Page 58 of Pain and Possession

She scowls, her normally neat makeup smeared and muddy. I feel guilty for making her worry like that. It's not like her to panic, "That's why I'm here! I thought maybe he- God what happened to your face?"

I shake my head quickly as I grab her hand pulling her back towards the front entrance of the compound. "Noè didn't hurt me. He helped me this morning. Blake's dad did that."

"I'll fucking kill him." She mutters, "Blake good?"

I nod, desperately wanting to spill every detail of the past few nights to her but knowing she's safer if I don't. Noè can be understanding and generous with information, but God knows how far that goes. I'm not willing to risk it with Laney.

"Wait." She says her eyes darting around, as if she's just realized she attempted to force her way into a mafia run compound. I let the heavy double doors swing closed again as I turn to her, my stomach knotting. Knowing she's about to ask me all manner of questions I don't have answers for. Which means she'll think I'm hiding things.

Aren't you?

"You need to tell me what's going on right now. You know how bad stress makes me break out." She whines. I just roll my eyes opening back up the doors, she steps in behind me. The eyes of the men in the lobby following her every move with trepidation and lust. Looking at her outfit she must've been on her way to work, "Aren't you going to piss off your boyfriend if you're late?"

She scoffs, "We broke up, for good this time." I can't help the smile that spreads across my face despite the anxiety eating into my gut.

"Don't look so pleased bitch." She jokes, knowing damn well it's a good thing. I turn to a woman passing through as she steps up the large wooden stairs, "Hey, uhm could you remind me where the kitchen is?"

She raises and eyebrow before pointing down the hall, "Second door on the left. Have your boyfriend print you a map."

I frown as someone clears their throat from the second-floor balcony, I don't need to look up to know the brittle yet strong frame that stands there, "Green is an ugly shade on a young woman. Be grateful it was me that heard your smart-ass mouth and not my grandson." The woman looks away the bun on top of her head wound so tight she must have an awful headache, "My apologies. It won't happen again."

Laney scoffs mumbling something bitchy under her breath as Nona descends the stairs, not hiding her scowl at my friends barely there dress. The bodice, mostly see through exposing her pink lacey bra underneath and her nipples through that, "Don't pay her any mind. None of them, they’ll be more accepting once things are official dear."

Lane cuts in walking a little ahead of us and stopping in her tracks, "Official Olive? You hated him a week ago." I nearly choke, my cheeks flushing bright red. Nona puts a hand on my upper back continuing down the hall, "I'll get you girls some drinks, you can talk in the kitchen. No need to crowd the halls, this place is a powder keg today."

"What happened?"

She scoffs, "Old drama and well, you dear."

I frown, a sick feeling in my stomach as we enter the kitchen. Laney walks right to an empty table sitting down still scowling, "They took my phone at the gate." She says it as if they had slapped her. Knowing Laney, she would have preferred that.

Nona's hand tightens at my back, "It's growing pains and good ones dear. It's time he found someone to share his time with, nobody that truly matters minds what family you do or do not belong to. We'll talk later, okay? Don't worry your face like that, you'll need Botox before you're thirty." I give her a weak smile, sitting down with Laney. Trying to wipe the anxiety from my mind for the time being as I pull out my phone out getting ready to text Noè before Laney scoffs.

"You get to keep your phone? I fucked Hock can I get mine back?”

I lock the screen giving her a loaded look, "Would you relax?"

"Usually I'm down for a good role reversal but now is hardly the time. I have been freaking out thinking something happened to you. Do you even care?"

Her words hit their intended target making tears well in my eyes, because apparently crying all the time is just what I do now. I shake my head, "I do care, okay? I'm sorry Lane. So much as happened and so fast I… could barely process it myself. I'm fucking exhausted, I'm-“ She leans over the table throwing her arms around me again, albeit a little awkwardly with a small table between us. Hugging isn't my thing, but I wrap my arms around her just as hard, if not harder.

"Here." Nona's voice comes from beside us as we separate. Awkwardness filling the air, at least for me. I can't tell of anyone else actually feels it. We thank her as we grab the cups of hot tea from her tray. She doesn't linger quickly excusing herself. I feel bad for kicking her out of her own space but grateful for the time alone with Laney.

"Are you like dating him now?"

I groan burying my head in my hands, "I don't know. I guess kind of, maybe."

"Okay… I can get behind kind of maybe relationships but not with a mafia boss Olive. I know this is high talk coming from me but he's dangerous. This sudden relationship with a family head… you of all people and then your apartment? I don't feel right about any of this. What the hell is going on?”

You know things are messy when Laney is the voice of reason.

"I'm safe. Really." I assure her but my voice gives me away. Would I ever actually be safe with him? My mind goes back to the shower, the words he said and my heart swells yet again. Pushing my doubt to the back of my mind as I raise my head facing her, "I think I have feelings for him,realones."

She raises her thin brows, leaning back in her seat. "Damn."

"Yeah." I lay my head down on my arms lightly bumping the hot tea making it slosh out onto the exposed skin there. It hurts but I don't really care, I certainly don't get anything out of it like he does.

"What did she mean by making it official? Also, who is she?" She asks, putting a finger on my forehead and forcing my head up. I resist peeking out at her instead.

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