CHAPTER 36

                                    

                                          
"Hi Aunty" i say making her turn to me. 
                          
"Oh dolcezza! what are you doing here?" she asks me. I furrow my eyebrows.
                          
"What do you mean, im here to work"
                          
"But Niccolo called darling, he said you resigned love" What. The. Actual. Hell. 
                          
"I-" i dont have any words. How can he make my decision for me? "When did he call?" 
                          
"Last night, i was going to call you, i heard about the Russians" she tells me.
                          
I just absently nod along to her talking, she asks me to stay and have brunch with her. I do. I didn't eat anything though. Around 2:30, im sitting in a booth inside the bakery, Aunty is a little busy. I hear heavy footsteps heading my way and i look up.
                          
"What are you doing here?" Nick snarls. I look into his eyes and all I see is anger, not love, not regret or guilt, nothing that shows that he knows what he did wrong. When i dont reply, he runs a hand through his hair.
                          
"Aria, get up, we're leaving" he growls. The people in the booth next to me look uncomfortable and that is the only reason i get up and walk outside, not waiting for him.
                          
I start walking on the side walk but he grips my hand and turns me around. 
                          
"Where are you going?" he snarls. His tone is making my heart hurt. He's never spoken to me like this. Like him.
                          
"I uh, ill take a cab home" i say, i feel distracted and dizzy and just not okay.
                          
"Get in the car Aria, now" I just shake my head. "Aria, go and sit inside the car" his voice is deep and he's scaring me so i look up at him. My lip wobbles but i bite it, and shake my head in negative again.
                          
I hear him take a sharp, annoyed breath and then he takes a quick step towards me, making me flinch back.
                          
"Im not going to fucking hit you, go sit in the car" he says. His voice is cold and scary. I dont know what it is, maybe fear, but i took slow small steps and got into the car.
                          
10 minutes in i hear him sigh. 
                          
"Why did you have to leave when i asked you not to" he asks.
                          
"You didn't ask"
                          
"Aria stop being so difficult and acting like im doing something wrong, im trying to protect you" i just stay silent.
                          
"Can you say something, what are you so upset about anyway, your monthly pay was barely anything" I freeze. "I-" 
                          
"Stop the car please" i say, my voice is shaking, and i can feel my heart break every time he says something so mean to me.
                          
"What? no im-" he starts again but i cut him off.
                          
"Niccolo" i say his name as coldly as i can, not looking at him, i cant. "ill open this door and jump out, stop the car" i can hear my voice shaking and he sighs pulling up to the side. I quickly get out and start walking at the sidewalk.
                          
"Aria, stop-" 
                          
I just keep walking and soon, i see his car drive past me. Tears leave my eyes as I walk to god knows where.
                          
~
                          
Im in a motel room. Its a very laying low sort of place and i turned my phone off  after 15 calls from him so he cant find me. 
                          
Ive been here 4 hours now and i still haven't eaten. 
                          
Its not like i didn't know the difference in our financial situations and it has been a bother to me. I just didn't think he did too. I didn't know he thought of my income as 'barely anything'. His words replay in my mind and my heart shatters, again and again.
                          
I feel so ashamed and worthless right now. The fact that im living with him, in his family home. They are all rich, they probably all think like that about me, they probably think im mooching off there money. 
                          
The thought of me living there for the past two nights and rethinking every interaction is making me sick. My head is throbbing from crying non stop and i just cant stop. 
                          
I lay down and shut my eyes. God help me.