Ties of Blood (Book One)

Chapter 10 ~ Matteo

Matteo Moretti

Something was wrong.

I didn't notice it right away. I had assumed everything was as it always was between me and Gianna—a cold distance that didn't bother me.

But when I realized she wasn't at the wedding anymore, something shifted inside me, a strange, unwanted tightening in my chest.

Gianna wasn't the type to just disappear without saying anything, especially at an event where everyone expected her to be.

I asked Alessandro where she'd gone, but he was too busy making moon eyes at Camilla, one of Gianna's friends. He half-listened, nodding but his gaze wandered back to Camilla every few seconds.

After a couple of failed attempts to get any useful information out of him, I hoped she was just in the bathroom. But thirty minutes passed, then forty, and still no sign of her.

The venue had nearly emptied out by that point, the guests filtering out into the night, and Gianna was still missing.

By the time I got home, the worry I refused to acknowledge had grown into something closer to frustration. I immediately asked the staff where she was, and they told me she'd come back home much earlier and had gone straight to her room. They mentioned she seemed upset.

I felt a questionable sense of relief wash over me. She was safe, at least. But upset? That didn't sit right with me.

"You should probably let her be by herself for a while," one of the staff suggested. "Maybe it's something with her father."

That was a possibility. Gianna's father hadn't shown up to the wedding, and it had clearly bothered her. As it should.

She clearly wasn't close to him, but it wasn't like her to skip something, even if we weren't a match made in heaven.

That was perhaps why she was upset but my gut told me it wasn't just that.

Still, I went to my room and tried not to overthink it. Took a long, freezing cold shower, hoping the sting of the cold water would shut my brain off. It didn't work. I ended up lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind full of Gianna and whatever the hell was wrong.

The next day, nothing changed. She didn't leave her room. I had no idea why I was stressing over it, why the idea of her staying locked away for so long bothered me. She was Gianna. It wasn't like we had some deep connection. But it didn't feel like her to just shut herself off completely.

By the time the second day rolled around, I was standing outside her door, waiting for any sign of life. Finally, it opened, and she stepped out in her nurse's uniform, heading to Brightforge Hospital where she was doing her work experience.

She didn't look at me. She walked right past, eyes glued to the floor, phone in one hand, bag in the other. Normally, she'd tell me she was going and ask me if I wanted her to get anything, I said no every time but she would always acknowledge me in some way, even if it was just out of politeness. But not this time. She barely acknowledged I existed.

She closed the door softly behind her, leaving me standing there, confused as fuck.

Something was definitely wrong.

I called Alessandro. I wasn't even sure why, considering his head had been filled purely with thoughts of Camilla lately, but he was my best shot. After five rings, he finally answered, his voice groggy.

"What the fuck is with Gianna?" I didn't bother with pleasantries.

"Gianna? I don't know." he muttered, sounding like he'd just woken up. Then, after a pause, he added with a chuckle, "You already made her hate you?"

I avoid the real answer in my head. "Her dad didn't make it to the event, so maybe that's why she's mad."

I could hear a female voice in the background—Camilla, probably. Alessandro laughed again, clearly more interested in her than in helping me figure this out.

I switched to Italian, I didn't need Camilla telling Gianna I was calling around worrying whether or not she was okay.

My voice sharp with sarcasm. "Hai finito?" (Are you done?)

He sighed and replied in Italian too. "Qualcuno è pazzo. Non capisco, non ti piace nemmeno." (Someone's mad. I don't get it, you don't even like her.)

I rolled my eyes. "Lo so, non mi piace, ma mi piace abbastanza da preoccuparmene quando è arrabbiata con me." (I know, I don't like her, but I like her enough to care when she's mad at me.)

"Ok allora," he said, "di uscire in un ristorante elegante o qualcosa del genere." (Then take her out to a fancy restaurant or something.)

"NO. Fuori questione." (Out of the question.)

I'd rather bathe in acid than sit across from her at some fancy restaurant, pretending like we had anything to say to each other.

He laughed again. "Sei venuto da me per chiedere aiuto. Evidentemente sei disperato." (You came to me for help. You're obviously desperate.)

That motherfucker.

Then Camilla spoke in the background again, and Alessandro said, "Gotta go, bye." and hung up before I could say anything else.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket, frustrated. But he had a point. If Gianna was mad at her dad, it wouldn't make sense for her to avoid me. Which meant she thought I'd done something to piss her off. And for some reason, that idea got under my skin in a way I wasn't used to.

I hated it.

Take her out to a fancy restaurant or something.

Alessandro's words echoed in my head. He knew people better than I did, so maybe he was right. Maybe a nice dinner would fix whatever the hell was wrong between us.

I pulled out my phone and found Gianna's contact, my finger hovering over the call button. I was 27 years old, a grown man, and here I was, acting like a fucking teenager, nervous about asking his crush out.

After a moment of hesitation, I hit the call button. The regret hit almost immediately, but she answered within seconds.

"Hello?" Her voice was soft, sweet. I could hear the hum of a car in the background.

"I wanted to ask when you're free again?" My voice shook just slightly, which pissed me off even more.

There was a long pause. "Why?" she asked, her voice guarded.

"I was wondering if you'd have dinner with me?" I couldn't bring myself to say the word "date."

Another long pause I almost thought she'd hang up. I wouldn't blame her if she did, Gianna seemed pissed. Even though she didn't act like it but she was Gianna and I couldn't picture her hurting a fly.

"Tomorrow's fine." she said softly.

"I'll send you the reservation details." I said quickly, ending the call before I could make an even bigger fool of myself.

What the fuck had I just done?

Every move I ever made was calculated, planned down to the smallest detail. This had been abrupt, impulsive, and completely out of character. But it was too late now. I couldn't call her back and cancel. That would make her hate me even more.

The fact that she agreed, though... maybe things weren't as bad as I thought. Maybe I still had a chance to fix this.

I turned around and headed to my room. The staff had just finished cleaning it, everything in perfect order—just the way I liked it. Black, grey, a hint of navy. Silent, elegant, powerful, like the color itself could swallow everything around it.

I went into the shower, cranked it as cold as it would go, and stood under the icy water, hoping it would clear my head. Normally, cold showers helped me think, helped me process everything. But now it was doing the opposite.

Where the fuck had I gone wrong?

And why did it bother me so goddamn much?

~~~

Hi! Matteo already seems to have a spot for her, after swearing he'd not talk to her. How ironic. I wonder where he's takings her?🤔🤔🤔