《Selena Arabella Calos》

"Message me when you wake up, I'll sneak you out," Alessandro says and I sigh. There are maybe a dozen or more people between this room and the entrance, there is no way Alessandro will be able to sneak me out of here.

"We'll see about that, A," I reply, running a hand through my hair.

"Is he not there yet?"

"No." I glance at the clock. "He'll be here soon. He comes home around midnight everyday."

As if on cue, the door opens and Daniel steps into the room. My eyes immediately drift to his hand and I scoff when I see specks of blood of them. Was cleaning blood of his hands really such a hassle or did he fail to do it because of me?

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, A," I say to Alessandro and hang up before he has a chance to reply.

Daniel narrows his eyes at me. "Who was that?"

I narrow my eyes at him. I know he wants to know whether I was talking to Alex or Alessandro but I'm too mad at him right now to give him a straight answer.

"Good day today?" I ask, indignation evident in my voice, as I point at his hand.

He gives me a hard look, angry because what I said and because I did not answer his question. "I asked you a question."

"Which I don't care much to answer."

He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't have time for your childish behaviour."

"Then leave," I spit out and his eyes snap open.

"This is my room," he retorts, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Then I'll leave." I walk to the door and just as I open it, he places his hand on it and closes it again.

"You are not leaving."

"Why? As you said this is your room, so what-"

"I did not say it was just my room. It's our room. I made that clear to you the first day you moved in here," he says, placing a finger under my chin and tipping my head back so I look at him. His eyes are filled with anger, like they have been for the last few weeks. I know he's trying to push that anger down but I also know that at the end of the day, it won't work.

We have repeated the same cycle every night since Daniel moved me into his apartment a few days ago. I stay up every night, waiting for him to come back from his office or Cayto. I can't go to sleep until I know he's here- until I know he's safe. When he comes back, every day, without fail, we fight. And each time our fights end in only one way- with me under him, begging him for an orgasm which he always gives me- multiple times. But not before teasing me and punishing me to make me realise that at the end of the day he is always going to be the one in control.

As much as I love it in the moment- the pleasure he gives me- I hate it afterwards. Because he always uses sex as a way of ending arguments. He hasn't slept with me yet, though. He won't, not unless we get married first. I don't know why he is so insistent on marriage before sex- it's not like he's a virgin too, so sex before marriage in general is not the problem. And even though I would never admit it out loud, his blatant resistance makes me feel self-conscious. 

I hate how he uses sex to end our arguments because we never resolve our issues because of that. Our lack of communication is going to catch up with us one day and it will be fatal- for both of our sanities but there is nothing I can do about it. 

I push his hand away. "The least you could do is get the blood of your hands before you touch me."

Daniel sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Don't leave the room," he says, his words carrying a not so subtle warning, as he brushes past me and walks to the bathroom.

I scoff, stomping my foot in anger and I walk to the balcony. God, he makes me so angry sometimes. Especially when he gives me warnings like that. I know what will happen if I leave the room- he will drag me back and lock the door.

"What are you doing out here?" Daniel asks me, stepping on to the balcony. He grabs my arm but I shake it off.

"It's none of your business," I snap at him.

He sighs. "If you want to act childish, come inside and do it."

"No."

"Selena, you are barely wearing anything and its cold, you will get sick," he tells me, his voice slow and controlled like he is talking to a misbehaving child.

"And why do you care?"

He sighs before sliding an arm behind my knees and throwing me over his shoulder.

"Let me go!" I shout but he does not until he has closed the balcony. "I'm sick of you treating me like I'm a bloody child!"

His eyes darken. "And I'm sick of you being fucking disrespectful!"

"You need to earn respect to be treated as such!"

He lets out a short, sarcastic laugh. "Yes, people do need to earn respect but not me- I am going to be a don. I do not have to do anything to deserve respect; it was my birth right."

"Then you should have dated a girl in the mafia, because I certainly will not treat you with respect just because of a title that only means mass murderer to me." His jaw ticks as he takes a step towards me. I take a step back, knowing what will happen if comes any closer to me and shake my head. "Not tonight."

I'm hoping if I deny him, he'll want to talk but of course that does not happen. Instead, he narrows his eyes at me before closing his them and running his hand through his hair. "Get in bed."

I open my mouth to argue but the dark look he gives me makes me shut my mouth.

"I hate you!" I say, as my eyes start to well up with tears. I turn on my heels, walk to the bed and slide under the covers. Every time we argue, my heart breaks a little more. I don't know how much more of it I can take.

He is the only person who gave me unfettered joy but now it's gone. And like every other relationship in my life our relationship has turned sour too. I wonder if it's my fault- if I am the cause behind all my problems. 

Maybe everything bad that has ever happened to me has somehow been my fault- maybe I deserved the terrible things that happened to me. 

