Wrong for Me

24|just one thing

TW: MENTIONS OF RAPE and DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

DANTE MANCINI—AUGUST

THE NEXT TWO HOURS of the flight flew by, filled with nothing but temporary animosity towards one another and uncomfortable silence. I couldn't help but wonder if Lauren had the same reaction when Khalil revealed the surprise to her.

Thinking back, I figured that I could have probably went about this in a completely different way, yet I still felt that her reaction was a bit dramatic. She couldn't even be grateful until I called her out about it.

Still being a gentleman, I picked up her carry-on bags for her and followed her off of the jet where a car was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs.

Surrounding us were mountains and expansive fields and I could tell they had captivated her, especially with the small sigh she let escape. Our luggage was being loaded into the trunk so we simply climbed into the backseat of the car with our carry-on luggage in tow.

We were still giving each other the silent treatment—and I was determined not to be the first one to crack—so when she sat on the complete opposite side and faced the window, I kept my lips locked. Even if I did want her to be right by side.

I agreed with Naomi that we were at a great point in our relationship—or were a few hours ago—and I found that it was becoming easier for me to return the affection that she also enjoyed as well. For weeks, I've felt bad that she would be so comfortable hugging and kissing me without second-thought, while I struggled to do so.

We left the airport and headed towards the villa that I had rented for the four of us where Lauren and Khalil were already waiting. After passing through the mountains filled with greenery, we finally reached the coastline. Although our villa was outside of the town, we still had an excellent view of the brightly colored homes and buildings, as well as the cerulean hued Mediterranean Sea.

"Nous sommes arrivés (We've arrived)," Our driver spoke from the front seat as the car came to a stop before a iron gate held up on two cobblestone posts.

I passed him a card I was sent when I rented the villa and as soon as he scanned it, the gates opened to reveal the cobblestone villa before us, ivy lining the magnificent exterior. The front lawn was expansive with the most vibrant, green grass I had seen in a long while.

Glancing over at Naomi, I watched as a grin grew on her face at just the sight of the home, her eyes scanning everything that was within our viewing range. It was a shame that we had argued on the plane because otherwise we would have been sharing our exhilaration together.

"Merci Monsieur (Thank you, sir)," I spoke to the driver as he gently placed our luggage down as he pulled it out of the trunk.

The front door of the home flew open and Lauren rushed out, her arms spread wide open as she ran towards Naomi. She engulfed Naomi into a hug before the two began gushing all about the home while Khalil and I focused on dragging the luggage inside.

"Was she excited to find out we were coming here first?" He asked once we were inside of the home and out of their earshot. "Lauren wouldn't stop jumping up and down on the plane. The co-pilot had to tell her to stop."

I laughed at his explanation, a bit downcast about the fact that Naomi had had quite the opposite reaction. "No...she was actually pissed about it because she hadn't packed for Saint-Tropez."

When Khalil shook his head with his lips pressed tightly together, I could practically feel the lecture about to come on. "That was your first mistake, Mancini. You should have told her that you were taking her somewhere special first so that you could tell her what to pack. She wouldn't know where you would be taking her...it would still be a surprise."