STEFANO {Published/Sample Only}

35

The car was long gone but I still hadn't moved- feet still planted at the top of sidewalk, staring down the path to his place. Fuck. My hands were jittery, crinkling the brown paper these flowers were wrapped in. It was now or never, and never wasn't an option.

I followed the sidewalk down to his gate, the tiny latch feeling like an anchor- taking all my fucking strength just to hitch it up and push the gate in.

Everything looked the same in his courtyard. It was quiet, peaceful- the exact opposite of the shit ripping through me.

I cleared my throat, stepping up to his door, raising the flowers to my chest... lame, dropping them back to my side, lifting them once more.

Then I raised my other hand, slow and steady, suspended in mid air an inch from his door. Fuck... fuck! Fuck! Fuck! It was a fucking door- just knock! I sucked in a deep breath, closed my eyes, and smacked the door.

"Hold up! Give me one second!"

His voice. Fuck, I'd missed it. Oh fuck- he was home! Shit! I shook out my shirt- because I was sweating like a fucking pig, shook out my jeans, wiped my mouth, ran my hands through my hair... and then the door was swinging open.

"Beer or..."

He hopped over to the door, smiling- then an immediate gasp, the color draining right from his face, his eyes immediately filling with water, another gasp, trembling sigh, and he blinked, releasing a tear down his cheek. "Stefano?"

"I'm sorry." I held up the flowers, pushing them forward- watching his eyes fall to them, then flash up to me, then stray to something behind me.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing some guy walking towards his gate, his eyes on us... why! I whipped my head back- seeing Mark- all of him- he was in board shorts, flip flops- shirtless- and he was ripped... and shirtless! "Cover your shit up!" I stepped over, blocking the view of whoever the fuck that guy was.

"Mark?"

Mark! I wheeled right around. Watching this fuck continue up, reaching for Mark's gate. What the fuck! "Stop!" I stepped over, smacking the latch back down- making sure he fucking saw that he was not getting past the gate or me.

I immediately heard Mark's exasperated sigh behind me. "Chase... this is..."

Chase... Oh it wouldn't be a chase- I'd destroy him right fucking here.

"You know what," Mark called over. "I'll..."

"No! He won't I'll anything! He's not going to call you, you won't be coming back here again and you sure as hell better never fucking call him!"

"Stefano!" Mark snapped and I rolled my eyes over, but I didn't move because that fucker was not stepping foot in here.

The guy gave up, stalking away and I waited until he was long gone before turning around, facing the door and Mark in the doorway.

The color was back in his face, his eyes dry. "What are you doing here!" He walked back inside to his couch, grabbing the t-shirt folded on it and pulling it over his head, shrugging it on. "You can't just show up here making a claim on me- not after leaving me on the street!"