23. Epilogue: Beauty and the Beast

23. Epilogue: Beauty and the Beast
One Year Later

"I cannot believe you're graduating this year. I'm proud of you for working so hard," Margo praised me, while clutching her French vanilla cap close to her chest to keep warm. The AC was on full blast and she was trying to keep warm.

"It's just an associate degree." I said humbly. She shot me a look of disbelief, before pointing a stern finger in my face. With furrowed brows she leaned forward.

"Hey, that's two years of studying you've put towards it and now you're finished. It's something to fucking be proud of." My eyes widened, and I leaned back in my chair while shaking my head bemused.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" I jeered. She rolled her eyes, and stuck her tongue out at me, before taking an appreciative sip and moaning thoughtfully.

"I don't know why I don't get these more often."

"That's because you always more prone to getting the stuff with a ton of caffeine it makes you shake so much a tit pops out of your bra."

She snorted and clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Now who's the one with the dirty mouth. You bad girl," she waved her hand playfully. I giggled and clutched my face with my hands excitedly.

"Fine, you're right. I am excited."

"Another milestone," She held up her cappuccino like she was toasting me. "Now to just find you a man."

I nodded.

"It's getting boring being the third wheel with you and Dylan." Dylan was her newest addition. They were inseparable, so I was actually surprised to go out for coffee this morning. She's usually busy with her head stuck up his ass. But I was happy for her. At least she'd found someone she genuinely enjoyed. I was too focused with my studies, but now that I'm taking a break for a semester, maybe I'd be able to go out more.

"Hey, we love having you," She added. Shrugging, I looked down at the brownie in front of me unappealingly. I just wasn't in the mood for sweets.

"Well thanks..."

"We're going to a movie tonight if you want to come?" She offered. I shook my head.

"Can't. Gotta prepare for my parents' arrival tomorrow. Joy."

"Oh stop, they love you." She hushed me. I grinned.

"You know how they can get."

"Okay," she nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry." She snickered and placed her cup on the table.

A phone ringing startled me. I scrambled in my bag to retrieve my phone, only to realize it was Margo's. She pressed it against her ear and spoke.

I could tell it was Dylan from the sickly-sweet way her voice hit an alien octave. She always sounded so high pitched whenever she was around him. Like a customer service employee. We all know how different our regular voice sounds compared to when we are working with customers.

I rolled my eyes and glanced around the café.

That's when I noticed him.

A bulky man sitting in a chair by the window with the paper perched perfectly so he could look at us above it. I noticed his eyes on me before he had time to look away. My heart began to beat frantically, and I tried everything to calm myself down. Taking a few deep breaths, I looked towards Margo and began to open my mouth, but she held her finger up at me to wait a minute.

I surreptitiously attempted to look at him again without him noticing, but not he was staring directly at me, no longer hiding it with the newspaper. He wore a black suit, and had his thick black hair combed back.

"Oh god," I sputtered before gulping down the lump in my throat.

They'd kill us both.

I thought of Nicolo.

Not again. He wasn't coming back for revenge of me killing his brother, was he?

Questions pounded against my skull. I couldn't think straight.

Margo hung up the phone and stared concerned at me.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I nodded slowly and opened my mouth slightly.

"What did Dylan want?"

"Oh, he's coming to meet me, so we can take a trip to his Mom's. She needs him to look at her computer, and I thought while I'm there I'll just visit with her."

"How lovely."

I wasn't truly listening. At least, not without keeping some of my attention on the man. The only way to guarantee her safety was to separate from her. That is if he wasn't coming after her to begin with.

Fuck!

"Hey, you don't care if I scoot off? I've gotta run up to the college and fill out some paperwork."

She shook her head and placed her hand on my arm.

"Of course not! But don't forget we are gonna celebrate tonight, at the club."

"Okay," I smiled. "Sounds good."

If I'm alive.

I slid out of my chair and made my way towards the door, aware that the man stood after I walked past him. There were not many people on the street this morning, and I was frightened.

