Forged Bonds (BxB)

CHAPTER 30

It was sunny the day I picked Jeovanni up for us to go Christmas shopping. It was also cold, and I found out I liked that combination. I enjoyed the days the sun warmed you up, but you could still feel the cold breeze. You could feel two opposites at the same time, and they completed each other in harmony. I think I just never noticed what I enjoyed before coming here.

I texted him I was outside and waited for him inside Danielle's car, with the windows rolled down as I smoked. I kept my hand that held the cigarette outside the car, but it did nothing to ease the smell. I knew he didn't mind, but I didn't want to tempt him. During my researches about schizophrenia, I learnt that smoking wasn't appropriate for him. Especially smoking weed. That meant we did a lot of wrong things before I discovered he was schizophrenic.

"Hey" He snapped me out of my thoughts when he opened the door and slid inside the car with his usual smile.

"Hi" I leaned over the center console to peck his lips. It was meant to be a quick kiss, but he held my face and kept me there for a few seconds before letting me go.

"It's great that you invited me" He said as he buckled up his seatbelt and I started to drive "I need to buy something for Mark and my parents"

"Any ideas?" I asked him "I'm also open for suggestions. I have no idea about what my family likes, and you know them for more time than I do"

"I know my family there's been nineteen years and I don't know what they like, let alone yours" He joked.

"Great" I rolled my eyes "Maybe you heard Mark saying something about what Dani likes?"

"Sorry to disappoint" I saw out of the corner of my eyes his gaze travel to the cigarette in my hand, so I took one more drag before dropping it on the road "That's not very eco-friendly" He told me.

"Yeah, I was never that friendly anyway"

I changed the hand that was holding the steering wheel and turned the palm of my free one upwards, extending it over the center console. Jeovanni understood what I meant and put his hand over mine, causing me to crack a satisfactory smile.

"I've never gone Christmas shopping" I told him "I usually just gave money to Radesh to buy something for my cousins and my aunt whenever he went to the mall to get a present for his son"

It's not that my family didn't deserve my time so I couldn't buy them gifts. I just thought it was bullshit. Everything was bullshit to me back then. Nothing was meaningful enough. Not even Christmas. Christmas was just one more day I had to apply concealer over my face to hide the bruises of my skin so no one would ask me any questions.

"Who's Radesh?" He asked.

"My chauffeur" I replied, trying not to show how embarrassed I was with my answer.

"You have a chauffeur?" He gave me a teasing smile, but he didn't seem to be mocking me "How fancy. I didn't know you're rich"

"I'm not" I shifted in my seat "My father is"

I avoided spending my father's money. I only bought clothes when I needed them, makeup to hide my bruises, and gifts for holidays and birthdays. The only significant amount of money I spent was when I sent a couple thousands for my aunt Charlotte and her children monthly. They thought my father was the one who did that, and I wanted to keep it that way. Especially now. I feared they wouldn't take the money once they found out where it was coming from.

"Is Radesh nice?" He tried to change subjects.

"He's cool" I nodded "He always watched my football games. He didn't understand shit, but he still watched it"