47 | I've started noticing a lot of things about you, Aurelia
The living room hums with quiet conversations, the soft notes of jazz drifting through the air like smoke.
The glow of the chandelier casts a warm golden hue over the gathered family members, their voices a steady murmur as they sip from expensive wine.
I stand near the bar, as the weight of Luciano's mother's words still lingers in my mind, circling like vultures.
I hope you won't end up becoming a miserable woman like me.
I exhale, my chest tightening.
The thought alone makes my fingers twitch for a drink. A waitress passes by, her tray lined with delicate glasses filled with golden liquid, and I reach for one, anything to dull the thoughts pressing against my skull.
But before I can take it, a firm hand catches mine.
"Don't drink," Luciano murmurs beside me.
I glance up at him, my brow arching in defiance. "Why not? I'm allowed to drink."
He doesn't release my wrist immediately, just studies me with those dark eyes of his. "Yes, you're allowed," he says, voice steady, controlled. "But not tonight."
I scoff. "Because your family is here?"
Luciano shakes his head, then subtly gestures toward one of his uncles slumped against the couch. The man is barely conscious, eyes half-lidded, a drunken slur tumbling from his lips as he waves off someone trying to help him.
"He's going to pass out any minute now," Luciano murmurs.
I catch myself smiling at the absurdity of it but quickly mask it.
"I still want that drink," I say, tugging my wrist free. "I won't get drunk."
Luciano doesn't let it go. He exhales through his nose, rubbing his jaw before lowering his voice. "I don't want you to drink because I've noticed something."
I pause, narrowing my eyes. "Noticed what?"
His gaze lingers on me, heavy with something unreadable. "That you only drink when you have too many thoughts in your head."
A shiver runs down my spine.
I open my mouth, then close it, unsure of what to say. The way he says it, so sure, so observant, throws me off balance. I wasn't expecting him to notice. Not Luciano.
"So you've finally noticed?" I say, my voice quieter now.
Luciano's lips twitch, but it's not amusement. "I've started noticing a lot of things about you, Aurelia."
He steps closer, his tone dropping just enough to make my skin prickle.
"The way you drink when you're hurting. The way you try to hold back your laugh when I say something ridiculous.
The way you run a hand through your hair when you're anxious.
" He tilts his head slightly, studying me. "I notice everything now."
My stomach twists.
I don't know what to say to that, so I don't say anything at all.
Luciano leans in just enough so only I can hear him. "I know you don't like me, but don't hurt yourself like this. Drinking won't fix anything. It's just a temporary way to drown out the pain."
For a moment, the air between us is thick, heavy with things neither of us are ready to admit.
I inhale, forcing my expression into something neutral.
"Fine," I mutter, stepping back. "I'll take an apple juice instead."
Luciano's lips curve into something almost like a smile.
"Thank you," he says.