Christmas Shadows: A Mafia Love Story

5 | Possessive Ties

❦ 𝐆 𝐈 𝐀 𝐍 𝐍 𝐀 ❦

"Abigail." I say as she promptly joins us without waiting for an invitation.

"What are you doing here?" Abigail giggles, casting flirtatious glances at Dominic.

"Just chatting with a friend," I respond, trying to keep the conversation simple.

"Is that the fiancé I've been hearing about?" she whispers, making Dominic visibly tense.

"Can we talk about this later?" I plead.

"Why? I thought I was your friend?" she pouts.

"You are. I'm just a bit busy right now," I deflect.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr...?" Abigail prompts, directing her attention toward Dominic, who pointedly ignores her.

"I'm going to take a call. Take care of that," Dominic instructs me, then disappears to attend his call.

As soon as he's gone, Abigail turns toward me. "Was that really him? You didn't tell me he was that hot!" she gushes.

"Sorry?" I say, feeling somewhat confused by her reaction.

"What's his name?" she asks.

"Dominic."

"I love his name," she comments, enthusiasm bubbling in her voice.

"It's not bad, I guess," I reply nonchalantly.

"Don't you like him?" she asks.

"I barely know him," I explain, trying to downplay any budding emotions.

"You're so weird. Why do you have to know them? He seems rich and he's handsome. What more could you possibly want?" she insists.

"Love, Abigail."

"Love's overrated," she declares, dismissing the concept with a wave of her hand, seemingly uninterested in the romantic aspect.

"Anyways, can we talk later?" I ask, hoping to end the conversation, and although she looks initially annoyed, her expression quickly changes.

Leaning closer, she whispers in my ear, "Be careful. Someone might just snatch his handsome self away if you don't," leaving me perplexed by her remark.

What?

After Abigail leaves, Dominic seems to materialize out of thin air.

"Are you okay?" I ask, concerned about his abrupt arrival.

"Yes, was that your friend?" he asks, visibly puzzled.

"Yes. I'm sorry about her. I didn't know she was going to act that way," I apologize.

"How did she know about me?" he asks, curious about how he became a topic of conversation.

"She's one of my best friends. I didn't think there was any harm in telling her," I explain.

"It's fine, Tesero. I just think you make questionable decisions," he responds, expressing his opinion with a hint of amusement.

"What do you mean by that?" I question, feeling a bit defensive.

"Nothing," he evades.

"Okay," I respond slowly, unsure of what to make of his cryptic remarks.

"What's going on in that pretty little mind of yours?" he teases, noticing my pensive expression.

"Do I have to meet your family?" I nervously ask, feeling hesitant. Memories of avoiding my ex-boyfriend's family flood my mind. Dominic gazes at me, tilting his head slightly as if my words surprised him.

"I've always been anxious about meeting my boyfriend's family," I admit, my confession pouring out. I pause, gathering my thoughts.

"Yes. Are you scared?" he asks, his annoying smile triggering a flutter in my heart, despite my efforts to ignore it.

"No. I've just never met any of my boyfriend's parents before."

"I'm not your boyfriend. I'm your fiancé," he firmly reminds me.

"I know. I just meant-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I know what you meant. You'll do fine; don't worry," he reassures, winking, a gesture that leaves me feeling both nervous and strangely excited. I quickly avert my gaze, trying to conceal my emotions.

"Okay," I respond, attempting to mask the mix of emotions bubbling within me.

"You never told me what you were going to tell your parents about me," he reminds me.

"We should just say you're my boyfriend," I suggest tentatively.

"Alright," he agrees, nodding in understanding.

"I mean, you don't have to. I can just get someone else-" I begin to say, but stop when I notice his expression shift to anger. Dominic looks furious. "Or not," I meekly finish.

"I'm sorry, did I forget to mention that you can't be with anyone else during those two weeks?" he asks, his tone firm.

"What?" I ask, taken aback by his sudden declaration, surprised and somewhat confused by the restriction he's imposing.

"You can't date anyone else. If you do, my family will find out we're pretending, or they'll think you're a cheater. Either way, I'm not okay with you being with someone else during the next two weeks."

"What about you?" I inquire, a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

"Don't worry. I'm all yours. I don't want to be unfaithful to my future wife," he reassures me, a tinge of seriousness in his tone.

"Don't call me that. We're not really getting married," I assert, feeling the need to emphasize the make-believe nature of our relationship.

"Are you sure about that?" he questions, his gaze holding a flicker of intensity.

"What do you mean?" I press further, sensing there might be more to his words than meets the eye.

"Nevermind," he dismisses, mumbling something under his breath that I can't quite catch.

"It's getting late," I mention, aware that I have school the next day and don't want to be tardy.

"Alright, I'll drop you off. I can't risk anything bad happening to my Tesero," he says, causing my heart to flutter.

I've got to look up what that word means.

"By the way, you're meeting the fam tomorrow," he casually informs me as he drives me home.

"What?" I exclaim, caught off guard by the sudden announcement.

"They're having a gala. I can't think of a better time," he explains, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Why didn't you tell me before? I don't even have anything to wear," I panic, worrying about my attire.

"I'll handle all that. Just worry about being my fiancée," he reassures me, his confidence shining through his words.