The two well-dressed young men made it through the party's still-growing crowd, Bailey’s pace a little bit more uncoordinated as he made a few unsuccessful attempts of shaking Alessi’s firm grip from his shoulders until they finally made it over to the preserves. Less released the man and grabbed for an empty wine glass, moving down the table only a few paces to fill the glass with a mixture of some sort of fruit wine as well as straight liquor. He brought the drink up to his lips and slowly turned around, swirling the liquid in the glass as his head cocked to the side, looking Bailey up and down- his forced, charming grin fading steadily until his lips were pursed into a rather aggravated expression. Meanwhile, Bailey- who was now pouring himself his third shot since they had arrived at the table- was looking completely unbothered. Alessi’s throat cleared and Bailey's brow raised in reply, causing Less to roll his eyes and turn to the crowd again, leaning himself against a marble pillar.

“So… I take it you haven't told Maria yet?”

The taller man’s tone was surprisingly calm as he asked the question slowly. Bailey turned around to face the crowd as well and nodded, his eyes glancing in Alessi’s way.

“Yeah, I mean. I didn't want to bother her with it. She has her own shit going on with her, uhm, parents. Besides, her thinking you two are together will lift a weight off her shoulders- you know how much she's been trying to find someone for you.”

Right… Alessi nodded slowly, his eyes remaining focused on the two young women in the crowd.

“Yeah well, we aren't together so- you're going to need to break it to her at some point.”

A scoff followed by a quiet couple of seconds of chuckling came from Bailey’s mouth. Alessi stiffened at his friend's next words.

“I mean, you might as well be…”

The black-haired man's arms folded across his chest and his tongue sucked against the roof of his mouth. Keep your composure…

“Care to elaborate?”

Bailey shrugged,

“I’m just saying- every other person your father has assigned us to take in for a while, you haven't been this engaged with them, like- at all. I mean, you basically visit her every day, you bring her things to keep her occupied. All the best things you did for the others were… actually, you didn't do anything for them. You just let the girls take care of ‘em.”

A pause. The only reason Alessi hadn't cut the boy off was because he was busy trying not to detonate.

“Why, Less? Is there a reason you're favoring her? You don't like her, do you?”

Alessi’s grip on his glass tightened to a point where it actually might break. His lips curled into something like disgust,

“You're being unprofessional. Of course not-”

“Mhm. Are you sure about that?”

Bailey cut him off, a smirk growing on his lips as he looked up at Alessi- Letting out an aggravated growl Less pushed off the pillar and headed back towards the girls, quickly fixing his expression into something more pleasant than the sneer he had on before. His attention went from Maria and her question to Natalia. His eyes met her gaze and he didn't know what he was he was doing when his eyes narrowed briefly. There was something else in her expression… something hidden. Was she also wearing a mask? I mean- he shouldn't be surprised if she was masking her feeling, this was probably more chaos than she was used to. But she hid them well, if he hadn't seen this before Alessi would have just thought that she was having a good time.

The young man felt someone brush up against his shoulder and he hesitantly glanced over to see a grinning Bailey.

“Oh yes, I think she's a perfect fit for you, Less.”

Alessi tried not to snap his head in the other man's direction, a well-practiced forced smile plastered on his lips- Good god, did he want to get a fist to his face? Less’s head turned back around to the two girls.

“Well then, I’m glad you two have gotten to know each other. Natalia, darling, do you need anything?”

Alessi swore he could feel Bailey’s mocking grin on the back of his neck.

The party had continued to drift on, a couple of dances had taken place during the hours that the event took place. But alas, Alessi had only been there maybe an hour after Natalia had excused herself from the event… For the past ten or so minutes Less has been bouncing around from poker tables to the bar counters and back. He hadn't been keeping track of how many shots he had, but it must have been in the higher numbers as he was tripping over his feet by the time he got kicked out of the small pub. Alessi had found enough strength to pull himself up onto a bench on the side of a closed shop nearby. Sooner or later Bailey and Lorenzo- Less’s brother who had decided to come along as well just to get away from their mothers probing about his new fiance- had also been kicked out. More so Bailey instead of both of the two men together, Lorenzo just decided to leave at this point as well.

