More Than This by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 25:

Giovanni

S

he followed closely behind me as I stumbled into my apartment.

The world was spinning as the nausea worked its way through me. I had managed to down a significant amount of alcohol before I saw Isabella arrive back at her apartment. Seeing her get out of Lorenzo's car caused jealousy to rear its ugly head. I fucking hated seeing it. What was she doing with him anyway?

I made it to my couch and fell against it. I closed my eyes trying to get the world to stop moving. My thoughts were a fucking mess right now. Between what happened with my mother and now the realisation that Isabella had spent the day with Lorenzo, I was fucking done with everything.

“Where are my car keys?” I shouted.

“On your counter,” she replied, her voice getting closer to me. “Here, sit up.”

I peeped an eye open as she stood over me, a glass of water in her hand. I closed my eyes again. I couldn't even think of moving right now.

“Giovanni, you need to drink this,” she ordered.

I tried to sit up, but my body wasn't having it. It was heavy and with the world spinning, I didn't know how I was going to manage that without throwing up. I lifted my arms up, trying to get her to assist me.

“I can't sit, I need to si-,” I slurred, not being able to manage a coherent sentence.

She sighed and I heard the glass against the table as she placed it down. With my eyes still closed, I felt her hands in mine and she gently pulled me up. I leaned against the backrest and slowly opened my eyes. She sat next to me on the couch, her hazel eyes full of concern. Her hair was straightened and hung over her shoulders effortlessly. She had on a full face of makeup and I noticed for the first time how dressed up she was in her tight leather pants and cream-colored coat. She looked so good and it killed me that the effort was for Lorenzo.

She handed me the water and I took it from her, slowly bringing it up to my lips to take a sip. “You and Lorenz-”.

“No, Giovanni,” she stopped me. “We are not talking about me and Lorenzo.”

Her dismissal of their very obvious relationship was angering me. How could she have moved on already? And with Lorenzo of all people? We fucking slept together last night and today she was out galavanting on a date with someone else. What the fuck?

“Oh yes, we are,” I snapped. “You were out with him today. Are you really dating already?”

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “No, I'm not dating. We just went out for coffee. We're just friends.”

I scoffed.

“We are friends, Giovanni,” she repeated. “And that actually has nothing to do with you anymore. Wasn't that the same thing you said to me last night?”

I swallowed and kept my eyes firmly on my hands. She was using my own tactics against me and it hurt me to hear. The constant reminder that what happened in her life was none of my business fucking drove me crazy. I didn't want it to be that way.

I took another sip before placing the glass back on the table. “You don't get to fuck me and then go on a date with another guy.”

She lifted an eyebrow at me and I could tell I had struck a nerve. “Giovanni, you need to st-”.

“No seriously, Isabella, you're fucking with my mind here.”

“I'm fucking with your mind?” she snapped and stood up, pacing across the room. “No one told you to rock up at my apartment.”

I remained silent.

“What the hell were you even doing there anyway?” she shouted. “You think you can just come and go as you please? You have no right to do that anymore.”

“I needed to see you!”

She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. Her eyes softened as she took a deep breath in. She was way better than I was at containing her emotions. I was spiraling right now and it frustrated me. I was usually the one who was good at keeping those intact, but not when it came to her. She made me vulnerable.

“Giovanni, you can't just do that,” she said softly. “I'm sorry about last night. I know that I shouldn't have come here and that it was a mistake.”

“Stop saying it was a mistake!” I snapped.

“It was!” She groaned. “We can't keep doing this to each other.”

She was sticking to the fact that us being together was a mistake and I didn’t believe her.

How could we be a mistake?

Our relationship was the most real thing I had ever known. I had never loved anyone the way I love her. She told me she loved me, but she also walked away from us like it was nothing. The pressure in my chest started to build again and I was itching for another drink. It was my unhealthy coping mechanism. I needed something to take the edge off. I needed something to stop the pain. My mind was racing and when I thought of her with Lorenzo again, the pain quickly turned to anger.

“You're lying to yourself if you think that you and I are not meant to be together,” I muttered.”You can run around with Lorenzo as much as you want, but you will never have with him what you and I have.”

She jerked her head back in surprise. “I'm not with Lorenzo. We are just friends!”

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off the couch, ignoring the dizziness.

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

I ignored her and strolled over to the kitchen counter. Everything was as it was this morning before she left. Our empty glasses still scattered on the table and the box of headache tablets next to it. Thank goodness. I reached over and grabbed the box, fumbling to get tablets out to stop the pounding in my head.

“Giovanni, let me help you.” She walked over from the couch and tried to reach for the box, but I pulled away.

“I don't need your help,” I slurred.

“Fine then!” she snapped. “I don't even know why I'm here!”

She turned and grabbed her bag off of the counter. I didn't want her to leave. That was the last thing I wanted, but I couldn't control my mouth right now. I had so much anger inside of me towards my parents’ fucked up relationship, the fact Isabella and I weren't together, and my constant ability to fuck up any situation with her.

“Isabella, wait!” I shouted.

She turned to face me, crossing her arms. She was angry at me and I hated to see it. I didn't want to anger or upset her. I just wanted to tell her what happened. I couldn't help that she was the only comfort I needed right now.

My heart belonged to her.