Valeria mumbled into the other end of the phone. The other line sounded muffled and confusing. I couldn't hear anything they were saying. The spokesperson speaking on the telephone uttered incoherently.

I couldn't help but feel fearful and fidgety about what she was planning. I also knew it was Valeria, my best friend since I could remember. I doubt she would take me anywhere unsafe. And I doubt anything could be worse than right now.

Valeria ended the phone call putting the phone back in her pocket.

"Someone's on their way," Valeria told her.

"Who?" I asked—an unsettling feeling sinking in my stomach.

"You'll find out," she told me. My heart leaped in my chest. My hands rubbed together anxiously.

She made her way to the car with her new boyfriend and left me here.

Soon later, an expensive sports car pulled up to where I was on the side of the road. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and an unsettling pressure settled in my core.

The door opened a silhouette of a man was in my view. He wore all black as he stumbled out of the driver's seat.

I started to get light-headed. Why would Valeria leave me alone? What if this guy was dangerous and hurt me?

Suddenly the view was clear from the back headlights of the car, and I saw Derrick. Was he who Valeria called? That's why she left, so I wouldn't get mad at her for calling my brother. I didn't want to see anyone.

"Derrick?" I questioned. He approached me, and I couldn't help but feel myself shudder in his embrace. I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me; I would hope. But still, my guard is up. I'm going to be very conscious from now on.

No one was going to hurt me.

No one was getting close enough to me to be able to hurt me.

"Chanel? What happened to you?" He asked. He got a haircut. His hair wasn't as long as he always had it. It looked like a mop on his head. He even got a tattoo. When we were kids, he swore he would never get one, but I guess that changed.

I just shook my head, not wanting to talk about it.

"Just take me home," I mustered out.

"To Giovanni?" He asked. I got in his car, and he pulled out onto the road, his hand spinning the steering wheel as he did.

I put my seatbelt on and choked on tears. My life was over.

"To mothers."

"You want to go there?" He asked. I nodded my head. I knew if I spoke, I would start to break down.

"So," he said awkwardly.

"I thought you were in Italy?" I blurted out before he could ask anything about what happened to me.

"I was," he stared. "I just got back to America."

He took me to the mansion, and many bright memories ran through my head for some reason; no bad ones had.

The familiar stone fountain came into my vision. The flashbacks came with a warning.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look at what Derrick can do," a five-year-old me pointed to my brother Derrick who was doing a headstand on the grass. We were currently outside I'm the backyard enjoying the warm gassy sun.

"Oh, wow," father said. He moved his sunglasses down the bone of his nose and watched Derrick from the bottom of his eyes.

Derrick got up from the position and tapped my shoulder. "You're it," he said as he quickly ran last me.

"Hey, that's not fair," I whined, but I picked up the pace and chased after him. "I'm coming for you. I'm going to get you." I kept yelling at him.

Derrick ran towards the front yard and dogged the fountain that he almost bumped.

The fountain that once had squirted out gushing water was now lifeless and empty.

"Let's go inside," Derrick announced. He got the key from under the mat and opened the door. I know it was a stupid place to put it, but whenever we chose a different spot, we would always forget where it was and get locked out of the house.

We gave up. So it would always end up back in the same spot.

I followed Derrick inside and instantly took in the smell of cinnamon and thyme. My mother would always make cinnamon fritters. It was her signature whenever she was stressed and needed relief. They became a regular thing, and every time I would come into the kitchen, that was all I could smell.

When we got into the living room, I immediately jumped onto the couch. I was exhausted. I wanted to sleep.

I was slowly starting to fall asleep when I saw black boots on the floor. "Derrick?" I questioned drowsily.

"Guess again, princess," a familiar deep voice spoke. Before I could say anything, I felt my eyes close, and everything turns black.

Giovanni De Luca.

•••

I awake to a different smell—a smell of crisp pine and expensive cologne. Only one person came to my mind when I smelt the scent—Giovanni.

Not again.

I couldn't believe I'm kidnapped by Giovanni again.

"Rise and shine, princess," a husky voice greeted me. I opened my eyes and rapidly went away from him. I couldn't let myself get kidnapped again. This couldn't be happening.

I wrapped my arms around my body. I'm still in only my beige coat.

"Why am I here?" I asked him quietly. "Why did you take me back here."

"We need to talk," was all he said before I could revolt against him.

I stood up from the position I was on his bed. I wanted to be far away from him. I wanted him to leave me alone.

