Chapter 102

Stella

My eyes feel sore and my body has tensed up. Ever since I got home a few hours ago, I have remained underneath the cover of my sheets and blankets, protecting myself from the horrible world that surrounds me. The sheets act like a layer of armor, hiding me away from the cruel world.

I do not wish to leave. I wish to stay here in my bed and ignore the rings and vibrations that come from my phone. It sits on the bedside table, buzzing away almost two times every hour.

I tried to anticipate the buzzes, wanting to make a game out of it to distract myself from the ugly truth that is my life, but they come whenever I least expect it, always keeping me on my toes.

I do not know what this people want from me. A part of me feels bad that I have not responded to their messages, but I know that as soon as I open up my phone, Adrian’s name will be plastered across the screen, begging to talk or to have some kind of form of forgiveness.

How does he not know that I wish to never seen him again? How could he possibly think that showering me with unwanted gifts and unwanted attention is the smart way back into my heart?

Adrian has had five years to do something for himself. Five years of marriage where we slept in opposite bedrooms, never finding comfort and solace in each other’s arms. He always closed the door on my face whenever I tried to make a move, some kind of advancement as his wife, to show that I was more than a simple minded figurehead that he could rip apart under the blade of countless surgeries.

But did he even notice? No. This just proves it.

There is a quiet knock on my bedroom door. My body freezes, the tears stopping their movement from my eyes. I do not dare to move, hoping to whatever god exists that it is not Adrian or someone who wishes to hurt me.

The mattress dips beneath the weight of the person. I pull the blankets closer to my face, trying to hide as much as possible. A warm and large hand rests on my back, slowly soothing my aching muscles and helping me get out of a fight or flight mindset.

“Stella?” Sebastian’s voice is quiet and gentle. I let out a sigh of relief. “Are you okay?”

I nod and sniffle from underneath the sheets. Slowly, I shimmy my body up and position myself to sit up. Sebastian helps unearth me from the sheets of my bed.

There is a small and gentle smile on his face when our eyes meet. Sebastian reached out and helps fix my messy hair, pushing it out of my face so he can see me in all of my puffy faced beauty.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian repeats his question from before. I shake my head no. “Is it your body?” I nod, not wanting him to know that Adrian is trying to make his way back into my life. “Okay.”

We sit in silence for a moment. Sebastian looks me up and down and takes my hand into his own, gently squeezing it.

“I’m assuming you didn’t get my texts and calls earlier?” Sebastian asks.

“That would be a safe bet,” I hum in response.

“We have a party to go to. Your father said it was a non-negotiable,” the man sighs and cups my cheek. He gently wipes a few leftover tears away. My heart swells. “Why don’t you get into the shower and I will find some dresses for you to wear, okay?”

I weakly nod. Sebastian stands and pulls me to my feet. He helps guide me towards the bathroom. I flick the light on and he closes the door behind me.

A few minutes pass by and my quick shower leaves me feeling somewhat rejuvenated and ready to take on the night. I have washed away the icky feeling that I got from Adrian’s home and step out into my bedroom.

Sebastian stands by my bed. There is an array of dresses on the bed, many of them in a variety of different colors. Some sparkle and shimmer while others are more matte, ready to slip into the background.

“Which one do you like?” I ask, gently resting my hand on his back.

Sebastian looks down at me and smiles. My eyes move to his own outfit, a black on black on black suit that he looks very good in, and my eyes move back to the bed.

“I think any of them will look fantastic on you,”he responds.

“What about the black one?” I ask, plucking the dress from the bed. My eyes move to his, a hint of a smile spreading across my lips. “So we can match.”

Sebastian’s face lights up. Without another word, Sebastian helps slide the dress up onto my body, the man zipping it in the back while I put on a pair of comfortable heels, ones that I know won’t make my feet hurt by the end of the night.

I quickly apply makeup in the bathroom, a simple look that I know will help keep attention off of me and my beauty. Sebastian walks in from behind and places his arms around my waist, his chi resting on my shoulder.

“Are you sure you are okay, Stella? It’s okay if you need to rest for tonight. I know your father will understand,” Sebastian murmurs into my ear.

“Yes, I will be fine,” I weakly nod, already fighting the urge to cry, holding back all of the tears that threaten to fall, “my body was just tired today. I don’t think I slept too well last night. You know how it is.”

Sebastian nods. He presses a kiss to my cheek, mentioning that he is going to get my bag and keys ready. After a few minutes, I meet him out in the living room of my apartment and we head downstairs, holding hands, until the elevator doors to the lobby opens.

Our shoulders remain close together, bumping into each other. Sebastian holds the door open for me and I see Luca waiting outside of the blacked out SUV. His face breaks into a smile once he notices me and he claps his hands together.

“Stella!” he yells out as I slowly approach. “You look amazing!”

“Thank you, Luca, you are very kind,” I smile up at him, already feeling my worries and sorrows about Adrian begin to slip away from the back of my mind.

“You are the most beautiful mafia princess to ever exist!” Luca continues his barrage of compliments.

I step forward and take his hand, allowing him to pull me into a tight hug. I awkwardly pat his back and laugh as he squeezes the air out of my lungs.

Just as he sets me back down onto the ground, I hear a familiar voice scream my name from the distance. My body runs cold, my eyes shooting open, and I turn to the side to see Adrian rushing towards me with a look of disappointment and anger on his face.