CHAPTER 12 #2
“Can I hug you, Tesorino?” he asked as he looked up and met my eyes, his own glassy.
Instead of answering I moved onto my knees and shuffled closer to him. When he opened his arms I easily sank against him, resting my head on his shoulder and holding him tight. I knew he was scared to hold me as hard, because of my bruises, but just to be that close to him felt so good.
“I love you,” I told him. “I missed you so much, even when I doubted you, I still loved you. I never should have let Mum’s crap get to me the way it did.”
“None of that matters now. We found each other. That’s what counts. I love you too, Cara, so much.”
For several moments we held each other. I was the one to pull away first, the pain in my strained side too much for me to handle any longer. My body didn’t seem to ache all over as much as it had the night before, but my ribs were pretty bad, and even breathing caused them to throb angrily.
“I’ll go and get ready for the day, then meet you in the kitchen, alright?
” Rafe said as he took my hands and helped me to my feet.
I worked hard not to show the pain I was in, not wanting to take away the small, contented smile that was now on his face.
“Everything in here is for you. Gia picked it all out, so if there’s anything you don’t like, just let me know and we’ll have it exchanged.
Likewise, if there are things she forgot to buy for you.
There should be toiletries in the bathroom too,” he explained, and I just looked around at the left side of the closet, the rail that ran the entire length filled with brightly coloured clothes that all had labels hanging from them.
He’d already had Gia go out and buy me so many clothes? It took me aback.
“I don’t n-need so much, Rafe. Most of this c-can be returned,” I stuttered as I tried to take it all in. I hadn’t even noticed any of it in my panic the night before.
“Nonsense. I intend to make up for the last eleven years that I couldn’t spoil you, starting here,” he told me with a grin. “See you downstairs!” With those parting words he left while I just stood there staring after him. I should have argued, but he hadn’t even given me the chance.
Finally with a deep sigh of defeat I made myself move. I’d argue with Rafe about the lunacy of wasting so much money on frivolous things for me later.
***
Five floors! This palatial, insane house had five floors!
You couldn’t call it a house. That was too much of an understatement.
This place was like a mansion, or a palace – something way more lavish than a house anyway!
I hadn’t even seen inside the rooms yet, but just the hallways, landings and staircases were grand, the carpets so thick and plush your feet sank deep into the pile of them.
Some of the floors were polished hardwood, obviously original to what appeared to be a historical building underneath all of the modern décor and furnishings.
It had features that showed a history to the place, such as picture rails, old style sash windows, and the handrail of the stairs was intricately carved in places, to a degree that I was sure meant the work was done by hand, likely at least a hundred years earlier, maybe even more.
It was beautiful, and so toasty warm throughout.
The whole place smelled of vanilla, as though someone had been baking, but I saw some plug-ins that I was pretty sure were the actual source of the heavenly smell.
It was so far removed from what I was used to.
There was no way to even compare that place to the apartment I had called home back in Chicago, and I felt more and more out of place as I moved down the stairs.
Now I stood in the imposing entrance way, the shiny marble floor freezing cold beneath my sock covered feet.
I didn’t fit in there. You didn’t need a genius to tell you that.
I looked down at what I was wearing and actually grimaced.
I had looked through the clothes in my closet, but they consisted of skirts and dresses I would not feel comfortable in, but even if I had dared to wear them, they wouldn’t have fit me.
There had been two pairs of jeans, but both had been two sizes too big in the waist and way too long for me.
I had tried a pair on, but there was no way I’d have even kept them up, and that was only if I didn’t break my neck tripping over the extra length first. I hadn’t found a single t-shirt or sweater, which was what I tended to favour.
Even the underwear had been in the wrong sizes, and way too risqué for my tastes.
I preferred comfort, and as a result most of my underwear was cotton, in white or black.
Of course I hadn’t had much choice before.
I bought what was cheapest, but I also found my cheap, box store, and thrift store clothes purchases comfortable.
So there I stood in what I had found in the bag Dario had packed for me – a pair of thread bare, black jeans and a black, racer back vest, with a very heavily worn, plaid shirt open over the top.
