SURRENDER - Mafia Romance

• CHAPTER 31 •

Talia

I wasn't sure that leaving him in the middle of the night was the right choice to do but I wanted Joe to know that I chose to come back. I felt bad for what happened last night and wondered if I should open up to Joe or stay silent.

"Talia?" He called.

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear what I was saying?"

"No, I'm sorry. Tell me again. What was the problem"

"One of the guys who we went to give the SP to," he started, "he just picked a fight with us, you know, because he wanted–"

My brain froze. It switched to the last image I saw of Ace, laying in his bed fully asleep. What did he do when he woke up? Did he ask about me? Did he wonder where I went or did he forget about last time? Last time when he was drunk he woke up completely aware of what happened. Maybe this time it was different, maybe this time he forgot. He begged me to stay, why didn't he call me? My heart fell to my knees when I remembered his lips on mine. I shouldn't have let him kiss me but I was paralyzed. How can you push away something you've wanted for so long?

"Talia?" He called. I immediately turned my head to him.

"Yes?"

He scoffed and shook his head. "You're not with me at all,"

"I am sorry I–"

"You're thinking about him aren't you?" He confronted me. My heart fell in my knees as if he spoke a truth I, myself, was avoiding.

"N–No, no, Joe, I–"

"You are," he nodded, with a smile that broke my heart. He was hurting. I hurt him. "You're not able to forget him, Talia. I tried. I tried to be there for you. I tried to kiss you, hoping you're not feeling his lips. I tried to hug you and sleep next to you, hoping you're not comparing us. I tried to love you, hoping you'd love me back one day. But you don't care about me at all."

"I am trying, Joe. I told you it will be hard for me to move on."

"Yeah, and I was patient. But I can't anymore. It hurts!" He yelled.

"It will happen Joe, I will move on, just–"

"No, Talia. You won't move on. You don't want to move on. You love him. I don't understand why. He has only been treating you like shit since your father's death." He shook his head, "go to him Talia. That's what you want."

"I don't want to, I want to move on."

"Go back to the house Talia." He slowly led me to the door, holding my wrist in his tight grip.

"Are you kicking me out?"

He opened my fist, placed his car keys and closed my fingers on them, "you can take my car,"

"Joe–"

"I'm sorry," he opened the door. He wasn't able to look me in the eyes, he wasn't able to say it out loud. "You have to go Talia, I have to let you go." He mumbled, trying to make himself believe what he was saying.

I didn't say anything. I stood there, with my shoes in my hands, his keys in the other, staring at the closed door, unsure of where to go. I didn't want to go back to Ace's house but I didn't want to knock on Joe's door because I knew very well what it feels like loving someone who doesn't love you back.

When I arrived at the house, I frowned. The securities did not look familiar but somehow opened the gate for me. I drove in and parked behind Ace's car. I got out of the car and looked at the house. It was dark and silent. I wasn't sure if I should get in, I wasn't sure if Ace will care if I was back. But a part of me wanted to see, a part of me was risking breaking my heart even more for a very low chance of a change because of the night before. I rang the doorbell and stood there. The more time went by the more regret was spreading in me like cancer. I was shaking and my heart was racing. I was creating scenarios of what was going to happen. But what actually happened was far from what I expected.