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Adalena was rightly annoyed. Be it the smug look on Adriano's face or the fact that she fell asleep as soon as she took a seat on the private jet after telling him she wasn't tired. Either way anyone took it, she releases an annoyed sigh every couple minutes so she can be annoying in return. Adjusting her silk scarf, she stares the man down.
The accountant blinks at her, "Yes?"
"Wouldn't this look suspicious, Adriano?" She suggests, "Me fleeing the country after he comes forward with these accusations? How long are we even going to be in Italy? I have work to do."
"Until we figure out what this man has in mind and you are your own boss. Work remotely." Adriano tilts his head, "Any doctor's appointments can be with the family doctor. Any clothes you need, I'll get for you."
"I have my own money." Adalena sighs and adjusts the blanket over her body, fixing it over her socked toes.
He scoffs in amusement, "I didn't ask you that." Adalena rolls her eyes, too lazy to retort, "And it can look as suspicious as he would like it to. You're a busy woman — of course you have other obligations on other continents."
"Especially Italy where he accused my baby daddy of running the Mafia?" She arches a brow, eyes scanning his attire for the ten plus hour flight — gray sweatpants, white t-shirt peeking out from his matching sweatshirt.
"Especially." He deadpans, watching as she watches him. "You hungry?"
She shakes her head and sighs, "No. But I am thirsty."
"Apple juice?" He questions, rising from his seat across from her. She nods and sends him a grateful grin. He walks down the aisle to the kitchen area, not wanting to bother the flight attendant.
When he walks away, Adalena's phone rings. Checking it, she sees her mother's name on her screen. Of course.
She presses the green button, begrudgingly. "Hi mommy."
"Darling, how are you feeling today?" Jelani questions though she continues, "Still pregnant and unmarried?"
Adalena rolls her eyes, "Yes, mother. Next question."
"Well, I was just checking on you. Making sure you're making safe and reasonable decisions."
"The safest and most reasonable," Adalena pursed her lips, "I am feeling great, thank you for asking. Next time, you can even keep the questions to a text. There's technology for that nowadays."
Jelani releases a patronizing laugh, "There's also technology to find a husband —"
"Goodbye, mommy."
Hanging up, she puts her phone back on it's charging port and rests her head back to lower her blood pressure and slow her heart rate. She loves her mother but the criticism gets to her sometimes when it shouldn't.
A second passes before she feels a presence beside her and when she opens her eyes, she sees a cup full of apple juice extended to her and a concerned Adriano holding it.
"You okay, tesoro?" He questions, spotting her tense shoulders.
"My mother." She groans, taking the cup into her grasp with a 'thank you.' Adriano returns to his seat, "She hates the fact that I'm doing this."
He analyzes her for a moment as she sips her apple juice, "Does she know?"
She knows what he's asking. If she told her mother about her diagnosis. "She doesn't need to know. It's not going to change how she feels about me having a baby out of wedlock. She'd just say she would've thrown me in an arranged marriage if I was in such a rush. Next thing you know I'm waking up in a wedding dress."
Adriano smirks and leans back, his legs parting, giving Adalena a good view of his third leg. He clasps his hands on his lap.
"She loves you."
"She judges me."
"That too." He chuckles, "She taught you a lot."
"Yeah, she taught me how not to parent." Adalena sighs and glances at him, "Thank you for everything, Adri. I really don't know what I would've done without you."
He licks his lips, "Hop into an arranged marriage, obviously."
She rolls her eyes playfully, "Thank you for that too."
"I love you."
Is what he wanted to say in this moment. And not in the way he's always said it before. Or maybe it is. Maybe this is how he always meant it.
He wanted to scream it from the top of the highest mountain. He wanted to write it in the sands of the most beautiful beach. He wanted to carve it into his skin, those four words.
I love you, Adalena.
But he can't. She has too much on her plate and he doubts she feels the same way. Maybe, one day, he'll tell her. But not today.
When he's more sure of himself and this situation.
"Hamilton or Mamma Mia?" Is what he tunes back in to hear. He looks at her hand to see the remote to the TV across from them. She's scrolling through the fire stick under the Musicals genre.
"Whatever you want, amore."
She arches a brow, "Mamma Mia it is."
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hey yallllllllllll, im trying to get back in my groove
