Because Of Love

“Say that again, he did what?” Carrie’s eyes bugged out of their sockets, ready to fall into her lap. Talia understood her reaction, she was still in shock.

“Besides falling asleep in my bed and leaving me with no choice but to sleep next to him? He woke up this morning and went about his business like everything was normal and nothing had happened between us.”

She pointed to the island that separated the kitchen from the living room, “He sat across from me, had his breakfast, asked about my plans for the day. Then he reminded me to stay off my feet as much as possible and then left saying ‘see you in the evening’ and if I wanted him to bring something for dinner!”

Carrie blinked shaking her head. “Take a breath.”

Talia did as instructed, feeling some of the anxiety leave her. She felt like she was in the twilight zone. There was this anxious fear at the familiarity of the whole thing. It was like they were back in her apartment, eating breakfast on her tiny dinner table before work. Or the kitchen island in the new house because she hadn’t gotten around to furnishing the house yet, arguing back and forth about letting him pay for the furniture and décor. In fact, that was the last conversation they’d had before everything was shot to hell.

‘You’ll pick and I’ll pay. There, duties split down the middle.’ He had said before walking out of the kitchen with a ‘we’re leaving in five minutes,’ thrown over his shoulder. She’d been so mad and yet resigned to the fact he was a permanent fixture in her life.

But things hadn’t turned out that way. Suddenly, he was gone and there was no furniture, no house and even no car anymore. The life that they’d wanted together went up in smoke, burned by his rage.

How could he just act like all was right as rain, like nothing had happened?

“So all he left out was the good morning kiss and the goodbye kiss?”

“You find it strange too! I think the real Rafe was kidnapped by aliens and this guy is either a host or they gave him a lobotomy.”

Carrie laughed but Talia wasn’t feeling as amused. Rafe was throwing around confusing signals and it was taking everything within her not to fall into that rabbit hole again. She really didn’t want to hope that things would go back to how they used to be between them, only to have the rug pulled from under her when she was fully trapped in those hopes and dreams. Again. She’d barely survived the first heartbreak, she wasn’t sure she would survive another.

“Talia, why are you really freaking out?” Carried asked, reading her well.

“That I’m going to read the signals wrong again.” She whispered ashamed.

Carrie took her hand in hers and squeezed, “You didn’t read them wrong the first time. What happened wasn’t your fault, neither was it his,” something shifted in her eyes and she sucked in bother her lips from a moment before she released them and added, “Shit happens and it happened really hard on the both of you.”

Talia eyes narrowed at that fully loaded statement, “Yeah, the rotten smell is suffocating. What are you hiding Carrie?”

Both eyebrows shot up and she quickly released Talia’s hand, “Hmm?”

“That shit that happened that you are talking about, that wasn’t mine or Rafe’s fault, what is it and who took a dump on us?”

“Who took a dump on us,” She giggled in an almost wicked witch of the west way. Forced. She was hiding something. Wiping under her eyes with her knuckle at the nonexistent tears she added, “That’s funny Talia.”

“Ha ha,” Talia said dryly. She leaned in closer to Carrie who leaned away and looked everywhere else but at her, “Quit stalling and fess us.”

“To what? I don’t know what you are talking about?” she squeaked, her shoulders pulling tight into her.

The doorbell rang and Carried sighed, visibly relaxing.

“I should get that.”

Talia shook her head, “ah ah. Nope. You’re going to try and run. I got your number miss thing. I’ll get the door.”

She pushed herself off the couch and waddled to the door. She opened it, surprised at who it reveled.

“Signore DeLuca, what are you doing here?”

Talia wished she hadn’t said a word when he snarled at her, his face creased with anger. His hand shot up, fisting painfully in her hair before she could evade it.

“I want you gone by morning or I swear I’ll get rid of you myself. Capisco, do you understand me?” he ground out the words then he pushed her back, turned and walked away as Talia tripped over her feet and fell heavily to the ground. She cried out, grabbing at her stomach as a sharp pain shot through it.

“Talia!” Carrie cried out, falling to her knees at Talia’s side. “Are you okay?”

Talia shook her head, openly crying. “It hurts!”

God why didn’t I let Carrie answer the door!

* * * *

“So, you moved in with Talia?”

Rafe shifted his attention from the laptop screen to Angelo who was standing at the door of his office, his arms crossed over his chest.

“You helped me pack.”

His arms dropped from his chest and he pocketed one hand, “Yes, and almost carried the luggage down to my car before I was notified of the surprising development.”

“And?” he sighed the word, leaning back into his executive high back chair, grateful for the soft cushion against his head.

Thanks to his afternoon to early morning drinking, his head felt like it was going to pulse until his eyes were squeezed out. He would have preferred nothing better but to remain in his bed, with the curtains draw shut as he lay in the darkness and suffered quietly for his over indulgence, but the morning had been uncomfortable enough with Talia watching him like he had a second head growing out of the side of his neck. The night before had not been any better, and then too, he had escaped.