Lorenzo found Alessi soon after Bailey and he left the pub, helping him up and heading towards the car until Alessi decided he wanted to be independent once more and shook his brother's help off of his shoulders. Bailey had made his way up to Alessi’s side at some point and they had started a conversation that somehow… somehow got to the point where they brought up exes and current… relationships.

“You know- Natalia was looking quite-”

“No.”

Alessi shook his head, running a hand through his hair, and scoffed.

“Okay, but you have to admit she’s… I mean, dude- she's stunning.”

This comment caught Less’s attention, causing him to glance over at the man beside him, his eyes narrowing but he remained silent. Bailey must have taken this silence as an invitation to continue speaking because he kept on with his fawning.

“Like, have you actually looked at her? I wouldn't mind hitting that-”

Alessi couldn't believe what he was hearing, his brows rose and he stopped abruptly, turning to the right to face Bailey- who also stopped, a hint of a confused expression on his face.

“What? I’m sorry could you repeat that…”

Alessi chuckled softly, his eyes focusing on the ground under him.

“I’m just saying- I don’t think she’d be too bad in bed.”

A pause, Alessi blinked and met the brown-haired boy's eyes, his lips pursed ever so slightly,

“Say it again.”

Bailey paused, his brows furrowing in confusion before he started repeating his last sentence slower.

“I don’t think she’d be too bad in b-”

Bailey’s sentence was never finished, and Alessi’s fist was thrown- knocking Bailey straight in the jawbone. He flew back against a shop door. Less couldn't remember too much of what happened after that. Bailey may have hit him back, there was shouting before the alcohol knocked in and he passed out.

-

An hour or so later Lorenzo dropped Alessi off at the back of the manor. Apparently, Bailey had to be picked up by his sister Less’s brother refused to bring him in the same car as Alessi. Lorenzo explained that he needed to get back to his own room or his fiance would have a fit about how late he was out. Amazing… Lorenzo agreed to help Alessi to the door and helped him inside before he ran off to the front of the manor. This meant Alessi was alone, alone, and needing to head up a long set of stairs. He wasn't even five steps up before he leaned against something he wasn't meant to. A small decorative table on one of the larger steps toppled over, but not before Alessi attempted to catch it, and failed to… obviously. Instead of succeeding in doing so, he tripped on the next step and fell on his shoulder, earning a string of colorful expletives to release from his lips.

It was a couple of minutes before he heard a quiet voice call out his name. His eyes lingered on the form of a pretty young woman… Natalia. Oh, this night couldn't get any better could it?

“I- what… No, I’m fine sweetheart.”

His words came out slow and slurred. Alessi attempted to climb a couple of more stairs, succeeding at first but tripping over his own feet after just two. He was surprised when he didn't meet the floor again, stiffening when he realized he was being held. His head snapped up to meet the gaze of Natalia. His lips parted slowly as if to say something, but she insisted on helping him up. He hesitantly complied when she told him to follow her.

-

An abrupt stinging on Alessi’s forehead started up just as soon as Natalia started dabbing a washcloth against it. Was he cut? Did Bailey actually… how dare he? Alessi’s jaw tensed and he winced quietly as the cloth hit another area on his forehead. He sat on the side of a bed, in which he would soon realize was Natalias, with his back hunched over slightly and his elbows resting on both of his knees. He was so tired… Oh my god, wait Natalia was helping him. He visibly tensed before reaching up and resting his hand on her wrist, stopping her movements.

“What are you doing-? No, wait stop-”

He shook his head, pulling away from her touch and reaching for the cloth in her own hands as he groggily murmured his next words,

“Posso farlo da solo, amore (I can do it myself, love)..."

