After some shopping bags, regretting wearing heels, while I followed Matteo to get things for his room(and Damiano's house, to "spice up" the boring old castle), we finally sat down for lunch at a beautiful cafe.
I'd passed this place a ton of times but never had the time to come in for a snack, the place always smelt divine, even from across the street.
Matteo held a chair out for me, right after leading us to a table for two, much to my displeasure. Dave found a table for himself, which I suppose gave him a clear enough view.
"You know it would have been nice if we got a bigger table.
Dave eats too", I said as I placed my purse on the floor, Matteo rolled his green eyes, grabbing a menu like he couldn't even bother.
"They have a mean ham and cheese sandwich, European style", he said as he looked at the menu.
"You've been here?", I asked, surprised he knew a place in town so close to where I worked and lived.
"Yes.
Oh before this place got all sophisticated I used to come here all the time, I lived not too far from here when I did my residency", he had this excitement in his eyes whenever he talked about work, as opposed to whenever I asked about his family.
"Wow, funny we didn't run into each other", I said looking through the menu, everything seemed so delicious, they even had pictures. I loved menus with pictures.
I heard Matteo laugh, my eyes shot up.
"Honey you were probably in high school then.
Unless you were ditching school, I think it would have been impossible to run into you.
Plus this place was so different then, you probably never noticed it", I faked a hurt look, which he chuckled at.
A waitress came by asking us what I'd like to drink, I ordered iced vanilla coffee and Matteo ordered a cup of tea.
"You've been giving Damiano the cold shoulder, did you throw fists the other day?".
My coffee almost went down the wrong pipe, and I swallowed. I looked over at Matteo, who I could see noticed my actions, his eyes searched mine and I looked away. Feeling like he'd figure out what happened if I looked at him too long.
"Nothing.
You know I just told him he had no right to have the paintings that's all", I said, suddenly interested in the floating ice cubes in my cup.
"I mean I heard you guys that day, then after the breaking sounds.
You came downstairs later that evening, actually you ran downstairs", I swallowed, even though there wasn't any drink in my mouth, I took a long sip of my drink, trying to avoid this conversation.
"He didn't...…..
Hurt you, did he?", Matteo's voice was soaked in worry yet somehow an apology. I looked up, feeling almost protective of Damiano.
"You really think Damiano could do that?", I couldn't hide the hurt in my voice, suddenly I felt hurt on Damiano's behalf, that his brother could think so little of him.
Matteo leaned back, making me notice just how close he was leaning before. I saw him let out a breath, he looked hurt. Like his own assumption had hurt him.
"I don't know anymore.
I think you know Damiano more than I do".
I sighed, understanding where he was coming from.
Sometimes I forgot just how strained their relationship was, they were brothers. Yet they still seemed so far apart.
I couldn't imagine having a sibling and not being close to them.
"But I expected you to come out of the room with a body bag", I chuckled, glad that the subject felt lighter now.
"Not flushed red and running out the front door for some air", his words sounded accusing now, and when I looked up, so did his eyes.
He could tell, he could tell for sure.
"It was proximity", I confessed, feeling the need to defend myself.
"So you've been ignoring him for more than a week because you two...", his words drawled on.
"We didn't do that", I said emphasizing just to make it clear.
I didn't sleep with Damiano Gusto, and I would never sleep with him.
"He kissed me", I spat, shrugging my shoulders, trying to play it off as a fluke.
"You kissed him back", Matteo said in a bored, matter-of-fact tone. I looked for a hint of disappointment on his face, but there was none. Not even judgment.
"He has his charm", Matteo pointed out, almost like he was agreeing.
He took a long sip of his tea, savoring it like he normally did as if the leaf soup unlocked a chakra in his soul.
"It was a mistake", I said then, hearing my voice I knew I sounded like I was making excuses for what had happened. Even though at the time, I didn't want us to stop.
"Yes, yes, mistakes happen", he said more to himself than to me, his voice almost teasing now.
