The Death of Me

11

"No." I crossed my arms and refused as everyone pleaded with their eyes.

"Are you afraid of something?" Ricardo teased, his eyes flashing with mischief.

"No? Fine, I'm in." I agreed and Irina cheered.

"Okay, me first. Truth or dare Rocco?" She asked and Rocco thought for a while.

"Dare-"

"I dare you to make out with me." Irina said mischievously, her tone replicating a childs.

Unsurprised, me and Ricardo waited for their make out session to end.

"Get a room." Ricardo hit Rocco before they ran off into Irina's suite, us not expecting they would actually listen.

I sighed as a wave of relief came over me, and I stood up in the hot tub to leave.

"Wait..." He sharply said in his husky voice.

"I haven't had my turn yet." He said and onto I huffed as I sat back down. "Truth or dare?"

I loudly exhaled. "Truth."

Ricardo sat back, the water bubbling and steaming between us. "Tell me why you hate me."

I let out a snicker, but soon realised he was being serious. Swallowing, I played with my hands under the water.

Did I really have to? No, I didn't. "I don't." I lied, hoping it was enough for him to forget about the question.

His eyes narrowed in a calculating way. In blue, almost troubled eyes swam a curiosity. "You don't?" He asked as if tasting the words on his tongue. When I shook my head I saw the corner of his mouth lift before he wiped it off with a hand.

He stood, slowly headed towards me, and bent down so his mouth was close to my ear. "Liar." Was all he said before stepping out of the tub.

Swallowing down the flurry of butterflies in my chest, I sank a little deeper into the water. "What makes you think that?"

He met my eye over his shoulder. "I can smell everyone's bullshit a mile away. Call it a skill."

I almost scoffed.

"And stop doing that every five seconds."

"What is that an order?"

He rolled his eyes and walked to the doors leading to the room, but I wasn't done with him. His punishment for what he did to my parents - traffickers or not - was just getting started.

"Get inside." He gritted and pulled open the door. "I don't have the patience for your stubbornness."

"I'm not stubborn."

He laughed. "Tell me another joke."

"Shut up. I'd rather have you throw me overboard than you talk you me."

He stopped himself with his hand on the door handle, raising his brows and pretending to be hurt. "You hate me that much huh?"

"Positively."

"Fine, make me a deal then." He paused as if rethinking his words. "Play a game with me, say a round of pool. You win, and I'll stay out of your way outside of the fake marriage."

My arms crossed with annoyance, though it did sound like a good deal. "And if you win?"

My eyes narrowed on him. This didn't look good.

"You sleep in my bed tonight."

I blink and look away, but quickly look back at him. I'm good at pool, I've played it a few times with Jett and won all of the rounds. This should be easy.

———

Sharpening my pool cue, my eyes never left Ricardo's. I positioned myself and focused on the red ball, before Ricardo let out a laugh that made my stomach do backflips. "The white ball sweetheart."

"I knew that." I pressed my lips together and hit the white ball. One of them get knocked in and I smiled, but my smile was nothing compared to his.

It turned out he had a reason to be smiling. I sucked at pool. Ricardo however was a natural. When he won all the rounds, he was walking past me before he stopped in front of me and shoved his pool cue my way. "Bring an extra pillow."

He walked away and I felt steam escape my ears. My jaw was clenched the entire way towards his room after I had to grab an extra pillow,  even though his room was right across from mine.

My hair was still wet from the hot tub, and was soaking the back of my dark blue pyjamas so I had tied it into a bun he eyed as I walked into his room.

He was already in bed, laying on his back and wearing a black t-shirt and plaid pants. I gulped and walked deeper before sitting at the edge of the bed.

"I'm a kicker." i reminded.

"I can take it."

I fought an eyeroll and tried hard not to run away and throw myself off the balcony outside his room as I slid into bed. His body was warm, and what was even warmer was his eyes as he watched me get under the covers.

I turned the lamp on, but could still see him looking. "Look away Romano." I warned, but I could only feel his smile widen.

"Nobody complains when I look at them, its rare."

I inhale a shaky breath. Because I can feel his body heat...Its real, and its alive like nothing else ever is in my world.

"You really think you're the shit don't you?" I said not realising how fast my chest was rising.

His mouth twitched. "I can hear your heartbeat Ariel."

Pausing, I tried hard to hold my breath but he just seemed amused. Seconds later, he was asleep.