Page 43 of Matteo

Screams started up around us and for just a moment I looked away. Fire began to surround me, and I turned back to find Rain becoming fine dust.

A mist, and then she was gone.

Deep dark laughter had me whipping around searching for the source. I couldn’t see him but I knew he was there. I could feel him like a dark shadow on the edge of my mind

“Father…”

I sat up breathing hard as fuck. It’d just been a dream. Rain was more than likely safe and probably asleep in her lover’s bed or some shit.

Padding into the kitchen I opened the refrigerator. There was nothing but a pitcher of water inside. This was the downside ofbeing a bachelor. There was hardly any food in the place but there was no one to cook for anyway so, what did it matter to me.

The water tasted so good, quenching my thirst. I found myself bracing against the counter as my mind raced over my dreams. I’d never had such an intense dream before. I touched at my lips, still feeling the remnants of Rain there. A yearning to taste her again had me about to go insane.

The television had some old I Dream of Jeanie episode playing. Watching for a few moments, I started looking for my phone. I found it when it started to vibrate deep in the back grove of the couch.

Mason.

You have to fucking answer me sometime,the text read.

Taking a breath, I finally sent a reply.I know.

You have us worried, Matty.

Another sigh left my lips, and I shot another text to my brother.I’m worried myself.

You’re not alone. But I wasn’t texting about that.

Oh?I could feel my face scrunching up into a huge frown.

Nora picked up some chatter on the dark web. Dad’s been spotted.

Instantly, I went on alert remembering that fucking dreaming again. Augustus Matteo Zacharra Sr. had popped up in my dream. It’d been a while since we’d seen him or heard from him.

Where?

I looked away from the phone in my hands, my eyes landing on the screen. My mind couldn’t even seem to comprehend what was going on. Did the blonde genie in her cute little outfit have an evil twin? Shaking my mind, the phone vibrated in my hand.

Looks like Paris,came Mason’s reply.

Air entered into my lungs and finally I found the remote and turned the television off. Relief seemed to flood my body.

Far away from us,I replied.

Are you okay?Mason tried to move the conversation back to me, but I was tapped.

I’m fine. Work stress. I will check in with everyone soon. I’ll get up with Carmine and apologize too.

Mason seemed satisfied with my answer and didn’t reply. He knew when to leave well enough alone. For a long while, I sat in the dark until the birds started chirping. My thoughts drifted to Rain.

I was always thinking about that woman.

Of course, it would have been lovely if I could have shaken her out of my system, but I was drawn to her. If she was a lit and open flame, I was the dumb ass moth constantly flittering to close about to be burned to death.

Morning light began to seep into my apartment and the chirping of birds filled the silence.

Maybe I’d apologize for being so fucking aggressive with her at the bar. I had finger fucked her against her will as if I was the type to go around doing that. You know, just grabbing women off the street or some shit and pushing inside of their panties.

I got dressed in some grey sweats and a white T-shirt, found my keys and left the house. There was a little café on the corner of Elm Street, a block from Rain’s apartment complex.

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