The damaged

3

Nova

The sound of footsteps in the hall. Cars driving outside on the street. All the sounds worsening the pounding in my head.

I am never drinking again.

There's a light knock on my door and I groan out in response which cause the person outside of the door to enter my room.
"You alright sweetie?" my mums quite voice says from the door.
"I'm never drinking again," I groan out.
"You said that last time," she says while laughing a little.
"We got too carried away," I say.
"How is Miya?" my mum asks.
"Yeah, she's good," I reply.
One thing I don't understand is how someone as nice as my mother Camilla, ended up with someone as shitty as Salavatore
"Alright, tell me if you need anything," she says walking out.
"Thanks mum," I say.

A couple days later.

"Nova, get in here," I hear my father's voice shout from his office.
Internally groaning I walk through the large doors into my father's office. Instead of answering him I wait for him to boss me around like he usually does.

"Your meeting you husband and his family today," he says looking over his glasses at me, "dress nice please, I don't want you making a bad impression and ruin this whole thing."

I look down at my pyjamas.
"Okay," I say while walking out to head to my room. I walk to my room heading straight for my walk-in wardrobe. I find the dress that I bought a couple months ago that I haven't worn yet.

It's a blood red satin dress with a large split on the side that goes up to my mid left thigh, it's corseted around the waist and loose fabric around my boobs.

The dress hugs all of my curves perfectly. I add a matching set of diamond necklace and earrings. I grab my pandora bracelet off my bedside table.

Choosing the black strappy heels and looking in the mirror to make sure I okay. Not gonna lie I look hot. I walk out into the hall and find Miya and her family waiting out in the entry way.

"Damm girl," I hear Miya shout, "do you have to get married to the guy, get married to me instead."
I walk over to her laughing.

Wrapping my arms around her to hug her I whisper in her ear, "get me the fuck out of here."

"I would I if I could, you know that, but you dad would kill me," Miya says.

"Yeah, I know," I reply.

"Hold up," Miya pauses, "is that a gun?"
I smirk and slightly lift up the slit of my dress to reveal a gun.
"Of course," I say, "you never know when you need it."
"Don't let your father see," Miya says while also showing the gun she has strapped to her leg.

We both laugh while covering the guns before walking up the stairs to our large dinning room.

I look over the people sitting down at the table when I see those eyes.
Those deep chocolate brown eyes that have haunted my mind for the past 9 years.
My breath hitches, and my throat closes.
I grab Miya's arm frantically.

I can't breathe.

"I need to leave," I plead Miya.
She looks in the direction of what I was looking at. Once she realises who it is she turns back to me.
"It's okay, I'll get you out of here," she says comforting me then looking around before trying to usher me out of the room.
"Nova!" my fathers voice rings throughout the room.
I freeze and turn back towards him, everyone one in the room is looking at me. Even him.

"Come over here daughter," my father says motion me over, "I need you to meet your husband."

You're going to be okay Nova, just breathe.

"Mattheo, come up here," the man next to my father motions to someone down the table who eventually walk sup behind me.
I'm too scared to look who it is because I know when I look, I'm going to either stop breathing or run away crying. And I don't want to do any of that in front of this crowd of old judgemental men.
"Nova this is your new husband," my father's motion at the man behind me.
When I don't turn to acknowledge him. He gives me a stern look and pushes my shoulder forcing me to turn to him.
I make eye contact with him. Mattheo Russo.
This can't be happening. Not him, anyone but him.
He looks straight into my eyes and says, "it's been a long-time sunshine."
My blood turns to ice the moment I hear the nickname he used to call me.
"Whose fault was that?" I counter him.
He has the audacity to smirk.
"Nice to see you haven't changed," he says looking down at me.
"Why don't you to go on a walk to get to know each other again," my father looks at me expectantly.
I begrudgingly nod and make my way out of the room with Mattheo following close behind.
"So how have you been," Mattheo asks from somewhere behind me.
"Fine," I reply.
"You look gorgeous by the way," Mattheo says.

I turn around pushing him against a wall, pulling the knife I kept hidden in a secret pocket in the corset of my dress and hold it to his neck. I decided that a gun would be too loud if I was to kill him.

"You do not get to come back after 9 years acting as though nothing happened," I say looking straight into his eyes while slightly pushing the knife closer into his neck, "and you most certainly don't get to call me gorgeous."
"Feisty as ever sunshine," he says smirking at me, "not gonna lie you look really hot holding a knife to my neck."
"I swear to god," I hate him.
"You left, you left me," I say, unwanted tears in my eyes, "I needed you, and you left."
Remorse washes over his face as the words I say hit him deep.
"Why did you do it?" I ask when he doesn't say anything.
"Why I left doesn't concern you," Mattheo says in an angered tone. He grabs my arm and reversing our roles so I'm being held against the wall. He takes the knife out of my hand to press it to my neck.
"I hate you so fucking much," I spit in his face.
"I hate you too sunshine," he smirks.

✧✧✧

"I can't do this," I say to Miya while pacing up and down my room, "I can't marry him."
I can feel Miya staring at me from my bed.
She speaks up, "you'll be okay, I'm sure we'll work something out."
"There is no working this out, "I say pausing to look at Miya.
"There might be if you give it a chance," she says.
"He made my life hell after he left," I say, "you saw what it did to me."
She takes a moment before answering.
"We can try to convince your dad to change his mind on the arranged marriage," miya suggests.
"It'll never work, he's a stubborn asshole," I say moving over to my bed to belly flop to bury my face in my sheets.
My mind is reeling with ideas on how to escape this hell.
I sit up abruptly all most whacking Miya in the face during the process.
"I've just had the best idea," I turn to Miya smiling.
"I don't like the look on your face," she says confused.
"Maybe I could just run away," I say, "just leave and go somewhere that my father will never find me."

"As much as that sounds like a good idea, I don't think you'll manage to do that," Miya laughs, "your dad wants this marriage to happen so there's nothing you can do that will stop him from practically selling you to that asshole, Russo."
I groan and lay back down on the bed.

What am I gonna do?
——————————————————————————

your welcome ava 😝