Between The Flames ⚜️Il Paradosso Book Two⚜️

Chapter fifty

The next few hours of my life were an absolute depiction of expectations versus reality.

Praying for the best but dreading the spiteful fact that fairy tales didn't always make for a pleasant ending.
Niccolo and I had shared many damnable momentums throughout the course of several years. Much of which I had assumed would end in ripping the others head off or maybe a bullet or two as a result of our incessant brawls.

Ironically, we would be sharing more than we'd sought after. Much more.

It wasn't something we could shake off or cast to the side and move on with our lives as if nothing had ever really occurred.

In contrary, a lot had happened. He chose to face the entire situation head on, like the shrewd that he was, and treated it as normality.
Whilst I, on the other hand, was one short breath away from drowning in my own cogitation.

Expectations.

I anticipated the devil himself to awaken and break loose, blowing the entire world up in flames. Guns drawn and fists flying until bones were cracked.

In my mind, Niccolo was already lying in a shallow grave by the hands of that ferocious beast. I feared the worst was heading our way and I was bound to follow the red blooded trail back to hell, where the blazing inferno would molt my skin away.

I held my breath, awaiting World War III to commence.

Reality.

I sat across from Antonio who was laying beneath the sun, chugging down a glass of his favorite drink. The devil was engaged in a conversation with both Luca and Niccolo, who were laughing at something that was far from our ears reach.

It was almost mundane. The tranquility of the situation was so unnerving that it terrified me in more ways than I was capable of enduring.

I wanted to pull my hair out from their roots until my scalp burned. At least I'd feel something other than the constant jabbing of roaming thoughts that occupied my brain.
Emma was playing with Antonetta in the kiddo's pool Niccolo had installed weeks prior. Adrian was sound asleep, snoring peacefully on one of the lounge sofas next to me.

The sunrays danced along Niccolo's sharp jaw line, his eyes a blazing fire of green. I retracted mine just as he was about to catch me in the shameless act of staring.

He crossed his bulky arms over his chest. His head tilted to the side from my peripheral view, while I feigned nonchalant.

Relax. Breathe in, out. Don't look... shit.

My eyes widened when I turned to see him peering at me from under his long hooded lashes. Slowly but surely, the edges of his mouth lifted as he returned his attention to their conversation.

The strained air escaped through my nose, struggling to maintain an unbothered composure when he obviously captured me in full display.

Summer was coming to an end on the island, gracing the scorching temperatures with a light breeze that blew across the pines every now and then.

Not a single person who was present seemed to care about how profoundly anomalous this entire family was.

Am I the crazy one? Maybe I'm in a coma and this is all just a manic episode while my brain is frying to dust?