s*x And Gambit

12: Goodnight, Alita

ZORA’S POV

It was messy but I had this feeling that nothing worse would happen to me here, not when I have Alita sneaking in foods for me for two nights now and Mama Carlotta being the sweetest person alive. What I didn’t get was why my life would change so much?!

Dinner in this mansion seems like a festival. Lots of cooking, lots of smiling mean looking men and lots of less work. I thought they would all leave the work for me but they didn’t, everyone washed their plates as soon as they were done. As usual, I didn’t get to eat because I felt Alex would fix someone to watch me. Someone like Alita who had this same reaction all morning.

I no longer needed Alita to guard me in my room, in fact, I was excited to go alone as I anticipated what she would get me.

I bathed, washed the clothes and sat on the bed waiting. She should be around, she doesn’t take this long.

‘c’mon’ I thought as I was growing impatient and hungrier.

My stomach growled, I groaned, lay and rolled over but she did not show, something tells me that she had given up on me but I lied to myself that she was preparing something better, maybe a real meal and not another type of bread.

Tired, I lay still and closed my eyes. I knew I should give up and just sleep but I was angry! Why?

She isn’t related to me, she just decided to help me and it wasn’t as if she was even supposed to.

Angry, exhausted and relaxed the door opened without warning. I flinched but settled immediately when I saw Alita. I felt this tinge of hope but that hope vanished when she came closer and sat on my bed.

“I have nothing today, Zora" She said.

I gulped.

I didn’t know why I was so furious but I was. It could be the hunger. I shouldn’t be an azzhole.

“You don’t look okay, what happened?” she said.

I grinned, should I let her know that I was mad and hungry? No way in hell!

“Alex hasn’t been home all day, don’t you think it’s strange?” she asked looking worried.

I felt bad for her, she doesn’t know her hero is a bad jerk. I avoided her sad gaze, looking at anything but her face. When I realized she wasn’t looking I glanced at her but didn’t get what I expected, not that grimace on her face.

He sometimes stays out for months, weeks , days but I just…I just feel like something has happened to him since his cousin died” she sniffed.

She looked at me and realized I have been watching her, maybe her act was that bad or she doesn’t know how to show the right emotions and when. She moved closer to me, took my palm and caressed it.

“Alex has been acting strange since you arrived, tell me as a fellow woman, did you do anything to him?” she asked.

She was making herself look real cute and I knew it. She felt I would just tell her stuff and I really wanted to. I wanted to tell her that her cousin is a murderer, a jerk, a kidnapper, he was just anything evil that strangled me almost to death more than once.

“Why do you think I would hide something from you, Alita” I asked instead.

She let go of my hand, stood up and walked to the door.

“Are you mad because I didn’t get something?”

“Are you mad because you so called distant cousin have not strangled me to death?” I intoned.

This time I was pissed.

I really want to spill the s**t but could I? What if Alex kills her for knowing about the murder if I tell her? Would her blood be in my hands? She is 19, I don’t think I would forgive myself if anything happened to her because of me.

“It’s late, Alita” I said calmly and lay in bed.

My back was facing the door and I didn’t want to know when she would leave or if she would decide to stay. I just needed her out or silent before I said something we would both regret. But she wasn’t going to let that slide, maybe she was just so clueless or stupid.

“Did you kill Dante?” she asked.

My heart skipped a beat and nearly exploded. It was like a whole life span had been sucked out of my life and my breath became uneven. I shivered, not for the cold, but for fear. I feared for her.

“Who is Dante?” I asked as I rolled over to see her face.

She looked relaxed, like she had verified what she wanted to know.

“I am a fvcking student, Alita! I am 23, in my 5th semester studying law, I am from Romania and I am stuck here?” I stood up.

I wanted to cry, to yell, and to let her know I wasn’t having all of it but I pretend to be as calm as possible.

“I am fvcking 23, what do you think? Do I love being trapped? Do I love being in a mafia’s house who I don’t know?” I sighed.

As she didn’t say anything, I heaved a sigh of deep relief and walked back to the bed.

“Good night, Alita” I said.

She left. Not even another word, she just looked like she had lost it all and walked away.

As soon as the door closed, I slopped and burst into tears. My heart aches, my stomachache, my body aches, I don’t know what to do. My life shouldn’t be like this, it shouldn’t end this way. Would my family be worried? Are they going to be mad at me for getting involved with Marcel in the first place?

What if people blame me for talking to him in the first place? What if people blame me for not walking out of the relationship long ago?

It was all my fault! What did I do to myself?