"Dear family and acquaintances of Gabriel Sequiera, today we are gathered to mourn his death and say our last goodbyes to him." The officiant started the eulogy. My mother's sweaty palms rested on my hand, supporting me through the evening. As time passed by and I heard speeches of people who barely knew him, I couldn't take it anymore.

Talking about a person, you know nothing about. "He was a respectful boy." A colleague of my mother quavered. Respectful enough to intend to kill his mother and sister and blackmail us with a knife?

I had no planning to go up on that stage and be the only one to speak up, about who he was. A disgrace to our family. Someone who I wished was never born.

His friends weren't even here and I fear, that they never loved him. Just used him to get into drugs. I wish Adrían was here to calm me down and tell me, how everything is fine, while my mother was up on the podium, talking about how good of a son, he was.

"He had his flaws. Even more than other children, I suppose. But he was my son after all. And I will forever mourn his death and how he died in such a horrible way. I will never forgive the person to make him die in such a way." *himself.*

The lack of tears in her eyes betrayed her. I believe her, that she is sad, but I guess the feeling we both feel the most is relief.

Suddenly my eyes began to water and as soon as I tried to wipe one tear rolling down my cheek with my finger away, I shrieked. Blood. My eyes shed blood while my mouth was drooling. Drooling blood.

Is this what Gabriel went through? What did he feel while overdosing?

An impulsive, sharp pain stinging in my heart caught me off guard. A knife sticking in my chest, causing my chest to free blood all over the tiled ground. I screamed for help, so loud that my lungs weren't capable of consuming more oxygen. My inhuman cries for help echoed through the whole ceremony hall, while everyone watched me suffer. They didn't raise a helping hand to help me and get me out of this situation. Neither removing the knife. The sharp pain continued, letting my heart bleed as my vision blackened.

Somebody shook my shoulders, I didn't know who. My eyes weren't able to open, as if they were glued together. "Lara!" a familiar voice from far away hollowed. I guided my hands through the eternal dark, grasping after a male torso. My shoutings grew louder, realizing someone was there for me. Someone I could feel on my skin.

"Lara, please wake up!" The man exclaimed, pinning me by my arms to the bed. Slowly I got pulled back to reality. By blurry vision, I could see a person lingering over my body. Matteo?

I stared at his frame, while my screams turned into sobs of distress and trepidation. "I'm here for you, it's okay." He secured it, slipping his hand under the back of my head and caressing it. Matteo shushed me and it was in the most loving way possible. Drops of sorrow continued rolling over my cheek and he leaned down to kiss every single one of them away.

My chest heaved slower and slower, calming down in his presence. It was a silly dream. The funeral thing actually happened, but my eyes were never full of blood and I most definitely never got stabbed.

"Matteo?"
"Yes, it's me. You're safe."

His graceful touch trailed over my arms and face. "What happened? Are you in pain? Do you need something?" He questioned, intertwining our hands.

"I had a nightmare, I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

I pressed a kiss on his mouth, feeling how the butterflies swirled around in my stomach.

"I dreamt about my brother and how someone stabbed me."

He flinched at my mentions of stabbing. "That's horrible. You already told me about your brother and I can imagine, how much you've been through. If you want to open up about what happened, I'm right here."

I nodded, burying my face into the crook of his neck, and pulling him on top of me. There was a need to stop the sorrow and feel his hands all over me. Providing warmth and keeping me safe from all the things of the past. I needed to stop acting weak around him, it's embarrassing to feel emotional in front of a person who is only interested in you in a sexual and business manner.

"I want you," I whispered, letting my lips trace over his Adam's apple, garnering a quick jerk of his body. My hands slipped under his shirt.
"Fuck..." He whimpered, shutting his eyes for a matter of seconds.

His lips landed on my hipbone, kissing it, upwards. "Unbutton your shirt, Cariña, now." My finger fumbled with the black knobs, starting with the bottom one. His hot breath hit my abdomen, causing me to flinch. I continued, feeling how his fingers hooked my low-rise shorts and began to pull them down, slowly.