Natalia worked slowly, each motion as careful as she could be. Her face held an expression of concern, why? Why did she seem so concerned over a simple bar fight her kidnapper was in? Even she had no clue why, but the instinct just took control. She kept quiet, watching his body slump over and support itself with his arms, his body only tensing with each pass of the washcloth. She continued until his whole body froze, each muscle and nerve tightening as his hand reached up. His fingers easily wrapped around her slender wrist, his words slurred and slow as he spoke, telling her to stop.

She complied at first, she had no choice as he sat himself up and tried to take the washcloth. His next set of words in slurred Italian caught her by a slight surprise, for two reasons. He knew Italian and also another name he had given her, that same flutter in her heart appearing. A small smile appeared after those words though, her free hand clasping over his as he held the damp washcloth in his slumped hand.

“Lasciami aiutarti. Sei troppo ubriaco e peggiorerai la situazione.” (Let me help you. You are too drunk and will make it worse) she said softly, taking the cloth from his hands as she lifted it to his face, carefully cleaning his busted lip. “What happened?” She asked after a few moments of silence, setting the cloth down before opening the first aid kit to find some topical crème. She applied it carefully, as well as a small clear band aid on the cut on his forehead to stop the bleeding before she set everything to the side. “And don’t just say nothing, or you fell, this was clearly from a fight” she added.

Sitting back she looked at him, still that soft look of concern tracing her features, her eyes watching his. She simply was expecting it to be just a silly little bar fight, unaware that she was the reason behind this argument as well. Why did she feel this way, that she needed to know how he got hurt, to help him. It all just felt so wrong, but also right. She sat quietly as she waited for his reply, her gaze looking to his eyes holding that slight glaze. He clearly had drunk his load of alcohol, a surprise he even made it up the first step. Even while slumped over his form still hovered above hers, how funny that this small, petite thing was caring for this brute.

The first thing to catch Alessi momentarily off guard was the sheer amount of kindness this girl was showing him right now. It was a stark contrast to everything he had come to expect from the world around him, especially from someone connected to a family known for their ruthlessness. First and foremost, he couldn't fathom how, on God's green earth, he could possibly deserve any amount of empathy after what he had done. He had kidnapped her, for heaven's sake, and was currently holding her for ransom. The very thought twisted uncomfortably in his mind. He felt like a monster—a criminal maligning someone who seemed so innocent.

Moreover, there was a strange irony lurking beneath the surface of his thoughts. As far back as he could remember, his life had been shaped by tales of the Amati family—conversations laced with caution and foreboding that haunted his youth. All those stories he believed, painted vivid pictures of heartless criminals, shadowed by an unforgiving legacy that seemed predestined for cruelty. The family was synonymous with ruthlessness; they were shadowy figures who emerged from dark corners of society, leaving devastation in their wake, much like sharks sensing blood in the water. How could someone from such a background display anything but antagonism toward him? He tried to reconcile this incongruity, tried to wrap his head around it as he stole glimpses at her—the way her brow furrowed in worry yet carried an undertone of genuine concern for his choices, his actions. Even as he restrained her and orchestrated this whole callous plan, here she was, exuding warmth that read like an invitation for a conversation rather than a confrontation. It poured from her like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, leaving him disoriented, and spiraling into confusion about his own motivations.

This girl was challenging his preconceived notions in ways he hadn’t thought possible. Maybe he had expected her to retaliate with vitriol, or cower in fear, but she was adamant in leading with empathy, and he found himself at odds with reality. There was an undercurrent within him stirring unrest and curiosity, trembling under the weight of what it meant to be compassionate when he was consistently so far from deserving it, and it deeply unsettled him.

