Chapter 47: Chapter 47

◇ KEL ◇

“Mom, I’m just gonna step out for a bit and…um…meet a friend.” I pocketed my phone and for some seconds, I hesitated whether I should give her another hug or just head straight towards the front door.

The tension in the room could cut through anything; I could still feel it. But since we were no longer frantically wiping off tears,  I had to end our serious talk now so I could start one with another unexpected guest.

Why was he here? What did the guy want this time? Was he in New York for business again? Or to collect payment from me? Perhaps both?

“Sure. I’ll wait here.” My mom got up and tidied up the dining table.

“I’ll be back in…one hour. Tops.” I stopped dillydallying and put my arms around her stiff shoulders. Her  familiar perfume reminded me of happier times, years ago when I was still living with my parents.  And I realized that my liberating, self-supporting life in Italy then was nothing compared to being with family again.

“Okay, sweetie. Friend from school?”

“No,” I replied, opting not to lie. To avoid follow-up questions, I excused myself to wash my face in the bathroom. I had to freshen up and try to reduce the swelling of my eyes and nose.  I splashed my face with cold water a few times, then changed into a pair of jeans and a clean blouse while expecting another phone call.

In a rush of panic, I only sent Enzo a short reply. I agreed to meet up with him outside campus. I didn’t want him anywhere near the apartment or my mom right now.  I just didn’t feel particularly hospitable today.

All my misgivings got squashed by utter dread and consternation the second I stepped outside the apartment building. Parked right across the road, his shiny convertible was surrounded by a familiar group of security escorts.

Enzo stepped out of the backseat before I could even blink. His casual getup,  a dark sweater and white jeans,  somewhat surprised me.  “Hi,” the guy greeted after taking his sunglasses off.  His wide smile showed his nice teeth and cute dimples.

My stomach turned and immediately formed knots. But I forced my feet to keep moving towards him and his car.  I just hoped my mom wouldn’t stand by the windows and catch the whole scene.  “Hi. What are you…  You just got here?”

After giving me a faint nod, Enzo stepped closer to give me quick kisses on my cheeks. He smelled of car freshener and his mildly musky perfume with hints of vanilla and roses. Intoxicatingly good, in short. “How’s school?”

“Uh…fine.  How's the... How was your flight?”

“Good.” He took hold of my wrist and led me back to the apartment’s entrance.

I wanted to protest but he just kept walking straight towards the entrance doors.  All I could do was watch while the armed guard did a full body pat-down before letting him through. “You can’t come up. Sorry,” I muttered when he eyed the elevators.

It wasn’t against policy to bring guests upstairs, but I just didn’t want my mom to meet him. At least not this soon. Miles wouldn't want Enzo to meet my mom, either. Would it put my family at risk? I wasn't sure, but it was a possibility.

“Alright. No problem.” Enzo turned and gestured towards the wooden bench by the windows in the corner. “Wanna sit down?”

“Okay,” was my timid reply. What did he want exactly? I didn't have a clue, but a part of me suspected it wasn't about the money.

He put his heavy arm on my shoulders to lead me towards the bench.  Enzo sat next to me, frowned at my quieter than usual demeanor, and then touched my cheek with his thumb.  “You alright? You look like, you’ve been crying.”

“No—   I mean, yeah. I’m fine. Just…allergies,” I lied with a forced smile. I badly hoped it didn’t look forced.

“Didn’t know you have allergies,” he mumbled with a fairly convinced look.  “You have antihistamine upstairs?”

“Yeah,” I lied again. I never stocked anti-allergy medications because I didn’t have allergies. But of course I had to have a good enough reason for my slightly swollen and pinkish face.  I just didn’t have time to cover it up with foundation or some face powder.

“’Cause I can tell them to go to the pharmacy right now.” Enzo stopped touching my face and looked to his security guys just standing beside his car.  They most likely had guns, as always, thus Enzo preferring that they stayed outside.

“I’m fine. Thanks.” I put on another smile.  “What’s up?”

“Just checking on you.”

Checking on me?  Why?  Did he think he needed to do that?  “I’m fine. I just…get so busy and forget to call back. Sorry.”

“Yeah; I know.” Enzo grinned slightly and checked his phone for a couple of seconds.

While he was distracted by some messages, I inched away from him to put a good two feet of distance between his thigh and mine.  Being physically near him was doing something weird to my breathing.  Or maybe it was just because I’d been crying my eyes out with my mom just minutes ago.

