“I’m going to tell you a story,” he said.
Confused, I only blinked up at him. A story? Is that why he dragged me here…for a story?
“Alessio—” I started, struggling under him, twisting my body with hopes that he would let me go.
But he didn’t. Instead, his hold on me tightened, and the glare was back.
“Stop moving and listen. Not a word, Ayla.”
With a sigh, I laid limply and waited for him to start his story. In fact, I was curious what he had to say. So I was going to listen to his story.
And then I would let him know I forgave him.
Alessio lost his glare again, and his lips touched the tip of my nose in a small feather light kiss. “There was once a woman with blue eyes and beautiful long black hair. She was so beautiful and the kindest person ever. Her smiles and laughter were infectious. A man saw her, and she saw him. It was love at first sight, they said. They fell irrevocably in love with each other.”
A love story? More confused than ever, I listened silently, my heart accelerating just a little bit.
“They had a boy.” Alessio paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “He was her sweet gentle boy.” His voice cracked at the last words, his fingers tightening around my wrists. “They were a happy family.”
My body prickled with nervousness. I had a feeling that this wouldn’t end happily.
“The man would always call his wife Angel. The little boy was curious to why. So they told him what Angels were and why she was an Angel.”
Angel.
Sleep, Angel. I will watch over you.
A sudden memory flashed in my head. It was blurry, the voice barely a whisper in my head, but I heard it. Alessio’s voice, whispering to my ears once.
Sleep, Angel. I will watch over you.
I didn’t even have a chance to react because Alessio continued speaking. “The father replied that an Angel is someone who is sweet, kind, caring, calm, and mellow. The most beautiful woman on the planet. Someone who is amazing in every way. An Angel is the girl who makes your heart beat faster when she walks into the room. The girl you will need wherever you go. The girl who makes you want to be better. Angel is someone who is your rock. The person who you love with your entire heart. The person you can’t see yourself living without.”
His answer was almost monotone, like he practiced it. Like this had been running in his head for a long time and he knew it by heart.
And I had a feeling that this story, the definition of Angel, Alessio did know it by heart.
The way his voice had cracked slightly over the words and the way his muscles were locked tight with tension, I knew this story wasn’t just any story.
“They also said that if you find your angel, don’t ever let her go. Because you would forever be incomplete without her.” His voice had softened a little, just above a whisper now. His fingers on my wrist were not tight anymore, so I twisted my hands a little, to see his reaction.
Instead of struggling to get free from his grasp, my hands went to his shoulders. My fingers tightened around them as I held him. When Alessio shuddered with relief, I didn’t regret holding onto him.
My body was calling to his; the need to hold and be held was a need impossible to refuse. So I didn’t fight. I gave in and held onto this broken man as he continued to tell me his story.
“The little boy was happy with the explanation, and he couldn’t wait to meet his Angel one day, although he was hell bent on believing that his mother was his Angel.” A small smile played on his lips when he said that last few words.
When he lost the smile and his face twisted with a wave of pain, my heart slammed to a stop before restarting with a painfully racing beat. My hold tightened on Alessio, my fingers softly caressing his shoulders. I wanted to offer him any type of comfort.
“But then the mother died. A slow, painful death. A cruel death that left everyone heartbroken, especially the little boy.”
I sucked in a harsh breath, and I knew…I just knew…this wasn’t a story. It was reality.
“All he felt was darkness and pain. He was blinded by it, but over the years, he learned to be numb. Not to feel. He became darkness. He became a monster.” Alessio paused and then gave me a small sad smile.
“Cold. Ruthless. Heartless. Arrogant. Killer. Unlovable. These are all the words that little boy goes by now. He’s respected and feared by all. He can’t love or be loved.”
I flinched, my eyes squeezing shut for a second with sorrow. Those words were the same words I had hurled at Alessio in my attempt to hurt him.