The second thing to surprise Alessi was that he was actually allowing someone to help him. Natalia’s words had somehow convinced him to retract his grip on her delicate wrist and continue cleaning the minor wounds that he had taken the his face. It was rare for Alessi to ask his family to help him with anything, moreover someone outside from his close knit community. Why was he letting a girl- who may as well be a stranger to Alessi- assist him? He would end up just blaming it on the alcohol for now… However, the alcohol wouldn't make him open up to this. So when Natalia’s questioning started up he became almost defensive, his eyes narrowing as he blinked down at her, his lip curling into an unpleasant sneer at what she added to her previous sentence. Though almost immediately he regretted it, the regret softening his features as well as his gaze as he studied her. He sighed quietly before speaking, his words still somewhat slurred.

“If you need to know… Bailey was being a dick.”

Alessi shrugged nonchalantly before continuing,

“He was asking, um, unprofessional questions- if you will. So I set him back in place, yeah it may have earned me a couple of bruises but it was sure worth it all.”

He quieted after the last piece of information, his eyes focusing on the creases in his calloused palm. Alessi blinked, looked up, and rested his gaze on the young woman's face.

“Did I wake you up? Or were you still awake? I think it's pretty late still… right?”

His brows furrowed momentarily as he recalled their earlier interactions.

“Why’d you leave the party so early? I didn't have a dancing partner.”

She could easily see that he was not used to this, the way his eyes watched her as if he were seeing something for the first time. Had no one ever shown him compassion before? Surely someone had to, but then again she remembered what Maria said earlier about how his last relationship was a wreck. To Natalia this was nothing crazy, she was just helping someone too inebriated to properly care for themself while Alessi on the other hand had a look of pure shock sizzling in his gaze.

Natalia smiled just slightly at his answer of Bailey acting like a dick, and honestly that was what she had thought in the first place, “ I had a feeling” she said with a small chuckle, “I can tell he’s one to push buttons” she added as she reached over to close the first aid kit and gather the damp rags.

“I was asleep, but it is okay, I wake up often. It’s about 3am now, you guys must have been running the town” she added with a small tease, but it was a partial lie. That was the first deep sleep she endured in her time but he wouldn’t know. When his next question left his mouth, her gaze dropped a bit. Why did he have to remember her leaving early? Natalia was quiet for a moment, standing as she held the items in her hands before moving back towards the bathroom. “I..I just wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest for a bit” she said. Lies. “Plus you wouldn’t have wanted to dance with me anyway, I am horrible at it” she said with a small chuckle, setting the kit away and tossing the rags into the hamper. She returned, leaning in the doorframe, her arms crossed softly across her chest. She didn’t want to tell him the truth, he already seemed to have quite the night but she could tell he was seeing right through her. He gave her that look, one that broke through her walls and forced the words to slip right out.

She sighed softly, looking towards the windows before speaking, “You already seemed irritated that your friends were teasing you about me being there, I could tell. So I decided it would be best if I left so you could enjoy the night instead of just being upset” she said, her voice softening a bit as she spoke. “I tried to play it off with Maria too, I never said we were or weren’t together so she could stay happy but she was starting to dig deep and before I could ruin it I just wanted to go” she added, moving towards the opposite side of the bed where she took a seat.

Throughout Natalia's explanation, Alessi kept reminding himself that this was actually happening and that this kind, innocent girl was genuinely trying to help him by easing his burden as he processed Natalia's admission about her feeling the need to leave the area to relieve Alessi's troubles, a flurry of emotions washed over him. He felt not only disappointment in his own inability to manage the situation more effectively, but he also experienced a hint of resentment towards Maria and, naturally, Bailey. The younger man's comment remained in Alessi's thoughts, fueling his anger, and although he struggled to identify the precise reason for his rage, it became clear that he was developing a strong protective instinct for Natalia. This realization made Alessi uneasy, prompting him to suppress these emotions deep within himself. However, despite his attempts to hide his inner turmoil, it was becoming obvious to those around him that his behavior was changing in reaction to Natalia's presence and vulnerability.

