LOST INTO THE VINE (BWWM)

CHAPTER 49

Nala turned, her eyes fluttering open. A warm glow of light streamed in between her lashes. The sheets were silky ad soft on her skin. ON HER SKIN. She shut her eyes ad tried to scan her body mentally. From the tip of her toes to her neck, she was naked. Her heart started beating fast. She didn't remember the previous night. What happened? She remembered telling her friend to go out for drinks, but that's it. Hearing the shower running, she looked around in the unfamiliar room, which looked like a hotel room. Did she have a one-night stand? Who did she sleep with? As quietly as she could, she pushed herself to the edge of the big bed and slipped from the covers. Her clothes were neatly folded on an ottoman next to the bed, she thanked the heavens, slipping them on, as she looked around the room, stilling when she saw the face of the clock, it was at around five in the morning. She took her shoes in her hands and slowly made her way to the door.

"Is this going to be a thing now?" 

Frozen in place, she clenched her eyes shut, she did not dare move. She knew that voice well. "You won't even look at me, huh?" he said. She straightened her back and turned to look back at the man she ran away from, not too long ago. He was dressed in sweats and a fitting black shirt, his hair wet from the shower, dripping onto his shirt. He looked good.  How did she not hear the shower turn off? That's right, she was so focused on leaving. "Why did you run?" "I was mortified, you might not know this about me, but I don't do one-night stands," she replied. "I don't. I don't know a lot about you. I thought I did but turns out, I didn't," he said, harshly. Nala flinched, biting the inside of her cheek. She watched as his chest rose and fell again with a deep breath, "I'll ask you this again, why did you run?" 

"I was scared, I was hurt," she said. "And I wasn't?" He spat. Taking another deep breath, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You wanted to leave. You couldn't stand looking at me because I looked like your fiancee. And so, I gave you an out."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her heart pounding fast in her chest. Matteo looked her dead in the eye, "Your perfume gave you away in the cellar. And if that wasn't enough, I watched your communication with my brother." "Are you..." "Yes, I knew you were in the cellar. But I had to do what had to be done, you were scared to do it," he walked to the bed and took a seat on the edge. "Even though I figured you'd leave, it really hurt me that you proved me right," he barked out a laugh, shaking his head, "somehow, I was stupid enough to think you'd choose me and my daughter." 

Nala blinked back tears pricking her eyes, "why did you come after me?"  "I didn't," he said, "i was surprised to see you at the bar, you looked wasted. I didn't want anything to happen to you. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt." She scratched her head confused, "then why are you here? In Texas." He laughed, "don't flatter yourself, princess. I'm here on business." "And why was i-" "Naked?" he grinned, wolfishly, the way she liked, "you took them off, said you were hot, which you are, so I put them away safely for you." Somehow her heart cracked softly, licking her lips nervously, "Matteo." He looked at her, really looked at her in the eye, his eyes softening at the expression on her face, "yes, princess." "I didn't mean to hurt you or Irina. You both-" "Thank you for saying that," he cut her off, basically telling her he didn't want her to say more. "Can i have a hug before i leave? Is that too much to ask?" she asked, her brown, glassy eyes looking at him, her gaze on his hair. 

Matteo stood and took a step forward, opening his arms, "come here." Without a second thought, she dropped her shoes to the ground and lunged forward into his arms.  

She wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes as her tears finally fell, wetting Matteo's shirt. She breathed freely, taking in his scent, when she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her impossibly closer to him. She knew he knew she was crying but he said nothing, laid his head on hers, in a way that comforted her further, but also broke her at the same time. She'd hurt him, she knew that he knew that. Nala dropped her hands, reluctantly stepped away from him, having him pull his hands away from her, she wiped her tears away, took a deep breath, then looked at him with a smile, "goodbye, Matteo." I love you, is what she wanted to say.

She bent to wear her shoes, Matteo stopped her, "let me." She shook her head, "I don't want to have the wrong idea." "Please," he said. She nodded and watched him get on one knee.