Right before I could reveal my bra to him, he stopped kissing and seemed to be detached. "What is wrong?" I investigated, lifting his chin. He scanned my teary cheeks and blinked several times.

"That feels wrong..." My brows furrowed together, sitting upwards. "What do you mean?"

Matteo swallowed. "You woke up, crying and fearful. Let's not forget that you were having a glass of wine before going to bed and you look super tired. You're not consent, Cariña."

"I'm consent and I do want you right now."
He chuckled, pulling my pants up, and placing a brief kiss on my forehead. "I want you to be one hundred percent consent and not only mostly. When I'm inside of you, I want you to scream my name and not wonder if you should get more sleep or how to get rid of sore eyes that don't come from pleasure."

An immense warm tingling started in my abdomen, creeping through my veins and whole body. "I may or may not be in the best state of mind, I'm sorry."

He grinned. "You don't need to overshadow your emotions when you're with me. Is it because you think I won't care?"
"I think it's mainly because it's embarrassing and we should focus on working with each other instead of growing attachment."

His lids lowered and fuck, his face all litten up by moonlight equals the definition of beauty.

"I'd burn this office down once it's finished, so we would need to start all over again if that's what it takes to make you grow feelings."

"I can't grow feelings if you install a tracker in my car and exclude me from all the things happening around us. I have the right to know when my life is in danger. Bonds with people form with trust and if you can't provide me such, we will run in circles and you can burn down thirty-one offices."

He raised an eyebrow and his top lip to smile in a playful manner as if he found joy in a serious conversation. "Do you know how much I love when you're lecturing me? Please keep doing that."

"That's not funny. I don't like feeling excluded, if you'll do so, I can also take the next flight back to California."

"You'll leave me only over my dead body, sweetheart. But I try to manage to tell you every new information possible and updates of the guards in your mother's and best friend's house."

I nodded slowly, waving him off. "Fair enough."

"Do you want me to stay?"
"No, I prefer sleeping alone. Don't take it personally."

He laughed, letting go of my hand, which I forgot was intertwined with his for the last few minutes since it felt so right.

"For me, it sounds like, I hate you, don't take it personally." I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "I hope your pillow is on both sides warm tonight, Matteo."

"Whatever makes you happy. Have a good night, Lara. Try not to dream of me."
"Good night, Díaz. Don't worry, I'll just get sliced up one more time."

‎𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡    𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡    𐦍༘⋆.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊ ⊹⟡

Today, Matteo had the idea to take me somewhere special. Luckily without Leon, by virtue of my headache not settling since the morning and he knows how intermediating he can be.

"You're taking me to a zoo?" I interrogated, standing in front of the colorful entrance of Palermo's Zoo. "Yes, you don't like zoos?" A hint of concern lingered in his question.

We passed a dolphinarium, seeing the happy water animals, bumping against the glass. "I love animals, but I don't think a zoo is where they belong to."

I kneeled before the dolphins with a bright grin on my face. "You want me to buy one for you?"

"Buying. A. Dolphin?" I slowly questioned, not knowing if that was satire or serious.

"I own a rescue center for sea animals in Puerto Rico. I bought it approximately two years ago for my sister's birthday because she's currently in university to become a marine veterinarian."

Somehow my chest filled with pride, knowing how much Matteo does for his loved ones. What did I deserve to not have a brother who buys me a rescue center instead of a drug addict who part-time abused me?

"That's so cute...She can be lucky to have such a caring and loving brother." His hand rested on my back, caressing it. "Thank you. But what do you mean, do you want me to buy these dolphins and send them to Puerto Rico? It's too late to set them free in the ocean and they'd probably die at a high chance, if I'm not mistaken. Plus, they wouldn't be used for tourism, but to make it possible to let them return to the ocean."

I hummed, tapping with my fingertip on my thigh. "That will cost you hundreds of thousands but let's change the topic. What do you think of dolphins?"

