I MARRIED A GANGSTER: [2018 EDITION]

Five

My heart leaped out of my chest as I jump and spin around. I'm looking eye to eye with Francisco and he is just a fraction of an inch away from me. I look at him with wide eyes and give him a shy smile.

"I was just looking around your house. It is very beautiful." Francesco gives me a look of disbelief then grabs my arm and moves me away from the door.

"You do not go in there," Francesco says, and I bite my lip.

"Fine, "I say with much more confidence than I had.

Francesco sighs and drags me into the kitchen where he opens a cabinet and sets two glasses down in front of me.

"What do you prefer to drink?" he asks.

I shrug and take a seat, "I don't drink." I admit, "Plus it's way too early to be drinking."

Francescochuckles, "Never."

I roll my eyes, "Fine, orange juice please."

Francesco turns and goes into the fridge and grabs a gallon of orange juice and pours it into my cup.

"Well since we are to be married we might as well celebrate our engagement with drinks. Of course, you chose a child's drink it is a drink nonetheless." Francesco says.

I narrow my eyes at him and grab my orange juice, "I'm a child but I still make better decisions than you."

Francesco only laughs and sips his white wine.

"So, your brother didn't tell you about this at all?" I ask.

"No," he says, "my brother loves the element of surprise."

I chuckle, "You are just going it obey?"

"What my brother says makes sense. I am going to play along right now." Francesco says, "I believe that so far what we have is going to go well."

I slowly nurse my trying to pinpoint a conversation with Francesco. I didn't know what to say to him at the moment.

I could've asked him some questions about himself, but I couldn't find it in myself to say anything to him without digging myself into a hole.

"Did you enjoy the house?" he asked.

"It is beautiful. It must've cost a fortune." I admit with a small smile on my face.

"A small one."

I chuckle, "But a fortune nonetheless."

I watch as Francesco props his body up on the counter and rolls up his sleeves.

"This house is the one thing I am proud of. I believe anything that cost a fortune, whether big or small is worth it." Francesco says, "I like things that cost a lot of money. They give me something to work towards. They let me know that what I am doing is one hundred percent worth it."

"Million-dollar house, thousand-dollar chairs, thousand-dollar wine, and cars. You think that this all makes it worth it?" I ask, "You think that is the only thing making your life worth it?"

"I guess you could say that."

Well, how bad did your life have to be that he would need to become dependent on material things to keep him happy?

Even with my shitof a life I still didn't rely on inanimate objects for comfort.

"Well, I guess I am just curious to know why?" I ask.

"My house isn't going to cheat on me with my brother. My cars aren't going to tell me they don't love me. My millions won't betray me." Francesco says looking at me with an expectant gaze.

"Not all things that cost tons are worth it." I counter.

"You cost my brother two million United States Dollars. I would know because he used my money to buy you. That two million dollars stopped you from being every rich man in California's whore. It bought you your freedom and kept you safe."Francesco explains, "You should be thanking my money, not frowning upon it as if I am a materialistic asshole."

I raise my eyebrows, "Oh, like you saved me. It was your brother who did it and you both put me into an equally worst state. Instead of being everyone's whore, I am just yours."

"Don't you dare put me in the same category as a bunch of rapists. Don't you ever think so lowly of me? I have promised my brother to be nothing but kind to you. I have never harmed a woman in my entire lifetime. Grouping me in with those men is just like pissing all over my name. If I grant you with my respect, then you should do the same." Francesco snaps and then walks out of the kitchen, leaving his pissed-off aura saturated in the air.

How could he manage to make me feel so bad for what I said? What I said wasn't wrong. He just took it in the opposite way he was supposed to. I close my eyes and release the breath that I didn't know I was holding.

I had made him mad, and from the looks of it, extremely mad.

Francesco had disappeared off into somewhere in this large house. Wherever he went he would not talk to me, which I was sure of. He didn't seem like the type to talk out his anger.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. I wasn't sure if Francesco was expecting a guest, but either way, I didn't rush to answer it. I didn't want to run into a pissed-off Francesco.

After a few moments, there was silence, no repeat of the doorbell, and certainly no Francesco. I got up and walked to the foyer and peeked out of the window to see if anyone was there.

But there wasn't a sign of life outside of the house. There were no cars in the long driveway either. I open the door and look around to see if anyone would be near.

Sure that a ghost had just rung the doorbell. I hear the sound of paper under my feet and I see an envelope addressed to Mr. ad Mrs. DeLuca.

That was odd, I wasn't aware that anyone knew of the wedding. I didn't want to open up the letter if it wasn't addressed to me... but technically it was.

I picked up the letter and opened it;

Mr. and Mrs.DeLuca, I hear you're getting married. I just wanted to send you my congratulations and I can't wait to see more of you two.

-Ian Moone