More Than This by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 24:

Isabella

“I

’m not going to lie, that wasn't the best song choice,” I admitted sheepishly.

“Seriously?” Lorenzo laughed and looked over at me. “So, you don't listen to this kind of music?”

“Hip hop isn't really my genre. I'm more into the reggaeton stuff.”

He indicated and turned down my street. “I'll have to tailor a playlist just for you then.”

I smiled and placed his phone back down. I was zipping through his playlist all the way from when we left and if there was one thing I had learned about Lorenzo, he had a very interesting taste in music. I was surprised by how different our tastes were. We had plenty of similarities between the two of us but music was not one of them.

“We'll have to do some kind of music exchange,” I suggested. “I'll introduce you to some of my favourite artists and you can do the same.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Lorenzo agreed. “How about ne-”.

Lorenzo continued talking, but the black Audi R8 parked outside my apartment caught my attention, forcing my focus away from him.

Giovanni was here.

My breath caught in my throat and the nerves started to zip through my veins. What in the world was he doing here? Did he come to see me? Surely not. But who else would he be here for? He wouldn't casually be in the are-

“Isabella?” Lorenzo snapped me out of my thoughts. “What do you say?”

He pulled into an empty parking spot a couple cars down from where Giovanni's car was parked.

“About what?” I turned to him.

“Our music date?” he repeated sheepishly. “I don't mean date date, just like we can get together and exchange music.”

“Oh yes!” I exclaimed. “We can do that.”

I was trying my hardest not to focus on the very obvious fact that Giovanni was in the area.

Maybe it wasn't even his car?

I was pretty sure other people in the world had that car and here I was just assuming it was his. Lorenzo stepped outside the car and I followed his lead. I came around to his side as he leaned against the car.

“That was fun,” he announced.

I pulled my coat closer to me. “Yeah, it was. You were a very enjoyable distraction.”

“Well, I'm glad to hear that.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it.

Before I could reply, I heard his voice boom from behind me. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

I turned to meet Giovanni's dark seething eyes. He stumbled towards us and I quickly pulled my hand away from Lorenzo's, suddenly overcome with an unexpected wave of guilt.

“Giovanni, what are you doing here?” I gaped.

He pointed his finger at Lorenzo. “What the hell is he doing here?”

Giovanni stumbled closer to me and he reeked of alcohol. He had clearly been day-drinking.

I stepped in front of him, and lifted my hand up, stopping him from taking another step towards Lorenzo.”Giovanni, stop.”

He stopped against my hand and looked down at me, his deep brown eyes swimming with emotion. There was a hollowness to them that I hadn't noticed before.

“Isabella, do you want me to stay?” Lorenzo asked politely.

I turned back to him. “No, it's okay. I'll deal with this.”

“You shouldn't even be here in the first place,” Giovanni spat.

“I'm here for Isabella,” Lorenzo retorted, trying to remain as polite as possible but I could tell he was starting to get annoyed. “You're the one who shouldn't be here.”

Giovanni stepped closer to him, trapping me between the two of them.”What did you say?”

“Giovanni, stop!” I shouted and pushed myself closer to him, trying to get him to focus on me and not Lorenzo.

There was a couple staring at us from across the road and who could blame them with the volume at which Giovanni was speaking. He didn't keep his eyes off Lorenzo. His jaw clenched and if it wasn't for me standing between the two of them, who knows what he would have done. I had seen Giovanni angry before - the night when he caught his father in Valencia and he was borderline that kind of anger again. I didn't understand it. It was completely unwarranted.

I turned around to face Lorenzo, completely embarrassed that he was caught in the middle of this. “I am so sorry about this.”

“If you need me to stay, Izzy, just say the word.” He looked down at me, his eyes full of concern.

Giovanni scoffed from behind me, but I ignored him. I was so humiliated by his behaviour. He had no right to rock up here and start acting like this. I really didn't want to drag Lorenzo into my problems. I would deal with Giovanni.

“I promise I'll be okay.” I reached out and squeezed Lorenzo's arm. “Thank you for today.”

He smiled at me. “I'll call you later.”

“Just get out of here, Lorenzo,” Giovanni shouted. “She doesn't wa-”.

“Giovanni, for fuck sakes!” I snapped.

Lorenzo pulled off down the road and I was thankful he didn't have to witness what was going to happen next. I was disgusted by Giovanni's behaviour.

I turned to face him. “You had no right to say that to Lorenzo.”

“Don't give me that shit, Isabella,” Giovanni snapped. “Not even twenty four hours ago you were in my bed and now you're out with him?”

Now I was seething.

The anger rolled through me at his tactless comment. He had no fucking right to come here unannounced and start making baseless accusations. He ran his fingers through his hair and pushed past me towards his car.

“Where do you think you're going?” I shouted.

“Home!”

“Are you kidding me? You're in no condition to drive right now!” I shouted back.

He leaned against his car, fumbling for his keys in his coat pocket. He was infuriating. I took a deep breath in and tried to regain my composure. There was no way he was getting behind the wheel right now. That would be completely reckless.

I walked over to him. “Giovanni?”

He ignored me and unlocked his car, reaching for his door handle. I leaned against his door, stopping him from opening it.

He jerked his head up. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“First of all, you do not speak to me like that,” I warned.

His face fell and he mumbled an apology.

I ignored him and continued, “And second of all, you're not getting behind that wheel.”

“Oh yes I am,” he retorted.

I rolled my eyes and reached for his keys, but he pulled his hand away.

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Why do you care?” he muttered.

I sighed. “Please don't argue with me right now, Giovanni. Give me your car keys so I can take you home.”

“You're gonna take me home?” His eyes now brimming with sadness and surprise.

My heart ached for the beautiful sad man in front of me. I couldn't help the constant affection I still felt towards him pushing through. He needed to get home but I certainly couldn't allow him to endanger his own life and the lives of others on the road.

“Well, I'm definitely not going to let you get behind the wheel so hand it over.” I opened my hand and waited for him to give me the keys.

He was apprehensive. “Are you going to be able to handle this car?”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the keys from him. “It's just a car.”

I stepped towards the door to grab it open but he stepped in front of me, closing the proximity between us. He smelled of alcohol and his faint cologne. My breath caught in my throat, the familiarity of the situation overcoming me. Whenever he was around, I was consumed by him. No matter how hard I tried not to be, it was just what happened.

“No one else has ever driven my car,” he slurred. “So be careful.”

“I'll be fine.”

My eyes flicked up to meet his. I allowed myself a moment to soak him in. I only noticed now that his dark beard was thicker than usual and he had a new rugged look to him. His hair was out of place and the bags under his eyes displayed his very obvious lack of sleep. It saddened me to see him like this. The man I love so much now overcome with all this sadness. I wish things could have been different. I only wanted him to be happy. I wanted him to be mine, but I couldn't put myself through the complications of his life now and the sooner I accepted we were over, the sooner I could attempt to move on with my life.

If that was even possible.

His eyes wandered down to my lips, causing the tension deep inside of me to reignite. It was a knee-jerk reaction around him. He caused the air around me to become thin as the desire suffocated us.

Isabella, get your shit together.

I snapped out of the trance I was in and focused on getting him home.

“Get in,” I ordered.

“Fine,” he mumbled and stumbled over to the passenger side.