He’d annoyed her when he’d gone to sleep in her bed-well, his bed. He’d careful selected not just the mattress but the pillow. They were orthopedic. But not the reason why he’d invaded her space. He wanted to sleep where she’d slept, take in her sent from the pillow, feel the warmth she had left behind in the sheets and covers. He just needed her and since he couldn’t, wouldn’t be shameless enough to get it directly from her, he went for the second best thing.

For a moment, for just a moment he’d almost done it. Taken her in his arms and held her body flash against his to feel every inch of her on every inch of him. He’d wanted to run his itching hands over her body to satisfy their need to explore. To compare reality to memories, capture her lips with his own and taste her. Drink from her until his thirst was quenched. He wanted to consume her, feed the hunger that she both caused and only could sate. He wanted to sink himself so deep in her that time would stop and the clock would turn backwards to the days they were happy, just being in each other’s arms.

For just a moment of insanity he wanted things between them to go back to what they used to be-happy and in love.

But he didn’t have the right to her anymore, not even to have such thoughts. His heart ached from the loss, worse now than it did then because now he knew the truth. Talia had done nothing to him. Their breakup, her pain… it was all his fault. His inability to protect her, his impatience, his temper, they’d ruined her and if she wasn’t who she was, they would have destroyed her. But even a strong tree can be cut down with the right type of saw, and that’s why he refused to voice his fears to Talia of what he was sure-no, no, speculated-happened that night. Just the thought of the possibility felt like a frozen ice pick had been driven through his chest. He needed to find out the truth without subjecting Talia to more pain than he’d already caused.

“Where did you sleep?”

Rafe had been so lost in the thoughts of Talia, he hadn’t noticed Angelo move from the door and take a sit in the chair across from him on the other side of his desk.

“Che?”

Angelo smiled suggestively, “I asked, where did you sleep last night?”

Rafe rubbed his throbbing right temple with the pads of his fingers, “Nothing happened.”

“Which means?”

Hardening his gaze he responded to Angelo’s pestering, “Which means you already know the answer and I’m not in the right state to play your games cugino.”

He chuckled, “hard night?”

Rafe didn’t bother to respond to that. It would only encourage him to keep fishing and at the moment, he truly didn’t want to discuss Talia and their situation in the past, present or future.

Angelo’s smile widened with a satisfied gleam in his eye, “I had a very satisfying night.”

He harrumphed, “I didn’t ask.”

“Oh, but you should.” He shot back, leaning forward in his seat.

Begging for patience, Rafe barked, “Why?”

“Carrie wasn’t very amused about being forced to move.”

With a huff, “You spoke about that?”

One brow slowly went up, “Spoke…” Angelo rubbed his chin with his knuckles, a gleam in his eyes, “yes, we did that… among other things.”

Both of Rafe’s brows shot up in question.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Angelo shrugged, dropping his hand from his chin, “She had some frustration to work out. You are quite a frustrating man cugino.”

Rafe scoffed at that.

Angelo stood and came round the desk to stand beside him. Slapping Rafe on the shoulder, he added, “But this time, I am truly grateful to you and your ability to drive someone to the edge of sanity with frustration.” Leaning down close to Rafe he whispered, “You don’t think you can do that again? Tonight maybe? I cancelled my plans just in case.”

Rafe shook his head with a chuckle. His cousin was an opportunist no matter the situation. It made him a great lawyer but the opposite in relationships. Love them and leave them was his motto, but then, going by what Talia had told him about her best friend, he’d met his equal and match in Carrie.

He placed his hand on Angelo’s collar and pushed him back, “I’m not a pimp Angelo.” On a more serious note he continued, “let’s focus on the task at hand. I was about to call you.”

“Ah,” Angelo walked back to retake his seat, “Alex, no? Have you found him.”

He nodded, “It’s time I paid a visit to my father’s lackey.”

Angelo’s jaw tightened, “Control Rafe, try and exercise it.”

Rafe smiled, nothing merry about it, “Rilassati cugino. Relax. I plan to have complete control the moment I find him.”

Angelo groaned cursing him, Alex and the entire situation.

They both stood and Rafe had just rounded the desk to stand next to Angelo when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, clearly intending to hang up. But Rafe saw his brow furrow as he looked at the phone.

“What is it?” Rafe whispered as apprehension slithered around his chest.

He pressed the receive button and held the phone to his ear. His eyes widened and he turned to Rafe. The look in his eyes was telling and Rafe just knew. He felt the last strength he had in his legs slip out and Angelo tightened his hold on him to keep him standing.

Something bad had happened to Talia. Again…my fault, all my fault.