Ariana Parker

Chapter 28

'The ones that live us never really leave us.'

Ariana Parker

"Have you ever been to pizzario before?"

"Four times since I came to Italy. I didn't know which is the best one so I've been trying them all."

"I think you will like the one I'm taking you to. I have been coming here ever since I was a teen." I imagined a shorter, less muscular and still cocky as ever teen Marco. I bet all the girls swooned over him in highschool. If he ever went to one.

"Hey Marco, did you go to a public or private school?" I asked.

"Yeah. Public. Why?"

"Just curious." I shook my head.

The car stopped in front of a small restaurant called Papa Antonio's. It looked like an authentic Italian pizza place. It was quiet and cozy inside.

" Ciao Marco! Non ti vedo da così tanto tempo. Chi è questa bella signora che hai portato con te?" a grey haired, balding man greeted Marco.
( Hi Marco! I haven't seen you in so long. Who is this beautiful lady you have brought along? )

" Sono stato occupato. Questa è Ariana, la mia ragazza." Marco replied, placing his hand on the small of my waist. I never remember him asking me to be his girlfriend.
( I have been busy. This is Ariana, my girlfriend. )

" Ciao Ariana. Piacere di conoscerti. Devo dire che sei una ragazza molto fortunata. Mai negli ultimi tredici anni ho visto Marco con una ragazza." he said, looking at me.
( Hello Ariana. Nice to meet you. I must say you are a very lucky girl. Never in the last thirteen years, have I seen Marco with a girl.)

" Veramente? Allora devo essere una ragazza fortunata, davvero." I smiled.
( Really? Then I must be a lucky girl, indeed. )

"I didn't know you could speak Italian."

"I can. It came in to my mom pretty handy and the same goes for me. I have an Italian boyfriend except I don't remember you asking me to be your girlfriend." I said to Marco as we sat on the table waiting for the pizzas to arrive.

"You don't?" I shook my head. "Okay then." he got up from his chair and got down on one knee. "Ariana Parker, do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asked, handing me the rose kept in a vase on the table.

"Yes!" I hugged him.

"See? You are my girlfriend now." he smiled to which I nodded my head and kissed him.

We were done eating the best pizzas I have ever eaten when my phone rang in my pocket. It was mom.

"A- Ariana, I think you need to come back home as soon as you can." her voice broke. Something was wrong.

"Mom, is everything okay?" my voice came out more panicked than I expected it to.

"No. It's Leo. He was in a car crash. He's dead." I felt as if my heart skipped a beat. My eyes glossed with tears.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." I hung up.

"What happened?" Marco asked, looking at the falling tears from my eyes.

"Can we go home, please?" I asked.

"Sure." Marco paid and we went to the car.

When you learn that someone close to your heart is dead, the time you spent with them and the memories all come rushing to you. That was happening to me right now. I just couldn't believe what mom said.

"How log will it take for you to arrange a flight back home?" I asked.

"An hour or two. What happened, Ariana?" he asked worriedly.

"My uncle Leo died. In a car crash."

"I'm so sorry. I can come with you if you want." he entwined his hand in mine.

"No. It's okay. You have work." I refused even if I wanted him to be with me.

"I'll ask Dante to take over. It's fine. We had planned to go there next week anyways."

"Thank you."

I either cried, remained silent or slept all the way home. Marco sat beside me, comforting me.

I rushed out of the cab as soon as it stopped in front of the mansion gates. I ran in to see Leo's body in the living room and my family gathered around him.

I went to dad and hugged him, breaking down in his arms. It must be the hardest for him. Leo was his brother, after all.

"The other person, the one who lost control of his car was a drunk." he told me.