door.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLAHmvALbv
But to my surprise, it was Melanie instead.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nag6LrMDU
"How are you?" she asks as she rushes over to hug me tightly. The hug alone made me want to cry.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AoM2JtLu4
"I'm fine. For a person who got their freedom taken, I guess."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uPoQrDALp
"Is it really that bad?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ597uK40AL
"It kinda is Mel." I sigh.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoquS0q4GMF
"Tell me about it then. Why did you agree to stay with him if you knew you weren't going to like it here?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ786w2Pk4Oh
"It's complicated," I say as I pat the empty space beside me, gesturing for her to come and sit.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqALgGWhS9
"I would rather be here than be at home. But then again being here meant being with him which I hate. But then again, I barely see him throughout the day and we don't even sleep in the same room which is a plus. Mel, he's batshit crazy and hellbent on marrying me so that I can have his kids. Look, he's even managed to get me to sign the papers before I even knew about this! I don't know how I feel about this but I sure as hell won't be doing what he says."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljK9tznWrw
"But how do you feel about him?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsWLG81hOy
"He's smart. I'll give him that. But he's sneaky and stubborn."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPG4h0apvHx
"Must be true if he's managed to capture one of the rarest women I have ever seen in Italy. He must have been watching you before. Planning on how he was gonna make this work, getting your parents to agree, etcetera"Getting my parents to agree was probably the easiest thing for him to do. They'd sell me as much as they could if it meant that they would get something out of it."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0JZMhgR2r
"That's actually sad thinking about that."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvf3m73jxC
"Exactly. So I'm trying to make the best of it by avoiding him as much as possible. But now he wants me to do an entire wedding myself. I don't understand why he wants a wedding, we already have this damn certificate as proof. Honestly fuck this certificate."
I look at the paper once more before I tear it in half.
"You did not just-Dar, he's going to kill you!" Melanie gasps beside me.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEF04sFy5H3
"Let him. I wish he would try."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq28pVmlwUt
"That's not the original copy fiore," he interrupts as he stands in the doorframe of the room.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vKw3Zs1y9
The smile on his face made me sick.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVvqAFOONC
"I didn't give you permission to speak stronzo."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXheyCJGJMn
"You must forget who you're talking to. Don't try to act all big and bad in front of your friend just to make a point. You're still married to me whether you like it or not."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUO7KGF43N
"I wasn't trying to make a point. I was simply saying what I thought in my head."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCfHv7F9ez
He moves from his leaning position and I can see the darkness growing in his eyes.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMLgc9nr1b
"Melanie, darling. I'm gonna need a minute alone with your friend here," he says in a low voice as he slowly walks up to the bed.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHzHwEFIHS
I look at Mel. "No, stay. You don't have to listen to him."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkBbAwFpCP
"Melanie," he says so harshly that she gives me a sorry look and starts to slip out of the bed.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAhxknkGNC
She quietly leaves and shuts the door behind her. I look back at him. Slightly afraid. I swallow the lump in my throat and push myself backward.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwE76ZQM02e
"Don't run away from me now fiore now that your friend is gone," he says as he moves even closer. "You scared?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoOoojJ7FH
"No."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvVNBC3Gof
"You look scared."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJBowmwnAF
"No. I don't."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFt4syxSwi
He doesn't reply to me this time but as soon as his knee hits the edge of the bed, I jerk back again.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73dJF8juL1
"See you're scared. And you should be" he whispers in my ear.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7badkmoZs
His hands snake around my throat and gives it a slight squeeze. My heart races as our eyes lock. For a second, it seems like he was going to suffocate me to death and it will finally be the end of it.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU23jrmEHoe
"I could kill you, you know?" he whispers again.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0730jo68DA
"Do it then. I know you won't."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZajNd3PXV
"Of course you do. Because you know I need you to do something for me."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyb4DWlapb
"Do you really need me or are you just playing house with me because you're bored? Because that's what it seems like to me."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyrFKG7TqA
"If I wanted to play house, I would have found someone temporary."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2flVMF9T7G
"Well find one then. Cause I know to you I'm only temporary." I spit out before I push him away from me after waiting for the right moment.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQQx5IJCLR
My motion wasn't hard enough and it only pushed him a few centimeters away from me. He moved right back on top and this time squeezed harder.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO9zPci3RN
"Don't fucking test me. My patience is already thin with you," he growls.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJN02mg2XAn
"And you don't think you're pushing my buttons?! You keep pushing and pushing, and one day I'm going to lash out and you're going to wish that we never met."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSdMAnOyNl
"Keep talking sweetheart. It's all just words. You won't do anything. All talk and no bite."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpBKFTpRC6
He was so close I could feel his breath against my nose. I look up to meet his eyes and my lips slightly brush against his. He wanted to play with fire, so he'll get fire.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MQdQ4yheo
I moved closer and I bit his bottom lip, making him bleed.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFgExSXsik
"Fuck you Cacciatore."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5FmfZDrYg