“Sorry. It’s Leo.” Enzo put his phone away and stared at my face again.

“About work?”

“Yeah. How’s school? And your family?”

“Fine.”

He chuckled at my one-word reply.  “Just fine?”

Not really.  He obviously hadn’t heard of my Daddy Jim passing away.  “Yeah. I mean, we buried Dad two weeks ago.”

Enzo sighed. “Stronzo,” he muttered before slapping his palm onto his forehead. He shook his head weakly before pulling me closer for a hug.  “Dispiace sapere di vostro padre, bellezza.”

“Thanks,” was all I could say in response while we embraced.

His tight hug and rueful tone weren’t helping me keep my grip on my emotions.  I hadn’t posted any of it on my social media profiles.  Only close relatives, family friends and Gaia, my best friend, had heard of my dad’s passing.

“Sure you're alright?”  Enzo murmured to my ear after gently kissing the side of my head.

At his remarkably sweet gestures, I could hardly keep my thoughts under control.  Now I found it quite difficult to match his intense stare.  His eyes were just...so attentive.  Always watching.  “Yeah. All good. How ‘bout you?” I pulled away to check his scars.

The one on his hairline was barely visible now since his wavy brown hair had grown somewhat thicker, and he looked like he just got a trim. His hair partly covered the scar on the side of his neck. His straight posture and relaxed walk also assured me his ankle was much better.

Last time we hung out, Enzo also said he no longer had any problems with the physical injuries he sustained a couple of months ago.  He'd said he didn't even think of going to rehab because everything healed up fast and easily.

“Better now that I checked up on you.”  Enzo kept up his fairly serious expression and glimpsed his pricey-looking silver watch. “Had lunch yet?”

“Yeah. You?” Oh no. Oh crap. Now I felt compelled to ask him.  Did he like smoothies and rice meals?  It was the only dish my mom had prepared upstairs.

“Not yet. Starving, to be honest.” He made a face and glanced around the lobby.  “Can we go somewhere? You busy?”

Ugh. Double crap. At this point, I just prayed hard  Mom wasn’t in one of the elevators. I badly hoped she wouldn’t catch me chatting with a complete stranger in the lobby.

A tall, dark, and intimidatingly good-looking stranger, at that.  Enzo looked tanner than I remembered.  Had he been to the beach recently? Or was he biking and playing tennis again?  He’d mentioned his outdoor hobbies the last time he was here in the city.  He was the type who couldn't sit still for a long while, to say the least.

“But I know you’re busy studying, so, I won’t keep you out for longer than an hour.”  He chuckled when I looked away.  “I promise.” He held up his pinky.

Um...what?  Was he actually trying to pinky-promise to me?  “Sure, but…no good restaurants ‘round here. I mean, in this vicinity.” I eventually touched his pinky with mine just so he would move his hand away from my face.

He’d already touched my face at least half a dozen times since he stepped out of his car…and not just with his hands.  “Didn’t say I want fancy food, did I?” he murmured while frowning at my reply, as if it bothered him much.

Ugh. Now my armpits and palms were just sweating like a pig. Would he find it extremely rude if I just made him wait here while I rushed back into the apartment to get him some food? And then hand him a takeout container with fried rice? Or should I just invite him upstairs?  Introduce him to my mom and all? Oh jeez…

“What did you have for lunch? You cooked?”

“No,” I said before glancing away. Fine. I was done lying to his face, and my mother had cooked enough food for five people.   “Mommy did.”

◇◇◇

“I didn’t think she meant she was meeting her friend downstairs.”

“Was hoping she wasn’t in the library again burying her head in books.” My surprise visitor number two walked towards the small dining area, just as my mom had instructed after greeting him with a big smile.

Speechless by choice, I watched and stayed by his side and couldn’t decide which was more awkward—the awfully quiet elevator ride with him standing uncomfortably close to me, or the smile I had been forcing to stay on my lips after I introduced him to my mom as  “my friend from Italy”.  I couldn’t even say where in Italy specifically.

Well, at the moment, I could barely get another word into the conversation after Enzo just switched it on and started charming the pants off my mother.  The guy even dropped the “I can see where she got her looks from” bit after my curt and quick introduction.

“Actually she prefers to study at home. Have you had lunch yet, Enzo?”  My Mommy Tilda started prepping the dining table for our guest.

