you're mine

Chapter 49

My thick socks come into contact with the cold, hard ground outside as I step over the doorway.

"Luca?" I call out.

"Yeah?" His relaxed face turns to me.

"I was worried, you didn't come back in."

"I was looking at the stars. There's no air pollution or street lights all the way out here."

My hands move to pull down my sleeves over my hands as I walk further down the garden to him and look up. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Very." He mumbles.

My head falls against his arm. "Luca?"

"Hm?"

"Promise you won't kill them." I whisper.

It takes him a few seconds before he replies.
"I promise, baby."

"Are you coming back inside? It's cold out here."

"Yeah, sure."

"Leave the door open, dad." We hear Ella say as we enter the house again.

"Of course Ella."

Chris walks into the kitchen to put clean cutlery into the draw.

" 'Either of you drink?" Chris asks as he shuts the cutlery draw.

"No, we don't. Why?" Luca replies.

"Ah, I always keep alcohol on the top of the shelf over there for guests, not that I get too many." He chuckles. "Help yourselves, just please don't get drunk. I don't want that around Ella."

"We are okay, but thank you, Chris."

"Dad?" A small voice yells out.

"I'm coming, darling."

Chris walks over to the ajar door and opens it wider, walking inside. Thirty seconds later, he returns, walking over to us. 

"She wants you." He looks at me. "To wash her hair. Don't feel pressured to do it or anything but she wanted me to ask."

"Yeah, yeah of course. If you're okay with that I don't mind." I nod and smile at the same time.

He nods and I turn to Luca. "Why don't you go and run us a bath?"

"Okay." He kisses my cheek and walks to our room.

Chris helps Ella out of the bathtub and wraps a towel around her. Then she sits on the bathroom floor and he calls me in.

I put her long hair over the ledge of the bath and tilt her head back. Chris grabs the shower head for me and I smile as a thank you.

The shower turns on and the warm water runs over her hair. I rake my fingers through the strands then grab the strawberry scented shampoo bottle.

"I used to use all strawberry products." I smile at Ella and pour some shampoo into my hand.

"Why don't you now?"

"Well... I will when I go back home but I left my shower products in my bathroom." I explain whilst I massage the shampoo into her dark hair.