STUCK 2

Chapter 34

Little mam of the house, addressed as Inaya otherwise enjoyed the fresh air by the passenger seat, moving disinterestingly on the songs claimed as her favourite.

Originally Enzo and Sia were supposed to travel from a different car. But since Don considered he might need the assistance of Enzo and Tara would require Sia's, the entire car was crammed with five people with their own forms of awkward silences, except for the little girl who didn't give a flying care for the obvious discomfort of the people who seemed to have some secret grudges against each other.

Tara sat exactly between Sia and Enzo on the backseat. Regardless of how earnestly she loved the luxury of window seat, Donavan had specifically made her seat in between them. It wasn't hard to guess that he disliked the relation between the two, but was kind enough (thanks to the courtesy of his unusually dangerous wife) that he didn't take difficult steps to stop them. Neither was he, for the time being, afraid of the proximity between his wife and Enzo, having realised that the latter was seriously into consideration of some other woman.

Tara didn't mind the disappointment of the middle seat, the space allowed her to keep an eye on the unpredictable little miss lady, and at the same time gave a glimpse on, well, him. She threw furtive glances on the veins of his hands when he changed the gear, or when he turned the wheel, or when he inadvertently looked towards his little child in the inappropriately bigger seatbelt.

Yet, no one talked to no one. The unofficial couple couldn't speak to one another by the fear of Don, and the official did not converse because they were simply being themselves, arrogant and too proud to openly give one another attention. Under this uncomfortable silence however, Tara noticed how the front mirror did not face the backside of the car as it should have, but rather was focused solely on her.

And everytime she'd look in that mirror, their eyes would meet in a battle, speaking in an indescribable way. For the sake of her own shyness she'd look away, pretending to not have been affected by his stare. But the next time she'd be brave enough for the eye contest, the mirror would be at their service.

Donavan had a business to attend few hundred miles away from their home. So instead of flying he had decided to drive. It came out of nowhere to him that he could turn this little trip of no more than a week into a vacation with Inaya since she had hardly left the vicinity of their mansion. With Inaya had to be her intoxicating mother. So, the little troop of mostly irrelevant people to the business were packed in the car.

He had briefed Tara about how legal the deal really was to save her struggle to throw off this deal of his too. She had silently listened and did not reply, not promising anything too.

Yet he expected her to remain as sane as she could, finding no reason what disturbing would she find about this deal to be motivated enough to crumple his confidence in her. He only prayed that she'd be wise enough to be on her, not best, at least reasonable behaviour. That'd be more than enough.

With Inaya in the picture, his hopes became stronger. He did not threaten her, but he knew within himself that if this time he overlooked her missteps, he might as well sell his businesses instead of waiting for her to ruin them all. And she knew it too, that any mischief this time, might cost her greatly than the last.

So, with empty thoughts and mind, she found herself bored. She tried to understand where they were going, but found herself utterly lost when she couldn't recollect the details of Italy's map, something that she had learned by heart as a part of her training.

She only noticed that the air became more humid every hour, and people seemed more tanned. There was no place left for a doubt that the place was going to be the one with an ocean view, something that did not excite her as much, having grown by the sea her entire life. If anything, she hated the dampness and heat in the air, and as the little mischievous lady declined to close the window, everyone was forced to sweat under the punishment of hot air. It was only after one discontented glance from her daddy, that she kept quiet even after closing the window, allowing the artificial cool air of AC to suffuse in.

Sperlonga stood magnificently in Italy, famous for its beaches and excellence at beauty. The business people left the three ladies in the booked mansion to explore it themselves while immediately leaving to God knows where.

The first thing Inaya did however was taking a nap in the first bedroom she found, unable to contain her sleepiness after a heavy lunch. It was much encouraged by patting on her head by her mother, and once she was assured of the peace for couple of hours, she roamed around the place.

On the balcony of the room fronted a beautiful scene of beach she was sure to be private.

Finally, she felt solitary, left with her thoughts.

She didn't mind the scrapy texture of her skin owing to the damp, salty air, neither did she mind her openly flying hair that now needed washing.

For once, by the sea, she did not have the crawling desire to escape.

For once, she wanted to stay.

It was this moment she did not feel stuck anywhere, not in a country, not in a mansion, not in a relationship. As if, along the way, she had chosen everything she wanted. Or if, like many, she had made herself home in the prison.

But it certainly didn't feel like it, she thought. It didn't feel wrong to feel comfortable. He, in all of his insufferable glory, felt...home. Perhaps it was the time talking that she had spent too much around him, or perhaps it was the truth.

She realised she should stop thinking.

Sighing, she oddly missed him. Not because she wanted him near her but because with him, she didn't think too much. Alone, with herself she had a burden of her thoughts, and no one to suffer but her.

He made her not think, as if he had already sorted a life for her and all she needed to do was breathe in it, exist in it. She simply did not make it easier for him, and for her, it was only fair.

She took a breath, unable to admire the view, furious at herself for feeling good.

She didn't know how to live with two factors without one interfering the other, happiness and anger.

And she didn't know that she would, in the seven days by the very end of the sea, she would. 

.

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Author's note: My boyfriend has some weird Instagram handle for years, I never asked what was the meaning of it. And I did ask him yesterday. He said, read it backwards. 

It's my name. His insta name is my name spelt backwards. 

If you think your partner is toxic, leave him, for goodness sake. If I hadn't left one, I would have never met this beautiful person. DO NOT BE AFRAID. Leave the bitch that hurts you, you have no idea what you deserve.