Whispers in New York - Book Two

~Chapter 8~

Chapter Song

My Fault - Imagine Dragons

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"No?"

Adriana repeated the word dumbfounded.

No.

It had come out so firmly, so demanding, so familiar.
She stood before him as she was released from his grip. She didn't know what to say or do, what could she say really? They were way past formalities after all.

"No." He repeated once more. "You can't turn up here and just leave Adriana. It doesn't work that way." The frustration was evident within his words, yet the look on his face showed a mixture of shock and sadness.
He was absolutely floored by her presence; he hadn't expected her, not here, not today. Yet here she stood before him looking equally as heartbroken as he felt.
He could see the guilt within her eyes, the way she nervously played with the ends of her hair as they stared at each other.

A part of him wanted to be angry, he wanted to grab her by the shoulders, scream in her face, demand answers. All things he had thought about after every phone conversation with her. She frustrated him every single time. They would go back and forth back and forth pleading their cases to each other, pointless conversations which never eventuated into anything more than words.
When she began to lie and make up an imaginary relationship she was in, he knew he had pushed her even further away. Her lies irritated him.
Yet now he felt differently. As the slight breeze played with her hair the sight of her became almost calming.
He felt the urge to take her hand, force her towards him just so he could smell her scent just once more. The scent she had left on his pillow before she decided he wasn't good enough for her.
Deep down he knew he wasn't and never could be. What kind of life could he provide her with? How long would it be before his life ended her own?

"I'm sorry for your loss." The words came out weakly, the shakiness being revealed in her voice which she was attempting to hide but failing miserably. She couldn't think straight when he was around her, her thoughts became muddled with emotions, emotions she would rather not acknowledge.

"You weren't going to stick around to tell me that? At least you're consistent, I'll give you that." He casually opened his suit jacket up reaching in to retrieve his cigarette box. He brought one to his lips before reaching back in for a lighter. He lit the cigarette before taking a long deep drag, shoving the cigarettes and lighter back into his jacket. He briefly closed his eyes to regain some composure.
He was angry; he could feel it pumping within his veins, surging through him within his blood. Yet alongside that anger there was something else, something more, something which frustrated him.

"I left a card."

And a lasagna which your mother destroyed.

She would've added had his mother not been acting on grief.

"A card. Right." He removed the cigarette from his lips giving her a brief look up and down. "I'll be sure to read it." He motioned towards her damp dress. "What happened here?"

Adriana subconsciously ran a hand over the front of her dress embarrassed. She knew she looked horrible, probably like something a cat would drag in. She scolded herself internally for always being so clumsy.
"Oh. I. It's wine."

"Small talk huh? This is what we've come too?"

She shrugged unsure of what exactly would be the right thing to say. What words could she possibly speak to erase all the wrongs and make it right between them? Did they even exist?

I'm sorry I let you touch me when I wasn't ready?

I'm sorry I left?

I'm sorry I didn't come back until now?

The thoughts consumed her as she licked her suddenly parched lips swallowing the dry lump at the back of her throat. She hated herself for being nervous around him. She had thought about meeting him again, maybe catching up for a drink, dinner.

Disposing of a dead body.

She shuddered at the intrusive morbid thought. "How are you holding up? I imagine it's been difficult."

"Difficult." He mimicked. "I've been fine. It's my family who are finding it, difficult." He took a step forward towards her as she took one step back locking her eyes back with his. She watched him stop and let out a slightly frustrated breath.

"I'm sorry." She quickly apologized embarrassed. There was no reason he couldn't be close to her, no reason he couldn't be trusted and she knew that.

"I shouldn't be here," she shook her head showing clear frustration with herself. "Luca told me you needed me back here after what happened, for your piece of mind. So I came, for you. I wasn't supposed to be here today though; I don't know what I was thinking. I overstepped." She nervously played with the keys in her hands, running her fingers along the loops of the many key chains she owned. It was ridiculous really; she had her brother's house key and her car key. The various key chains well outnumbered the amount of keys she actually had.

Salvatore flicked the cigarette to the ground surprising Adriana when he chuckled to himself blowing out the remaining smoke from his mouth. "That what he told you to get you back here?" He ground the cigarette into the ground hard with his shoe.

"Sorry?"

"He lied sweetheart." His eyes immediately traveled from the cigarette on the ground to her reaction. "Now that you're here, I'd like it if you stayed."

"Stay?" Her eyes widened in disbelief, was he actually being serious right now? He wanted her to say? After all the pain she had caused him? After he had practically begged her on numerous occasions to come home only to shut him down each and every time.
No. He couldn't possibly want her to stay.

"Don't over think it. You're always over thinking. Just stay."

"Salvo-" she felt him step forward, but this time she didn't back away. She allowed him to reach for her keys, taking grip of one of the decorative key chains pulling her slightly forward as she held on tight.
She let his other hand creep up and brush through her dark layered hair. He played with the same ends she had briefly previously played with; she could feel his eyes all over her as she squirmed under the familiar feeling.

"I miss hearing my name from your lips. Stay."

"I can't. Your mother she, she's upset. I have to go." She raised a hand taking a slight hold of his forearm as his index finger curled a few strands of her hair around it. She felt him tug slightly; she chewed on the inside of her cheek needing to suppress any sounds threatening to escape from her lips.
There was no denying the familiar attraction which remained brewing between them. How could she deny it? They had only briefly explored it before she allowed herself to tear it all apart.

"Tomorrow..." She surprised herself as the word left her lips. "I'll meet you tomorrow, how about for coffee?"

"Dinner" he challenged back immediately very aware he was certainly pushing his luck.

"Lunch" she tugged his arm down forcing him to release her hair.

"Ok. Lunch."

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Well look at that... Looks like Salvo got himself a little lunch date =O

I bet you can't wait to see if Adriana has it in her to be a little civilized and maybe not have a nervous breakdown through just one Salvo / Ade encounter?

Well, I'll see you guys next Monday to find out...

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! JUST KIDDING! This is totally a double update!!!

Hit the star and leave me comments before swiping on over to the next chapter

135 votes in 24 hours for this chapter and the next for a sneaky extra update next week ;-)