Page 42 of Quake

“My full name is really Gianni Elisio Amato-De Laurentiis. Gloria and Angelo are my adopted parents. They let us keep our last name, hyphenating De Laurentiis for ease with schools and other documentation.”

“Oh,” I say in surprise. “I didn’t know you were adopted. Why don’t you go by Amato-De Laurentiis at your games then?”

He chuckles, a low and sudden sound that makes my insides turn to mush. “Because Gianni Amato-De Laurentiis is a really long-ass name,” he tells me, his voice light.

“You’ve got me there.” I grin.

“Your turn.”

“My turn?”My turn for what?

“Your middle name; what is it?” he asks, wearing a small smirk as he enjoys watching me flounder around him.

“Amalie.”

“Lark Amalie Hughes,” he muses, whispering in a hushed tone so quiet I almost miss it. “Beautiful.”

My whole body flushes at that.

Turning on my side to watch the movie I’ve officially lost interest in with who’s sitting beside me, I pull the green blanket from the back of the sofa, lay it over myself as best as I can, and tuck a throw pillow beneath my head. I set the stick of my lollipop on the coffee table and settle farther into the couch.

I feel Gianni’s hand slide up my calf, tugging on the end of the blanket and pulling it over my legs to cover me up. He rests his hand on my feet, squeezing them periodically as if unable to control the movement. I fight the exhaustion weighing my lids down for as long as I can, but darkness takes me soon after.

Chapter twenty-four

Gianni

As the closing captions scroll by, I take in Lark’s sleeping form beside me. She snores in her sleep, and it sounds like a kitten purring. Everything about her is adorable as hell, and it’s nerve-wracking.

Looking behind the couch, I see the dogs starting to stir now that the movie’s stopped. I click the TV off and lift her legs from my lap gently as I stand.

Rex runs over, his eyes squinting at me as if trying to look menacing. He sniffs my ankles as I stand still, allowing him to make his decision. He lets out a little huff and putters away toward the door.

They likely have to go out, but she looks so damn peaceful, and from the sounds of it, she works a lot. This is probably the first time she’s allowed herself to nap in a while.

I head to the kitchen, looking around until I notice a small set of hooks by the door that her keys dangle from. Here’s to hopingshe doesn’t wake up to find her dogs missing.This is probably a horrendous idea.

“Come on, guys,” I mutter to them quietly. They meet me at the door expectantly as I harness and leash them, pocketing her keys before I go.

When I return a half hour later, she’s still sound asleep on the couch, blissfully unaware of her surroundings. Contentedness and frustration war inside me. On the one hand, I’m glad she slept. On the other? I’m annoyed that she’s so peaceful as she lies on her couch, sleeping when anyone could break in and harm her.

I recognize that I was already here, and if I had broken in, she’d likely have awoken, but it doesn’t settle the beast inside me.

Shaking the rampant thoughts away, I place the keys back on the ring once the dogs are all settled and check their food and water bowls. I fill the water bowls and grab the food from the fridge that reads each of their names, perfectly portioned. Once the bowls are filled and water refreshed, I watch as they eat. I’m not sure if they ever have problems with food aggression, but the last thing I want is Lark to wake up to her dogs fighting. I wait for them to finish eating as I write a note toher.1

Lark,

I didn't want to wake you, so I took the dogs for a walk. I fed them and gave them water. I hope you don't mind.

Sleep well,

Gianni

After cleaning the dogs’ food bowls and leaving them to dry on a dish towel, I grab a vial of insulin from the fridge and ensure the door locks before heading back to my apartment for the night.

1. Tear In My Heart – Twenty One Pilots

Chapter twenty-five

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