Alessi sighed and lowered his back onto the actual bed, his arms propping his head up from behind as his eyes traced the patterns of the room ceiling. His ankles crossed off the bed before he glanced back at Natalia, who seemed to be absentmindedly focused on something outside the bedroom window. His eyes narrowed slightly and he bit the inside of his cheek in thought of what to say next. After a couple of seconds of silence, Alessi shook his head,

“I… don’t worry about Maria, alright? She's fine. I appreciate you worrying for me, love, I do- but you were also supposed to be enjoying yourself.”

He blinked up at her, studying her expression.

“You weren't enjoying the party. I could tell. You kept fiddling with your rings-”

Here comes the little drunken rant…

“I mean- I wasn't either, so I don't blame you. I saw quite a few people that kind of made me want to throw myself off a cliff- dun’no why my mother invited the Coralies any…anyways.”

Oh, he was so tired… so very, very tired. And drunk. That didn't make for the best pair, did it?

A deep sigh left Alessi’s lips and he shut is eyes, his lips pursing slightly.

“Why’d she have to be such a bitch about the breakup anyway? She made such a big deal out of it… And she's the one who fuckin’.... Fucking cheater-”

His voice rose an interval before he quieted, his hand covering his eyes before they both massaged his temples. Alessi grumbled something before huffing and turning his head up, his hand wrapping around the full pillow at the head of the bed, pulling it down and tucking it under his head before turning his face into it.

“You know, princess… I might just sleep here tonight… You’d be alright with that, yeah?”

He didn't wait for a reponse before nodding into the pillow and murmuring,

“Alright, g’night sweetheart…”

Natalia listened to him, taking mental note of how he reacted to her explanation. He was right, she was not enjoying the party, her nerves had been shot through the roof, scared something would happen. How could she have enjoyed a party with a room full of people who could possibly hate her, or use her more against her father. Add on the fact that his friend thought they were something, that was the cherry on top. Natalia had her gaze out of the window for most of his words, not wanting to fully accept that she should have enjoyed herself as well, but it was his next little rant that caused her head to turn. Alessi started to talk about others, the Coralies to be exact. His ex. She watched his expression, the way the words came out sour as he called her a cheater. So that is what happened, what Maria had meant about his last relationship. Her head tilted slightly as his hands reached up to massage his temples, a flurry of stress washing over him, easily mixed with intoxication.

It wasn’t long before he pulled her pillow under his head and rolled to bury his face. There it was again though, Princess…Sweetheart…could he just stop. She hated the feeling her heart gained with each name. He was the enemy, she had to keep reminding herself. Maybe it was just a tactic. She sighed softly as he murmured into the pillow his goodnight, his shoulders sinking as his body began to drift. Quietly she stood, moving to the bed as the drunken man’s breaths became heavier. He was out like a light. A smile seemed to twitch at the corners of her lips before she pulled the blanket over him. She reached over and took another pillow before moving towards the love seat that sat against the opposite wall. This would have to do.

Natalia set the pillow down against one of the arms before laying down, luckily she was small enough to just fit. It took a minute to get comfy, her body instinctively curling up a bit before surprisingly drifting back off again. Her body was just so exhausted, or maybe it was the hint of safety she felt in the back of her mind when he was near. No, it couldn’t be. For now she would blame it on exhaustion. Once again the house fell to silence, the only sound was the deep breaths of the two. For the first time her dreams slowly slipped back into her mind rather than nightmares or darkness, these ones not so bad, so she thought. With each breath as she slipped deeper, the more vivid the visions grew. That smirk his lips held as he looked down to her, the way his arm wrapped around her waist with ease fitting perfectly against her, Darling, Sweetheart, Princess. Her mind kept it on repeat, stuck in a cycle until she heard movement. Alessi must have woken at some point, the sound of his slow steps jostling her mind awake for a moment, but not fully. Her body was enjoying its rest, even if it was on a couch. The steps neared but the only reaction given was a small grumble as she rolled herself over, curling her hand under her face as she got comfortable again.