"I'm sure you slipped and your lips just happened to fall on his", he continued, taking another sip.
I glared at him, he paid me no attention. He just looked at his tea cup and hummed to himself, or the tea. Like he was complimenting it.
Our food arrived just in time, I was glad we wouldn't have to keep talking about Damiano.
I turned around to look at Dave, whose full attention seemed to be on his meal.
"What's with you and Dave?", I asked before I turned back around to Matteo, Matteo had a sweet potato fry in his mouth.
"What do you mean?", he said after chewing, the expression he had on his face anytime Dave came up was there, and I could tell he was looking at him just then.
"Why do you hate him so much?
You know he's just trying to do his job".
I heard him scoff, grabbing another fry, and taking his time to chew.
"He chose this job, Sibel.
That's my problem".
I took a bite of my sandwich, chewing and processing his words, also waiting for him to clarify.
"He could have any job in the world Sib, but he chose to work for Damiano.
He chose to do his dirty bidding, I could bet you he probably kidnapped you.
Drugged you, then drove you to his boss.
How can you be okay with that?".
He was right, yet I could tell it went way deeper than that.
"So does the guard with the blue eyes you've been flirting with.
He could have kidnapped me as well.
I didn't see who did it".
His green eyes looked at me, they felt almost intimidating just then.
"It's obvious there's history there, so spill", I poked further. I couldn't cower at Gusto's eyes. Not twice in a row.
Matteo chewed, almost too slowly.
He dropped his sandwich on his plate and then took a sip of water.
He leaned back, his tongue briefly touched his bottom lip, I saw his gaze shift, from me to Dave, then back to me.
"Before I left the family, Dave and I were...…", he looked like he was trying to find the right words.
"I loved him, I told him to come with me.
Besides there was nothing there for him, he could start over like me.
I thought he loved me enough, to choose me.
Turns out he didn't", I didn't have to listen or look too closely at Matteo, I could tell he was hurt.
I wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but he reached out for his sandwich instead.
He chewed almost absent mindlessly, but I could tell his mind had wandered back to that time when Dave hadn't chosen him.
"You're right, he's a dick", I tried to break the tension. I saw the corner of his lip curl up in a smirk as he chewed his food.
"Sometimes I try to understand his loyalty to the family.
My father, basically adopted him I guess, his mother worked for my family for a long time. Then she passed away, so when he came for a job", he paused, as he thought back to the first time he had met him, I could tell he had some good memories with Dave.
"But what made me so mad at the time was, no one would have hated him for leaving.
He just had this screwed-up loyalty concept.
Even now, Damiano wouldn't mind if he gave in a resignation letter, not to mention it's not like it would leave him broke.
His salary is probably twice mine", he shook his head, and this time I could tell he was disappointed.
"And now look at him, watching over you like you weren't kidnapped by his boss".
His words made me shift in my seat, somehow I also felt like I had been stupid. Forgetting the fact that my whole predicament came about by choices, and I was still being held because Damiano chose to.
We are in silence after that, both silently deciding that maybe the conversation wasn't appropriate for the public.
It was easy to focus on food because after pushing down the feeling that I was still a prisoner, the food was amazing,
We decided to split dessert, apple pie. We were both nibbling at the delicious pastry, minds completely occupied by the perfect blend of the savory salty crusts and sweet apples.
I moaned softly taking my fourth mouthful, Matteo nodded, agreeing with my wordless review, his mouth also filled with pie.
"Sibel?", we both suddenly heard, I felt my stomach sink even further down the earth's crust as I recognized the voice.
Matteo looked up, brows scrunching together.
I stopped chewing and swallowed, my neck feeling almost too stiff to move, a I turned to face him.
His eyes looked accusing, and the look on his face looked like a mixture of hurt, disappointment, and embarrassment yet a hint of relief.
I stood up, careful not to stumble on my now wobbling feet. I gave him a tight-lipped smile that I hoped translated into an overdue apology.
"Logan".