Retrieved

Chapter 26 - Giovanni

It's been over a week since our encounter in the changing room. I don't know what happens to me when I'm with her, but I feel open and carefree because I feel safely vulnerable.  She makes me want to keep her hidden even longer because she brings out the best in me.

However, at that moment, she was expressing uncertainty and rage. She's been chilly and distant from me for some reason, even though I felt like we were becoming closer. Despite my repeated attempts to ask, she simply shakes her head no and responds,

"I'm not mad at you Giovanni. I don't know why you keep asking, I don't know why you don't believe me and I don't know why you keep buying me things."

I don't believe her since she won't let me touch her, but I keep asking because you keep brushing me off. I also kept buying her stuff because, in my experience with other women, that's what speeds things up the most. In this case, my biggest worry was that the party she had promised to attend was in less than five days away, and I had no way of knowing if she was still making good on her word. I've been too busy making sure everything is ready for her—hair, makeup, shoes, outfit, jewelry—that I haven't had a chance to see her in person. All to bring her one step closer to ultimate perfection, that, she has already succeeded. The majority of my time has also been devoted to training; I had to have faith in my ability to defend her.

I'm relaxing after my workout by sitting on the bench press right now. Ale had a gym with tons of equipment that he never used because he took private boxing classes here, so I didn't even need to leave the house. I pick up my water bottle to leave the room. The fact that I now had to make it up to Ale for destroying his boxing bag only served to further divert me from my original focus.

Hear lights flickering in the living room, casting various coloured shadows on the wall. As I approach the room, I hear a hint of laughter and conversation. I noticed the familiar poof protruding from the top of the couch, but the second head that appeared next to the chair arm really grabbed my attention. Until I'm hovering over them I realize two things; one she has no sense of alertness since I had been standing so close, but she was immersed into the show and two Ale had fallen asleep in the couch with her. His feet was on her lap and there was a huge empty bowl on the table close to his side.

"What are you two doing." I say calmly.

Zariah screams while whipping her body around throwing off both Ale's feet and body off of the couch.

"Ow!" Is all he says trying to pry his body off of the ground. She spins back around with wide eyes rushing down to the floor.

"Oh my God! Are you okay, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do that. Is anything hurt?" I've never even heard her that worried for me which sort of pissed me off. Why was she being so nice to him and cold to me?

"I'm okay Zariah, I'm a big boy I can handle myself." He retorts back somewhat hostile, which she didn't expect judging back her swift neck movement and raised eyebrow.

"I get that you're tired and feeling overworked, but don't be a big bitch to me after I fed you and as I'm currently in the middle of helping your sorry ass." She practically throws him back into the couch.

"You're right I'm sorry. It's not your fault, it's his." He draws both of their attention back to me. I scanned her body to see her in cotton pyjama shorts and a hoodie thrown over whatever shirt she was sporting before hand. I don't let the anger get the best of me until she picks up his bowl to walk in the kitchen and I see her ass in the shorts. It was so tight and small, how could she wear something like in front of him?

I unwilling pry my eyes away from as she disappear behind the wall and Ale and I are left in the silence. With a second thought I follow her once existent shadow; this was probably the only opportunity I would get to confront her about this new hostility towards me. I make myself known as she lifts her focus off of the dishes and onto me.