Beneath the safe embrace

Episode 2

༺𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔, 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕༻

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"Zyren"

"Zyren"

"Zyren!" I groan and my eyes flutter open, I put my arm around my eyes my head slightly pounding "God's you sleep like a bear" I hear her say next to me and smoke fills my nostrils.

I sit up itching my chin and look at the woman next to me "why did you wake me up so early" I ask my voice groggy and deep because I just woke up "early? it's already three pm" she says and takes a puff of her cigarette "still." I say already slightly angry by me getting woken up for no reason. "you're dad was calling you" she says and that woke me up immediately "for?" "I don't know it's you're phone I'm not just gonna pick up" I suck my teeth and take my phone on the stand next to the bed.

I turn on my phone and see a bunch of missed calls by my dad, I swear he never texts me only calls but he mostly leaves this many calls when it's something important, I sigh and press the button calling him back. a minute later he picks up "Zyren." I hear behind my phone and his voice doesn't sound happy "you called." I hear a sigh after I said that "yes son I've called you a hundred times, but you know I shouldn't be surprised cause every time I call you never pick up" I grit my teeth already hearing his disappointment "what is it that you need father" I ask already wanting this conversation over and done with "I need you to come home right now, there is something I need to discuss with you" he explains "and that is?" I ask "you'll hear it when you get here it's important, and don't take long!" is the last thing he says before he hangs up.

"what was all that about?" the woman next to me asks as she takes another puff of her cig I suck my teeth and take the cigarette from her hand taking a big puff of it and take the blanket of me "something my father wants to tell me and apparently it's important" I put the cigarette on the ash tray and search for my shirt and pants which are somewhere on the ground "oh, alright then. call me later" I nod as I finally find my clothes and quickly put them on as I take my phone and keys.

about an hour later I arrive at the mansion I grew up in. I park at the big driveway in front the door and step outside, one of the Butler's taking my key as I begin walking inside taking a deep breath to get ready for the stupid s**t my father will say to me.

as I walk inside I see my father and mother standing in the living room by the fire place, my father looking sharp and intimidating as always and my mother looking elegant and poist. I take steps toward them and take a seat on the grey couch, my mother also taking a seat on the couch opposite of where I sit.

"it's about time you arrived. look at you're hair and clothes so messy" father says and holding a file "yes well I had to come here quickly like you said and traffic was busy" I say back "welcome back son" my mother says her voice calm as always. "anyway, what I wanted to discuss about is, you're nineteen now son and soon you're gonna be the next heir to the family" I groan after my father said that sentence "dad- father, I don't exactly wanna... be the next leider" I say looking him straight in the eyes and his jaw clenches "you know you don't have a choice son. this has already been decided the moment you were born" "but fath-" I was about to say but got caught off "there's no but, you're part of the Moretti family! the moment you're born into this family you're future and role has already been decided, you're my only son and that means that you're gonna rule this family after me. now it's no time for you to go slacking off!" he says and jaw clenches ready to punch my dad in the face "do I make myself clear?" he asks "i-" "I said! do I make myself clear." he says again and I drop my head nodding.

"good. now the other thing I wanna discuss is that when you're the next heir you're gonna be marrying" my eyes widen at that sentence "marrying!?" he nods and gives the file he's been holding to me, I open it and my dad explains "her name is Jezebel and she's daughter of the De Santis family another mafia family that were gonna be working with and it's decided that you and her are gonna be marrying to make our family more stronger and dangerous" he explains and my eye twitches, I take a look inside the folder, she's pretty I can say, she has curly blond hair and light brown eyes and dimples next to her smile. but I don't wanna marry. "now you know everything and the plans and I trust you'll do exactly what's been decided." he says and walks away.

I close the file and throw it on the glass table, leaning forward my hands on my knees, mother stands up from the couch and walks over to sit next to me, she slowly puts her hand on my back rubbing it like she always did since I was little after father made me do stuff I didn't wanna do or tell me stuff I didn't wanna hear "it's oke son..i know that this isn't what you want but...he has a point, you're future has already been decided and I wish I could do something but I can't" she says while Still rubbing my back. I tilt my head toward her "I hate this, I hate him. if I could have the chance to leave I would" my mom's eyes widen immediately after I said that and her hand clenches around my shirt "p-please son..dont leave me, don't leave this life you know you can't. I'm sorry but you don't have a choice so don't disappoint you're father and everyone else" she stands up after that and smooths her dress.

I scoff and stand up after her "and don't scoff at me mister." she says and takes the bottle of liquor and pours it in a glass, she immediately gulps it down "I'm gonna go" I say and walk away to the door already wanna get out of here before I cuss someone out. I open the door and walk outside the outside air flowing through my hair, I walk down the stairs and toward the garage where the cars are, I don't care which car but I just take one and step inside. I go to the sun visor and pull it down and the key falls on my lap, I take the key and push it in the ignition lock and start the car.

I drive out of the garage and on the street. it's been like two hours since I've been driving and I don't know where I'm even driving I'm just taking turns and going around and going to other neighborhoods until I didn't wanna drive anymore and I just drove in this quiet neighborhood and stopped at a small store called "Frenders store".

I turn of the car and sigh putting my head on my steering wheel, today has been such an ass day and I just wanna punch something or someone. I then step out the car my hoodie keeping me warm from the cold night. I then walk inside the store, the bell ringing as I open the door and as I'm inside I take a look at the cashier counter and I see a woman, she has curly black hair wrapped in a bun and dark brown eyes, she looks pretty in my opinion,we make eye contact for a second until I look away and take a stroll around the store looking at the items on the shelfs and stuff. God I don't even know why I'm here so I don't even know what to buy and I can feel the chick staring at me,

after few minutes I then walk to the counter and just take whatever my eyes look at and it's a pack of bubblegum, she takes the pack and scans it "that'll be two dollars and eight cents" she says and I check my pockets for cash 'f**k I forgot my wallet and phone in my car' I say to myself, the car that I drove with here is just a random car I took and I don't think this one has any money lying around in there s**t s**t s**t. "are...you oke?" she asks and I check any other pocket I have for some little cash cause it's f*****g embarrassing to come in a*****e and take something and not bring money "yea I'm fine I um just..." s**t I absolutely have no money "you don't have- two dollars and eight cents?" she asks and I can feel her judging me "yea I do! it's just that I came here in a rush so-" I say not even know where my words go as I still search for something in my empty pockets trying not to make a fool of myself in front of her.

I hear her sigh and she takes the pack and hands it out to me "here" she says and I look at her confused "it's on the house" 'she's just gonna give it to me for free?' I say in my head "for real?" I ask and I hear her sigh "just take it, it's just a pack of gum" she says and I stare at her still shocked, I then take it and our hands touch, I look at her and damn..her eyes are pretty to look at not gonna lie, some strands of hair falling on her slightly chubby face and her hand feels soft and cold, I then take the pack of gum and pull my hand back, our hands not touching anymore and it's just a burning feeling on my hand "thanks...for this" I say and she shakes her head her lips forming in a small smile "it's nothing, it's just gum" she says and I stare at her a while longer. she looks more beautiful when she smiles, she looks like she's glowing her pimples showing and her lips pretty shade of red that I just wanna kis- 'f*****g hell what the f**k am I thinking' I say to myself and quickly turn around and walk out the store.

shit what was that, I get inside my car and brush my hair back sighing. I start the car and look at the pack of gum in my hand, that's the first time I've felt whatever I was feeling and I wanna see her again and I don't know why. I clear my throat and put the pack in my hoodie pocket and drive away.