Chapter 81: Chapter 81
Taylor must have been so heartbroken when she saw Ginger at Rory's place and probably thought the worse of him especially in the condition she found them, I still didn't, but she didn't have to know that.
Lucia arrived two hours later and was filled with happiness when she saw me.... especially when she saw that I was with a pretty girl.
"Oh, il mio ragazzo è così grande ora (Oh my boy is so big now!)" She squealed, pinching and fondling my chin like she normally uses to when I was seventeen.
I groaned and frowned, rolling my eyes at her cheerfulness. "I'm thirty Lucia, I left here thirteen years ago remember? There's a huge difference between then and now."
She stopped stretching because being four feet eleven inches and I was six feet three inches she had to stretch up to grab hold of my cheeks. "E allora? Sei ancora un bambino per me (So what? You're still a baby to me.)" She shrugged, and her eyes suddenly smile when they sighted Taylor coming down the stairs from her room. The joy in them was out of this world and I found myself smiling as well. "She's really pretty!"
Oh fuck, here it comes...... Next question, please.
"Is she you're girlfriend?" She asked raising a curious brow at me.
"No jeez! Seriously, Lucia!" I exclaimed with an alarming tone, not because I didn't I didn't like the idea of Taylor being my girlfriend, but because she could have heard it and felt startled.
"What is no jeez! Seriously, Lucia!" She frowned, mimicking the tone of my voice perfectly. "Sei trenta, non vorresti mai ottenere una ragazza? tuoi compagni stanno avendo figli e nipoti già. (You're thirty, don't you ever wish to get a girlfriend? Your mates are now having kids and grandchildren already.)
I rolled my eyes and covered my face, trying to hide my embarrassment as well as anger. Lucia since I was a boy was good at exaggerating and so when she said grandchildren, I just rolled my eyes. She was right though, I needed a girlfriend to start with, and I needed someone to keep me down, someone who would make me forget that life wasn't always about everyone else, but about me too. I turned to Taylor's who seemed to have taken a bath and changed into new clothes. I couldn't help admiring her beauty, for once there wasn't any effort put into her look, not like there had ever been. She halts when she saw me staring and I wish I could look away, but I couldn't. Taylor could make me forget about life and maybe put some smile on my face. She could be the one to take me out of this cage I've locked myself inside for so long... if she didn't already belong to Rory.
Why did everything in my life have to revolve around Rory? He was right I had always dated almost the same girls and a few years ago I made a promise to break that circle and do better for myself, I deserved better I told myself. So I left for the UK and stayed there for a few months but strangely enough, there was no girl there that caught my attention or a girl who was worth my time and I came back, lost and tired of the love game. Running into Taylor was a blessing and it was love at first sight and I thought for once in my life everything would turn out well only to be slapped in the face when I found out that she was Rory's woman.
It was never like this, there was a time I was happy and it was a genuine feeling.
Phoebe was the first girl I truly loved and we would have been the best and would have had it all if Rory didn't find out. He told me Phoebe who was atill young then was innocent and fragile to the world and he knew the kind of person I was, so he made me swear to never go close to his sister. His words hurt and hunted me for weeks and months and years. Phoebe who didn't understand what had happened tried to reach out to me, but I couldn't tell her that her brother made me stay away. She got hurt and heartbroken and possibly hatred me as a result. We were so close and she knew I loved her but didn't know why I decided to end the relationship. It was best I thought then, I was keeping a promise to a friend as a good friend should.
But with Taylor, I was not under any obligation and she's no longer with Rory and maybe this is fate's twisted way of bringing us together.
"No jeez! Seriously Lucia."
I heard the mimic of my voice again and turned to Lucia with a burning cheek. She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Children" before going towards Taylor.
"Hey, pretty Lady my name is Lucia Romero, that tall man's godmother and nanny and you are?" her friendliness seemed to make Taylor relax around her and offer her a small smile.
"Taylor Snowfall, you can call me Taylor and we are friends sort of."
"You have a wonderful name, Taylor and it's a pleasure meeting you."
"You too, Lucia," Taylor replied, returning her smile.
"Vieni con me. (Come with me)"
"She isn't Italian, Lucia." I quickly spoke up from where I stood watching the two of them— watching Taylor with a confused look as she stared at Lucia.
"She isn't?" She gave me wide eyes, then glared at me. "Of course I know she isn't Italian! Her skin and accent say a lot. She's not like us." she bit out and my mouth shut.
"Lucia!" I groaned, she didn't have to be so obvious about the differences.
"Don't listen to him, love. Egli ottiene sempre scontroso quando una ragazza che gli piace parlare con me. (He always gets grumpy when a girl he likes talks to me)" she explained to Taylor who just stood clueless and beaming.
I rolled my eyes at her obviousness, thanking heaven that for once that Taylor wasn't Italian.
"Come on, Taylor, we have a lot of catching up and girl talk to do."
"Non dirle ogni cosa imbarazzante che sai di me. (Don't tell her every embarrassing thing you know about me.)" I told her as she began to pull Taylor into the kitchen with her.
"Non ti preoccupare, io cerco di farli tutti guardare presentabile. (Don't worry, I'll try to make them all look presentable.)" She winked at me and she closed the door.