Chapter Five

                                    

                                          
The next couple of days were not what Angela expected at all. She had worried about Adrianno's presence and what he might make her do but he was in the apartment very little. He would be gone all day and only come home at night. She would leave his dinner ready for him when he got home but she thought that he told her to make this much effort for his enjoyment because he rarely ate it. They rarely talked and if Angela thought about it, she hadn't spoken to anyone for over a week. She felt isolated but this place seemed safer than her old apartment where he might come and find her.
                          
Adrianno came home every night with someone, each night it would be a different girl and they wouldn't stay until morning. Tonight was no exception. Usually, Angela liked to stay in her room after a certain time to avoid Adrianno and his women but she crept out quickly to get a glass of water.
                          
She nearly dropped her glass on the kitchen floor when she heard his bedroom door opening and closing again. Oh shit, she thought. She tried to busy herself when she seen a tall, tan and gorgeous blonde leave the apartment. She then leaned her back against the sink and let out a sign of relief but it was too soon. 
                          
Adrianno came strolling in in just his underwear. He didn't bat an eyelid when he glanced at her and then back at the fridge he opened. She closed her mouth and stood there, sipping on her water and trying to act casual in front of him. The fridge door was between them, she was trying not to stare at his body.
                          
His dark hair was disheveled; he had his hand on the back of his neck as he drank from the carton of milk in the fridge. Her eyes were now looking anywhere but at him. He drank all of the milk that she needed to make dinner tomorrow, or today considering it was early hours of the morning. Adrianno closed the fridge door, exposing his tattooed arms and chest. He looked straight at her, his arm leaning on the now closed fridge. He was leaning over her intimidatingly. She gulped and looked straight at him.
                          
"Problem?" he asked. She just shook her head hurriedly but didn't take her eyes off of him. "Good." He nodded and continued to look at her too. Angela couldn't help but feel self-conscious over his stare. He fought off a grin and that made Angela look down to find what he was laughing at. It wasn't until then that she remembered what she was wear: A loose t-shirt that cut off just below her hips and underwear. She turned red now, causing him to laugh and begin to walk out of the room. He was in a good mood right now, not his usually stone-cold self. She didn't need to wonder why because she already knew...
                          
"We need more milk." She blurted out, Adrianno turned around now to look at her.
                          
"Yes, usually when you use all of something, you tend to need more." She didn't want to look stupid but he thought she was quite humorous and wondered why he hadn't spoken properly to her yet.
                          
"I mean, I- I need it for tomorrow. I'm making lasagne." Her voice was quiet. She scratched the top of her arm and looked at the ground, obviously feeling uncomfortable now. She looked cute standing there, he thought, her small and short frame was trying to close in on itself from some sort of embarrassment. Like some sort of flower. She blushed a lot too; he had picked that up from small interactions between them. 
                          
"Don't worry, I'll get you more. We aren't going to starve." He said, she noted the slight sarcasm in his voice before he walked out of the kitchen and left her alone again.
                          
She went to bed that night, her thoughts lingering on Adrianno's unusual behavior. And when she got up the next morning, she was surprised to see a carton of milk placed on the kitchen counter top. She smiled to herself and put it in the fridge.
                          
And after she made the lasagne, which took her hours but she had plenty of time to spare, she heard the apartment door opening. Adrianno walked into the kitchen and made her look at the clock in surprise once she had her back to him. It was just seven o' clock.
                          
"Is it ready yet?" he called from the dining room that was separated from the kitchen by a small arch, putting his overcoat over the back of one of the chairs at the table. He sounded pissed off but like he was trying to be nice.
                          
"Yes, I'll be there in a second." She didn't want the surprise to show in her voice.
                          
"Hurry up." He said gruffly. She served the lasagne on the plate with salad and brought it out to him. He didn't say anything, just ate. She washed up the dishes while he ate, both not saying a word.  She noticed his presence behind her after a few moments and turned around. 
                          
"I'll take that." She said politely, taking the empty plate from his hand and beginning to wash it. He sat down on one of the stools at the breakfast table, still not saying a word. "Are you okay?" she asked over her shoulder, he seemed to be in deep thought, looking out the window beside her. He nodded, still not saying a word. 
                          
She finished washing up and quickly left the room, there was some sort of tension and wondered why he was acting a little more annoyed than usual. She hoped she hadn't done anything wrong. She sat there, looking out the window for a while, it was peaceful up here but she was getting bored.
                          
She thought maybe Adrianno had gone out, maybe she could leave her bedroom and watch some TV to pass some time but it wasn't until she stepped out into the living room that Adrianno was there alright, and he also had company. 
                          
The room smelled of smoke and she stifled a cough at the musky air filling her lungs. Adrianno and a few other men she had never seen before were drinking brandy and smoking cigars. They looked a lot more serious than the others she had met. 
                          
The men were speaking quietly in Italian, and looked to be having a very serious conversation but stopped when they saw me. She froze in her spot and looked at them all. One man's eyes were fixed on her.
                          
"Cosa abbiamo qui , Adrianno?" What have we got here, Adrianno? Adrianno glanced at her, a look of pure anger crossing his face. His chiselled jaw clenched and he looked back at the man. The man's eyes glazed over in lust as he eyed her up. He licked the corner of his mouth and she had to force herself not to shiver in disgust.
                          
"Nessuno di vostra preoccupazione Adamo." None of your business Adamo. "Angela, go to your room now." He demanded, treating me like a child. Angela flinched at how harshly he spit the words at her and bit back tears. She done what she was told despite this and closed her door tight. She didn't want to get on his bad side. That night at her apartment was scary enough and now she had to live under the same roof as him. He changed so quickly. Around this time last night, he seemed a lot calmer than before. Maybe that was a once off? She wanted to wish it wasn't but she knew better.
                          
She drifted off into a deep sleep that night, her chest moved up and down as she breathed quietly. Adrianno had opened the door and stuck his head in to make sure she was alright. He thanked god she was asleep, he didn't want her to see him checking up on her.
                          
That night, he didn't get much sleep, but then again he never did. Sleeping was a luxury for him, his mind much preferred to race than shut off for a couple of hours. Night time was his time to think and all he seemed to be thinking about tonight was her.
                          
Her face, her sweet voice, her innocent eyes. She was everything he wasn't. She was pure, untarnished and genuinely nice. He needed to stop thinking of her but she was burned into his mind, ever since that day she anxiously walked up to him at the diner.