Serendipity

Chapter 35

Raffaele

Elodie seems to have come back to herself a little more by the time I return, taking the small bottle of water I hand her as I lean up against her headboard. I watch her take a few tentative sips before setting it on her bedside table. Then she rolls onto her stomach, presenting me with a brilliant view of her arched back and plump ass, red marks still showing where I held her by the hips.

What's really a sight to see is her face though, skin flushed and eyes lidded heavily with exhaustion. Her hair's a wild mess, dark strands sticking to the sheen of sweat on her face. You can tell she was thoroughly fucked and I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it.

"So, what's your deal with Tim?" she finally breaks the comfortable silence between us and I can feel one of my eyebrows raising on my forehead. Of all the topics to bring up, I didn't expect her to mention another man. "You seemed to take close care of how you acted around him. Is that a personal thing or something you do around your employees in general?" she goes on.

I relax, getting over my momentary surge of possessiveness, and answer without wasting much thought on it. "Nothing personal. Growing up, my father taught me that people are more loyal to you if they're scared so when I had to take over at such a young age, I stuck to that motto. I have a few rules as to how I behave around them. One of them is to not let anyone see me as an actual person. I'm untouchable, lacking empathy and any other emotion, and therefore won't hesitate to do what's necessary if anyone tries me."

I nearly snort as I hear myself talk. I've never actually said that out loud but I'll admit, it sounds quite stupid. "Might sound dumb but it keeps me alive," I add with a shrug, hoping Elodie won't laugh at me. I'm not sure why I said anything in the first place. Just kind of seemed right to answer her truthfully, I guess.

Luckily, the girl doesn't laugh but simply nods, searching my face for who knows what. Then she cuddles up to me, laying her head against my shoulder so she's looking up at the ceiling.

"This applies to all your employees?" she asks, to which I nod against the top of her head. "So you don't have any friends here," she concludes, not really asking but stating. "Seems lonely."

"I'm sure it must seem that way to you," I reply easily as my hands keep petting her arms innocently.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, our lives are very different, Elodie. I was homeschooled and never went out to meet people. Some pretentious gala here and there? Sure, but only for political reasons. I've never really had friends hence I can't miss it."

"If you never went out to meet people," Elodie starts but breaks off. "I mean. What about partners? You were obviously no virgin before me."

If only she could see my smile at that. "Obviously? Are you talking about my amazing skills in that department?" I tease her, envisioning her eye roll as if she were facing me.

"No, idiot. Because you have a son," she clarifies, chuckling slightly forced.

I realize I never did explain who Matteo is and for a split second, I contemplate going along with her idea, enjoying the edge of her voice. What's going on in her head? And after all, he is my son, isn't he? Just not biologically.

But as the silence drags on, I decide against playing games. "He's my sister's son," I say.

"Your sister," she trails off before slowly asking, "Sarina?" I shake my head, hesitating only a second before talking to her about something I haven't really talked about. Ever.

"Sarina is his nanny. My sister died a few hours after Matteo was born. Complications during the birth. I'm raising him, or trying to." She doesn't say anything but simply moves impossibly closer to me, covering my hand on her arm with one of hers to let me know she's here.

Feeling like that was enough of that topic for now, I pick up her question from before and thereby jump right to the next topic I don't usually talk about. "And you're right, you weren't my first. My father took care of that when I was younger," I say as lightly as possible.

But Elodie's body stiffens and I can hear her gasp softly. "He- what?" she stammers bearly audibly and I realize my mistake.

"Oh god, no. He didn't," I break off, not sure if I should be amused or horrified. "Elodie that's not what I meant. My father just regularly brought in women from the time I turned fifteen so I could get experienced. He said it would make me more of a man." I shrug, squeezing her hand since my correction doesn't seem to make her much happier.

"Fifteen. But that's so young."

"Well, he knew he didn't have much time to teach me everything. He was sick." I shrug again and go on with a light-hearted tone. "Now, how come I find it so easy to talk to you?"

She turns her head slightly to look up at me. "I don't know. It's how it's always been, though. People confiding in me easily or whatever. That's actually how I realized I'd like to be a psychologist. Not that that's really still on track," she mumbles. "What about you? Any childhood fantasies about your future profession? Like astronaut or policeman or whatever."

"Policeman? Yes, Elodie, that's exactly what I wanted to be growing up." I laugh at her and get rewarded by a half-assed shoulder bump. She must be tired if she can't even attack me right.

"Or something else," she presses. I think about it for a second.

"Not really. My plan and future were always set out for me. No questions asked, I'd be taking over for my father when the time came. It's what I was raised for since before I could talk so I guess no other options ever occurred to me," I think aloud.

"Do you like it?" she wonders and again, I have nothing to offer but a shrug. 

"Not like I could change it."

"Nothing's impossible," she insists, making me smile fondly.

"This isn't a life you can walk away from, little one. Either way, I don't think I'd want to."

"Because this is all you've ever known. It's familiar and safe but you can't honestly tell me you're happy. I saw the way you shut down in front of Tim. You don't get to be yourself here, constantly having to keep your guard up," she protests. I guess she has a point. The times I'm the happiest are when I'm with Matteo and the times I feel the lightest, well, those are when I'm with her.

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Whipped, that one🖐🏻

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