All the way Anna studied him. He was not talkative but friendly, very calm and reserved. His appearance coincided with her ideas and expectations but his voice, the manner of holding were unreal. He politely answered the girl's questions about the weather, music, or briefly discussed something in Italian with Ricardo and every time he opened his mouth, Anna was in love with this voice. Deep, little husky, with a pleasant accent, he spoke every word clearly and smiled modestly. He had a piercing but pleasant look in his eyes as if keeping some secret.
But the most amazing detail, which was a real revelation to Anna, was his the manner to drive. He was like one organism with this iron body. He drove confidently, quickly, easily outrunning cars and going around the bumps, driving something resembling the levels in a racing computer game - so easily he could steer.
Teo could do it with his eyes closed - he was distracted, without losing concentration, humming the tunes, playing some castanets, gesticulating with both hands on a chastise his friend in Italian, looking at Anna.
And for the first time in life, Anna felt that she could relax in the car and not be afraid that she'd get into an accident, or something would happen. This fear did not have any roots in the past, but Anna always wanted to keep control of her life, and to sit in the next seat to the driver meant literally trusting him with her life, not being able to control the developing events.
But now it was so different. She felt that she could trust Teo completely, that he would bring her home, that everything would be all right.
She closed her eyes and doze off.
But she dreamed the same thing that had haunted her for years...
Chapter 42
They were passing familiar places and each time memories cut Anna's heart. She just recently strolled all these streets hand in hand with Randall, here was a cafe where they had a snack, and here was the promenade, and here was the church, and here was..
"Anna?"
The girl turned around.
"Huh? What?" she asked, blinking.
"I asked if you'd been to Milan before." Teo smiled. "You have a nostalgic look."
"Oh, um... yes, very long time ago," blurted out the girl. "but I didn't have time to see anything, so I came back to..."
"Fix it?" Teo finished.
Anna glanced at him but her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she abruptly turned the face away until Teo saw her despair.
"To... fix it." she squeezed out a confirmation, trying to keep the words as casual as possible.
"Perfect," said Teo, putting his hand on her shoulder and adding, "and you will make it."
Anna looked into his eyes and for a moment, it seemed to her that he knew everything, that he understood her without words, that he seemed to read all the expressions without having to explain anything.
She smiled meekly and looked out the window. Teo was turning into a huge villa surrounded by neatly trimmed trees. Security opened the gate and Anna realized without a hint that Teo was not a poor man if such a high-class apartment belonged to him. She shivered and grinned:
"What did you say your job was?"
Teo looked at her slyly and spoke in a conspiratorial tone:
"Don't tell anyone, it's something trade-related."
Anna and Ricardo, who had heard the top-secret, laughed out loud. They lazily fell out of the car and Anna looked around.
The yard was perfectly clean, a high carved fence enclosed the two-storey villa with several terraces and a balcony. They decorated each corner with flowerbeds with small neat flowers of different colors.
Anna recognized only forget-me-nots and daisies but all the splendor of these flowers was beyond her knowledge, which she immediately regretted. She wanted to know the name of each flower. Amazed, she was gently touching them, inhaling aromas new to her and so unusual. The dog barked.
"It's been a long time, Signor Reez." said the guard who approached Teo, shaking his hand.
"Lost at the studio. What's up? How did the tourists behave? Crazily I imagine?" Teo asked politely.
"Nah, they're great lads. Good afternoon, signora."
"Good afternoon." Anna replied to the greeting.
The man turned to Ricardo. "Good to see you, vecchio."
Ricardo shook his hand and they continued the conversation in Italian. Teo took Anna's hand to lead her into the house.
They entered the grand hall and Teo invited Anna to sit down on the couch, while he would take the bags to her room.
Waiting for him, Anna looked around. Everything was clearly decorated with a pro hand of the designer—various works of art hung on the walls, elegant designer accents were placed everywhere - vases, statues, flowers. In the center of the room stood a glass table with an ashtray. A wide sofa was set up for relaxing and watching a huge plasma TV. In another corner, there was another table, but wooden and smaller ones, with numerous discs and cassette headphones and some musical odds and ends on it.
Teo left the room and asked:
"What do you think?"
Anna beamed.
"It's amazing. Your house is gorgeous. Thank you for accommodating me."
He hugged her slightly.
"Shall I show you the rest of the rooms?"
"Of course!" the girl exclaimed.
They went into the dark room Teo had set up for Anna. Its own bathroom and dressing room made it an ideal option for a lady.
"You can raise the blinds." Teo explained. "But this room is always so dark because it's on the north side. However, I'm sure you'll like it - it's the best room in the house. Go upstairs."
