Santi's Downfall

Chapter 29: The Acquaintance

Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet them than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.

Richard Bach

Santi Marchesi's POV 

Haven strained her ankle accidentally due to our training.

It wasn't a serious injury but the doctor advised her to refrain from doing activities that might worsen her injured ankle. So that means she cannot accompany me to the engagement party that I need to attend.

To be honest, I didn't want to come to the party but Enzo but I couldn't say no to my godfather who was the paternal uncle of the groom-to-be. I have a mountain of work back here and mingling with the aristocratic Fiorenza was not on the top of my list. I'd rather stay away from them if necessary.

I sighed for the nth time while looking at my reflection in the mirror as I was getting ready to leave for the party. Should I make a call and cancel my RSVP last minute citing that an emergency came up? Nope, Cesare Fiorenza wouldn't believe such a white lie. He knew me better than I care to admit. He was a good friend of my father in their youth and they remained friends even if they meant to take different paths in life.

I was about to leave when I decided to check on Haven's condition and went to her room. I knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open. I found her sitting on the wing chair near the glass door with her injured ankle perched on the stool in front of her while browsing on her smartphone. She removed the AirPods in her ear when she could sense my presence.

She smiled brightly in my direction which made a weird thud in my chest. "Looking good." She commented looking at me from head to toe.

The corner of my mouth twitched. "Thanks," I replied, moving closer to where she was sitting comfortably. I raised her chin with my index finger and thumb to meet my gaze. "How are you feeling?"

"Perfectly, fine," she answered with a grin.

"Good," I said with satisfaction. "Do you drink your painkiller on time?"

She rolled her almond eyes at me while giving me a mocking look. "Yes, sir."

"Excellent." I kissed her forehead tenderly before placing a light kiss on her full lips. "Just make sure to drink your medicine on time so that your feet will not hurt, alright?"

"Yes, sir." She mocked again. Instead of feeling annoyed at her continuous sarcastic replies, surprisingly I don't feel annoyed or mad at her. "Just enjoy the party, Santi. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine in no time."

At the mention of the party, I couldn't help but sigh again. "How I wish I could take you to this party so you can meet my acquaintances. These people live a far more normal life than us so you'll enjoy this one, unlike the previous gathering we attended."

"How interesting," she said, tilting her head to the side. "I never thought that you have normal people you call friends. Now I am curious to meet these people you're talking about."

I stared at her dryly while standing straight. "I never said that these people are my friends, sweetheart. They were my acquaintances, that's all."

"Isn't that the same?"

"Not really," I reflected with a sardonic smile on my face. Because I believe that having such friends is a just nuisance. It would be better if one just should be on his own. You don't have to rely on other people because affection and camaraderie will only make you weak.

"You're weird, do you know that?" Haven commented while looking at me with her expressive eyes. I bet that she's currently deciphering what's going on inside my head at the moment the way her eyes were staring straight at me.