Annika Remo, a beautiful and innocent young woman, hides a painful past while living with her unsympathetic uncle and aunt, relying on her fantasy novels to escape. Unbeknownst to her, her uncle has put her on a dangerous blacklist. Matteo King, the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Annika Remo
I take a step back as he rests his head on mine, a smile on my face. We never look away from each other. I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen. I never expected him to ask. I get that everything is changing fast, but why is everything happening so quickly? What made him decide to ask me? I'm terrified of what the future holds. I'm terrified of everything, but one thing is certain: my heart is ready for anything involving him.
"You have the most beautiful eye's?" I randomly say.
Why did I say that? I'm so dumb.
I hide my lips and close my eyes in embarrassment as he chuckles. My cheeks began to flush. He brushed his lips against mine as he moved my hand away from my mouth. "Gattina, open your eyes."
Slowly I opened my eyes to be met with his. "Nothing can compare to your beauty," I smile. He called me beautiful and I breathed it in like it was my first breath. I soaked it in like it was the first ray of sun after a cold dark winter. I let it envelop me. And maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe it was dangerous too. But I had felt so pitifully lonely for so long and his words were all I cared to know. His words were the only thing that made me feel alive again.
"You and me, Matteo... I don't want to want to be a one-off, and I certainly don't want to be like that other girl" As I speak those words, my eyes well up with tears. I was terrified; I despised the idea of being called such a degrading term, and I was terrified that he would simply use and abandon me.
"I promise you, Annika, those whores had no meaning to me; they were there just for my pleasure. You don't even draw a comparison. I've never been so struck by such innocence and beauty. There isn't going to be anything that can change it." As he wipes my tears, he pulls me closer to him.
Both of us have a lot to learn from each other, but I understand that getting to know someone before judging them takes time. As always, I listen to my heart and believe his words. I'm just hoping I won't be sorry.
The wind brushes against my skin sending chills down my spine. Matteo seems to understand as he takes off his suit jacket, placing it on my shoulders. I blush as he entwines his fingers with mine leading me to his car.
"Matteo"
"Hmm"
"The sky," I remark, my gaze fixed on the starry night. With a grin on his face, Matteo joins me in looking up. I'm not sure if the universe, with its many galaxies, stars, and planets, has a deeper purpose, but it's apparent that we people who dwell on this planet have the responsibility of creating a happy life for ourselves. As a result, it's critical to figure out what will bring you the most happiness.
"There are three principles that I strive to follow at all times. First, remember to look up at the stars rather than down at your feet. Two, never abandon the act of compassion. Kindness provides meaning and purpose to life, and life would be meaningless without it. Three, if you are fortunate enough to find love, keep it in mind and don't discard it." As I finished the third point, I slowly shifted my eyes away from the stars to discover Matteo had been staring at me the entire time, his eyes had softened, and there was a meaning behind it that I couldn't decipher. His fingers brush up against the side of my cheek.
