Stella (Book One of Dark Souls Series)

Zeppole

*~*
jet privato- aircraft made for transporting small groups of people.
*~*

"I was seventeen when I had Eva. August easily became my favorite month after I had her. After her birth, I started working as a waitress at L'A Gourmet to support us, and everything was fine. We were fine until her father wanted to take full custody of her. His mother wanted him to co-parent, but I wouldn't let him near her because I didn't trust him. I couldn't afford to take him to court to prove that I'd been molested or abused, so I gave Eva to him. Lei tre anni all'epoca. Her father raped me, which is how she's here.

(Translation: She was three years old at the time.)

I was with her the day Daniel and his family came and got her. We colored and watched all of her favorite cartoons. I made her favorite snack, but she was gone before she got a chance to eat. My Eva was easy. She loved to draw, watch Holly e Benji, and eat apples with caramel because she liked the sticky mess. One of the girls who used to work with me wanted to help me enroll her in a preschool in Bari, but I could not afford to live there.

Daniel-he-he told me how everything would look in court. The judge would label me as financially unstable, and I don't need a judge telling me I am unfit for my child. Queto ci lascerebbe in una battaglia per l'affidamento congiunto. I decided not to fight because I knew Eva would be better off without me. They took her back to the States with them, and I haven't been able to afford to visit her. When I was close to having the finances, Gio and I were robbed at gunpoint. Since I was sure he'd staged the entire thing, I decided to hide my cash where my daughter and I lived.

(Translation: That would leave us in a joint custody battle.)

Daniel changed his number, blocked me on everything, and hasn't tried to reach out. Her seventh birthday is coming up, and all she knows is that she has a mother who gave her away. I am sure she does not remember me."

I looked up to see Adonis watching me with a slight frown on his face. We'd been sitting at his dinner table discussing more of my life while we ate pizza and drank wine. He was attentive, but I could not read his face.

"I've known you for three weeks, and this is the first time I'm hearing of this," Adonis said.

I nodded. "Hi, my name is Stella. A fun fact about me is that I have a kid. I'm only telling you this because we have known each other for almost a month," I replied sarcastically, pushing my plate away from me.

He shook his head and ignored what I said. "I was wrong about you." He paused and studied me a moment longer than I liked. If he was feeling sympathetic, he was hiding it well. "You let me believe that you were dancing because you were unaware of the value of life."

"Adonis, I can not control what you believe," I responded softly.

He nodded in agreement as he took a sip of his wine. "I'm normally quite observant, but this isn't a normal situation, is it?"

"No," I responded. "If I have to get used to being comfortable with things, you should learn how to be wrong."

When he didn't speak, I did. "Now, do you understand why I can not accept anything from you?" I asked. "I have nothing to offer. I can't promise to repay you because I don't know when I'd be able to. Please say you understand."

He stood up from the table. "You should get some rest," he said instead of answering my question.

"Wha-did you not hear me?" I asked as I followed him across the room and up the stairs.

"Devo vedere a che ora Stefano potra vederci," he mumbled, pulling his phone from his back pocket.

(Translation: I have to see what time Stefano would be able to see us.)

I sped up with his long strides and jumped in front of him, resulting in us almost falling.

"Who is Stefano?" I asked him.

"My brother."

Ah, yes. The rebellious, delinquent son that took over Veretti Law.

"I cannot afford him, Adonis," I warned him in an exasperated tone. I couldn't see why it was so hard for him to understand that paying him back wasn't an option for me.

"Not everyone wants something from you in return, Estella!" he snapped at me in the same tired tone I used on him. He spoke as if I was having trouble catching on to something he'd been trying to get me to understand for so long.

I froze in my spot because he had never raised his voice at me. Even when I saw the vein in his forehead, he always maintained his calm and collective presence.

Before I could speak, he did.

"Not everyone wants to grab at you and manipulate you. Everyone is not out to hurt you and laugh at the pain you try incredibly too hard to hide. You should stop being so stoical and learn to let people be there for you. Gaia tried to be there for you, and you worked so hard to push her away. I am not going to leave you, Stella. You can deal with that later or deal with it on your way to the States to get your daughter back. Either way, you will deal with it."

With that, he was gone. He did not storm off, but his silent walk into his office said enough.

Since I was not planning on sleeping on the couch, I went into Adonis's room and climbed under the blankets.

The mattress felt like a bed of clouds. The silk sheets were so soft.

I placed my phone on the nightstand beside his bed and lay on my back.

Closing my eyes, I thought of Adonis.

I am not going to leave you, Stella.

I felt my heartbeat quicken as his words repeated themselves in my head.

You tiptoe around feeling sorry for yourself. Maybe people would be more understanding if you weren't such a bitch!

She was right. Rosa was right as well. I had a habit of pushing people away, but what do you do when you have been disappointed and hurt so many times?

I tried to rid myself of my thoughts and sleep.

After much fighting with myself, I turned over and drifted off.

Author's Note:

Do you think she's going to stop being "stoical"? It's a process, honestly, but I'm certain Adonis can help her.

VOTE, COMMENT, and TELL OTHERS!

(Prewritten December 22, 2021)

The next update is coming soon!

~NICOLEGARDNER