They went up the stairs, and on the second floor, Anna saw several more luxurious bedrooms and a shared bathroom.
"Now what do you think?" Teo asked again.
"That room below is really the best one." said Anna, smiling.
"Nice. Then make yourself at home. I'm ready to leave in a few minutes. I'll just grab a guitar and a couple of clothes."
"Teo. Don't leave, please. You live here?"
Teo looked at her.
"Em... I've got another house. My mother, sister, and brother live there now. I'll go there."
"Stay, can you? You and Ricardo. Such a huge house, so many bedrooms. I know little about the city. I'm not having the best time of my life and I'd like some company. Is this possible? Are you very busy?"
Teo looked into her eyes and as if trying to read the meaning of her words and finally spoke:
"I'm going down to tell Ricardo. I think it's a great idea to spend a week with a princess like you."
"Thank you." Anna smiled.
In a few minutes, having heard voices on the first floor, Anna herself went down. Ricardo and Teo were standing by the stairs, talking animatedly in Italian.
"What's the verdict?" she asked, looking at Ricardo.
He smiled widely and held out his arms for a hug.
"Of course "Si"! The idea is just fantastic. What could be better than a sudden vacation with your best friend and his future wife?"
They burst out laughing.
"Thanks, Ri." hugging the guy, told Anna.
She hadn't even noticed that she had been hugging him for several minutes, staring intently at Teo, who was holding her other hand. Both guys seemed to feel her pain and understand her every action. And they wholeheartedly wanted to be there. But most likely, all this is only in her head, and to them, she seemed to behave strangely.
But all this was absolutely unimportant.
Chapter 43
Anna entered the room and flopped onto the bed. She thought of only one thing.
Where was Randall? How was he?
Determined to call him and tell him she was in Italy, she opened her bag and was horrified to find that she left the phone at home!
"Fucking shit!" she swore and threw the bag aside.
She wanted to hear his voice, to know his reaction. She kept replaying their last dialogue in her head, his calm confession that he slept with someone, and it was hurting her over and o
ver.
There was a knock on the door.
"Yeah?" Anna asked mechanically, staying in bed.
Teo peeped in.
"How are you? You okay? It's quite late."
Anna turned and looked at him. For a moment she was studying his features and then replied:
"All good."
Teo hesitated.
"Mmm... Okay, good night then."
"Stay."
"Huh?"
"Stay with me."
"I don't think that's a good..."
"Please." Anna stood up and approached him. "I'm your future wife, am I not?"
He smiled and flashed his eyes.
"You need to rest, Anna. Say nothing you'll regret."
"You don't like me?"
"It's impossible not to like you."
"Then stay."
She kissed him. He responded to the kiss without the slightest confusion, even not expecting her action. He hugged her tightly and continued the kiss on the bed.
Teo was strong. Self-confidence was felt in his every movement, embrace, kiss. And although his appearance did not fight on the spot, all the other advantages compensated for the slightest doubt. Anne felt nothing towards him except sympathy, a sincere admiration for talent and respect. His charisma was still captivating. But it didn't shoot in the heart hard enough to make room for anyone else but Randall.
Teo halted, glanced slyly at the girl and said, "Goodnight, Anna." And, straightening his blanket more comfortably, he turned to the wall.
"Huh??" the girl froze in disbelief.
"The rest is only after the wedding." he said with a grin and chuckled.
Anna threw a pillow at him and laughed. Next to him, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Chapter 44
"Anna! Anna!" Teo's voice broke into the girl's dream.
She opened her eyes anxiously.
"You were screaming in your sleep." Teo explained. "I'm concerned. What is wrong, a bad dream??"
The pillow was as wet with sweat as Anna herself. She was breathing heavily but could not remember a single detail of the dream. She could have guessed what it was about but her head refused to cooperate. She felt ashamed and mumbled, lost in explanation:
"Sorry, Teo... Just a stupid dream, nothing more, perhaps too many emotions from the travel, only and just, perhaps..."
"You okay now?" he interrupted, handing over a glass of water.
Anna swallowed the contents greedily and nodded satisfactorily. She wondered:
"Why are you dressed? What time is it?"
"About nine o'clock. I would wake you up anyway, to invite you to have breakfast in an amazing tavern I know, but then I heard a scream."
"Forgive me."
"Stupidities. Are you sure you ok?"
"Yes, yes, of course. Nine o'clock... You're an early riser. I hate to get up early, but breakfast at the tavern sounds good."
Teo smiled.
"I'll give you time to get dressed. You look awful!"