Oh goodness. I just hoped she wouldn’t make him stay longer than half an hour.  Impossible, but, I hoped for the best.

“No, Ma’am. I just got out of the office.”

“Oh. Okay.  You work here? I was thinking you just flew out of Italy. And please call me Mathilda. Or just Tilda.”

“As you wish,” Enzo said with another polite smile.  “Erm...not really. I work for the family business, too. But just recently I started up a biotech company here with a friend. So, from time to time, I come here to check up on them. Help find investors and all that.”

“Biotech? Nice. Pharma research?”

“Yes.”

“What did you study in college, if I may ask?” My mother poured him a glass of smoothie now. “Fruit shake?”

“Thank you.” Enzo smiled wider and took the glass.  “Industrial Engineering.”

“Oh? That’s great. But you started working for your family early on?”

Oh jeez...  Here come the background check.

I resisted the impulse to facepalm myself while I stood by the dining table, just anxiously waiting for my mother’s questioning to end.  My mom didn’t need to know exactly how and where I met Enzo in Italy;   Miles specifically said no one else needed to know about what happened back in the estate.  Especially not my family.

“Yes.” Enzo sat down and drank the smoothie after glancing at my silent, motionless state behind him. “Pappa and my uncles just about forced me,” he added with a throaty chuckle.

Ugh. Three minutes in and he already sounded too comfortable chatting with my mother.  I kept up a small smile to not seem too bothered or tense.

“I see. Your whole family’s in Italy? How did you two meet?”

Oh for cryin’ out loud—   “Yep. Common friends, Mommy,” I cut in with another fake smile before Enzo could open his mouth again.  I even stepped closer to him to put my hand on his right shoulder, hoping a quick pinch would get my secret message across.

He almost flinched when I clamped my fingers hard onto his shoulder.  “Mm-hmm. Some mutual friends,” Enzo added with fairly convincing nods.

A wave of relief calmed my nerves almost immediately. I let go of his firm shoulder and almost breathed out a ton of relief when my mom suddenly excused herself to take a call.

While my mom talked to her boss on the phone, I prayed she would stay in the living room for a while.  I served Enzo the fried rice meal and poured him a glass of water.

“Did you just…lie to your mom?” Enzo mumbled as his brows furrowed at me.

“Miles told me I—   Yeah, he doesn’t want me to tell anyone about…you know.”

“About?” Enzo shrugged faintly. “Working your ass off to keep me and Cloe alive?”  He frowned again but kept talking in hushed tones.  “So what if your mother knows?”

“Just…can we not tell her about it? Just for now.”

Now staring at me with a curious expression, Enzo hesitantly gave a few nods and started eating. He stuffed a spoonful of rice into his slightly pouting mouth and said nothing more.

“Please?” I stood in front of him while trying not to look any more apprehensive. Thankfully, my mom was still in the living room sounding busy on her phone.

“Sure.” Enzo glanced at me and swallowed his food, then drank some smoothie.  “But only if you let me help you.”

Oh great.  Not money talk again.  “What? Are we seriously doing this again?” I complained in a murmur. No way was I letting him pay for my tuition once more, or anything else for that matter.  I already owed him enough money since the last time he gave me a signed check.

As if annoyed by my reaction, he paused from eating his lunch and practically glared at me. “Do we have a deal or not?” Enzo kept his voice low, conveying his seriousness with his steady gaze.

I sighed and looked away. My mom was still sitting on the couch, busy chatting with their manager over the phone. We still had some privacy, in short.

“You don’t think it’s my own money, do you?” he muttered with another frown that etched faint lines on his tan forehead. He sounded almost insulted that I wouldn’t take his offer of another personal loan. Like he was insulted that I would even suspect his money didn’t come from legitimate sources of income.

“No; i-it’s not like that.”  But it was true to an extent. I was terrified of owing him even more money, aware of the likelihood that his family was a certified mafia clan.

“No need to pay me back. I told you that already.  Only give it back if you think you’re able, and already have enough to take care of yourself.”

I bit the inside of my cheek and avoided his heedful eyes. The advice touched my sentimental heart, of course, no matter how hard I tried to seem less emotional at the moment. My throat felt somewhat constricted, and now my eyes had become hot and teary again.

The sincerity in his deep calming voice just cut right through.  Why was he so eager to help me?

Enzo glanced at me when I kept tight-lipped. “We got a deal or not?”

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