"Why do men not understand what no means? How come whenever I speak, everyone ignores what I say, like it doesn't matter, well, it does matter. It matters to me. And everything everyone has ever felt the need to take from doesn't hurt me anymore. I'm used to it.

"If that's all you wanted from me, take it. Take it from me because I was hoping you could leave me alone. That means no more hunting me down and no more kidnapping me. I don't want you, Giovanni. I changed my mind. You're just like them." I finished. The back of my eyes stung with tears. I felt my heart speed up, and all the pressure in my chest vanished.

"So, here I am," I told him. I took off my trench coat and let it fall to the floor, revealing my bruised, fragile body. I was exposed and weak in front of him. He could do what he wanted to me. "Do it, use me like everyone else because that's what you want. You want to fuck me. That's all I'm good for anyways. That's all anyone wants from me."

The tears finally left my cheeks freely. I felt my throat closing in, and my eyes blurred my vision. Everything was fuzzy. I didn't know what was happening next.

I felt numb.

"You're playing a dangerous game, princess," he seemed out—his teeth clenched, which enhanced his jaw bone.

Giovanni took his professional jacket off of his broad shoulders and wrapped it around my body. A tremble tremored through me as his hands touched my frail body.

"No," he spoke harshly. "I don't want to fuck you."

"You're lying. You're just like everybody else," I shouted. My anger blinded me. It took over my body in your rage. I couldn't control what was coming out of my mouth.

"Chanel, you don't understand," he told me. He tried to push me away. "I don't understand myself. But I realized what I feel for you is more than just your body. I don't want to do this right now."

He walked away from me.

I grabbed hold of his arm.

"Do it now," I said. I looked up at him. My eyes sparkled. "I know you want to."

"No," he snarled. "I'm not going to take advantage of you. You don't know what you're doing right now. You're upset."

"Because you decide to kidnap me again," I shouted at him.

"Just because you're going through shit, that doesn't mean you have to take all your anger out on me," he yelled back at me. His voice met mine.

"All my anger is on you," I screamed.

"Stop blaming me for your problems. You always find someone else to blame; try being responsible for something terrible that happens in your life for once."

"Everything bad that has happened to me was because I met you," I spat.

He let out a low chuckle. All the humour was dried out of it. He seemed to be exceptionally calm, which caused my nerves to rise. I didn't care. I was mad at him. I was mad at everything. But most importantly, I was angry at myself.

Before I could stop myself, I raised my hand and smacked him across his chest. Once I started, I couldn't stop, my fists banging on his chest.

He grabbed ahold of them harshly. I was used to it. I didn't feel any pain this time.

I didn't want him to interrupt me. I wanted him to feel the same pain I felt. I knew no matter how hard I got him. I was not strong enough. I never was.

I suck in a breath. It felt like I was breathing in dirt. My stomach clenched, and I felt an empty pressure on it. My throat shrivelled up. I felt like I could float away.

I met his gaze.

My eyes are equally as effective.

I looked away. I didn't want to see him as I spoke the next words.

"The thing is we don't work anymore. You know that. I don't think we ever had, so take what you wanted from me so I can leave and never see you again," I informed Giovanni roughly—ignoring his deadly expression on his sculpted face.

"We don't work," he scoffed, repeating my words. He was testing them on his tongue. It looked like he didn't want to believe them. "So what? It doesn't matter, Chanel."

He sounded angry.

I stared up at him.

His eyes darkened. I saw something.

Lust.

Envy.

Desire.

It was the same look I held.

I forgot about all my problems. I forgot what I had once asked of Giovanni.

He looked down at me. His tall height made my stomach whirl. He made eye contact with my ocean eyes. Without warning, he smashed his lips to mine. I wanted to kiss back. So I did. At least I get to one last time.

My hands found their way to his hair. The kiss took all the words from my mouth. I just let them out in the captivating kiss. It looks like he would get what he wanted from me anyway.

To my surprise. He pulled away from me before it could escalate further. I was panting. He let out a loud breath.

"I want you, princess. All of you, but just not when you're like this," he said. He let go of my hands. He backed away from me.

Instead of using me like everyone else, he left. He walked away from me and didn't look back because deep down, he knew he drove me away. He has done what he feared all this time. I slipt through his fingers, and he let me because there was nothing he could do.

He already promised me once.

He knew he wouldn't be able to keep it a second time.

So I watched him. My eyes droopy, and a rush of fatigue ran through my body. I watched as he cleared further and further away from me until he was entirely out of my view.

I finally let out a deep breath, and a broken sob fell out of my mouth.

It was for the best, I told myself.

Giovanni is better off without me.