Unraveling Him | A mafia Story

Chapter 54 - One Last Fight

"In tales of old, the story's often told,
'The cause of wars is often a woman,' they say.
From Helen's face to Cleopatra's grace,
Or countless others through the ages past,
They say love's fires in wars did blaze,
As empires crumbled,
and die hearts were cast."

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Nikolas's POV

My fork kept ripping the lettuce piece on the plate continuously that it became almost inedible. The discordant screech of the metal against the ceramic plate reverberated loudly amidst the bustling clamor of the restaurant. Lilly's bubbly chatter dwindled to a mere whisper, her words slipping away as I descended into the depths of my mind, submerged beneath a suffocating wave of thoughts.

With a shadow cast, I have trodden the paths of this world alone. For years, I was alone. Solitude was my constant companion, and I grew accustomed to its embrace. My life was always an intricate web of secrets and deceit, my heart encased in a shell as hard as stone, devoid of warmth or compassion. That was the existence I understood, one I could navigate through with unwavering confidence.

But this, this is not familiar. This is foreign. An uncharted territory. I feel like a stranger in a foreign land, unaware of its culture and language, aimlessly traversing streets that lead to unknown destinations, helplessly roaming around without a guide to take me back home.

Part of me longed to hear those words escape her lips, a longing so powerful it threatened to consume me. Yet, an equally potent dread loomed in my heart. These tender words, like a blade through ice and steel, unveiled hidden and unfamiliar depths within me. They kindled both a fragile hope and an unsettling fear. This is so unknown, an experience entirely alien to my past, leaving me both lost and seeking guidance.

I never anticipated that a mere four-letter word could unravel me so thoroughly, yet it wielded an undeniable power over my emotions.

The innocent expression opened multiple doors, it uncovered several doubts, and I became more scared. Terrified of dragging her down, into this underworld where I will be wearing a crown for very soon. A life dominated by shadows, stained by blood, and veiled in deception, and in her presence, the danger will only multiply.

"Earth to Nikolas," Alex's words had me lift my head up from my unfinished food, my eyes falling on him, waving his hand in front of my face as he tried to pull me back to the present.

The illusion lifted, the surrounding chatter and clinking of cutlery filled the room and my mind, forcing my distressing reverie to dissipate. Leave it to me to conjure thoughts of death and anguish in response to someone professing their love. I swept a hand across my face, clearing my thoughts, and allowed my fork to fall to the plate with a soft clink as I leaned back into my chair, straightening my posture.

"So, what was that?" Alex asked, his eyebrow arching with tease and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What was what?" I returned his question with another because I was just as clueless.

"I didn't know you two were at the 'I love you' stage," He pointed out, air-quoting the dreadful expression.

My throat burned and I shook my head, "I didn't know we were there either."

Alex's eyebrows pulled closer, his eyes slightly narrowing at me, and despite his uncertainty, a small smile lifted the side of his lips, "You really do love her, don't you," He asked, as if just now he had become sure of that fact.