Lost and Found

VIII

Domenico's POV

Alessandra is finally starting to make sense. She's slowly starting to give me more understanding of who she is. But, I can't let it affect me. This is a mission. She needs to be back in Italy in just a few days. I need to tell her that I'm leaving in two days, but how do I say it, so that she comes with me? I mean, I know that she would love it, and I could show her around to all of the greatest restaurants, and take her shopping, show her how a man should take care of... No. I can't think that way. Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! I can't like her. It won't end well.

I looked over at Alessandra. She's currently asleep on my shoulder. Stephanie went with her boyfriend, Ryder, and Ryan and Bailey went with one of Ryder's friends. But I didn't want her to go with someone I didn't know, so I offered to drive my car over there, and Alessandra said that she would ride with me. She looked so peaceful when she slept. So vulnerable. You could see that she was finally allowed to let her walls down, and it was new to me, but it was a good thing. I loved it.

The thing about Alessandra that I've come to notice, is no matter who she's with, she always seems to have somewhat of her walls up. Even when she's with Bailey, she may not notice it, but she still has a little bit of her walls still standing. But looking at her right now, while she's asleep, I love how I get to see her with no defenses at all. It's just Alessandra. I can't keep thinking this way. I have to stop. I need to start getting a little more aloof. But I need to start doing it slowly so she doesn't notice. Come on, Domenico, reprenditi. (1)

I heard my phone ring, and it came in through the bluetooth in my car. I answered the phone and lowered the volume, so I didn't wake up Alessandra.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, it's Bailey. We are about 25 minutes from the streets, and I know that Alessandra is either really close to falling asleep, already asleep, or just waking up. So I was just calling you so that if she was asleep, you might want to wake her so she has time to shove the 'inner monster' back in the cage before she races." I chuckled at the 'inner monster' and replied with a simple 'okay' before ending the call.

I gently shook Alessandra to try and wake her as nicely as possible. She stirred in her sleep a little. I shook her a little more, and then she finally started to wake up. She gently rubbed her eyes, so she could adjust to the light, before yawning, and sitting back upright in her seat. I laid my hand on her thigh. "There's my girl," I said, causing her to smile. "And there's that smile." She blushed a little, and moved her long hair to the side, causing it to cover the blush on the sides of her cheeks.

"Bailey called you to wake me up, didn't she?"

"She might have given me a small tip. Something about a monster of some sort." I grinned, and then laughed when I looked over at her, to see her staring out the front window at the truck ahead of us. If Bailey could see her face now, I'm sure she'd be scared. The amount of rage that leaked from her eyes could bring Medusa to shame. She grinned and shook her head in a disapproving manner.

We sat for a few more minutes in silence, just listening to the music that I was playing through my aux cord, until Alessandra's phone rang. She turned the dial to the left on the radio to turn down the music, and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

"Good evening, princess!" Bailey screamed through the phone, making me laugh, and making Alessandra smile.

"You're so dead," she said laughing, "I can't believe you told him about the monster."

"Well if it makes you feel any better," she replied, "you're a cute monster." Both of them chuckled. "Alright, so we are 5 minutes from the streets, better put on your clothes, B.C. The people await that The Black Cobra."