"Marcello," I call his name, hoping to wake him up. "Marcello, wake up!"
He twitches a little, but I don't think he heard me.
"Marcello?" I increase the volume of my voice, trying to reach him.
He's trembling, still whispering, "No," on a pleading note. He looks so pitiful; I feel a twinge in my chest.
"Marcello, please wake up!" I try a gentler approach, hoping to scare the monsters away with kindness. "It's just a dream, please wake up!"
I wait a few seconds before calling out to him again.
"Marcello," I start, but I'm startled when I see his eyes wide open, staring at me. "Marcello? You're awake. Thank God!" I sigh in relief, and move to stand up.
So sudden I barely have time to react, his hand shoots out, grabbing my arm.
"Marcello,?" I ask hesitantly, looking at his skin touching mine. I lift my head to look at him, but he's still staring at me, almost in confusion.
"I'm sorry to barge in, but you were having a nightmare, and you were screaming and... I couldn't leave you like that. I'm really sorry." I quickly say, hoping he won't misunderstand my presence here.
He tilts his head and narrows his eyes. His hold on my arm tightens.
He's... scary.
"Marcello, can you please let me go? You're scaring me." I whisper, my hand trying to pry his fingers off my arm.
He doesn't budge. Instead, he pulls on my arm and I fall onto the bed, almost on him.
"M... Marcello?" I croak, a shiver running down my back. Why is he doing this? Is he trying to punish me for coming into his room?
I look into his eyes, and they're blank. He's gazing back at me, but I don't think he's seeing me.
What if... What if he's still not awake?
"Marcello," I say tentatively, moving my hand up his arm, testing his reaction to my touch. He spares it a glance, but seems unbothered.
I mold my hand to his jaw, feeling his skin for the first time.
"Marcello, wake up." I tell him tenderly, my fingers moving up and down his cheek in a soft caress. He jerks at the touch, but doesn't pull away. His brows crease and he regards me questioningly, as if the gesture is completely unfamiliar to him.
"Marcello, could you release my arm?" I ask him nicely, and he furrows his brows again, pulling me closer.
My face is inches away from his, and I instinctively hold my breath. His eyes bore into me with an intensity I hadn't seen from him before.
I drop my hand to his shoulder, and give him a gentle shove, but his hold on me only tightens. Whereas a moment ago I was worried about him, now I can't help but feel scared, my body reacting to the proximity. A slight tremble envelops my limbs.
"Marcello, please let me go!" I tell him more firmly.
"Shh," he finally speaks, placing his finger on my lips to shush me. I gasp from shock. What...?
His eyes are on my lips, and he traces them with his fingertips.
"M..." I start again, but this time I'm shut up by a different pressure on my lips.
My eyes widen in surprise as I feel his lips on my own. They're... soft. The sensation is entirely overwhelming, and I almost melt into it. But I can't... It wouldn't be right. I push a little at his shoulders and open my mouth to tell him to stop. His lips open up over my own, and I feel his tongue probing inside.
Is this... I frown a little. Just out of curiosity, I touch my tongue to his, and a shiver runs down my back.
Lord!
My hands that were pushing him off before are now clutching at his shoulders, seeking a closer contact. I shouldn't allow this. I shouldn't like this so much. His arm curls around my waist and he brings me on top of him, molding my body to his. His fingers dig into my flesh as he deepens the kiss. I can't even think, and I hold on to him as if my life depended on it. His teeth nibble at my bottom lip and I release a moan.
Lord!
Marcello's hands moves lower, until he's touching my bottom through my nightgown. He fits his palms to my cheeks and brings me closer into contact with his pelvis.
I gasp.
His mouth is once more on mine, devouring me. I lose myself into the kiss, and I shift a little until I come into contact with something hard. My eyes suddenly open, fear gnawing at my insides.
No... Not that!
With a strength I didn't know I possessed, I push him away and lift myself up. Flushed and breathing hard, I sit at the edge of the bed and try to compose myself.
"I'm sorry... I..." I shake my head, still trying to calm down. "I didn't mean to... It just reminded me of something and..." I attempt to explain my circumstances, but the words just won't come out.
I clench my fists in frustration.
"I..." I start again, turning to look back at Marcello.
He's... sleeping? His soft, regular breaths confirm that he is in fact sleeping. I almost laugh at the irony of the situation. Here I was trying to bare my soul to him and he's sleeping. I shake my head and reluctantly leave the room.
Back in my bed, I can't help but replay the events in my head. The sensations had been so foreign, yet so... satisfying. I can't even explain it. It had been something I'd never felt before. Until that moment that is... Maybe if we take it slower, I won't have such a visceral reaction next time. A smile plays at my lips, and I'm filled with giddiness. So this is how it feels to be kissed... I giggle at that thought.
It certainly hadn't disappointed. Maybe there is hope for us yet.
With that thought, I fall asleep.
"DEFINITELY TAKE THAT one. It looks great on you!" I tell Sisi as she's looking in wonder at herself dressed in something other than a habit. The dress she's wearing is a deep blue gown that reaches her ankles. One might say it's a little old-fashioned, but we'd looked at more modern clothes and Sisi had said she didn't feel ready for those yet.
I guess we have that in common since I find myself entirely too uncomfortable in anything a little more revealing.
"I should get it in a few other colors as well, I think. This is the best one I've tried so far."
"I agree, Aunt Sisi," Claudia replies, in between munching on her chocolate bar and staring at her new ring. She'd picked it up at a stall on the street, but she'd been obsessed with it ever since. And then there was chocolate, which has been Claudia's greatest pleasure since we've left Sacre Coeur. It had taken her only a taste, and she'd declared herself thoroughly enamored of it.
We head to the check-out and pay for everything, a few bodyguards waiting for us outside.
"We need to get a few other things," I add, and we head to another store. Marcello had given us carte blanche with our spending. We've shopped for clothes and other necessities, but since both of them will start their schooling soon, they will need computers. After we get phones and laptops for everyone, we are ready to go home. The girls keep chatting away, while I'm getting increasingly nervous. I hadn't seen Marcello in the morning, so we had not had the chance to talk about what happened last night.
I've been doing my best to keep my mind preoccupied with this shopping trip, but I've been slightly on edge the entire time. What if he regrets what happened? I don't even want to imagine how that conversation would go.
Once back home, the girls are giddy about their new purchases and they gather to play on the computers. Venezia seems reluctant to join them at first, and I think she feels like an outsider, considering that Claudia and Sisi grew up together.