*Olivia*
I woke up alone.
I shivered as soon as I opened my eyes, the cold on my skin biting down to the bone. I had goosebumps all along my arms and legs like I had been left out in a snowstorm for too long.
I was completely naked, and I wrapped my arms around my upper body as I sat up, holding close for any little bit of warmth I could gather.
Feeling like a detective, I tried to figure out what had happened last night. Giovani had co, had sex with , and then left. I tried to sleep but I kept tossing and turning. I just couldn’t get comfortable last night.
I sighed, realizing now why I was so cold. My bed was in disarray, a product of my moving again and again last night.
The comforter was in a pile on the floor and the sheets were halfway off the bed, tangled up in a line. Even a few pillows had been a casualty of my uncomfortable slumber.
I grumbled to myself as I grabbed my comforter and pulled it around . If I had woken up next to Giovani, this wouldn’t have been a problem.
With him beside , I would’ve been warm all night long. The longing for that dream was stronger than anything I had ever known. All I wanted was to wake up to his gorgeous face and beautiful eyes and have him call that pet na as he kissed awake.
I was falling in love with him, hard and fast, and there was no way I could keep going the way we were.
I sighed, the lancholy hitting especially hard today. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and quickly sent a text to Dahlia to let her know I was going to skip breakfast with everyone this morning.
‘You sure?’ she replied back, fast as lightning.
‘Yeah,’ I texted and then headed straight for my dresser to get so clothes on. I dressed with whatever I found laying around, so long as it covered my ass and chest. She was going to visit her parents at the hotel that day anyway, so she would be fine without for a while.
I should’ve known Dahlia wouldn’t leave it like that.
Just a few monts later, I heard a knock at my door. A maid stood on the other side with a coffee made just the way I liked it and a small blueberry muffin.
“From Signorina Dahlia.” The maid smiled at before leaving.
I shut the door behind her, the delicious sll of the freshly baked muffin in my hand causing my mouth to water. I happily sipped my coffee, heading straight back to bed.
The muffin was delicious, and I relaxed on my bed as I had breakfast in my self-imposed isolation. It was just what I needed to get my head back on straight.
After finishing off my coffee, I headed to my bathroom where I filled the bathtub for a long, relaxing bath. I used the lavender bath bomb Dahlia had got , hoping it would keep calm and relaxed.
I took my ti getting dressed and doing my makeup, making sure I was happy with how I looked before I decided to go downstairs. I pocketed my phone, humming to a song I didn’t know the words of as I climbed down the stairs with a new burst of energy.
“Please?” The whining sound of my best friend reached my ears as soon as I stepped onto the lower floor and I laughed, following the voice until I reached the living room. She must be back from her visit already.
Tallon was sprawled out on the couch with his arm over his face as he groaned in pain.
“It’s not up to ,” he said, looking like he was in quite a bit of pain.
“What isn’t?” I asked as I entered the room.
Dahlia spun to face , her pout morphing into a massive smile as she tackled into a hug.
“Whoa, calm down,” I said, barely keeping us both standing after her added weight.
“Ow,” Dahlia winced, laying her hand across her stomach.
“I told you to take it easy!” Tallon scoffed, throwing his hands in the air. “Put so sense into her, will you, Livi?”
“What sense?” I asked, then frowned as I spotted the guilty look in Dahlia’s eyes. “Dolly, what did you do?”
“Nothing!” she claid defensively. “I just wanted to go for so gelato, that’s all! Ever since he introduced to that shop, I’ve wanted to go back.”
“You still have stitches, Dolly,” I said with a frown. “You have to take it easy until you get them out. Stop murdering your brother.”
“So?” she huffed. “That doesn’t an I can’t go out for ice cream every once in a while. I’m dying here, Olive! We can get a driver and just go out for fifteen minutes tops. Plus, you still haven’t tried their best gelato. They have mint chocolate chip.”
