Aces & Spades

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Isabella:

It's already pitch black outside by the time Luca parks beside the jet. I help him to take out all of the suitcases from the trunk, stopping when I see Massimo's.

He's coming home right?

My thoughts are immediately answered as a fiat parks behind Luca's car, with Massimo and Annalise inside.

Massimo's gaze lingers on me, and even with the cool air whipping around me, I still can't shake off the burn I feel from him. I painfully turn my head away, drawing my attention towards the suitcases that need to be taken up the jet stairs.

I begin to drag them behind me, not stopping even when I hear the greetings from the happy couple and Luca behind me. I simply block it out, trying to bottle up every sense of calm I can get before having to put up another facade.

I try to carry one of the suitcases up the stairs, but a sharp stinging pain shoots through me. I immediately let go of the suitcase, letting it tumble back down as I clutch my baby bump in comfort.

My baby is okay. I'm sure it's nothing. My baby is okay.

Luca is the first to be by my side with the two of them following behind him.

"Is everything okay? What happened?" He asks me as he wraps one of my arms around his shoulder to help carry me up the remaining stairs.

"Nothing. It was just a small cramp that's all." I try to reassure him, but he doesn't seem convinced. "The doctor said that it's normal for that to happen. Luca don't look at me like that." I continue, smirking at the worried expression plastered across his face, even though I'm fearful too.

He helps me to a seat- the same seat I sat in when we first arrived here. All the trapped memories resurface, engulfing me in a small ball of happiness, before it is immediately extinguished when I see them come up the stairs. Hand in hand.

Massimo lets go of her hand when he spots me staring. Annalise rushes towards me, kneeling down beside me.

"Are you okay Isabella? You know I can help after all-"

"I'm fine." I spit out, a little more bitter than I intended it to be.

She seems a bit taken aback by my reaction as she slowly begins to stand up.

"I mean- I'm just tired, that's all. After all of this running around to search for Massi- Mr Giordani. I just want to go back home." I give a small trace of a smile, watching as her pearly whites beam back at me.

"No, no I totally understand that." She says before taking a seat on the other side of the jet. Massimo takes the seat opposite her, wrapping his hands around hers on the table.

Every ounce of faith that I had of him remembering me disintegrates, as Luca is the one to fill the final spot in front of me.

The take off was silent for the most part, until Massimo begins to explain the story of how he met Luca to Annalise. Soon, the silence is replaced with the sound of Annalise' high pitched laughs flurrying around the cabin.

"Well, you two must be the closest pair of friends I've ever met." Annalise says after calming down from her fit of laughter.

"He is a brother not a friend." Massimo corrects her.

"I thought you would've forgotten me." Luca says before snapping his mouth shut as he looks at me.

"I will never forget the most important people in my life." He says.