Never the Same

Chapter 36

"Don't even think of moving from there," Luca warns the following morning, pointing a finger at me while walking out the room. He returns with my crutches and sits them just out of reach so if I do need them, I'll have no choice but to call on Lyla to get them for me which I know for a fact that she won't do. If she wants to keep her boss happy and stick to the rules, she won't be of any help to me if it means going against Luca's words of warning. "I won't be long. An hour max so don't go moving around."

"Is that just to get there?" I ask with a small smirk. Even I know he can't get to his parent's house near the centre of London and back here within that time frame at this time of the day.

"Make it an hour and a half, then."

"You sure about that one?"

"Positive."

I shrug and turn my attention to the iPad I left sitting on the couch yesterday before going to bed. "Well, with the way that Carlo drives, I'll be expecting you back sooner rather than later."

"Just don't move from there. I mean it." Luca accepts the jacket Carlo is holding out for him and starts to put it on. "If you really need to move, get Lyla to help you."

"So I can move from here without you? That's good to know." I'm teasing him and it's only trying his patience even more. The sound of him messing around with his jacket stops and I know he's staring at me. "Times ticking, Luca. You're already a couple of minutes into your time frame."

"I give up with you," he mutters under his breath, his attention back to fixing his jacket. "There must be another reason why I love you. I just can't find it."

"I can't find why I love you but I do," I fire back, shocking him with the fact that I heard what he said loud and clear. I look at him and rest my head back against the cushions. "Maybe it's your looks."

"More like my money," he replies.

I think of his response for a minute then shake my head. "No, can't be that. You didn't have money when we first met."

He groans loudly and walks to me quickly. "You're driving me crazy this morning, lady." He kisses me and lingers above me, staring into my eyes like he's thinking of something. It doesn't take long for him to grin and kiss me once more before walking away. "The game you're playing isn't working."

The front door opens and closes, silence promptly blanketing the house.

"Wasn't playing one but it's always worth a try, though." I breathe.

I listen carefully for the sound of the car doors closing and for the car driving away before sitting my iPad down on the coffee table. I carefully lift my legs off the couch and try my best to reach for my crutches that are sitting on the chair to my left. I'm pushing my upper body to its limits right now with pressing myself into the armrest of the couch, determined to get the crutches so I can get up and get to Luca's computer in his office. I groan in discomfort when I know for certain that I'm not going to reach my crutches and give up until I get my breath back. I slump back on the couch and breathe deeply.

If Allison hadn't given me that USB stick yesterday, I wouldn't be this determined to get up so I can see and hear what's on it. I'd be more than happy to sit around doing fuck all yet again, even if it's not in my nature to do so. However, seeing as I have a good reason to get up and I really need to get up, there shouldn't be an issue with me moving from here if Luca were to come back home early.

So, I try again.

I sit further forward on the couch – almost at the edge – and reach out for my crutches again. I get my fingertips to them when I hear the sound of high heels walking on the wooden floor behind me but I don't care. I want to get up and I will get up.