"The bird drones weren't cheap, but it was worth it." She raised her glass to her lips, smiling faintly at his stunned face.
Enzo placed down his fork and dabbed his mouth with a piece of cloth. "You haven't touched your food." He said, drinking.
"I'm not hungry." She grabbed the phone from her clutch.
"But you ordered all these dishes." His accent broke out as he spoke.
"Enzo, Enzo, Enzo," She stared at him. "I never said I wanted to go out on a date. I never said I was hungry. You…" She pointed at him before continuing to type on her phone, "decided everything on your own. And since you brought me to a restaurant, I thought you were the hungry one, so I ordered you food. Aren't I a considerate fidanzata?" (Fiancée) She flashed him a smile.
Enzo nodded, smiling until it turned into another round of laughter. "Good lord, Chiara." He filled more wine and chugged it down. "I think I like you." The man said.
Chiara rolled her eyes. "Well, keep thinking," Was she supposed to be impressed? She couldn't understand.
"We should head back now," he said, getting up.
"Yeah, I was thinking of starting a…" She lifted her phone to his face, "worm farming business." She then tapped the screen and played the video she'd found on the internet. "I heard it's a good investment. What are your thoughts?" She asked with her innocent eyes.
Enzo's face changed color, veins popped on his forehead, and no sooner had he started retching.
BINGO!
"Oh. Oh dear, are you okay?" She rubbed his back.
"You," he said, another attempt at vomiting. "How dare—" and another one. Chiara raised a brow at him. "Hmm?"
He pushed her off and dashed to where only God knew. "Oh, that poor soul." She grinned.
A text pinged on her phone.
Marco: I'm here.
Me: On my way down.
She placed the phone back in her clutch, finished her wine, and walked out of the beautiful restaurant.
****
Chiara opened a Lamborghini truck's door and sat in.
"Hey," Marco kissed her cheeks, and so did she.
"You were missed, Bud. How was your flight?" She asked him, buckling up when he began to drive.
"Same, and the flight was fine. But tell me, how was your date? I hope the man is still breathing." He chuckled.
She rolled her eyes at his words. "Don't even start with me. Bud, I hate everything about him. But you should've seen his face when I showed him the worm's video." She dropped her clucth on the dashboard.
"How could a so-called big man like him be scared of worms?" Chiara shook her head, taking off her heels and sinking into her seat while Marco laughed.
"Well, not all big men are men," he said. "Trust me, I know now." She sighed and used her forearm to cover her eyes.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on? It's not only about the wedding, is it?" He asked.
She hated pouring her troubles on Marco. The man was already shoulder full with his own. But he wasn't going to let it go anyway.
She told him everything.
"I fucking hate that old man. I fucking do!" Marco punched his steering wheel, causing the car to swerve a little.
She sat straight and slapped him on his shoulder. "Drive right! Are you trying to kill us both?" She shot him a glare. "I'm sorry." His voice was too low, guilt and anger covered his face.
She focused on the front and uttered, "He threatened me with Mamma again." How long was this going to go on? I'm sick and tired of it. She screamed in her head.
"You know I can't leave our Mamma alone with your father. He is going to kill her." Chiara shook her head saying this, thoughtlessly pulling her hair, knotting and cutting the ends.
"I just don't know what to do. I'm so fucking confused Marco. I'm so—" Her vision blurred and she sucked in a deep breath.
She wasn't even aware that the car had been parked at the roadside.
Marco peeled her hands from her hair and pinned them down. "Shh... you're okay. Chichi, you are okay."
Her eyes snapped at him, heaving. "Am I okay?" Marco nodded at her. "You're okay. You are not there anymore."
She blinked, searching around. "I'm okay. I'm not there anymore. I'm okay." She chanted over and over again, making herself believe so.
He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into a hug.
Her lips tremble, "I want it to stop. It hurts so much, I can't take it anymore. I just want to stop everything. Why can't it just stop? Why? Why, Bud?" She murmured, hot tears streaming like an endless waterfall of fire.
Her insides felt like it was getting stabbed with countless burning knives.
Marco pulled back and held her face in his palms, his eyes were red. "No, you can't. You have to hang in there, and you can't stop now. You cannot get tired now. Our Mama needs you. Fuck it, I need you." He looked away, cursing under his breath before facing her again.
"Listen to me, you won't marry that bastard. And nothing will happen to Mama. We'll make sure of that, sis. So, stop crying now, please. Hmm?" He caressed her hair, and she nodded in return, wiping her face.
"What do you think about hitting the training center now to blow off some steam?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "I love that idea." She wiped her face again and settled back on her seat while he started the car again.
That was the thing with these two. Luca was the fire burning me down mercilessly, while Marco was the water, dousing it out all the time. My twin brothers. Chiara thought.