SURRENDER - Mafia Romance

• CHAPTER 35 •

"Oh, you're still here? Your boyfriend left." he says and takes off his shirt. I blinked and looked away right when he pushed his pants down.

"I uh- chose to stay."

"Oh," he said. I peeked to see him putting on his grey sweatpants then looked back.

"Why?" I scoffed. "Are you really asking me why, Ace?" He stared at me, unfazed. "It's because I love you Ace. That's why". I sobbed. Even after what I said, he still didn't have a reaction. I scoffed, of course he didn't care. What made me believe that he would care if I loved him or not. "I want to stay with you. I know you have feelings for me," I stepped closer to him. He sat on the bed and I sat next to him. I took his face in my hand and turned it so he could face me. I left a small kiss on the corner of his lips making him close his eyes. "I love you Ace and I want us to at least try." I placed another kiss in the same spot but this time before I moved back, his lips caught mine, softly kissing me.

"Leave, Talia." He softly said. I scouched back and stared at him, not believing what he said. He looked away so I got up.

"That's all you have to say? After everything? After all what I said?" I yelled, throwing my hands in the air. "Then why did you care so much that I left with Joe?" tears escaped my eyes, feeling like no matter what, he won't admit his love, "he told me and I didn't believe him. He told me you wouldn't love me"

"You should have listened to him."

My heart shattered with just a few words he said. What hurt even more was that he said them with no emotions or sadness, nothing.

"I didn't lie to you, Lia. I told you I don't do love."

I scoffed and nodded, agreeing to what he said, looking away from his ocean eyes because the more I looked into them and I found nothing but truth my knees broke even more.

"I told you who I am. I told you I can't love. I told you there is nothing that will happen between us." His arms were emphasizing every word he was saying. They were enough for me to watch to distract me from his eyes. "You chose to come back, Talia."

"Yeah, but you also told me you need me. You told me to come back to you. You told me to stay when I came. You told me you don't want to lose me." I shouted, trying to break down his walls to get any emotions out of him, anything. But nothing came out.

"I did. But it doesn't mean I love you or that I ever will."

And somehow, he was able to break me even more. I nodded and looked away. "I have one question, Ace. I need an answer for it and then I will leave.

"What question?"

"You told me you needed me. You take care of me more than anyone else. You told me you will always keep me safe. But you can't tell me you love me. That is what you said yesterday, right?"

"Talia..." He stood up and I stepped closer.

"You hugged me, you kissed me, you begged me to come home with you," my heart was racing and my hands were shaking, "you called me baby," I mumbled and my voice cracked.

Silence. For one, it was crucial simply standing in a room, so close together yet so far.

"Leave, Talia. Go to Joe, or–or go back to your life, your friends–"

"No," I shook my head.

"Get out Talia. Leave."

"I won't leave."

"Talia. I do not want you. I do not love you."

"You're not going to force me away, Ace! Enough." I yelled, surprising him and myself.