Is This Happiness

87

Carmen

The night was peaceful. We ordered takeout and ate our hearts out.

Stefano ran me a nice bath after and sabotaged my time alone with his big body slipping in from behind mine after ten minutes of being alone. He never has liked that, being alone. I'm fully convinced that the man would follow me to the ends of the earth with his puppy dog eyes and wandering hands. Speaking of, I catch those wandering hands right before he turned this soothing bath into a one way ticket to hell for our sinful thoughts and actions.

"Stefano?" I ask, turning my head up and giving him an innocent look. He sees right through me, rolling his eyes before I could even get out a remark.

"Yes?" He smirks, hiding it with a serious expression. Fingers trying to slip through my tight grip. He gives up with a tiny glare. Head lulling back against the tub.

"No." I deadpan, turning back around and pressing his hands to my stomach.

"But why?" He nips my shoulder. I don't feel the need to answer, feeling myself start to relax. My thoughts waver hearing Arlo and Jason arguing over something incoherent in the next room. Another voice is added to the mix and its Luca screaming angrily for them to shut up. Both Stefano and I both laugh at the sound. The cabin got quiet after.

After a while of getting annoyed by Stefano, we moved to the bed and his hands wandered a little less seeing his son drawing with crayons near the floor.

It had been calm since my little sleepover with Arlo last night. We got along surprisingly well. She trusted me enough to talk to me about how she was feeling, she was vulnerable with me, and that isn't easy in the mafia. You don't trust anyone.

For once, I sort of maybe made a friend last night. Other than Harper. I'm not even sure Jason counts anymore.

I was happy.

Until I fell asleep and a nightmare started piecing together in my head. Such a vivid picture. It was Jason. Standing in the center of a room with crimson dripping from his arms. In his hand he held a gun, and in the other a knife. My eyes traveled down his bloody clothes and right beneath him laid my parents. Jaxon, and Stefano. Luca. Everyone I knew were taken away from me.

Because of him.

Everything I once knew was gone and I couldn't understand why. Jason stood their staring at me with that look he gets in his eyes when he kills someone, and that. That look, I've seen. He looks almost satisfied with his kill. Like he wants more, like he can't and won't ever get enough. It will never be enough to satisfy him.

I jerked awake, panting and shoving as I'm forced down by my shoulders and legs. I let out a blood curling scream, afraid that my dream and fears had turned into reality. I open my eyes as I bend my knee up, knocking Jason in his nose. He rips himself away from me, holding his bloodied nose. He stares at me and it's all I can see. That look in his eyes.

"Carmen." Stefano lightly pats me on the cheek to get my attention. Holding the side of my neck, I heave, making eye contact with Arlo who takes Jason's place. She doesn't put her hands on me but snaps her fingers in my face. Unlike my worst fear standing near the corner of the room glaring at me. Arlo stares at me with a panicked look in her eyes. She was worried.

Panic surged through my chest and pain started to suffocate me as I look at Stefano. How would I ever live without this man? How would I live if he were taken away from me, and my mom, my dad, Jax. How could I leave them, how could Jason hurt them.