Chapter two

"Can I ask you something?" I asked him. Presently, he had one hand over his eyes and other, hugging me very close to his chest.

"Sure, anything." He said to me.

"Were you really going to take me on that trip to Miami or you were just playing around?" I asked, looking up at him in hopes that he would say no.

"You really wanted to go on that trip to Miami?" He looked at me in alert. I paused my lip and raised a brow.

"You know I was excited about it, Matteo." I whined.

"Okay, that shouldn't be an issue. I will arrange our tickets so you don't have to frown anymore. We will leave by weekend." He said to me.

"Yes!" I raised my hand in victory and when I recovered my said, I got back to giving him the puppy look.

He had to laugh and say, "what now Vanessa?"

"Oh nothing. Just don't forget you promised to be here, after work. You and I should spend more time together." I said to him and he agreed after a while.

"I know there is something on your mind, Matteo. Do you want to talk to me about it?"

"No. It's just work and the things I need to do today. I have a lot going on right now in the office."

"Okay, I'm here if you really want to talk about it." I told him and he nodded and pulled me closer, signalling that he wanted to rest.

I placed a my head on his chest, a lot of things going on in my head. A lot of questions I wanted to ask him but it could wait a bit, since he's tired and clearly doesn't want to talk.

Something was going on and I'm going to find out what is was. Even if he doesn't want to let me in, I would find out eventually. I shut my eyes, tired from the night activities and went to sleep immediately.

---

My best friend laid on the couch while i, was getting out orange juice. The couldn't stop going on about Matteo and I and our little vacation. You see, the fun only began. Wait till I reach and get her the real details, I'll be practically her role model.

It was Steph's dream first and then she showed me her cousins picture in Miami. I had to go there, no excessive talkings. a shame I was going there without her.

"Did you tell him about it? There's no way he'd say no." I told her, coming to sit with her. I gave her a cup while I had mine.

"Jeff and I, are not really on talking terms." Steph said. I raised a brown urging her for details. "I kinda...em...you know that party that you didn't come with, it so happens that I... I cheated on him." She finished.

I spat the orange juice in my mouth directly on her face instantly. "You what?" It took her time to clean her face before she answered me.

"I didn't mean to."

"Oh my God, you're ruined. Jeff worshipped the ground you walked on." I said to her.

"I know but I drank too much at the party and I mistakenly....no not mistakenly, I think I knew all what I was doing. I was conscious but not conscious."

"Steph, you cheated on your boyfriend. What happened? You were in love with each other."

"I know. He was just so hot and I couldn't resist when he made a move on me." Steph sighed.

"You know, you're such a bitch."

"I know right." She sassed.

"When were you going to tell him?" Steph looked at me in confusion. "No, no, no don't make that face with me Stephanie. You're attraction for him was dieing, wasn't it?"

"Well..."She trailed. "When you put it like that, I look bad. It was in January, I met this guy and he swept me off my feet. Something Jeff stopped doing weeks ago and when he approached me at the party, I didn't want to say no."

I stared at her for a while. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not a bad person."

"How am I looking at you? It's your conscience doing all the work. My eyes are just doing what they are supposed to do."

"And that is?" She raised a brown.

"Looking?" I Shrugged and she groaned. Dropping her drink on the table, she rested her head on my thighs.

"So," I started, trying not to smile. "Was it good?"

She raised her head to stare at me and I recoiled in surprise.

"It was good. Really good." She emphasized and I couldn't help laughing at her facial expression.

She rested her head back on my thighs and I brushed her hair with my fingers.

I asked, "You regret it, don't you?"

"Sometimes," she told me.

"Will you be seeing him again?" I asked her. I already knew the answer to that. When Steph wanted someone, she does everything to get their attention. That's the kind of person my best friend was.

"He invited me for dinner, Vanessa." Steph stated. "And I said yes."

"Hope you know what you're doing though."

"I do. How about you? Is Matteo okay?" When his name was being mentioned, I felt blush creep to my cheeks as I remember the even of last night.

