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20 - Relive

20 | Relive

Leonardo:

I spent the rest of the day making treats with Arià and getting messy. Mainly getting messy though because by the time the cookies were ready, we were covered in flour from head to toe because she thought it would be a good idea for one of us to be blind and the other to be mute while baking.

I locked up since Ma wasn't there at all— her supervisor Liana opened the shop today —and I dropped off Arià before driving myself home. It felt like everything was finally going back to normal so I went home and showered, feeling more relieved than ever.

I wasn't going to let Diego get away with all of these 'surprises' so I had told Daniel to tell his dad about the bouquet and cards. Since it's already at their house, Mr. Woods is already in possession of it. Whenever he's available since he's a very busy man, I would carry the picture with me to tell him about it and give him my phone to see if he could do anything about the calls or track something from it.

My safety wasn't the only one at risk. He has access to my family easily and now he's close to Daniel and Arià. As much as it bothers me to even think of his new criminal tendencies and the low chance he could be joking, his intentions were very unclear and unpredictable. You'd think he's clinically insane at this point.

I settled down at around ten o' clock, dozing off with my phone in hand.

–

It was Saturday morning and I woke up to over one hundred messages. With the exchange that went on yesterday between Arià and my sister, Elia thinks that we were all destined to meet so she made a groupchat with all five of us. Aria added Chloe so there was a whole introduction going on. I would've joined in since I don't know Chloe myself but that opportunity will present itself at a later date.

I was already dressed and ready for the day since I'm a morning person so I got in the car and drove down to Walmart to get more painting supplies since two of my paint brushes have broken recently as well as the fact that I was running out of acrylic paint.

I parked when I reached, entered the store and immediately went to the 'Arts & Craft' section. My fingers brushed over each item as my eyes skimmed them looking for what I wanted. My day has been peaceful so far and I felt in my element due to the numerous art supplies in front of me.

"New painting idea? Ran out of something?"

I tried to ignore the voice and went further down in the aisle but they kept on talking.

"I feel a little hurt that you're avoiding me Leonardo."

I went to many other aisles and he still managed to follow me around, taunting me.

"Why are you always present wherever I am?" I asked through gritted teeth. I was trying not to lose my composure or else one of us would've been kicked out for public indecency and assault. Consider manslaughter on the list of charges if he continues this.

"If I'm being honest, I'm bored and I wanted to have a little fun." He said. I still haven't turned around to look him in the face and hopefully, he would disappear before that has to happen.

"Well I'm not interested. Count me out." I said firmly, walking off once more.

"You were always closer to grandpa."

I froze as the words left his mouth. That came out of nowhere and it was in no way related to what he's been saying before that. He had no right. Instead of getting emotional, I swallowed what I wanted to say and began to walk off.

"I've always envied the relationship you had with him."

Now that was something I had to reply to. I've never known Diego to be anything funny but this has definitely got to top all of the psychotic things he's had to say.

I turned to face him and said, "Your ego is too high for you to envy anything I have or had, much less the relationship I had with grandpa."

"Whatever you say." And he turned the other way and walked off. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He doesn't deserve to envy anything with the way he treated him. He used to scream and cry going there, like he dreaded the very thought of grandpa.

If anything, Diego was full of bullshit. My mood was kind of ruined but I didn't let him or what he said deter me from buying what I came here for. I got the paint brushes and the acrylic paint, bought them and left.

I went home and locked all the doors and windows. I got my laptop and sent off an email to Mr. Woods explaining everything that had happened from the day the bouquet was delivered to today in the store. I don't really want to see anyone right now and he's the last person that deserves a bad attitude from me.

With memories of grandpa coming back after he's been brought up for the past days by the picture of his shed and Diego pestering me, I thought of visiting the shed again. Of course, I wouldn't go back to see grandpa or hear any stories he has since he passed away four years ago but I can try and relive it.

Grandpa's shed was in the hills and it was a far distance. I never got the address or paid attention to any landmarks that could give me a hint to where his shed was since I mainly slept on the drive there. All I knew is that it was the one place grandpa owned that was not in Italy.

Note to self: ask mom for the address to grandpa's shed.