Don't Leave Me

Chapter 25

We sat down on the blanket and started eating some of the foods. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to eat first. Picking out some berries I felt joy rushing through my whole body. This date is amazing and I can't believe someone would do this for me.

"I freaking love it here. You have no idea how much this means to me.", I said to him.
"Enlighten me angel."
"My mom and I always used to make trips to a forest. We went to a lake similar to this that was surrounded by a flower field too. And we always spend the whole day there eating, laughing, talking and drawing. This reminds me so much of how everything used to be. The little good moments that were filled with happiness."
"In that case I'm even happier I took you here.", he stated while smiling at me.
"How do you know this place?", I asked him curiously.

Matteo took a deep breath and looked around. The he fixed his gaze back onto my eyes.
"Actually my mom used to take me here. We loved this place and went here often. My father came along as well in order to protect my mom if something happens. You see, my father and I always had a bad relationship. The only time we got along was when we came here. It felt like we were a happy family and going back to the villa everything changed and went back to normal.", he told me. A sad smile was on his face.

"Your father cares about you, trust me. Do you all still come here?"
"No, we don't. When I was ten years old Cristians brother was killed by another mafia gang. Since then my father kept me inside never letting me step outside of our property."
"He did that to protect you.", I stated.
"Actually he did that because my mom was so scared she could barely sleep. My father doesn't care about me and most certainly didn't do anything to keep me safe because he wanted to."
"Matteo. I can tell you that he does care about you and always did.", I insisted.
"My father doesn't-"
"Shhh.", I pressed my finger against his lips. "You still have to tell me what you meant with thinking I was gone the other night."

Matteo looked away and stared into the distance. I grabbed his hand to gain his attention back. He turned to me and stared into my eyes with a sad look on his face.
"Are you scared to be left alone?", he asked me.

"Yes. Everyone I loved left me. Some turned their back on me. The others died. I know my mom didn't want to leave me but she had to. And now she's looking down on me with all the pain my mom was in disappearing as she died.", I said and paused for a moment.

Then I continued talking. "Thanks to you I gained a new little family. I met people that care about and like me. Most importantly I met you. Matteo over the few weeks I've know you, you became the most significant person to me. And I am so scared that you will leave me like everyone else did."

Before I was able to sense it I started tearing up. He took my hands in his and caressed mine with his thumbs.
"I'm scared you will leave me too. That you will stop liking me and walk away. Worse, that someone will take you away from me or kill you. I have brought you into a dangerous life. Since childhood I lost my brother and other people that I was close to. It caused me to shut every emotion off.", he said staring into my eyes.

"When I was twelve my grandfather took me to the woods for a fishing trip. I was very close to him and my grandmother. She sadly passed away a year before that. The trip was the one and only time my father allowed me to leave our property and I was so excited to feel free again.", he told me and paused again, taking a deep breath.

"My grandfather and I were walking in the middle of the woods to make our way to a sea. Out of the blue he stopped walking and took out his phone that was ringing. He picked up the call and quickly ended it. I wasn't able to hear what it was about but looking at him I knew it was something bad. Pure horror and fear was visible on his face."

When Matteo stopped again I noticed how he tightened his grip on my hands. I let go of one hand and started running it up and down his arm which made him look a little calmer than before.