Whispers in New York - Book Two

~Chapter 36~

Chapter Song

In Your Pocket – Maroon 5

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"Do I get to explain?" Adriana's voice small in comparison on the obnoxious banging Salvatore seemed to be purposely putting on through frustration.
She remained up against the office door after asking Adam to leave. At first he was reluctant, not wanting to leave the pair with the unresolved issue, but she had insisted that he was no further help here and his presence was just going to infuriate Salvatore further.

"Explain?" Salvatore proclaimed followed by a sinister chuckle to himself. He continued to pace the room back and forth, back and forth. Another drink tightly grasped within his left hand, the liquid brushing dangerously close to the rim as his steps became much more forceful against the ground. "I doubt there's anything you can offer to make this any better, wouldn't you say?" Tossing back yet more alcohol to the back of his throat he slammed the crystal glass onto the edge of her desk, his back facing her, his fists clenched tightly against the surface.

Taking a step forward, Adriana let out a sigh of frustration. This wasn't going to be easy, that was apparent.
This had been on her mind for quite some time; she now regretted not pushing harder to tell him when she had the chance. She had tried, only very briefly after their disastrous dinner where she had gotten into an altercation with Elena. But she didn't try hard enough and had placed the conversation in the too hard basket for a later date.
A date which now brought them here by force.

"If there wasn't anything I could offer I'd shut my mouth right now Salvo. Please, let me explain." Taking a few steps further into the room she slowly made her way to Salvatore who remained stiff, refusing to turn around and acknowledge her. "Don't be like that." Reaching to grasp his arm she flinched back as he spun around pushing her hands away from him.

"Don't!" He beamed suddenly too angry to rationalize with her. "I'm in no mood for this."

"So that's it?" Shrugging her shoulders noticeably and raising her eyebrows shooting him a sarcastic look to showcase what she believed was his irrational behaviour. "You're just going to shut me out?"

"I suppose that's exactly what you did to me."

"You think this has been easy on me?" Her tone challenging and completely unsympathetic, "leaving you wasn't easy Salvo, and I'd appreciate it if you stopped throwing it in my face!"

"But fückĩng someone else sure did come easy, didn't it?"

It happened in a split second. Adriana's hand shot up on instinct, she drew it back and pushed her open palm forward. The piercing crack which filled the room shocked them both. Quickly withdrawing, she watched his perfectly flawless cheek morph into different shades of pink as his hand cupped his jaw, his fingers rubbing out the stinging pain inflicted by such a small delicate hand.
They stood wordlessly staring at each other waiting on the other to speak or move. She hadn't meant to slap him, but she didn't regret it either. How could she? After he had so easily insinuated she was a whörȅ.

"I didn't want to do that..." Her previously confident voice now small and whisper-like as her fingers intertwined with each other nervously. Subconsciously, she opened and closed her right palm in an attempt to rid her of the burning sensation. "Did I hurt you?"

"Why did you do it?" Releasing his jaw, he stepped forward in desperate search for answers.

"You called me a whörȅ."