I hastily walked down the street in the hopes I'd stumble upon a crowd or an event of people that could make sure I wasn't kidnapped, but I stopped when my eyes scanned a black car at the end of the street with darkly tinted windows. I couldn't see anyone inside of it.

"Selena," A deep voice regarded me. I twisted around and stared up at the man from the café.

"W-what do you want?"

"Follow me."

He said and walked past me towards the car.

"How do you know my name?" I called after him. The last thing I wanted to do was follow him. I didn't know who the hell he was, and for all I knew, he could be leading me to my death.

He stopped in front of the car and opened the door, and I gasped.

Nicolo.

He looked absolutely gorgeous but the hurt that I thought was long gone, stung in my chest like a new wound. Anger swirled in the pit of my gut and contorted my face to a glare.

His face remained impassive as I stomped towards the car.

Nothing rational was leading me to him, just raw emotions.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I wiped them away as they cascaded down my cheeks. I was fucking torn. Humiliated. Stupid. How could I have ever loved this man? This kidnapper. He was the coward. Not me. He threw me away like I was nothing, and then decided to show back up in my life, like I hadn't just buried those months I'd spent with him deep in my mind, never to resurface again?

I was shaking when I slid into the car. His smell enveloped me, and I wanted to gag, but it was familiar and nice. My body responded to it by relaxing. Fucking relaxing.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

When the door was slammed behind us, I smacked him.

The sound resonated throughout the entire car.

He bit his lip and looked away from me for a moment. His cheek was red and warm. My hand stung, but my anger was quickly fading. I held onto it for as long as I could. I thought of how he had belittled me, how he'd turned me into some sex crazed bitch who yearned for his touch – but even now, I could feel my body responding to his presence and it fucking pissed me off.

I didn't want to want him. I wanted to truly be done with him and to be done with these feelings, because I was tired. So, fucking tired.

"I deserved that," he said. The first words to be spoken, and his voice was still husky and dominating.

"You did," I replied breathlessly. I hadn't heard from him since he sent that rose to Margo's. "Why are you here?"

"At first, I had convinced myself it was because I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Lies. All fucking lies.

He continued. "But then, I realized it's because I can't stay away from you." He shook his head defeatedly and his brooding eyes met mine and softened.

"I – uh," He couldn't finish his sentence.

"Why should I believe you?"

He scoffed.

"You shouldn't. I can't even believe I'm here."

I turned away from him as fresh tears pooled in my eyes. That mother fucker was perfect at making me lose my shit.

"I loved you," I whispered thinking he couldn't here me, but he inhaled a sharp breath from my words. "You threw me away like trash and I loved you."

"It was best for you."

I shook my head.

"You no longer get to decide what's 'best' for me. I'm my own fucking person!" I bellowed.

He chuckled.

Why the fuck was he laughing?

"What's so fucking funny?" I spat.

"Where was this defiance and confidence when you were with me?"

"Hidden." I grumbled and crossed my arms over my chest.

"I like it," He commented, and I quirked a brow confused. This man liked my defiance? It didn't sound like him.

"I – I don't want you here."

"You don't want me?" He questioned. His voice was low.

I shook my head but avoided his gaze because then he'd be able to tell I was lying.

I remained silent. I couldn't bring myself to say anymore. It was too painful.

"Tell me to leave and I'll leave," He said.

I knew it was as simple as just telling him to go. That one word. Leave. It would make him disappear and somehow, I knew it would be the last I ever saw him. So simple. Why couldn't I bring myself to say it?

I opened my mouth, and nothing came out. No sound, like I had gone mute.

My silence angered him. He turned towards me, dark, endless eyes and furrowed brows.

"Say it," He growled. This was the Nicolo I was used to. The man I had once loved...

And still do.

I tried to rip my gaze away from him, but he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"Say it, Selena."

Say it. Say it. Say it. Say it!

I screamed internally at myself.

When my mouth opened, my words were broken by sobs.

"I-I can't."

"Amore mio," He uttered, before he pulled me onto his lap.

He placed his lips against my forehead and kissed me.

"My love," He repeated again and again for what felt like forever but was only a few seconds.

"I will give you the world."

I knew he would.