She let out a soft sigh before she started to drift deeper again. She let out another grumble as she felt arms slip under her form, lifting her up against a broad chest as they moved towards the bed. His grip was strong, holding her close to his body. Her head rested softly against the crook of his neck, her soft hair cascading down his arm. Her breaths slowed as she rested against his touch, as if it felt calming.

The increasing volume of voices outside the bedroom doors had slowly begun to wake Alessi from his deep slumber. The sound of what sounded like a cart and the faint pads of footsteps across the hallway carpet caused him to sit upright, his arms supporting him up as his head turned to the crack of the wooden doors. It was a couple of moments until the light of a candle passed by the door and the hushed whispers of who sounded like two young women. Alessi’s shoulders relaxed at the realization that the manor maids were doing their midnight sweep of the floors. The man’s head fell back with a quiet sigh as his neck turned to the side, a small crack emitting from it and earning Alessi a small groan. He blinked as his eyes continued to adjust to the darkness of the room and his gaze lowered to his lower half, staring at the blanket that fell down onto his lap for a moment before slipping out of the bed.

Less had made his way slowly over to the loveseat in which Natalia was curled up, her long brown hair flowing down the side of the small couch. He took a moment to take in the woman's state- the peaceful expression that she held to her as she slept, the way her lashes fluttered every once in a while, and the way her lips parted ever so slightly. The gaze of the young man remained fixed on Natalia's lips a moment longer before he bent at the waist, his knee propping against the arm of the loveseat as he slipped an arm under her head while his other arm slid under the back of her knees. It was surprising how carefully Less carried her, close and secure against his chest as if she may wake up and try to jump out of his hold. The young man strode over the a large bed and once he got to the side of it he carefully lowered her onto it- covering her with the two blankets as to get her in a more comfortable position.

Alessi was about to pull away when his drowsy gaze landed on her face and the lock of hair that covered her pretty eyes. He hesitated for a moment, simply hovering over the young woman- one arm propped against the bed's headboard, his eyes taking her appearance in before his other hand reached slowly up. Less gently brushed the piece of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear and letting his hand rest there for a moment before pulling away- his heart quickening slowly. What the hell was he doing….

Soon enough, Less found himself taking Natalia’s previous sleeping spot. Yeah- his long legs hung off of the loveseat armrest as he lay on his back, his arms going behind his head to offer some extra support as well as the plush pillow under him. Alessi thoughtlessly looked up at the ceiling for a few minutes but soon decided that he should probably get at least an hour more of sleep. He’d need to live off caffeine the next morning if he didn't… Slowly Less drifted off again into once again another dreamless sleep. Hopefully, he’d feel more sober in the morning…

-

An hour and a half after his last waking up came along with a sharp and pounding headache. He must have drunk quite a bit after all… Alessi had been awake for a couple of minutes before he decided to take his phone out from under the pillow, squinting as the bright light burned his eyes for a couple of seconds. The screen read 6:02 AM. Well… he had gotten an hour and a half of sleep. Alessi let out a huff before swinging his legs off of the couch, his lips pursing slightly before he stood and made his way to the bathroom, not bothering to look around and take in his surroundings as he stretched while he walked.

Closing the door behind him, Alessi flicked on the bathroom lights- his completely worn-out eyes didn't completely take in the different setup as he opened the shower door and turned the temperature to a higher heat. After a couple of minutes of letting the water run and allowing steam to collect onto the bathroom mirrors, Alessi stripped out of his suit from the night before. Carelessly throwing the different pieces of his outfit onto the floor before he entered the welcoming warmth of the shower. The shower was large, similar to his own, with lighter marble flooring and a wider spread showerhead. Alessi took his sweet time, letting the droplets of water run down his smooth skin, washing away the strong whisky scent that had collected onto himself throughout the night. He thoroughly washed his hair and body so when he did end up exiting the confines of the shower the smell of the cucumber and a slight hint of citrus clung to him. The smaller towel that Alessi had grabbed was used to somewhat dry his hair and face, after he did so his hand reached for another larger white towel to wrap around his lower half. Steam had collected onto the bathroom mirrors so Alessi had to take his wrist and wipe a small portion of the mirror, his gaze meeting his own reflection. His free hand mused through his damp hair for a moment before he turned to walk out the door of the bathroom.