Maybe I deserved to be kidnapped. 

Maybe I deserved my parents' hate. 

Maybe I deserve all this pain.

-

I stare at him through the window. It's odd seeing him here during the day. Usually he is gone before I wake up, but not today. Today, he is standing on the balcony, smoking, looking at something on his phone. 

He hasn't noticed that I am awake yet, if he did, he would no doubt leave before I could approach him.

What has happened to us? 

Less than three weeks ago, we could not keep away from each other, we craved each other's presence and now...

I blink away the tears that are starting to pool in my eyes, throw off the covers and walk to the balcony. He freezes when he feel my presence but he does not take his eyes off his phone. I almost sigh in relief- at least he did not leave.

I move closer to him and he tenses, making my heart ache. I want to touch him. I want to be near him. But I don't know if that's what he wants anymore. And it scares me. I also don't want this one relatively peaceful moment we have had to end in an argument.

He finally puts his phone to the side and looks at me, as if he knows what I am thinking. Our eyes lock for a moment before I glance at the cigarette in his hand. He follows my gaze, lets out a small sigh, like he does not like what he is about to do, and holds out his arm for me. I step into his touch and rest my head of his shoulder as he wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to himself.

"Remember, not so much," he whispers into my ear, bringing the cigarette between my parted lips. I nod before inhaling the smoke like I did the first time we did this.

There is an odd calmness between us for the first time in weeks. But instead of being comforting, it is unsettling. It is like the calmness before the storm instead of like the one after it. 

And I cannot help but think that we are very close to the start of that storm.

"I'm going to be late today, don't wait up for me," he tells me and I nod. He kisses my neck.

I turn around and look at him. "I miss us," I mutter, my voice forlorn.

He rests his forehead against mine. "I know, cara, I know," he replies, planting a small kiss on my lips. "I have to go right now. We will talk tomorrow."

"Okay," I whisper and he kisses me again before walking away.

-

"You look terrible," Alessandro says as soon as he enters the apartment.

"Gee, thanks, Sandy, I've never heard a better compliment," I retort, throwing a pillow at him.

He rolls his eyes as the pillow hits his chest and falls on the ground. "I was just being honest."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Sometimes honesty is not the best policy."

He laughs then drops down on the couch beside me and hugs me. "I missed you, Lena."

"Me too, Sandy," I reply and he groans. I smile at his reaction. "How is university going?"

"Boring. I miss messing around with you during classes," he replies, pouting.

"Hopefully, I'll be with you next semester."

Alessandro grins. "You're going to Lithern?"

"Yeah, I just accepted the offer yesterday."

I laugh when Alessandro hugs me again in excitement. "I'm so fucking happy you are going to be with me again."

"Don't tell anyone yet though," I tell him and he raises his eyebrow.

"Why?"

I look away from him and sigh. "I haven't told Daniel yet."

I don't know what his reaction will be when I do- I know he isn't going to be happy, especially because I made the decision without telling him first. But I have to get away from this city, I have to go to the university I want to- if I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

"Oh. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

I smile at him before looking out of the window. The sky is cloudy today but it does not look like it's going to rain any time soon. It is the perfect weather to be outside. "You promised to get me out of here today."

"I did."

"And how do you expect to achieve that?"

Alessandro looks at me and smirks. "Simple- we open the door and walk out of here."

I let out a short, sarcastic laugh at his response. "You do realise that there are about a dozen guards between here and the exit who have been instructed to keep me in here?"

His eyes light up. "You do realise that all those guards are Raf's men and have to listen to my orders before Daniel's?"

My mouth hangs open in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Daniel's men are all busy with the... uh, everything that's happening, so-"

"Oh my God," I interrupt Alessandro, tackling him with a hug. He chuckles at my excitement. "Let's go then."

"Get what you need to and we'll leave."

"I don't need anything."

Alessandro raises his eyebrow. "Your phone?"

I roll my eyes. "If I take my phone, Daniel will know that I'm not here and within an hour, I'll be back here."

"Good point," Alessandro says. "Write him a note or something, so he doesn't freak out if you are not back before him."

"Good idea," I say, as I walk to our bedroom. I find a sticky note from my pile of things and quickly quite down a small note.

Going out.
Will be back in a while, don't freak out.
-Selena

"Done?" Alessandro asks me and I nod.

As I stick the note on the mirror, I notice the necklace Daniel gave me of his name around my neck.

I want to be away from him for a while, and wearing this necklace won't allow that to happen.

I bite my lip as I remove the necklace for the first time since Daniel gave it to me.

Just for a while, I don't want to be his.

-

A/N

This is the shortest chapter I've written for this book and I am expecting the rest of the chapters to be this short but I think by now we have established I have impulse control issues so we'll see how that goes.

Also another sad chapter :(

Again hope you liked it x