Mrs Scuderi

chapter twelve

              Amelia's Pov
I feel her eyes on me as i finish up what I'm doing. I don't know why she insisted on staying here with me when she had a whole day to be with her mom. "Didn't your mother warn you not to stare?" I ask getting uncomfortable. "No actually,what happens when you do?"she asks sarcastically making me roll my eyes loudly. "My mom tried to set me up with another woman,"she says leaning back on the seat trying to read me. "Fabi,I'm your pretend wife, you won't get a reaction out of me,"i say genuinely unphased. "I know you don't want to overstep but please put my mom in her place so she can stop undermining you,"she says making me look up only because i noticed the please in her request.

"Fine on one condition,"

"which is?"

"You answer my question on why you were working on the train,"i say not forgetting that she deemed it as a personal question when we met."I own the train and i wanted to see how it was being run,"she says simply like all it took was me to agree for her to answer it. "We're having dinner at my parent's this weekend, that's the only way your mom can stop doing this,"i say. It's not that i couldn't give miss Gianni a piece of my sensible mind, i could but it wasn't my place to especially when i was just a friend to her daughter.

"Why do you always kiss my forehead after we fuck?"i ask driving. "So it can grow smaller,"she says making me chuckle even though she wasn't. I decide not to ask her any more questions or I'll overthink her responses and then hurt my own feelings. I put on my it girl Playlist to avoid any awkwardness between us knowing that she was still agitated that i didn't let her drive us back. So entitled she is.

When we get to the house her parents are there and i can't help but sigh in annoyance. Haviana jogs over to us with a relieved face. "Thank heavens you're both here mom was killing me with her talk about you two not being a real couple,"she says dismissing it even though we both realise that her mom might be on to something. I take my stuff up to the room and change into something more comfortable and move to where miss Gianni was seated chatting her husband's ear off. "Can I have a word with you privately?"i ask. "Nonsense! Anything you want to say you can say it infront of him,"she says gesturing to her husband.

"Okay, i need all of you out of my house. I will not continue to be disrespected like this because you don't see me fit for my wife. She told me about what you did and it is just low for a married woman. You're encouraging her to cheat on me?"i ask letting my role take over.

"It's not like that I-"

"you what? thought she was with me because i was the submissive quiet wife? I have had enough of your nose in my marriage. You might be her mother but I'm her wife whether you like it or not so you better get in there and pack up before I'm done with my lunch. It was lovely to meet you Peter,"i finish, acknowledging her husband as well before walking back into the house where Fabiana and Haviana are staring at me in disbelief. I walk past them knowing i was projecting on to her mother what i wanted to tell my own mom.

We eat in silence with Diana occasionally asking if anyone needs anything from time to time. Fabiana hasn't said a word since the altercation with her mother. Wasn't this what she wanted? "Fabiana you're going to let her kick us out?"miss Gianni finally asks. I focus on my plate because Fabiana is unpredictable and might even reassure them that they could stay. "Mom I love you but i have to agree with Amelia on this one. You set me up with someone when I'm already married and it's not fair to her," she says seriously. Maybe she wasn't the type to have their mother at their hip like i thought. "Can I have a word with you Amelia?" Her dad asks me making all eyes land on him then me.

I could tell he didn't speak much from the surprised looks they gave him. I get up and follow him to Fabiana's study that wasn't far from the kitchen. "I have never seen any woman claim my daughter the way you have. They always do what her mother says,"he says.

"Fabi is an amazing pers-"

"cut it out Amelia, i know both of you are pretending. I asked her a few things about you and she knew nothing, not even your mom's name. I'm quiet about all this because i see the way she looks at you when you're not looking. When you're both done playing this little game i hope you'll realise that it wasn't just a game,"he finishes patting my shoulder before walking out. He knew? Why did he let me talk to his wife that way then? When i reappear at the table everyone has curious eyes including Fabiana and i just shrug them off.

"What did my dad tell you?" She asks following me back in after we bid her family goodbye. "Nothing i didn't know already,"i lie. I decided not to tell Fabiana yet until i was sure whether what he said was true. If i said anything about it she'd build a wall up twice as high just to cover it up. "Not so fast love, we have a long night of movie binging,"i say pulling her into the kitchen to get snacks we'd need and make popcorn. "Do you have friends Fabi?"i ask swinging my legs back and forth on the kitchen stool that's way too high up from the floor while she makes the popcorn. If there's anything I've learnt from her is she won't eat something she nor Diana haven't made.

"I don't have any because of work,"she says and I'm not convinced that that is a good enough reason. "Try again,"i say. "I just don't have time for human interaction sweet cheeks,"she says and i guess I'll have to go with what she tells me. I mouth an okay and we go back to focusing on the popcorn before i get a call from Ophelia. I excuse myself to go answer it. "You are fucking married?! In. The. one.months. you've been here!!"she yells making me move my phone away from my ear. "Could you say that a little louder i didn't hear you,"I say sarcastically.

"How did you know?"

"Riley hinted at it but i didn't pick it up until now,"she says a little calmly. "I'll tell you everything soon Ophelia i need time,"i say hearing her sigh.

"It better be worth the wait Lia. I love you, you know?"

"I know and i promise I'll tell you everything,"i say before i hang up. So much for undermining Riley.

I plop on the other end of the couch listing the selections i made to Fabiana for her to pick and when she does we start watching. "Why do you have a separate blanket?"she asks furrowing her eyebrows and i shrug it off. Why did her dad have to tell me that? "Fabi they're not here anymore so we don't have to pretend,"i say. "Just get you're butt over here,"she says irritated and I comply so i can watch the movie without her interrupting. "Can you please explain this part to me?"she asks for the hundredth time and I'm ready to wrap her in a huge blanket and throw her out the window despite her huge as self.

The sincere look of confusion on her face makes me think otherwise and start explaining. "She survived a car crush but her wife died and  she was the surgeon who operated on her so now she's trying to hunt down the reckless driver and make him pay,"i say unpausing the movie once i was certain she understood. We're on the third movie when i feel her head leaning gently on my shoulder. I was too engrossed i didn't notice that she had fallen asleep already. I contemplate waking her up or letting her sleep here so i can have the bed to myself but shoo the villain thought away.

I off the TV then shake her gently to wake up. "Fabi wake up so we can go to bed,"i try my best to say in a low voice stirring her wake and i can't help but admire how cute she looks with her sleepy eyes and hair in a messier bun than before. Wait why was i admiring her features? She jogs up to the room and so do I forgetting that i can easily sleep in any guestroom now. She gets in the bed and i help cover her ready to walk away when she grips my hand still closing her eyes, "sleep here with me,"she says.

"Umm no thank you we have a rule against that,"i say firmly but she doesn't let go. "You can break rules you know,"she says chuckling groggily making me think back on her words. Did i want to though? I remove her hand and head to the guestroom to sleep thinking about what she said. Maybe i was just making sure i don't fall for an emotionally unavailable person. She did say she wasn't ready for commitment and i wasn't in the position to jump into another relationship. That was our dynamic.