I stopped at the piano room but didn’t knock. This was my routine. Well, our routine. Alessio and I would avoid each other during the day, but at night, I would play for him before going back to our bedrooms. It was our unspoken agreement.
Gentle and sweet Alessio was only at night. During the day, he was cold Alessio. And a teaser too. I was back to being called “kitten.”
If there was a time we crossed paths by accident, he would give me the same heated look. He would tease me with his slight touch and then walk away as if nothing happened.
But today, after what I saw in the hallway, I felt a little apprehensive. My stomach was twisted in knots. I was embarrassed for both me and him. I knew he didn’t care, but I did. It felt weird to catch him in such a compromising position.
But I also wanted to play the piano. It had become my obsession. But it wasn’t just the piano.
I treasured the small, gentle, and silent moment that Alessio and I shared every night. We barely talked. I played and he listened. And then we would go to sleep. But still, it was important to me.
So, I raised my hand and knocked on the door.
When I heard him call me in, I opened the door and walked inside before closing it behind me. Tonight Alessio was sitting on the couch as always, but this time he had his laptop. He was typing furiously, but when I got closer, he looked up and stopped.
I smiled but he didn’t. As always.
Alessio closed his laptop and placed it on the coffee table before leaning back against the couch and stretching his legs in front of him.
That meant one thing. He was ready for me to play. Giving him another smile, I walked to the piano and sat down behind it. My eyes closed and my fingers moved.
The sweet melody came through and my muscles relaxed. I played that song every night, while quietly singing the lyrics.
With each song, my chest grew fuller with contentment. It felt like I was flying. I was free.
After two songs, I opened my eyes and stared at Alessio. And as every night, his warm blue eyes were fixated intensely on mine as he watched me play.
I played the third song, our gazes still locked. We stared. We breathed. I played. I sang. He watched. And it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced.
After the third song, I stopped. Alessio kept his eyes on me as I stood up. Walking slowly toward him, I stopped a few feet away.
“Goodnight,” I whispered.
“Goodnight,” he said.
And every single night, those were the only words spoken by us.
Giving him a soft smile, I walked out of the piano room. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. My heart continued the same pitter-patter dance.
I walked to my bedroom with the same constant smile on my face. When I got inside, I quickly shrugged off my black dress and put on the light pink night dress that Lena bought for me. I crawled into bed and closed my eyes. Moving my hand under my pillow, I searched for Alessio’s jacket.
But my hand only made contact with the mattress. My eyes snapped opened and I quickly sat up. Pushing my pillows away, I looked for the jacket.
I couldn’t find it.
No. No. No.
Jumping out of my bed, I went around my bedroom, desperately looking for his jacket. My peace.
I couldn’t sleep without it.
I needed it!
But it was nowhere to be found.
I was breathing hard, my hair a wild mess. Bringing my hand up, I pressed it against my chest as panic coursed through my body.
Milena had cleaned my room this morning. She must have found it and taken it away. I was so stupid. I should have known. But I had completely forgot.
Sinking down on my bed, tears blinded my vision and they fell freely down my cheeks.
I couldn’t sleep without it. The nightmares would come back.
I laid down and hugged my legs to my chest, sobbing into my pillow.
“Did you want him? Huh? Answer me!” Alberto hissed as he continued to rain the whip down my bare back.
“No!” I cried out as pain blinded my vision. My back and my legs were on fire. I was naked and tied in a spread-eagle position. The chains from the ceiling were wrapped around my wrists, holding me up. My toes were barely touching the ground.
“I saw the look you were giving him! You wanted to fuck him, didn’t you? You wanted his cock inside you, huh?”
I shook my head violently and cried out when the whip made contact with my back again. “No,” I gasped. “I didn’t do anything. I don’t want him.”
It was true. The man was giving me weird looks all night. He even tried to touch me, and I had tried my best to stay away from him. I barely even looked at him. He made my skin crawl.