Someone Else

Chapter 23

Matt takes me where he knows I would love it most, underground the Colosseum.

"I just love how people killed each other for freedom, money and fame here." I said, looking around the ruins excitedly.

"No?! I thought they held weddings here."

I giggle at his joke and pick up and small stone. "You are mine now, little one." I whispered, tucking it into my over the shoulder bag.

Matt had told me I wouldn't need it, but he was wrong. I've been collecting things while he's been showing me around, like fallen olive branches and leaves and certain rocks from ruins when he wasn't looking. I'm a bit of a hoarder.

After the Colosseum, we go back to his parent's mansion and I linger around the pool where Gio was killed. It's a very large pool on the roof, all I can see for miles is trees. How could he have been killed by a sniper?

"Princess, come on." Matt said, placing his hand on my back between my shoulder blades.

I nod and go to his room where I've been staying. There are over 20 rooms in this house but I decided not to use a guest room.

Men come in and out. I can tell they've been told not to carry their usual guns with me around. They look at me curiously, it's clear that I'm not the usual type of outside women they see around here. I'm not tall or particularly stunning in joggers and a baggy tee with my school name on it.

"Hi there, Dono!" I said to Gio's black husky puppy. He named him Donatello, but I call him Dono for short.

When Dono first met me, he was scared and trembling but now he loves me.

Dono runs to me with his tiny little legs and I pick him up like a baby. "Hey there, who's a good boy? Yes, you are!" I cooed, scratching his belly.

"Dio, devo competere anche con il cane..." ("God, I have to compete with the dog too ...") Matt mumbled grumpily. I don't know what he said but I'm sure I would have laughed if I understood Italian.

I understand 'cane' and 'dio', which is dog and God, but that's not enough to piece together a sentence.

"Are you hungry, Dono? Do you want some food?" I asked. He licked my face and I laughed. "Alright, let's get you some kibble."

Matt follows us to the kitchen where I get Dono's bowl. I add one scoop of kibble, one scoop puppy essential nutrients, an egg with crushed up shell and some cut up frozen chicken intestines from the braised chicken I made yesterday.

He looks green as I make the bowl. He's got the stomach for gore but not some intestines from an already dead chicken?

"Here you go, Dono." I said, putting the bowl down for him. He doesn't eat too fast which makes me very happy. I sit on the floor next to him while he eats and Matt stares at me incredulously.

"The dog can eat by himself." Matt said.

I shrug. "I wanna sit next to him. Then we're gonna watch a movie and go for a walk."

"By we, do you mean you and me or you and the dog?"

I laugh. "You, me and Dono." I specified. "Tonight I'm going to teach him some tricks."

"Great." He said sarcastically.

I don't get why he doesn't like Dono. Dono loves him, he even tries to okay with him sometimes. Maybe it's because Matt smells slightly like Gio?

I can tell the brothers didn't necessarily get along but Matt won't tell me what happened.

It's completely fine, I can raise Dono by myself. Gio knew his parents don't like dogs and Matt wouldn't take care of Donatello. So he trusted me with him.

When Dono eats all his food, I wash the bowl and put it away. He follows me to the living room and sits on the floor, facing me. He knows he can only get on the couch when I allow him to. Gio did a fine job training his puppy.

"Come, Dono." I said, patting my lap.

He jumps onto the couch and sits on my lap. I put on his favorite show, Total Drama Island. When I watched it, he watched it intently, even getting excited when something happens.

Matt sits down next to me and Dono wags his tail, probably thinking Matt has warmed up to him. Poor boy...

I climb onto Matt's lap with Dono and we watch a few episodes like this. After exactly forty minutes, I turn off the TV.

"It's time for a walk, Dono!" I said, putting him down to get the leash.

He doesn't follow me and sits on Matt's foot instead. I secretly snap a picture and make it my home screen photo.

Dono only likes one of his many leashes, a deep green one with penguins on it. I suspect it's because this is the first leash Gio picked out for him.

