My Italian Heart

Chapter Thirty Six

The fight had been confusing, to say the least. I stayed after Adam and Aurora had retreated to the office. It was clear that I couldn't trust Dad to behave himself. So, I stayed just to stop him from smacking Adam again. I didn't even know what had happened between Adam and Aurora. I had assumed she had been away with him over the weekend, as apparently had Rylie, but Aurora had told her they had broken up. Rylie had made it sound so grown up and simple though. Yet, seeing what had transpired, either Aurora played it down to Rylie or Rylie did when she told me. There were clearly some ongoing issues between the pair of them, I just didn't know where my dad fit into it.

He was always the same, trying to fight other peoples' battles for them and I knew him and Aurora had gotten close while working together. Somehow, it felt like something more. He wasn't defending Aurora as such, but he definitely hated Adam. There was some serious venom in his tone that I had never seen before. I thought back to his altercation with Bradford over me and it was completely different. He had been all calm with Bradford, just doing what needed to be done. With Adam he seemed to be the opposite. I could see his jaw twitching away and he could barely hold still. It was like some sort of demon was trying to break out of him.

Adam seemed calmer than Dad. As though he wasn't really as involved in the situation. Dad looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel. He was so wound up. Then, when Aurora helped Adam to his feet, I thought he was going to lose it. I stood in front of him to try and keep him from making the situation worse. To start with, I had thought it was because of Adam mouthing off, but it started before that. It was when Aurora went to Adam.

Then, when Aurora had taken him inside to talk, Dad looked heartbroken. There was no other word for it.

That was the moment when something clicked. There was something between them, I was sure of it. But, what? From that moment, my mind was racing so much that I couldn't keep my thoughts in order. I stood there standing outside the warehouse with Dad. Not saying a word, even though I wanted to quiz him, it just wasn't the place. How long had something been going on? Was he the reason Aurora had split up with Adam? Was it even that much of a thing? Maybe it was all one-sided? I didn't even know how I was supposed to get the answers, it wasn't like I could come out and ask Dad about it.

I didn't even know how I felt about it. Time and distance were what I needed to process before I did anything else.

We both heard the commotion from upstairs in the office. Dad went to go, but I caught hold of his arm. "You need to let her handle it. She is more than capable and if she needs us she knows where we are." He looked right at me, as though for the first time he registered my presence. There was recognition there that he had acted out of character, even a regret that I had seen it, but also enough steel for me to know it didn't change anything. Before he could reconsider storming inside, Adam wandered out looking pissed. Sporting a split lip to match his already blackening eye. The slightest flash of pride flowed knowing that Aurora had punched him. I knew he would have deserved it. It wasn't something she would do easily.

Dad barely spared him a second glance before he was racing inside and taking the stairs two at a time. I followed him, but much more calmly. I needed answers, but somehow I knew I wouldn't get them. He was too worked up to be quizzed. "I'm going to f*****g kill the prick." Great he was getting worked up again and I rolled my eyes. It wasn't like she hadn't handled whatever it was.

I rounded the door to see Dad's hand gripping her wrist. It wasn't aggressive, if anything, it was caring, if a little possessive. Aurora saw me before Dad did and she shook him off carefully and retreated to the safety of her desk. Her face was filled with guilt and regret, but I couldn't be sure if it was about me or Adam. It all just added more questions to my list. I looked between the pair of them but Aurora was the only one that seemed remotely aware that I was even there.

"Aurora, are you alright?" I wanted to make sure she was alright before I worried about anything else.

"I'm fine. Not the first time I've dealt with a jackass."

The atmosphere in the room told me that they both wanted me out of the way. It couldn't be what I thought. There was no way I could have missed that. I was sure it must just be some sort of infatuation on my dad's part. At least, I hoped that was all it was. "Right, I will head back to the house then." There was no point in sticking around, I knew I wouldn't get any answers from either of them. I wasn't even sure I wanted the answers.

I must have looked like I was in a state of shock as I headed through the warehouse because one of the lads stopped and asked me if I was ill. Apparently, I looked particularly pale. Not that I was surprised. I walked into the house and headed straight for the stairs, planning on lying on one of the loungers on the balcony for a while. It felt a little like the ground had shifted beneath my feet and I needed a moment to get my footing again. Even if it was just a crush, it was huge. Aurora seemed relatively normal when I was in the office. She had been focused on me, not Dad. Surely, that meant it was one-sided. It had to be.

I had just collapsed onto the cream lounger and closed my eyes when I heard movement. I refused to open my eyes and just laid there. Hoping the world would melt away for a few minutes at least. "Em, are you OK? Did you not hear me?"

"Nope, I heard nothing." Rylie's soft hushed tones seemed to settle me slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"My dad appears to be in love with Aurora. He's just knocked out a cocky carpenter in front of all the warehouse staff and I feel a little like I'm in hell."

"I knew it!" I sat bolt up right and looked at her. My glare must have been more aggressive than I thought because she flinched.

"Excuse you?"

"I er thought there might be something, I didn't know what though. You must see the way he looks at her. The way he tells everyone off when it comes to her. He's done it to you. Telling you to lay off. Surely you must have seen it."

"NO!"

"Oh. I didn't think you would be bothered. I tried to set them up only last week, but Aurora shot me down. She reckoned you wouldn't like the idea, but I thought she was wrong."

"You thought I would be OK with my dad f*****g my friend. I'm gonna be sick."

"No, you are not. Stop being so overly dramatic. Do you actually know if they are together?"

"No."

"Do you not think he deserves to be happy, after everything?"

"Well, yes, but not with Aurora." She tutted at me and I couldn't help but think how well she was falling into the role of mother.

"You're being selfish."

"Who's being what now?" Luca came out and dived onto the lounger next to me. Raising his eyebrows at us both.

"David and Aurora, Em thinks they might be together."

"No, definitely not. Don't be absurd... the age... I mean it's ridiculous." Luca stumbled his way through it and we both turned on him. He was the worst liar ever.

"What do you know?" Rylie beat me to it and had her hands on her hips and was tapping her foot. All the image did was bring the Italian mother vibe back once again.

"I don't know anything." Rylie tutted at him and it was clear she was buying none of it. "OK, so I know something, but not much. They were together, but it ended. He got her some jewellery or something for Christmas and I arranged for them to talk." Rylie clipped the back of his head and he was lucky that she beat me to it. "She told me herself that it's over and done with."

"She lied, I'm sure of it." I spoke almost to myself.

"What are you going to do about it?" Rylie asked.

"Nothing. Watch. Wait. Let them trip up. I can't believe they have been hiding it from everyone. I'm going to kill them both when they finally admit it."