AMORE

Birthday present

Bella

"Bella....wow" Diego muttered as he barged into my room. He ogled at me, wanting me to shy away awkwardly. I snickered as I saw him pretend to fall unconscious.

Just as I was about to help him stand up, Ali walked in and halted in his steps; "Your boobs look great" to which Diego opened one eye and nodded my way. "Oh god" I groaned at their blunt comments and urged Diego to stand up.

"Where is Jasmine?" I asked them, tying my hair in a pony tail. However, Diego was quicker than that and held on to my arm and shook his head; "Moretti likes your hair down" he snickered, high fiving Ali.

"Jasmine is busy making babies with your brother" Ali answered my question after seeing my glare, as I took all my hair and made a bun on top of my head to piss of the boys.

"Why are you looking so hot anyway?" Diego asked with furrowed brows as he took in my outfit. I didn't consider it "hot", it was just fancy. "If you don't remember, it is Adams birthday, so I want to dress up" I told them, seeing their faces fall at the mention of Adam.

"What she is trying to say is that she is dressing hot so lover boy can get all angry at her and fuck her after the party instead of Adam" Ali spoke sassily as he plopped himself on the bed, Diego following right after. I rolled my eyes at the answer, even though I knew it was true. I wanted Lorenzo to see me and only me. I wanted him to want me so much that he would only see me. And you know what they say, we want the things we can't have.

"Do you like him?" Diego asked after a while, taking me by shock. My body stiffened at that question and I looked down quickly, blinking away the hurt from my eyes. the memories of him admitting killing my parents flashed through my mind. The memories of how I waited for him in England for three more years, but he disappeared like he was never there to begin with. The memories of his conversation with Lina were also present in my mind and then Aisha. How easily could he move on? Didn't it hurt, being away from me?

I shook my head as an answer as I looked back at Diego who was observing my every move. "No, I hate him. I hate him so much that I am ready to inflict myself pain so he can feel something in that cold heart of his. He is the devil, Diego. Literally. I can't believe that I once loved that man. I loved him. He isn't my Renzo anymore, Diego. He changed like-"

I rambled on until I was cut off by Diego who held on to wrist and stopped me. He looked at me with care and smiled softly; "I was asking about Adam". I exhaled the air that was trapped inside me and sat down between the two boys who went quite too. I felt exposed and wanted to cower away in a corner and beat myself up. My mind was so full of him that I couldn't think straight.

"Why do you want to inflict him pain?" Diego asked and looked at me sideways. I fiddled with the necklace I was wearing and didn't respond to his question. I simply didn't know what to say. I couldn't answer any questions, his or my own.

"You want him to realize that you are the one for him" Ali whispered as he hugged me sideways. I didn't look into his eyes because I knew that my tears were standing first row to fall down. I nodded, not denying the fact that I truly did want him to only like me. Just me.

"I am scared" I admitted to the boys, who had been my moral support over the years. Diego was the first friend I had made back in England when I had met Lorenzo. Scar too, but he was more like a brother to me. Ali was the friend I had sticked by through my university years and even after that when Khalid made him come with us to Iran. He was family to me by now.

"Of what?" Diego asked as he sat down on the floor, in front of me. He held my hands in his own and clutched them, urging for me to tell him.

"I don't even know Diego. I- I don't know" I answered, feeling Ali rub circles on my back.