SURRENDER - Mafia Romance

• CHAPTER 19 •

That night created unbearable tension, at least for me. He didn't show any emotions, as usual. Having Joe in my room trying to kiss me and having Ace drunk at night trying to kiss me too was too much for the three of us to handle. However, I had to act fine because I wasn't sure if Joe actually wanted to kiss me or he was simply thankful for standing up for him and I also wasn't sure if Ace remembered the night at all. The morning silence set up the mood for the rest of the day. I was bored. I knew it was time to ask Ace for anything to do in my day. The house was quiet but everyone was moving. When I went downstairs I saw Joe feeding the dogs and Ace in the kitchen making his breakfast. He was only wearing grey sweatpants with socks allowing me to see his tattoos for the first time. His back was facing me as I analyzed the small tattoo on his back and the couple little ones on his arms. I couldn't really see them from where I was. I waited for him to finish and leave the kitchen so I could make my own breakfast but with time, I felt like he was doing it on purpose to take his time because he knew I wanted to make my breakfast. When he finished doing his sandwich, he stood there, turning to face me, leaned on the counter with his sandwich in his hands and started eating.

I let out a long breath of annoyance and got up to do my own. I took out an avocado from the fridge to make an avocado sandwich. I took out the vegetables and walked to the sink, right next to where he was standing, to wash them. I blinked a couple of times, trying to avoid his eyes but I could feel his gaze burn the side of my face. With every bite he took from his sandwich, his gaze on me was left stronger and more obvious. I turned the water on and washed the vegetables, ignoring his tall body shadowing on me. When I finished I put everything on the side and realized that I needed a plate from the cabinet right above the counter he was leaning on. I tried to reach from where I stood but couldn't. I looked at him looking at me.

"Can I–uh–take a plate?" I asked.

"A plate?" He asked, taking a bite, "sure!" He shrugged with his mouth full, not moving at all from his place.

I huffed and tiptoed, opened the cabinet and groaned to get a plate. On my way back, I fell on his chest, trying to catch the plate before falling. I looked up into his eyes that were staring at my lips. I was paralysed for just a second, letting our breaths mix as if the moment was frozen. But I quickly stepped back and returned to doing my sandwich, trying to catch my breath without showing I lost it. He kept staring at me as I did my breakfast. He was standing there with his arms crossed just watching me, sipping on his whiskey glass. I was sitting on the kitchen bar and pretended not to see him.

But that wasn't the only awkward encounter for us that day. Aside from what happened with Joe, sitting on the table at dinner to eat together, I was socializing with everyone but I knew Ace was staring at me. I caught him a couple of times and even if I looked at him, he didn't look away, as if he didn't care about me catching him staring. And after dinner, I waited for him to open a conversation with me for hours, but he never did. Joe, on the other hand, was completely avoiding me. His eyes were searching for me at times but when they landed on me, he forced them away. I didn't understand why this could be because I was scared to know the truth I kept avoiding even thinking about.

"Talia, come!" Niko yelled at me from across the room. I looked back at him standing at the door of the dining room.

"What?" I smiled. Niko always made me feel like a child who simply wanted to have fun.

"Just come," he insisted and went back into the dinning room.

When I walked in I saw him, Luca and Joe standing at the two edges of the table with cups put in a triangle shape. I instantly knew what they were playing.

"Romeo and Ace don't want to play. And Joe and Luca want to lose together. So you have to be my partner so I can prove to them I am better than both of them combined."