“Mint chocolate chip?” My eyes went wide at the thought–real Italian gelato in my favorite icy flavor. The temptation was strong. I’d had the lemon kind last ti.
I shook my head at my traitorous thoughts. There was no way I was going to sell out my best friend for gelato. Right? Though, she had been out earlier today and several other tis to see her parents and for the picnic since she’d been released from the hospital
“But the doctor said you need to rest–” I protested, trying to remain firm.
“That I just need to take it easy. That doesn’t an I’m a cripple, though,” Dahlia jumped in right away, giving an appeasing smile as she grabbed my hands. “It’ll be real quick. We’ll be there and back in no ti, and if you go with , you can stop from doing anything too dangerous. Besides, they’re only selling the mint chocolate chip flavor today.”
“Today only?” I whimpered, my dream of the minty chocolatey goodness floating away.
“That was low, Dahlia!” Tallon shouted with irritation in his voice.
“So?” She stuck out her tongue at him and then smiled at . “The place is really close, too, and it’s in broad daylight and so many people go there, so there’s no chance of sothing happening. So please? We were fine the other day.” Tallon had seen soone following us, though. Hadn’t he?
She gave her biggest, widest puppy-dog eyes and I flinched, forgetting the potential danger, my mouth opening and closing for any excuse I had, but my brain was filled with chocolate chips and mints and the dreamy smooth goodness of the icy treat.
“Don’t fall for it, Livi!” Tallon encouraged from his spot on the couch, still nursing his head.
I shut my mouth, hoping no drool had escaped the corner of my lips before I finally glanced at my feet, a bit ashadly as I said, “Maybe just a quick trip....”
“And she fell for it,” Tallon sighed. “Rember that creepy guy I saw the other day?”
My best friend ignored him. “Yay!” Dahlia rocked on her feet, bubbling with excitent. “I knew you’d say yes! The driver’s already waiting for us outside.”
“Wait, what?” I glared at her, realizing now what had happened. “You set up!”
“It’s just too easy, Olive.” She grinned, grabbing my hand to pull out the door even as I huffed at the unfairness of it all. “I told him to stay in the car when I got back from visiting Mon and Dad.”
She was sneaky, but at least I’d get my mint chocolate chip.
Just like Dahlia said, there was a driver waiting out front as soon as she dragged out there. She pulled into the car, and I smiled politely at the driver. I didn’t recognize him, but he had on a huge pair of sunglasses and was abnormally large.
He dwarfed the seats, and I wondered how he had even fit himself into the sedan at all. Even his massive hands made the steering wheel look like it had been made for kids.
“Gelato, please,” Dahlia said brightly as she buckled up.
The man nodded once, not saying another word. Honestly, I was a bit freaked out by him, but I stayed quiet as he pulled out of the driveway.
The man knew exactly which shop to go to.
Dahlia told him, “You can stay here. We’ll just be a minute.”
Despite her words, he got out of the car and followed us. A bell jingled as soon as Dahlia opened the door, and I grinned, the scent of frozen dessert wafting over my face. All the varying scents of chocolates and strawberries and peanuts morphed together and hit all at once. It slled so good, just like the other day, though I noticed the nice lady who had complinted my flavor choice the other day wasn’t working.
After waiting in a horrendously long line, it was finally our turn, and despite all my hopes and dreams, the mont I tried to order the delicious mint chocolate chip gelato I had been promised, I was left disappointed.
I stared blankly at the cashier behind the counter as she gave an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry, what was that again?” I asked in disbelief.
“We’re all out of the mint chocolate, I’m afraid,” she said, looking like she actually felt bad. “We’ve got so strawberry and vanilla left, if you wanna try those, though?”
“Sorry, Olive,” Dahlia sent a sheepish look as she scooped up her strawberry and cream into her mouth. She didn’t look the least bit sorry.
Even the lemon was gone. “The vanilla, then, please,” I said, sucking up the fact that my dreams had been dashed once more. It may have been a bit dramatic, but I really had been looking forward to the mint chocolate chip gelato.
