“What are we doing today?” I ask with a mouth full of pancake.
“We’re going to have a movie day. But I need to go to HQ later.”
“Why?” I ask, fork halfway to my mouth.
“I need to put the pressure on. We need answers for who was following you and who has taken the girls.”
I nod silently, taking another bite. The salty and sweet taste fills my mouth. The heaviness of the subject sits like a stone in my stomach before I decide to shove it aside. Not today.
“Can we watch Twilight?” I ask after a moment.
“What the fuck is that?”
“It’s a cinematic masterpiece! You’re missing out if you haven’t seen it,” I say with a laugh.
We finish our breakfast, fighting Freddie off our food before we settle down on the couch. Elias grabs my legs and swings them over his lap, tracing lazy circles on my calf. I shudder slightly at the touch, and he gives a small smile. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
“You’re in for a treat,” I say, pressing play on the movie.
The first words of the movie play, and Elias gives an exaggerated eye roll.
“Shh! Pay attention,” I whisper-shout at him.
Twenty minutes in, he hasn’t taken his eyes off the screen. Forty minutes in, he mutters, “Why does that guy sparkle?”
An hour in and he’s fully invested. Even if he’ll never admit it.
It’s well into the afternoon when we finish the third Twilight movie.
“I think that one was even worse than the second one,” Elias says, standing up and stretching. His arms lift over his head, and the hem of his shirt rides up slightly, exposing the sharp lines of his stomach. My mouth waters.
“Oh, shush, you didn’t look away from the screen once,” I reply, giving him a playful shove.
He huffs out a laugh and drags a hand through his hair, making the already messy strands fall deliciously around his face. He looks at his watch, and his face changes.
“I have to go, are you going to be okay by yourself? I can have someone come by?”
For a moment, I imagine spending the rest of the day alone in this massive house. A few weeks ago, that would have been comforting. Not now. Now it just feels empty and cold.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask tentatively.
“Anything,” he wraps an arm around me, pulling me close, his body warm against mine.
“Can I come with you?”
For a split second, he looks surprised. His eyebrows lift slightly, like the request genuinely caught him off guard. Then his expression changes, softening into pride. I feel it land deep in my chest. Pride.
“Of course,” he says, kissing the top of my head.
The simple acceptance sends a little thrill through me. But it doesn’t last. Panic replaces it as I catch a glimpse of myself in the window.
I can’t go to mafia HQ looking like this.
“I have to get dressed,” I rush out, making my way to the stairs.
“What you’re wearing is fine!” he shouts after me.
“If I’m going to be the girlfriend of a mafia boss, I need to dress like the girlfriend of a mafia boss!” I call out behind me. His laughter follows me up the stairs. It echoes through the house, which makes the mansion feel more alive than it did yesterday.