Loving Mr. Cavalier

Chapter 21- "Play by my Rules"

Frantz- 

I looked over at Liliana's sleeping form, and absentmindedly ran my index finger over her exposed cheek. The softness of her skin caused me to smile and sigh. I tried to keep my touch as light as possible, in hope of not waking her up. After she made her bold statement in the bathroom accusing me of leaving her alone, I asked what she meant, but she simply remained silent, so I finished brushing her hair in silence, then I carried her to the bed, where she laid quietly until eventually she fell asleep. And all this time I had been standing above her and staring at her face like a total creep. 

Shaking my head, I removed my hand from her face, and breathed out awkwardly before I walked out of the room, making sure to keep the door unlocked. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, I grabbed a glass of scotch and sat on my couch, while I thought about how I would handle the entire situation with Liliana. I hated seeing her like this, and if it wasn't for Carlos being in police custody right now, I probably would hunt him down and hurt him some more.

I hated the fact that Carlos had the chance to prey on Liliana, and now he has traumatized her. How was I supposed to appeal to Liliana now? Especially when she often looked ta me as though I am the enemy.

I gulped back the bitter content of my glass as I remembered just how void her eyes appeared when I brushed her hair. I never thought I'd see the day where I yearned for Lili to threaten to kill me with a wine bottle. But I did. I wanted the sassy Liliana back, and maybe I would get her back, with a little bit of patience and lots of kindness. The only thing I couldn't do was let her go. And I know that the moment she woke up, it would be the topic of the day. 

Call me selfish, but after seeing what happened between her and Carlos, I didn't want to give Liliana the chance to meet anyone else. I wanted her all to myself, because I know that for one, I would never force myself on her. And secondly, I didn't want to even think of the picture of her being in the arms of another man.

Before Carlos turned into the antagonist of this story, I still remember the urge to break his face and fingers when I saw him kissing on her at the airport. I had never felt a sense of possession towards anyone before, not even Christina. But Liliana, from the very first time I laid eyes on her, I knew she was different. Now Carlos may have almost ruined my chances to earn Lili's trust, but there was still hope.

At least... that's what I hoped. 

I chuckled bitterly as a sharp pain suddenly erupted in my chest. And it was more mental then physical. I had done it. I had broken the one promise I made to myself. And it hurt. After Christina, I promised myself that I wouldn't fall for another woman. After I picked up the pieces of my broken heart, I sealed it shut with a wall composed of sex and booze. The more beds I laid on, the harder my resolve became. The more women I met, the more I pushed to never love another. 

And then along came Liliana. And yeah, she pretty much destroyed that wall with her sassy comments, and her refreshing personality, and now, my heart was left exposed once again, and the pain of my shattered wall was making itself known in my chest. And just to add salt to the wound, I hated hoping, I hated uncertainties, I hated not knowing, especially when my heart was on the line.

And yet... I still hoped. 

My hoping, however, would come to a sudden halt, when my phone rang, and I happily picked it up and greeted the one woman who has never betrayed my love, "ciao Madre".

"Don't 'ciao Madre' me you little bugiardo (liar)!" She greeted back, and I knew that by her tone, she was pissed.

"Ma, what happened?" I asked, with a sigh, aiming to calm her down.

"What happened is that you lied to me." She accused, her European accent making her words ten times more dramatic

"You told me that as soon as you returned from Rome you would come for a visit, but you never did." She revealed, and I groaned, closing my eyes, and facepalming myself once I had realized my mistake.