"He's okay," I chimed and Steph burst out in laughter.

"Hey, don't laugh at me." I scolded after hitting her shoulder playfully.

"You make it so hard not to." She said. "You're like an open book. No wonder you are glowing today." She said.

"I am not," I retorted. "It's not funny Steph."

"What? I haven't even said anything yet," Steph said but bursting out in laughter all over again.

"You are the worst," I concluded.

---

Here I was waiting for Matteo to come to me. It's was 8pm, I expected him like an hour ago. I contemplated calling him but I didn't want to look desperate. I sighed and called him anyways and it went straight to voicemail.

Giving up, I switched off my living room lights and went to my bedroom to lay down. One side of me knew he wasn't going to come but I always want to be positive about him.

Laying on my bed, I dialled his number one last time and it went straight to voicemail again. I dropped my phone on the table besides my bed and turned the other way, shutting my eyes to sleep.

When I opened them again, I reached for my phone again. It was 11pm and still no phone call or text from Matteo. He practically stood me up for the nth time and i didn't know what to feel anymore. I sighed and dropped the phone back on the table. Adjusting my self under my duvet, I went to sleep.

---

I searched through my bag for my house keys with a paper bag filled with vegetable I bought in my other hand. After a while, I found them and I walked up to my apartment.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I looked up to see my boyfriend, leaning on my door. When he saw me, he stood up straight. I walked passed him instead and unlocked the door, walking inside immediately, leaving open the door for him to come in.

He closed the door behind him. "I bought fries," he chimed but sighed in defeat when he realized what I was doing. I was giving him the silence treatment.

I hate giving the silence treatment because I end up losing at the end. He always comes up with something that makes me talk to him somehow as if nothing was ever going on. But this time, it's the only thing I can do.

I cannot control where he goes or where he doesn't, like my place, but I can give him the silence treatment when he does something I have no control of.

"Look, I'm sorry okay?" He sighed in defeat when I don't tell him anything. Presently, I'm making myself Lasagna, well I'm in the process and seeing him here, feels like I've lost the appetite for the lasagna and I want to eat something instead.

He knows I liked him in this shirt and that's why he wore it today.

No Vanessa, look away.

He comes to hug me from behind. "I said I'm sorry."

I cleared my mind, reminding myself that I was still angry with him.

I turned to him, making him free his hold on me. "It's what you always say Matteo, I waited for you last night. You didn't answer my text, my calls went to voicemail. Where were you Matteo?"

"I was-" he hesitated. I scoffed when he had no excuse and returned to what I was formerly doing, chopping my vegetables.

I shook my head. "Save it Matteo."

"I swear I am sorry Vanessa. Believe me, my parents set up some kind of business meeting with some rich people and I couldn't leave. I was really tired when it was over and I just went to bed." Matteo said.

I dropped whatever I was doing and finally turned to him. "No, the truth is, you didn't want to see me Matteo."

"What-"

"Are you tired of this? Of what we have?" I asked, interrupting him.

"How can you even say that?"

"I'm saying it because it isn't the first time you've stood me up Matteo. Are you tired of us?" I asked again.

"No, no I'm not." He asked immediately. "I love you Vanessa, and I can't be tired of us. I was just caught up yesterday in that business deal." He said and I sighed, folding my arms.  "Look, I have the tickets ready. Let's go on this trip to Miami and have fun together. Let's spend time together and you'll see that you won't have these doubts about me again."

"Matteo, I'm not so sure of this trip anymore." I said to him. He was acting strange and he doesn't want to open up to me.

Or maybe, I can get him to tell me of this problem during the vacation. I really needed this trip at the same time, I wasn't so sure anymore.

"Oh c'mon now Vanessa. Isn't this what you wanted? Just you and I?" He said.

Of course it's what I wanted. I love Matteo so much that it hurts whenever he does something like this to me.

"Please say yes," he pleaded, taking my hands in his hold from where they were folded, under my breasts.

"Fine."