Chapter 30: The world between us

NOVA'S POV

I walk into the house then past the staff to the decorated garden with the dock pergola accommodating my friends. The catering team seems to have been selected for perfection with all the desserts placements.

"Well well well if it isn't Castiello the lover girl," Riley jokes but none of us laugh because it's not meant to be funny.

"Riles...never a pleasure to see you hammered this early,"

"Not all of us get to play games with juniors Nova," she says giggling but even Delia sends her a glare.

"Riley i think it's time for that water break," Delia says with a smile plastered on her lips. The kind that's well practiced to remain composed.

"Need my help?"

Her eyes look up to me suddenly before she mutters a quick no and walks away with her bestfriend.

"Soo let's party?" I say and the guys hand me a champagne bottle.

Sometimes I wonder if this is all a facade or some part of me does enjoy forgetting whatever happened after i drank.

My sips are slow but everyone around me seems too gone to notice. I want to see Sofia later and I wouldn't want her to see me that way.

"Cheer up Nova. This might actually be the last time you get to be single," Rafa says once we're all seated. Delia looks over to me, her eyes telling me everything i need to know. Why isn't she drinking? Usually she's the one being managed during Sunday picnics.

I excuse myself to peobably get some air that i don't have to share with them for now. I hadn't thought of it that way. If dad announces that Fabio and I are engaged and to be married that would break Sofia.

I walk into the kitchen from the back door, grabbing a fruit bowl on display.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Delia, you scared me," I say from the sudden statement.

"I'm sorry about my brother...and about Riley. You don't deserve this," she says and i look over to her fully for the first time since I got here.

Like really look at her.

She takes a step closer but i take one back. She might not be all bad but this isn't what she thinks it is. I like someone else and that someone happens to be one I can't hurt that way.

"When will you realise that I'm the only one who understands you?"

"I don't think anyone understands me, Delia. That's why i don't belong to anyone," I say.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"

Delia jumps at the sudden familiar voice that fills the kitchen. The voice of Mila, my cousin's girlfriend and Tinkerbell's bestfriend.

"Mila, I almost forgot you go to these things,"

A smirk spreads across my lips.

"Shut up Nova. Even flies are picky with food," she scoffs sizing up Delia and she stands there and takes it.

Luca walks in with a pack of diet coke making me focus on the door for any sign of her. It's desperate i know...to hope that she'd show up to something as shallow as this because she wanted to see me.

"You better focus on that bottle Nova, she's not coming...I made sure of it," Mila says and part of me chuckles softly at how observant she is. She knows that this is more for me.

"Why do you think i got it?" I bring the bottle to my lips gulping down the remaining bit before it's snatched from me.

"That's enough for now," Delia says before walking out of the kitchen. She cares...but she's also self centered.

"Baby, I'm gonna go hang with the guys," my cousin informs her, leaning in for a kiss on her lips before using the back door to the garden.

The house music replaces he silence before she speaks up.

"What the fuck are you doing Nova?"

"Partying just like everyone else,"

"You need to tell her before she finds out from everyone else,"

"Why? It's not like I'm important to to her,"

"You're right...but you could be," she says simply before her phone rings and she steps away to answer it.

The picnic itself doesn't start until 2pm when half the students on campus are everywhere and the games start.

Mila finds me seated with a bunch of girls talking about something i didn't seem to care about. Maybe the bottle of champagne did have an effect on me.

The games go from playful to explicit in a matter of seconds and i choose to remove myself when kissing me is put on the table. I only want a specific pair of lips on me and she's not here.

I try calling my Tinkerbell but it goes straight to voice mail. I try her a few more times but she doesn't pick up.

Everyone around me seems happy. I mean they don't have a dad like mine or a messed up future you already know about.

My driver is still parked in the same spot so i get in and decide to go back home. Mila is right. I need to do things right and showing up to her hotel intoxicated is the last thing I'd want to do.

Delia once joked that if i married her first then it would cancel the arranged one. She insisted that ir was just to set me free and we'd get an annulment after but something told me to hold off on that. Because now i don't trust her the same.

I think the first chance she got to do that..she'd never go through with it. She already thinks I'm hers.

The driver opens my door to the front house and i walk in. It's quiet so either dad isn't home or they're out for dinner with the Carusos.

I walk into the kitchen to a display of my dad, my mom and the Carusos. Rheir son no where in sight. That's a first.

"Nova, you're late," dad says his voice stern.

He knows.

He asked me to meet up with my friends.

"I'm never early to discuss a daughter trade dad," I retort.

"I'm sorry...my daughter can be very...opinionated," mom says approaching me with a firm grip on my upper arm. She pulls me way from the supposed in laws into the hallway.

"Everything you do circles back to that girl. Be smart Nova. I don't want to see you hurt," she whispers yells before my dad joins us.

It's like she knows his footsteps because her posture straightens.

Her demeanor falls back to the quiet observing one.

"Quite the daughter we have, huh my love?"

"Mmmh" is all she says in response.

"I found something interesting about that girl. She might not even live long. I wasn't going to do anything but you're testing me, my child,"

"Leave Sofia out of this,"

"Your actions are what i listen to more,Nova. You're to blame," he says before walking back inside like it was that easy to ruin lives.

"Mom promise me you won't let him,"

"Nova, you know I can't," she says softly.

I yank my arm out of her grip, walking away from her. How could parents be this transactional?