I come back and Dono looks at me while wagging his tail.

"Come here, boy!" I said, going on my knees. He runs to me and lifts his head for me to attach the collar. "Good boy, let's go!"

Matt follows wordlessly as I take Dono outside to the trail.

"Good afternoon!" I said to some of the men who simply nodded at me. At least they didn't ignore me.

I let Dono lead the way and we go off the trail to the stream. Dono loves this stream for some reason.

He yips at me and I take off his collar. He goes behind a tree and digs a hole before doing his business in it and burying it.

"Smart dog." Matt said for the first time.

"Yes, Dono is very well trained." I said, smiling happily.

"That's a surprise." He mumbles.

My smile fades and I look down at the collar in my hands. Him not liking his brother is one thing, but he does always have to insult Gio like that? And in front of me and Dono?

I go to Dono to check how he's doing so Matt can't see my disappointment. He's just finishing up and my smile returns. How can anyone not love Dono?

He sniffs around the rocks and trees and brings back a nice thick stick.

I sit down and throw it for him to bring it back. "Do you want to throw it?" I asked Matt, who's standing next to me, watching.

"No."

I frown but don't say anything else. Dono brings the stick back, his tongue now sticking out. He's such a happy pup, it makes me so glad. Dogs are the best way to cure depression, especially my depression.

I throw it many times before Dono gets tired. He drinks from the stream and comes back to climb onto my lap.

He takes nap there and I lay back, putting him on my chest.

"Now is that really necessary?" Matt asked.

"He will be up soon, lay down with us." I said quietly.

Matt sighs irritably and sits down. That's better than nothing, I suppose. I close my eyes and and drift off unexpectedly.

Dono licks my face to wake me and I giggle. "Okay, okay, I'm up." I said.

Matt is still in that position, staring at us with a reserved expression. The sun is a bit lower, it must have been an hour.

I stand up and put Dono's leash back on. "Let's go home, boy." I said.

He barks and runs to the direction of the house and I laugh as I'm pulled along, holding on to Matt's hand too.

"I'm going to give you a bath now, Dono." I said when we get back. He barks excitedly and jumps around.

"Matt, can you watch him as I take a shower?" I asked.

"Fine."

"If I catch you being mean to Dono, I'm going to fly myself back to the States." I warned him. "If you do anything could could possibly upset me in even the slightest possible way, I'm taking Dono and we're never coming back to Italy."

"Okay, f**k! I get it." He half yelled.

I smile and give him a quick hug before leaving. I pick out a tank top and yellow shorts to be festive and hop in the shower.

Gio loved that dog, when I was in his house, there were so many toys and collars and leashes lying around. I don't understand why Matt doesn't like Dono, I've seen him around other dogs and he seemed fond of them.

I've never asked him what happened to make him hate Gio so much, because I knew he didn't want to talk about it. But Dono has done nothing. For f**k's sake, he's a puppy...

When we first brought Dono here, I left them alone in Matt's room to take a shower. Dono was on the bed trying to play with Matt.

Then I heard a thump and a loud whine from Dono and ran out in just a towel. Matt had pushed his brother's dog off the bed. I asked him if he'd gone crazy and he stormed out.

A sob escapes me and I quickly covered my mouth. I sit down in the tub and bury my face in my hands, silently crying into them.

Loving Matt is difficult, he's difficult. It's never once bothered me that he's killed people but how could he hurt Dono? A f*****g puppy! I knew Matt was not a gentle man, not even kind; but I thought that he would do such a thing.

"Princess, what's taking so long?" He asked.

"I got shampoo in my f*****g eyes!" I lied. "Just watch him for a few more minutes, please."

"Alright. Are you okay?"

I'm fan-f*****g-tastic. "Yeah, just let me take a shower, geez."

I get up and quickly finish my shower. Usually I'd let Dono in here with me but if he saw me cry, he might start barking and Matt might come in to check on me.