I sulked as she handed the cup of vanilla, and Dahlia paid with a smile.
“Aw, cheer up, baby Olive,” Dahlia cooed in a baby voice as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders, pulling close to her. “I’ll let you have so of mine.”
“It’s not the sa,” I sighed, glancing at my cup of vanilla gelato.
She laughed before turning to the behemoth of a man who drove us and said, “Would you mind taking us to a park? There’s one right across the street. I’d say walk, but my side’s already driving crazy.”
He nodded, and I was beginning to figure out that this was a common occurrence for him. I smiled at the stern-looking man. He reminded of one of those giant gorilla statues I’d seen, always frowning and staring forward at sothing no one else could see.
They were about the sa height anyway.
It didn’t take long before he drove us to the park we had visited the other day, and Dahia picked out a rather close bench, sighing as she sat down.
“I can’t wait until I get these stitches out,” Dahlia said, annoyed as she shoveled gelato into her mouth. “It’s driving nuts.”
The park was beautiful. The sun was shining brightly on us, and I breathed in the fresh air as I spotted a few butterflies in the flowers.
“Just be patient,” I told her, finally taking a bite of my gelato. It wasn’t mint chocolate chip, but it was damn good... smooth and creamy and everything I wanted out of a fluffy, airy gelato.
I humd, enjoying the nice day. Not even two minutes after we’d sat down, I spotted a man in a dark blue parka walking around. I frowned as I bit down on my spoon. He kept sending us quick glances, and I was a little unsure about him. Was he the guy Tallon had seen? We should probably go.
I glanced at our driver, who sat a few benches away at Dahlia’s insistence. I kept my cool until I spotted the man in the parka walking toward us from the corner of my eye. I grabbed Dahlia’s hand, my blood running as cold as the gelato in my hands.
“What’s wrong, Olive?” Dahlia asked, then she followed my gaze to the man. A hint of wariness crossed her features.
Nothing was going to happen, I tried to reassure myself. The guard was watching, and the man could just be wondering where we got this delicious gelato and wanting directions.
“Hello,” the man in the parka said, his voice sounding rather odd. He spoke Italian, but it was clear it was not his first language.
“Hello,” Dahlia started, gripping my hand tightly as she watched the man warily. “Do you need sothing from us?” She sounded as scared as I felt.
“Yes,” the man laughed.
I wasn’t sure about his accent. He didn’t sound like he was a part of the Russian mafia, but at this point, I didn’t know.
“Would you happen to be Dahlia Valentino?”
I stiffened, as did Dahlia. Every inch of went cold and I was frozen in place, only able to watch as the next few monts happened very quickly.
“Get away–” Dahlia got to her feet, dropping her gelato cup onto the ground. It splattered onto the man’s shoes and Dahlia’s sandals.
anwhile, a nasty smile spread across the man’s face, and he pulled a large, thick knife out of his parka and lunged straight at Dahlia. A scream tore out of my mouth and out of instinct, I pulled Dahlia back, and she fell into the bench, her eyes wide with panic as the gleaming silver knife ca closer.
But as soon as it all happened, there was a small bang, and everything fell silent.
There was red everywhere... it burst forth from the assassin’s head like a dam breaking open. Red splashed across us both, sticky and slimy and slling like rust.
The man crumpled forward, the knife hitting the ground with a clink, and I couldn’t hear anything. I was in utter shock as our driver, the gorilla man, rushed toward us, a gun with a silencer clutched tightly in his hand.
I knew instinctively that he had made the shot.
It was the right call. Dahlia was crying silently, her mouth moving, but there weren’t any words coming out. I kept staring at the dead man, my entire body frozen as if I were standing in a snowstorm.
I knew I should be moving, that I should have moved and made sure Dahlia was okay, but my mind was only blank. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.
My eyes flickered to the cup of gelato I was still holding. It was dyed red now, and I could only think that I didn’t rember getting the strawberry flavor.
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