At least the new socks had fit me, I thought with a shrug.
I’d taken a long shower, and washed my hair, so now it was a wet and slightly wild bun on top of my head.
My face was still a little bruised and even my own clothes were too big for me after how little I had eaten in the last couple of weeks.
Money had been so tight before everything, that I hadn’t eaten more than ramen for days, then everything happened and Rafe showed up, and food hadn’t even been a thought.
I looked like shit, was the long and short of it, and my clothes screamed that I was trash.
Cold crept in around me, and suddenly the toasty heat of the house left me.
Maybe it was the freezing cold floor I stood on, but I couldn’t even find my shoes, and the ones in the closet had been three sizes too big too.
I was pretty sure Rafe had sent Gia shopping without my sizes, which made sense, since he would have no way of even knowing my sizes.
“Hi!” I turned sharply at the loud greeting and found someone jogging down the last of the stairs.
He stopped at the bottom and turned to me with a wide and welcoming smile.
I was confident I hadn’t met him yet, which had to mean he was Callan, unless there was someone I was forgetting who lived there.
It was hard to keep track with everything going on.
“Hey,” I greeted trying not to show my nerves as I forced myself to stand tall. I might look like trash, but I was determined not to behave like I was.
“You must be Cara. I’m Callan, Arran’s brother.
” His smile never wavered as he walked towards me, carrying himself with confidence, and why wouldn’t he?
He was hot. Standing at around six feet he was slim, but in the way a professional athlete was slim.
I could see that he was likely lined with toned muscle beneath the hugging jeans and close fitting black wool sweater he wore.
He had the sleeves pulled up to his elbows and I could see tattoos up both arms - likely full sleeves - was my guess.
His hair was longer, hanging down around his ears and kind of shaggy looking, but in a cute way, especially with the tones of light and dark blonde mixed through it.
His face was striking, his bone structure strong, especially around his jaw and his chiselled cheek bones.
The smile on his face only cemented my idea that he had to be some kind of a model – and not one of those too thin male models who walked down catwalks.
No, Callan was like a finely sculpted sports model that you would see half naked on the cover of some high end magazine.
“You don’t look much like him,” I pointed out as I took him in without trying to make it obvious.
“No, not much, but I assure you he is my brother,” he laughed. Fuck. Just when I thought one man couldn’t be any more beautiful he laughed and his bright green eyes sparkled. I wasn’t sure I had ever seen a man look so perfect. He was male perfection in my eyes.
“Nice to meet you,” I told him with a nod, mentally checking myself.
I wasn’t still staring, was I? I forced my eyes down to the ground between us and discreetly took a breath.
I was being crazy and I knew it. I hadn’t even been interested in men really in my whole life, and now I seemed to be drooling over every guy I met.
My last breath came out shaky and unsteady and Callan noticed right away.
“Are you alright? Cold?” he asked. I looked up at him again and made myself focus this time.
“A little. This floor is beautiful, but it’s not warm,” I laughed, or tried to anyway. It fell a little flat between us as he seemed to take me in.
“You need some slippers,” he told me.
“Oh no. I’m good, thanks.”
“I’ll pick you some up later, but for now I’ll run and grab you some thicker socks, and maybe a hoody? It gets cold in here in winter and you’re so petite. You’ll feel it more. I’ll be right back,” he announced, then he was running up the stairs before I even started to argue with him.
Once he was gone I moved down the long hall, unsure of where I was going, but I could hear voices and I went towards them, hoping Rafe would already be in the kitchen. I knew Arran and Dario, but after what Arran had seen of me, the night before, I felt anxious about seeing him again.
I stopped before a door at the back of the house and took a calming breath, then I pushed it open, refusing to give myself any more time to over think things.
The first person I saw was Rafe and that instantly helped me feel reassured. He smiled and stood from the stool he had been perched on, coming right over to me and wrapping his arm around me.
“There you are,” he said, pulling me into his side. “Everything alright?”