I towel off and get dressed. When I wipe away fog on the mirror, I see my eyes and nose are red, my lips swollen from sobbing. If I smile brightly enough, Matt won't ask.

"Dono! Dono, baby?" I called out, opening the door.

I hear his paws hit the floor and his collar clink as he runs to my voice. He into the room and stands on two legs in front of my feet. I smile and pick him up again.

"Come on, I'll give you a bath on the sun deck." I said, taking off his color and putting it around my bicep so I don't loose it.

We walk out and I see Matt sitting on the couch watching some movie in Italian. At least he won't notice my face.

On the sun deck, there's already a little tub and the husky shampoo I bought for Dono. I use the hose to fill up the tub before putting Dono in.

He barks and splashes around happily. Water gets all over me but I don't mind.

I'm so lucky he likes water, if he didn't he'd be so loud about it.

"Sit." I said, kneeling on the sun-warmed wooden floor.

He does so and I lather shampoo on his black fur. "Don't think I don't know, Dono." I whispered as if he could understand me. "Gio got you because he knew I would love you." He barks twice and I laugh. "See, even you know."

I notice some men standing on the ground staring at me and I wave to them.

They go back to their patrolling and I frown. Not even gonna wave or nod or anything? Rude.

"It's fine, Dono. I like you better than them anyways." I said, taking extra care to wash his ears. I don't want him to get an infection if water gets in. "When you're grown up, you'll protect Matt and me better than them anyways. Won't you?"

He doesn't bark or anything, just looks at me curiously. 'Why is my hooman having a conversation with me?' he's probably thinking.

I smile and make sure he's clean from head to paw and take him out of the tub to hose him down. For this part, he puts his paws on my stomach and whines. "It's alright, it's almost done."

Water gets all over me, completely soaking my top and shorts. "You're lucky you're adorable." I mumble.

When he's completely clean, I take the towel I hang on the rail and towel him off first before swaddling him like a baby. I bring him into the living room to get the blow-drier and brush I keep under the coffee table.

I put the towel under us so I don't get water on the floor and make sure his fur is completely dry before I brush him. Matt stares at us, more specifically me, and I wonder why he's not watching his movie anymore.

When Dono is all dry and brushed and shiny, I put his collar back on then let him play with some toys as I clean up the balcony.

"Watch out below!" I yelled out before I empty the tub. There are grooves and a drain up here but sometimes water still goes over. I hang the towel up to dry and go rinse off again.

I realize that I wasn't wearing a bra and the front of my white tank top is completely soaked... Oh so that was why the men were staring. And they still didn't wave back?!

Before my ego can shrivel up and die, I change into another pair of red shorts and a black shirt and throw the old clothes in the dirty clothes chute.

I sit next to Matt on the couch and watch Dono play with his toy bone instead of watching movie.

"What are you going to do tonight?" I asked Matt, leaning my chin on his shoulder. "While I'm teaching Dono some tricks?"

He sighs. "I'll be out tonight."

Out? When is he going to come back? What is he going to do? Will he be drinking?

"Okay, I hope you'll have as much fun as we'll be having. Right Dono?"

Dono yips and wags his tail and I giggle. Matt tenses, making my smile dim.

"Dono and I are gonna go to the garden for a while, just the two of us. We'll be back in half an hour." I said, kissing Matt on the cheek.

I put my shoes back on and Dono follows me out.

He really likes the garden. There are olive trees, apple trees and even grape vines here! I watch him very carefully when we pass the grape vines, making sure he doesn't eat any.

Grapes can cause kidney failure for dogs, I think. I don't know for sure so I have to watch him.

I pick and apple from the tree and bite into it. Deliciously sweet and crisp. I give Dono some and he devours the piece happily. If only Gio could see...he'd be so happy too.

I only let Dono have three small pieces and finish off the apple myself.

When we come back to the house, Matt had left.