The cold air of the large bedroom met Alessi’s tanned frame, his eyes narrowing at the brightness coming from the window- what time was it? Because it sure was bright- Alessi paused, his gaze slowly scanning the room in front of him and his deep blue orbs widened at the sudden realization. Oh- fuck me. Less’s head reluctantly turned to the side, his gaze meeting the eyes of a newly awoken Natalia.

Natalia slowly started to stir as the sun filtered through her windows, her tired eyes squinting tight as she stretched slightly under the blankets. It took a second for her mind to fully wake before her eyes opened and looked to the bathroom door. The shower was on, someone clearly inside. She looked down and noticed she was on the bed, she didn’t fall asleep there. She looked around and noticed Alessi was gone, was he in her bathroom showering? What happened?

She pushed herself up into a sitting position, resting her back against the headboard as she brushed her fallen strands out of her face. Her brows furrowed slightly as she heard the water turn off and the sound of rustling inside. What was she going to do? Leave? Stay? Close her eyes? Her body froze. Moments later the door clicked and opened, the figure of Alessi stepping through. His frame stopped just a few steps into her room, the sunlight hitting his tan skin as water droplets slid down towards the towel at his hip. The light highlighted the various scars that painted his torso, traveling in every different direction. Natalia felt as if her body and blood were ice, she couldn’t move, her widened eyes locked to his body, then to his own eyes. After a few silent seconds she quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing a bright red. “I….i'll give you a moment” she said quickly, flustered as she got out from under the covers and headed to the halls.

The following week had been a bit awkward since that morning, nothing too terrible tho. He had apologized several times and Natalia reassured him it was okay. Things had gone back to normal, the same routine each and everyday except Natalia had a little more freedom, to wander the gardens by herself. Alessi one day had surprised her by bringing her breakfast, and one of her favorites he had learned, waffles with berries. He had mentioned they would be having a day out, to get some fresh air on this lovely day, and get out of the stuffy home. They were going to the lake. Natalia lied about being excited, to be honest she was terrified. Lakes involved bathing suits, which involved one of her biggest insecurities and secrets. Maybe she could get away with just sitting on the shoreline? She couldn’t decline, he had that damn smile that was like a trap, forcing her to say yes. So here she was, fighting her mind as she got ready.

She changed into the bathing suit and slipped a pair of shorts and a shirt on top, pulling her hair up into a messy bun before waiting downstairs for Alessi. She didn’t have her rings with her so no place for her to fiddle. Why? Why the lake? Why not just walk the property. She had to tell herself to be grateful, to get out of the house more than normal. She would have to deal with it.

The two made it to the lake on the property, secluded from the main area and roads, a getaway for just the two. Natalia followed him down the path, helping carry the towels, following right behind. It was stunning, the crisp, cool water rippling softly with the breeze. The trees providing a stunning scenery. Natalia set everything down, watching as Alessi slipped out of his shirt and entered the water. Her heart began to race, her nerves taking over and crippling her mind. She couldn’t do this.

“I….i think I’ll just relax out here” she said, her eyes adverting from his gaze. She tried to ignore his voice, questioning her, playfully teasing her to hop in. She knew he only wanted for her to enjoy this time outside, to relax and feel refreshed. After a few minutes, she was able to just shut out her thoughts, taking a breath as she nodded, “Fine”

Hesitantly she slipped her shorts off, followed by her shirt and tossed them onto the towel. A black bikini adorned her tan skin, not providing any coverage for what she wanted to hide most, her scar. She found it hideous, disgusting, even if she had no control over it. The scar ran from the center of her chest, just below her breast to right above her naval. A long, thick scar from previous surgeries. Her fingers fiddled with each other as she took a breath, keeping her eyes from his as she stepped into the water.