More Than A Bet

Chapter 8

ADINA

I shut the door and leaned back against it, eyes closed, breath uneven. My apartment felt too quiet, as Aurora wasn't at home, she'd gone out to visit her boyfriend.

I walked towards the window without turning on the light, I peeked through the half-open curtains, Giovanni's car was still parked outside the curb.

“Why is he still here?” I whispered to myself.

Seconds passed and his car was still parked there. I turned away and walked into the bathroom.

The shower knob squeaked as I cranked it to hot, steam rose fast and I stripped mechanically, stepping under the spray, and I let the water pound my shoulders until it hurt.

I kept my eyes shut for some second, and I saw the alley incident again. The cold wall at my back, Lucas sour breath against my neck, the knife, my screams and Giovanni's appearance.

What would have happened to me, if he hadn't followed me… If he hadn't heard…

My knees folded, I sank to the tiles, under the shower, arms wrapped around myself, water streaming down my face and mixing with my tears. I stayed under the shower for a few minutes. I finally shut off the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I didn't check the window again not wanting to find out if Giovanni’s car was still there.

11:30AM

“ Late as always, Malvetti.”

“Wrong, Ice Queen, you're just early.” He said, placing two steaming cups on the table, the aroma of hazelnut and caramel filled the lab.

“ Figured you could use real coffee for once, instead of that sludge you drink.”

I slid my own cup of black coffee closer to me. “ Well I'm fine with my sludge.”

He glanced at it. “ That tastes like regret.”

“ So does whatever you're drinking”

“ Touchè.” he shrugged, unfazed. “ Suit yourself, more for me.”

I exhaled deeply. “ Thank you, for saving me last night, Giovanni.”

He paused, half-way into his chair, his eyes searching for my face. “ You don't have to thank me, Adina”

“ I do.” I said, meeting his gaze straight on, if you hadn't showed up… I swallowed. “Who knows what would have happened to me. So thank you, Giovanni.”

He studied me for a few seconds, and nodded. “You're welcome.”

An uncomfortable silence settled between us, he pulled his chair closer than necessary and sat beside me.

I gestured to the blueprints spread across the table, the intricate designs for the Material Systems Analysis project.

He took a long sip, his eyes scanning the blueprints. “ So, where were we? Trying to figure out how to make this s**t not collapse?”

My lips tightened, I'd spent the last hour wrestling with the structural math, my brows furrowed in concentration.

“ I have it handled, but if you insist on contributing, maybe you can start with the steel framing, unless that's too complicated for the dumb rich kid?”

Giovanni didn't say anything, he picked up a pencil and began scribbling calculations on his notepad.

“ Actually,” he said after a moment, leaning in and pointing at the blueprints. “ The axial load distribution here is off, you're underestimating the dead load”

“ No I'm not.” I frowned.

“ He took the pen, and scribbled quickly again. “ Steel frame, not concrete, different densities.”

I leaned in closer, eyes narrowing as I followed his calculations. “ Show me.”

For the next one hour, we were both engrossed in the project, and I was surprised to know Giovanni possessed a sharp mind for structural engineering. I was utterly impressed by how he navigated complex equations with ease.

“ See?” Giovanni said, pointing at the CAD drawing.

“ If we're going to build a solid mid-rise mixed-used building, we need a solid foundation. Just like us, Adina.” He leaned closer, his shoulder brushing against mine and the scent of a familiar fragrance, cedar and earth, filled my senses.

My heart skipped a beat, but I straightened up, grabbing my and stabbed it at the blueprint. “ The only thing of mixed use here is your brain. Focus on the steel framing, and not my foundation.”

The air was thick with unspoken tension, Giovanni didn't move, his gaze lingered on me. “ What if I want to focus on your foundation?” He murmured, his voice low.

Before I could retort, a loud clap of thunder echoed through the room, followed by the downpour of a heavy rain.

“ s**t,” I muttered, gathering the blueprints, as the rain lashed violently at the windows. “You've got to be kidding me,” I hissed, staring out the window. “ I have no umbrella.”

“ I do,” Giovanni said, calmly.

“ Of course you do” I shot him a look.

Professor Moretti ended the class, and I made my way towards the entrance of the East wing. Wind drove the rain sideways, soaking my shoes in split seconds.

I pressed my bag against my chest, cursing under my breath.

“ Hey,” Giovanni appeared beside me holding an umbrella.

“ Get under,” he said, opening the umbrella.

“ Go away, Giovanni, I'm fine.” I said, my voice tight.

“ And let those drawings turn into paper machè? I don't think so. That's my grade in that bag, too.”

My breath hitched as he stepped closer to me, forcing the umbrella over the both of us, trapping me in a small dry world that only smelled of him and my.

Due to the humidity and spray of the rain my thin white shirt clung tightly to my skin turning translucent under the flickering of the yellow lights of the walkway.

Giovanni's gaze dropped to my chest, his eyes darkened and without a word, he shifted his stance, moving his frame directly in front of me, using her body as a shield to block me from the view of passing students.

“ You're shaking, Adina,” he said, softly. “ Here, let me keep you warm.”

“ For a second, the memory of him standing over Lucas at the alley, the way he'd carried me to the car, and the sheer, magnetic pull of his presence reached out to me and I found myself leaning in, my forehead almost touching his damp lapel.

Then, I saw the faint smear of pink on his collar, the leftover ghost of the red-haired girl lipstick, my eyes hardened and I shoved his chest with both hands, pushing him away.

“ I'd rather get pneumonia than be another one of your Monday night distractions.” I gripped my bag, tighter, knuckles white.

“ You think because you saved me from one guy with a knife, I'm going to forget who you are? You're a predator, Malvetti. You just wear more expensive clothes than Lucas.”

“ I was only trying to help you Adina,” he growled, his softness vanishing into a cold, hard edge.

“ I don't need help from people like you, Malvetti.”

I didn't wait for him to step aside, I lunged out from the umbrella into the freezing downpour running, my sneakers splashing through deep puddles, the rain instantly soaking me to my bone. I didn't look back to see if he was still standing there, I just needed to get away from the heat of him.