"Dolphins are rapists."
"Where did you get that information from?"

He took a deep breath. "Leon."
"So unexpected!" I mocked, getting up, and continued my walk with him.

"But that's true because he got it from my sister."
"Okay, that sounds more trustworthy."

The birds sang some songs in their cages, as the summer sun melted me.

We walked to an ice cream truck, continuing our little talk. "You know, I'm feeling generous. How do you feel about me buying an ice cream for you?"
"I'll pay, Cariña. It's my duty."
"No, it's fine, really. You pay a whole ass villa for us and everything else, including me. Are you expecting me to sit back and just take everything without giving anything back?"

I pulled my wallet out, waiting for the little girl in front of us to finish. "Which flavor is your favorite?"

"I like coffee and blackberry the most, what about you?"
"You're the first person in years who didn't answer with mint chocolate chip. I like cherry and vanilla, but despise people who like strawberry."

He simpered, pulling me closer. "Not liking strawberry ice cream is pretty controversial you know."
"Yeah yeah, whatever."

"Let me pay. You can do so another time."
"Today is the time to do so. Just stop worrying so much."

I ordered our ice cream and we sat on a bench next to a pond. "Thank you, Lara. Really, it wasn't necessary."

I popped the cherry in my mouth, which was placed on top of my ice cream. "Since I'm an interior architect I dealt with a lot of wealthy people, but you're by far the most respectful, generous, and especially grateful one."

His pupils dilated in regard to my sentence and his cheeks tinted rosy. "Maybe it's because I've not always been wealthy and there was a hard time for me and my family where I was happy for the smallest things."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Matteo. You're a great person, honestly."

Sadly I wasn't able to see his facial expression but I'd kill to do so right now. In my peripheral, I noticed how my ice cream dripped on his t-shirt.

"FUCK I'M SORRY!" I jumped up, covering my mouth in awe. Embarrassing. Embarrassing. Embarrassing. I wanted to do nothing more than to bury myself six feet under at the very right moment.

He slid his index finger over the stain, tasting it. "Cherry is not bad, I think I should try it next time." His eyes sparkled, getting up to walk to the next toilet.

As soon as he came back, I started apologizing immediately. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. Maybe we should walk instead of sitting." He grabbed after my free hand, leading us around and showing me all different kinds of animals.

"Lions are my favorite animals. What about you?" He asked as we stood in front of the lion enclosure, pointing a baby out.

"Swans, they're so graceful and elegant." Lies. Butterflies.

"Swans are gorgeous, just like you. So I see the connection."
"Oh c'mon now..." I started, not being able to finish the sentence as the flattery got a bit too close to my heart.

"I mean it. You're the most beautiful woman I've seen in my whole twenty-three years of life. Why else do you think I'm not able to take my eyes off you?"

Suddenly a little girl, about four years old tapped on Matteo's back. Her blonde hair was tied up into two piggy tails and she held two daisies in her left hand. He turned around and saw how she tried to jump on him.

A big grin appeared on his face as he kneeled to be at eye level with the little girl. "Is it for me?" I noticed how his voice sounded softer than ever and that did something to me. If he's good with children that's an immediate green flag for me.

She nodded with her little head and Matteo tucked the daisie behind his ear.

"Thank you so much, it's lovely!"
"Matteo we are in Italy, I guess she doesn't understand."

He laughed and patted her head two times as soft as possible. "Grazie mille, è bellissimo!" Matteo corrected and crinkled his eyes.

She jumped up and down several times as she walked to me and I did the same thing as he did, letting her put a daisie behind my ear. "Sei bella!" She exclaimed with a giggle, running back to her parents who stood next to the tree with a proud smile on their faces. They waved at us and we returned the favor as Matteo wrapped his arm around my waist.

I wish I could say something back but my Italian courses didn't pay off.

"It means that you are pretty," Matteo kissed my cheek, "And I couldn't agree more with that."