Degeneracy♡

chapter 19: SHIELDED

After about half an hour of complaining and being stroppy, I finally give in. If he goes to such lengths just to get me to his house he isn't going to let me go just because I've asked him to. 

"I need to text my mum to tell her where I am." I tell him as we're sat in silence on the sofa. 

"Okay." He puts bluntly. 

"You have my phone." I point out just as bluntly. 

He sighs and retrieves my phone from his pocket. He is about to give it to me but he stops himself.

"I'm trusting you on this one. However, if you break that trust, it won't happen again, and I can make sure of that." He warns menacingly. 

I snatch my phone off of him, giving him a blunt smile. I look to see just how many messages I have. Seven missed calls, sixteen texts and four voicemails. Great. Quickly, I ring the first number on my missed calls list, which so happens to be my brother. He picks up almost straight away.

"Izzy! You've been worrying us!" He shouts down the phone.

"I'm sorry, I got some food and I saw my friend and we got chatting and now I am sleeping round theirs." I try to justify.

"Who is this friend? Why didn't you ring before, it doesn't take an hour to pick up some food." He interrogates. 

"M-Marie, and my phone was on silent." I say.

There is a moments pause. 

"Fine, I'll tell mum. But you best be back early in the morning!" 

"Will do, thanks, bye!" I quickly put the phone down on him. 

I look up to see Luca chucking at me. I give him a glare. 

"How old are you?" He smirks. 

"Nineteen." I sigh, knowing what will come next.

"And you still have to tell a member of your family where you are at all times?" He laughs.

"No. Not when they know I'm safe." I defend my family. "It's mid December, it's very dark and cold, of course they'll be worried about where I am."

He raises his eyebrows, but looks down at the floor. Almost a look of sadness or pain. I feel bad for him. Maybe he has no family who worry about him and that's why he is so off-the-rails.

"How old are you?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Twenty six."

"Wow, you're loads older than me." I giggle. 

"I could be thirty two, and that's a lot worse." He smirks. 

I give him back my phone. I'm not sure why because I am pretty sure he had forgotten that I even had it. I suppose I was thinking that it is best to be in his good books. 

We have been talking for quite a while by the time I get tired. Just about anything and everything. Nothing personal; light-hearted, icebreaker questions. 

"How tall are you?" I ask, fiddling with my hair.

"Six foot three." 

I look up in amazement at him. 

"And you?" 

"Five foot six." I yawn. 

"Tired?" He asks. I don't give a verbal answer and just nod.

He puts his hand out for me to take. I don't touch it for a while seeing as I still have my wits about me. However, when I do take it, we don't move for a moment; we are simply enchanted by each others touch. 

When we finally snap out of it, Luca leads me up the stairs and into what I presume is his bedroom. Suddenly, I feel all awkward and uncomfortable. The truth is, I've always been somewhat scared around men. I don't know why. Maybe it was because my dad was and still is quite a strict father and took it too far?

I look down in shame, wishing I was someone else for a minute. I see Luca in my peripheral vision, but don't dare meet his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He says softly, his forehead meeting mine. 

I shake my head dismissively, hoping he won't notice how embarrassed I feel. 

Almost as if he has read what I was thinking just a moment ago, he lifts my chin gently so that I meet his eyes and says. "Don't wish yourself to be someone you're not. I want you and no one else."

With that, he kisses me softy, our soft lips moulding together. He kisses me and the world falls away. Slow and soft, comforting in ways that words will never be. His hand rests below my ear, his thumb caressing my cheek as our breathing mingles. I run my fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there is no space left between us and I can feel the beating of his heart against my chest.

The kiss intensifies and he slips his tongue into my mouth. Now I feel in complete comfort, like I know every inch of him. He gently pushes me backwards so the back of my knees meet the bed. He lightly brings me body down to the top of the bed, with him hovering above me. He kisses my ear lobe first, softly, with just the right hint of passion, then works his way down my neck to my collar bone and lightly keeping me in place so I don't jolt up from all the excitement. 

I suddenly remember where I am, who I am, and who is doing this to me. My body goes ridged from all the emotions suddenly crashing back down onto me. Fear, stress, confusion, all soil the moment. 

Luca notices that I am no longer responding to what was extremely intimate for both of us. He doesn't question me or try to entice me into doing anything. He simply pecks me on the lips one more time and rolls over next to me. 

After what feels like a life time of lying in comfortable silence, he gives me some clothes to change into whilst he goes into the bathroom. After getting changed, I start to panic because my phone is dead and I need to charge it for tomorrow. 

Luca comes out of the bathroom with in just some joggers. His abs look like they have been chiseled by the gods as they glisten. 

"Do you... have a charge I can use?" I ask. 

He nods and plugs my phone in for me. He plonks himself then into the bed and ushers for me to get in to, which I eventually do. I turn so I am not facing him because the situation is making my stomach do flips. However, his arm snakes around my waist as I feel my body being pulled into his. Completely ironically, I have never felt so safe in my life. In the arms of a criminal; who would have guessed. 

"Can I ask you something?" I squeak. 

"Yeah, sure."

"What did you do to end up in prison?" 

There is some hesitation before he answers. "I don't want you to look at me differently." 

"I won't. I promise." I yawn. 

He sighs. "I killed someone."

I have to say I am slightly shocked, but to overcome with fatigue to question him further. I just nod and hold his hand as I close my eyes and fall into deep slumber.