Chapter 28
Lacey
This night didn’t end the way I thought it would. Coming back to his apartment, ransacked by an intruder, was the last thing I expected. However, that was life; it always had its unexpected twists and turns.
It was getting late when the police officer left, and there was no way we were going to get his bedroom back into shape to sleep there, so we went to a hotel.
I took a shower and got under the covers. Matteo looked deep in thought when I ran my fingers down his chest. “What’s going through your mind?”
He looked at me as if waking up from a dream. “Nothing. Everything is fine. Just a little startled that someone broke into my house is all. I never expected it to happen to me. Especially by someone I know.”
I couldn’t blame him. If I came home and found my house ransacked like that, freaking out would be all I did. He probably felt a breach of privacy and security. It was understandable under the circumstances.
“Why don’t you get some sleep? It’s been a long day for you,” I told him as I gave him a peck on the cheek and rolled over to the other side. He didn’t interject which meant he was tired.
After he fell asleep, I found myself thinking about the ring. Why would he have kept it after all these years? Most men would have just thrown it away or something, but he decided to keep it. Why? What did the ring mean to him anymore? It made my stomach uneasy to think that maybe he still had feelings for Kelsey. Maybe he kept it thinking she would eventually come back to him. God, I hoped not. Although could I really be mad if that was the case? Our relationship came out of nowhere. Before we met, he was still sulking in his disappointment. He was different now.
Maybe I was just overthinking things. Matteo had just told me he wanted to be with me. Stop. Breathe. Go to bed.
I woke up the next morning with my head nuzzled against Matteo’s chest. I tried to move carefully so as not to wake him, but it didn’t work.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” he said with a smile.
How could he look so amazing first thing in the morning? Here I was, my hair a rat’s nest and boogers in my eyes. He’s over there looking like a model off a magazine cover. Jealous.
I smiled back at him and went to brew some coffee. Believe me, you didn’t want to see me without coffee in the morning. I’d never really been much of a morning person. Coffee made me more enjoyable. Without it, my attitude was horrid.
I heard him in the bedroom talking to someone on the phone with a mention of the ring. Curious, I stuck my head inside and arched my eyebrows.
“They are at my apartment and asked me to come by. They found her and the ring. She was trying to pawn it for cash,” he explained.
He continued talking to the officer on the phone for quite some time, so I just sat down at the table and enjoyed my warm cup of coffee. It seemed in the morning, while I drank my coffee, random thoughts and ideas would pop in and out of my head. My best thoughts came early.
“So, I have to go down and get the ring on Monday,” he said, pouring himself some coffee and then sitting down at the table across from me.
“What are you going to do with it? Keep it?” I said, not in a mean way, only curious. Did he have a reason to keep it now?
He shrugged. “Probably take it to a pawn shop or throw it into a river. Honestly, I don’t care much about it anymore. When I got to the house last night, I almost forgot it was even there.”
Was he telling the truth or just telling me what he thought I wanted to hear? Honestly, I hoped he wouldn’t keep it, but that was not my call. It was his. We had only been together not even twenty-four hours, and already I doubted him a little. Stop it! There was no reason to doubt him. I had to remember not to treat him like my past boyfriends. Matteo was better than that. The one thing we had in common was a betrayal. Neither of us wanted to experience that again.
The rest of our coffee was consumed in silence. We didn’t really have anything to talk about, and honestly, the quiet was nice. I didn’t get much quiet back at my dorm room. Angela was always very loud and at especially horrible times.
When I finished my coffee, it was time for me to head to campus. I needed a fresh set of clothes. Plus, Matteo probably had things he needed to do, and I didn’t want him to be pressured into having me tag along.
“I’m heading back to campus. There’s some stuff I need to take care of there. What are your plans for later?” I asked, hoping he would ask me to come back tonight.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I think I’m going to have someone go to the house and clean it once I get the okay from the police. Until then, I’ll be staying here. I need to take care of some things at the office and stop by and see my sister. Other than that, nothing,” he explained.
He didn’t ask. It would be weird if I asked him myself. I was sure he would message me later, asking me to come over, so I chose not to worry about it. I snuck in a quick kiss before walking out the door to my Uber.
On the drive over, all I could think about was that damn ring. It was driving me nuts. Worrying about it wasn’t going to change anything. He was with me not her. That should count for something. I couldn’t start doubting him already. I had to trust him.
Once I got back to my dorm, Angela was waiting for me. I was not one to stay gone overnight, so she was worried.
“Where have you been? You had me worried sick,” she said, acting like my mother.
I laughed and replied, “You were so worried but never attempted to call me. You couldn’t have been that worried.”