Velvet Lullabies

Currently she wore faded gray Brown University sweat pants, an old high school tee, and her chocolate brown waves were piled into a knot on top of her head. Her hair needed brushed and she hadn't showered since the day before. She didn't bode well in captivity.

"Someone's here to see you."

She was torn between excitement to see someone other than her mother and brother and feeling disgusted with her current appearance.

She whipped her head around to find Lucian Luchese in the doorway. He was impeccably dressed in navy blue suit pants with a linen white shirt and brown loafers. His dark hair was slicked back and his toned stomach was taunt against the fabric of his shirt. Lucian looked like sin on a silver platter.

"I'll give you two a minute." Eve smiled closing the door behind her.

Lucian took a moment to take in his surroundings before turning the nearby chair to face Adelina.

"Ciao, bella." He called her beautiful again, no other word could disarm her but that one with his voice.

Right now, though, she was still too angry.

"Why are you here?" Her words came out more bitter then she had meant them to.

He gave her a deep chuckle. "Just checking in. I hear your taking a break from school?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared, “Not willingly."

"No?"

"No."

"Tell me why then, bella." He asked.

"I was hoping you would tell me."

He pondered her statement. "I don't understand. Vinny just told me today your taking a break."

Adelina felt a wave of relief, maybe she didn't actually want to hate this gorgeous man. "Oh. I just assumed."

"Assumed I asked him to keep you from your school?"

"Yeah," she nodded, breaking eye contact. She felt ashamed for assuming he was like every other man in her life, but she didn't have many reasons not to think that.

He scrubbed a hand down his face before leaning in close. "I wouldn't do that to you."

She nodded in response, but truly how was she to know what he would or wouldn't do to her?

"Have you thought about my question?"

His question?

"What you want out of life?" He prodded.

She knew what she didn’t want out of life. An arranged marriage. What did her family think this was, the stone ages? Women weren’t forced into marriage and babies and fake love anymore. She wanted to scream that at the top of her lungs to Vinny. Instinctually her hand went to touch under her left breast where the scar was.

Love wasn’t a pleasant thing, that she knew for sure.

"A little." She replied. She had thought about it, but none of it seemed real anymore. Sure, at one time she had ambitions, but after this week she felt broken. "I want to finish school."

"Mmhm." He nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"I want to work." She continued.

"I'm sure we can work something out."