Ties of Blood (Book One)

Chapter 38 ~ Matteo

Matteo Morreti

A fucking escape room.

The small room felt more claustrophobic than it should have. The dark wood panels and dim lighting were meant to create an atmosphere of mystery, but all I felt was the suffocating tension between Gianna and me. It didn't help that Camilla and Alessandro were buzzing with excitement, eagerly pointing at the clues around the room.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Camilla exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"The instructor told us that we basically have to work together to escape," He says to all of us with a grin that would have been contagious under any other circumstances.

Gianna, standing to my left, barely reacted. She scanned the room as if searching for more than just clues—like an actual exit.

"Okay, let's split up and start looking!" Alessandro announced, dragging Camilla toward the corner, where an old chest and some dusty books were arranged like props in a mystery novel.

I stayed close to Gianna. I couldn't help it. Even though I could feel her wanting to put as much space between us as the room allowed, I couldn't let her slip further away.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked from behind her.

She didn't answer right away, crouching to inspect a puzzle on the floor. "I'm fine," she finally muttered, her voice tight.

"Matteo! Come check this out!" Alessandro called from across the room, holding up some kind of lock. I waved him off, not wanting to leave Gianna's side.

"You don't have to do this," I whispered. "You don't have to pretend, not with me, not ever." I say so quietly, just between the two of us.

Gianna's eyes flicked up to meet mine, her expression unreadable. "Pretend? If anyone's a master at pretending here it's you."

The weight of her words knocked the air from my lungs, but I deserved it. I had earned every ounce of her anger. She stood up abruptly and moved toward a shelf lined with strange objects, ignoring me again. 

Fuck, I wished she would push me, kick me, fucking punch me in the throat if she would would talk to me again, give me that smile I missed so fucking much. 

Camilla's laughter echoed in the background as she and Alessandro fiddled with some puzzle, completely absorbed in the whatever puzzle they were working with.

"I'm sorry," I said, following her to the shelf, lowering my voice so the others wouldn't hear. "For everything."

Gianna's hand paused mid-reach for one of the clues. "Matteo, stop."

"I know you want me to but I can't, you're all I want Gianna. I fucked up, and I'm sorry. But I can't tell you how much you mean to me, and fucking things up with you will always be the biggest mistake of my life."

Gianna whipped her head round to meet my eyes, she crossed her arms and wet her lips, she looked like she was even contemplating something.

Her eyes softened when she met my eyes again, she parted her lips, "Matteo,-"

"Guys, we found something!" Camilla interrupted, waving us over enthusiastically.

Gianna hesitated and took the opportunity to walk away, heading toward the couple while I stood there, fists clenched, never having such a deep hatred for puzzles.

As Camilla and Alessandro excitedly unlocked a hidden compartment. The answer was quite clear, and even by looking at it, it was obvious the next key was on the second drawer on the opposite side of the room but I kept it to myself.

She wasn't okay, and I wasn't okay without her.

She nodded along to what they were saying, her arms crossed over her chest, but her eyes drifted over to me a couple times, looking away as if she had an electric shock while I stared shamelessly at her. 

"Thirty minutes left!" A distorted voice crackled through the speakers.

Who the fuck needed thirty minutes to figure this out?

Camilla and Alessandro giggled with eachother and Gianna smiled too, it was a smile but a fake one.

Allesandro walked over to me, "Are you okay? Do you like the room?"

The room was fine, the tension wasn't.

"It's fine," I reply flatly.

Alessandro smiled and slapped me on the back humorously before going to help the others. After a while, the count down began.

"10!"

Camilla and Gianna got the key and Alessandro cheered happily while they unlocked it just as the speaker hit 3.

I walked out.

Gianna made sure to stay far away from me the rest of the night, when there was any chance Camilla and Alessandro leaving us she was follow or make up an excuse to leave.

By the end on the night, Gianna was all packed and ready to go before I even entered the room back at the villa.

Gianna still had her room in my house and only taken a few clothes the night left, which was good considering that she would have to come back even if she getting the rest of her stuff. Meaning I would get to see her again. 

Although I would be lying if I said I didn't care where she was going after.

"Do you have any plans on where you're going next?" I asked before I even had time to think about the question. The words slipped out like they'd been waiting on the tip of my tongue.

Gianna turned to face me, gripping her suitcase handle so tightly that her knuckles went white. "I don't see how that concerns you." she breathes out.

It didn't concern me, not logically, but I needed to know. I couldn't help it. "You're my wife," I replied, i would be lying if I said they slipped out too.

"Legally, Matteo. That's it. You have my- the ring," she said, her voice sharp but shaky, her eyes blazing with frustration and something deeper-something wounded.

"And you have my heart," I countered softly, stepping closer to her. "So I guess we both have something belonging to the other, hm?"

I hadn't noticed how close I'd gotten until I saw her breath hitch. Her chest rose and fell with every sharp inhale, color rising on her neck as she wet her lips nervously. The heat between us was undeniable, but it was dangerous, too, like standing too close to a wildfire.

Gianna was my wife, even if she signed those papers, gave me her ring, fuck never spoke to me again, she will always be my wife.