mafia king

Chapter 8 - hearbreak

My heart was still broken. I was not feeling better. Time was not healing shit. If anything, my heart had been broken even more. Rose and the child had moved in with Georgino. Moved. In. With. Him. His father Alonzo was talking about how great Rose was and spread the word to talk to his son about married life. Married and kids. If Georgino proposed to her I would die. My heart would combust, and my organs will shut down. I had started to go to the gym every time I felt like crying. I was there a lot. Right now, I was running in the park. Mario and Marco hadn't asked me to help them with the distribution again but now I really wanted the distraction. Sandrino wasn't helpful either because we had both decided to not sleep with each other again. It made things weird (all my fault according to Sandrino), and we didn't want to lose another friend this year. So, we hung out, played videogames and went to the gym together.

The park was full of families with kids, and I was running at high speed to get away from the reminders. I was panting when I made it to the top of the hill in the middle of the field. More cardio and less Häagen-Dazs. I looked up and stiffened. Tattooed arms crossed over his chest and scowling at the picnic blanket like it was his downfall. Rose sat next to him with the child, Salvatore, in her lap. He was crying and it did not make me like him more. Georgino still looked . Screw him and his jawline, abs, big shoulders and trained legs. "Fuck." I muttered angrily. I wanted him to look like shit. I was about to turn away from the idyllic picture. Georgino looked up and stared at me. I saw his mouth open, as if he was about to call out for me. I stood frozen. My chest hurt more by the second. This is the man I loved, sitting with his family. It took me more will strength than I wanted to admit, to turn around and continue my run.

It had been a few days later that I was confronted by Georgino for the second time. I had started to go to a bar in the east district of the city. There was no one that knew me or my family, so it was fun and easy to let go. Sandrino sometimes joined me, but he didn't tonight. His younger brother had a football match and he decided to go with him. I was leaning against the bar and drinking a beer. I let my gaze wander over the crowd. Usually Sandrino and I would drink, play some pool, and then go home. With a sigh I pushed off the bar. Today it was full of college students that had their annual beer crawl. Worst night to go out. "Hey Matteo." I turned around to look at Aurelio. He was an associate and worked for Georgino. He usually represented our family in front of the judges that were courageous enough to disregard our threats. There weren't many but popped up every blue moon. "Hey man, how are you?" He put an arm around me and nudged me to walk with him. "I'm good. Sorry, I couldn't be at your birthday party, but Georgino told me it was boring anyway." I stopped walking but his arm around my shoulders forced me to start walking again. "Yeah." I replied and eyed him to find out if Georgino had told him the full truth or not. Aurelio didn't give anything away. He started to talk about a new movie that came out yesterday and before I realized it, we were outside. "Uhm, my jacket is still inside." I said but Aurelio ignored me. Instead, he patted my shoulders with a heavy sigh. "Listen, kid. I'm sorry about this but I couldn't talk him out of it." "What?" I asked but was suddenly lifted of the ground by him. "Dude!" I yelled but he carried me to a car parked a few meters away. "What the hell are you doing? Let me down!" Before I could say anything else I was pushed inside the car and Aurelio had started the engine. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Let me out of your stupid car." He pretended not to hear me and threaded into traffic. I stared at him in disbelieve.

With a growl I let Aurelio push me inside an apartment. Listen, under normal circumstances I would have socked the guy right in his face. No. Problem. At. All. But Aurelio was huge and the closest Georgino came to calling a best friend. So, I did not see that happening. "You are unbelievable." I said but Aurelio was already walking back outside again. "He is in the living room." He said before he closed the door behind him. Anger and nervousness washed over me. Deciding to concentrate on my anger I stormed into the living room. Georgino stood up from the couch. His eyes raked over me, and I did my best to ignore the warm feeling in my stomach. "Should I be worried that you go home so willingly with guys?" He said teasingly like he used to. I squinted my eyes and picked up a vase on the table in front of me. Georgino lifted his hands in defence. "Sorry, that was out of line. It was just easier to get-. Matteo! Don't!" He squeaked and with a crash the vase shattered against the wall next to him. Georgino stared at the broken pieces around him. "Alright." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I hated the vase anyway, so thank you." Irritated I wanted to throw something else, but the table was already empty. "In what part of your tiny brain did you think it was a good idea to kidnap me?!" I asked and Georgino blushed. "I wanted to see you." He stepped over the broken pieces. "Then stalk my Instagram like a normal person." Georgino smiled and I groaned. "Georgino." I started but didn't really know what I wanted to say anyway. I hadn't thought about confronting him, but I guess this was going to change tonight...

"Why are you so angry?" - "You hid your family from me." - "You are my family!" Georgino took my hand in his. "Rose was a one-night stand before we got together. She only told me one year ago that I had a son." My eyes stung. "One year?" I echoed and Georgino gripped my hand tighter. "The duration is just details. I didn't cheat on you!" "Doesn't make me feel that much better. You still lied to me." "I. Love. You. And only you. Yes, I lied but that was because I didn't want to lose you." I shook my head. "I don't care. You lied to me and now you are trying to do what exactly? Get me back and have a normal family with Rose at the same time?" "Can you please stop bringing her up? She doesn't matter!" "Are you saying the same thing to her about me?" I whispered. "Matteo." He growled warningly, visibly offended. My head spun and I felt tired. This was not how I wanted to spend my evening. "Whose apartment are we even in?" I asked and Georgino took a step away from me. He probably saw that his closeness wasn't helping his case. "It's mine. I bought it for us. So, we didn't have to always leave the city to spend a normal night together." "Normal?" "Don't make a fight out of everything I say." He rubbed his temple. "Then stop saying bullshit like normal. God! My life would be so much easier if I hadn't fallen in love with you." "Well, I'm sorry our love is such a burden to you!" He replied and I shook my head. "You don't get to be angry at me. You are the one that screwed this whole thing up in the first place!" Georgino rolled his shoulders back and sighed. He put his hands up in defeat. "You are right. I just thought tonight would go differently." "You really thought I would forgive you? Just like that? You are so fucking stupid." We were talking in circles, and it was getting worse with every new sentence that either one of us said.

"I want to go home now." We were standing far away from each other, but I could see that he did not want me to leave. But he nodded and called his driver. "Matteo." He said when I was standing in the doorway. "Do you still love me?" I let out a pained sound. "Why are you asking me this?" He grabbed my hands. "I have never stopped loving you. I just need to know if you-." He stopped and swallowed heavily. "What if I say no?" "But you didn't say no yet." I tried to look away from him, but he had me pinned down under his gaze. "I love you." He said and leaned in to kiss me. Before his lips could meet mine, I turned my head, so his lips graced my cheek. I saw him deflate but he still gave me a small smile when his driver escorted me to the car.