"Thank you!" Anna laughed.
Teo went out and left Anna alone with her thoughts. She tried in vain to remember the details of the dream, the scraps that popped up, did not give any understanding and, deciding that it was wasting precious time, she got up and wandered into the bathroom.
She looked at herself in the mirror and grimaced. She looked awful but the most terrible were fleeting thoughts - judgments about her, told by different voices.
"Beauty" she heard Randall's voice, who did not tire of telling her this no matter what. "Stupid ugly duck" was her stepfather's voice, more powerful, more deeply seated, as if saying the only possible truth for her.
She thought about everything. About her shameless kiss with Teo, her sincere desire to hurt Randall. She missed him - so much so that when she imagined his face, tears came to her eyes. She wanted to continue their affair. Longed for mutual feelings.
Why couldn't she be the girlfriend of such a handsome guy? Such a confident, charming, sweet, smart guy? Why was everything she wanted always unanswered? She's only worthy of being with a stupid, hairy, disgusting freak like her stepfather?
To repeat the fate of their parents - that's the path of the children? This fate was not pleased with Anna's strong relationship with Mark? She was so sure she would marry him. Why such deep feelings were strangled by resentment, and now new deep feelings, when she was about to believe to have gained the second chance on love, now are to be killed by anger?
Maybe this is not worth it and cheating can be forgiven? Can we just not see it as a betrayal and start from the beginning?
Nonsense, he didn't need her. Randall didn't ask for forgiveness, he saw nothing wrong with the act. He just explained that he was a free man and could do anything. There was nothing to forgive, nowhere to go back. She swallowed her tears and muttered to her reflection in the mirror, "I still love you, Randall."
She sighed heavily and began to paint the self-confidence and happiness on the face, and this effect only makeup tools can achieve.
Chapter 45
Anna went out on the porch and, exhaling, walked to the car. Having seen the girl, Teo beamed and invited her inside. Ricardo stood beside the car, slowly smoking a cigarette. Anna smiled and hugged him.
"How are you, beautiful?" the young man muttered cheerfully as he responded to the embrace. "Slept well… with Teo?"
Oh, I hate being addressed like that now. She thought.
Anna pinched his nose.
"Ay, nothing happened with... Teo!" she answered boldly and laughed. "But I slept well."
"Well, of course!" Ricardo winked.
"Listen, Ricardo..." Anna began.
"Ri." he corrected.
"Ri. I forgot my phone at home, and I wanted to ask for yours. I need to reach a friend of mine. Is this possible?"
"Of course! No problem." Ricardo handed her the phone. "Will you call? You want me to show you how?"
"No, no, I'll text him on social media."
"Oh, I see. Here's the browser, here's the app. Enjoy yourself."
"Thank you, Ricard... Ri!"
They climbed into the car and, turning on the volume of their favorite local tracks, and Teo and Ricardo started singing out loud. With trepidation, Anna logged into her account of social networks and began to scroll through the messages. She was only looking for one person who sent... 45 messages...
Forty-five messages, Randall! What is this nonsense. she thought and swallowed.
Eighty percent of the messages were generous, described in details where-she-should-go-the-fuck-to- messages. A lot of exclamations and anger, threats to kill her if she continued to ignore the messages.
...And Randall was online.
Her hands trembled. She wrote a stupid "Hello" and fell silent.
"Hello?????? Are you fucking kidding me, Anna????"
The beginning was not very promising. Anna felt a sudden urge to send this idiot as far as possible, but at the same time, something inside of her was even glad to see such a reaction. He did care.
"Hello, Randall." she corrected, and smiled sarcastically, sending the message.
"I went crazily worried here! Where are you!!!!!!!"
"I wrote about where I was."
"What the hell are you doing in Italy! You didn't mean it when you said you were going to sleep around. You said that out of anger, right?"
"What do you want, Randall? Leave me alone. I don't want us to talk anymore."
"Anna, this is a kindergarten shit. You're being very infantile and illogical. Where are you now?". "Please tell me."
"You wouldn't believe it."
"WHERE. THE FUCK. ARE.YOU"
"I'm at the residence of Teo Reez! What a coincidence. Small world."
"????????"
"I gotta go, Randall." and she signed out of the account.
Teo watched her. Feeling his eyes on her, she asked if everything was okay.
"Yeah, it's all right. You're very beautiful. I look at you, and I feel like I
'm falling in love with you."
"Nonsense, Teo." Anna tried to joke, but she didn't like his tone. He looked serious.
"Watch the road, lover boy." Ricardo snapped, helping to change the awkward situation.
Not Giving Up on Forever Page 8