Hidden Away [Mafioso Book#2]

Chapter IX: Late

Paolo had been over the moon with his joy.

Ricardo was getting better and everything seemed to pick up from there. Paolo's dad was finally home and his son couldn't have been any happier to have his father back as healthy as a horse. He had been spending a lot of time with Salvatore when he wasn't with Ricardo, and Serafina tried not to let it bother it knowing that there were certain things he was more comfortable with sharing to Salvatore.

She could never hold a grudge against her brother, no matter how bad. He was her twin, they shared the same womb for 9 months, they're 2 halves of the same coin.

Currently, Serafina was walking after her mother in the mall, shopping for clothes. However, whenever she tried to walk into a store her mother would drift off the men clothing.

"Mom!" She complained, watching her walk into Levis. "Come on! Why do you keep doing this?" Walking into her mother inspecting a pair of jeans and muttering to herself.

"What?"

"Do you think Arcangelo would like this?" She asked turning to look at her with the denim in hand. 

"Mom, if you're forgetting, dad's entire wardrobe consists solely of suits and sweat pants and shirts, and those he wears only temporarily because he just wears them for a few moments before bed and when he actually goes to sleep he takes them off and sleeps in his boxers. You're his wife, Mom, you should know this stuff.""Your dad often likes to wear casual clothing, something different than his usual suits." She informed and put the jeans away. "But then again, he has enough clothes. And we are here to get you some things.""Oh, really Mom?" Serafina spoke sarcastically. "I never realized that.""I know you didn't, that's why I'm telling you." Chuckling at her, they made their way to different shops and got some new clothes and shoes. By the number of things we were buying, Serafina couldn't help but ask if they were paying with cash or card. Her mother had turned to grin and holding a black platinum card in hand, waving it in the air.

"Not just any card, your dad's card." She made a sound that was a mix of a laugh and cough, looking at Rosalie swipe the card into the machine.

"And dad doesn't mind you using it? He knows, doesn't he?" "Of course he knows. The things I do for you, Serafina, honestly and this is the level of faith you have in me?""Okay, okay." She couldn't help but laugh at the over exaggeration. "What did you do for me this time? Because we have the driver available, and you have dad's card...""I had to seduce your dad to get the card." She shrugged and forced Serafina to plug my fingers into her ears."Okay, mom! You guys are still my parents! I am not interested in this!"

"You should get used to it now because you'll be expected to do the same with Paolo someday." Rosalie retaliated. "You don't want to end up a blushing awkward mess like I was on our honeymoon night.""What? No!"

"Oh yeah. I was blushing so much and I felt so awkward because I had no idea what I was dealing with, and your dad spent the entire night laughing at me and my 'innocent ways'. It was a horrifying experience." "Wow. Okay." "How are you and Paolo doing?" Rosalie asked with a smile. "Good." Serafina blushed and looked away. "We're good." "That nice to hear, despite your brothers and father being against this relationship," She smiled. "Although, if you have any problems, then just know that I'm right here for you,""Yeah...I know...""So there is a problem?" "No-kinda....maybe?""Come on, talk to mama." "Is it rational to feel jealous about the fact that my boyfriend spends a lot of time with my brother than me?" "It's irrational to feel this way." She informed as they settled down at a table. "I felt the same way with Arcangelo, and I learned my lesson the hard way." "Okay?""You forget that Salvatore is not considered 'your brother' to Paolo. Paolo considers him his best friend and vice versa. A guy needs his space just as much as a girl does. Don't nag him about it, because it will only irritate him. You don't have a right - even if you are his girlfriend, fiancée, or wife - to pull Paolo away from his friends, it won't end well. You'd be the same if he tried to pull you away from your friends.""I'd set him in his place." Serafina scoffed at the statement."Exactly." She confirmed. "He'd do the same.""And you need to remember that we aren't dealing with ordinary guys. We are dealing with Mafia men, and those are the most dangerous kind. Because they have bloodlust embedded in their DNA. You were born into this, and are accustomed to it, but I wasn't, and believe me when I tell you that - on more than one occasion - I was terrified of your dad and wondered if I actually made the right choice by marrying him.""You questioned your decision on marrying him?" Serafina choked out, leaning forward to stare at her in disbelief. "So many times during the initial days," Rosalie sighed. "I was terrified of him, but it physically hurt me whenever I would see the look in his eyes when he saw me scared of him.""Your dad loves me so much, that he checked what would set off my fear towards him, and once he figured that his Mafia side terrified me, he sat me down and very gently gave me the option of getting a divorce and finding a guy who didn't terrify me like he does.""He what?" "Yeah." She smiled softly, playing with the edge of her napkin. "I remember him telling me that, sometimes loving someone means to let them go, and if I wasn't happy, then he'd let me go. It could see how much it tore him apart, the prospect of letting me go, but he was willing to put it all aside for my happiness.""Has a guy ever done that for you?" "No! Of course not," Serafina gasped at her. "What happened after that? Don't leave me hanging.""What happened after that? Well...I couldn't.""Couldn't what?""I couldn't just let him go. It wasn't possible for me anymore. Yes, I was terrified. But only of a side of him, and I told him that I wasn't terrified of the man I fell in love with, just the darkness in him. After that, your dad and I started the flower garden project, and that brought us closer and our demons embraced each other. I don't think I've ever loved your dad more wholly than I did at that moment.""Wow...""Yeah, wow." Rosalie laughed. "And every day, I thank the Lord that I didn't leave him because of all the love he has. God, the look on his face when I told him I was pregnant. The elated childlike joy when we found out it was twins. The tears we shared when you two were born. God, it was definitely worth it."

"I would love to have something like you and dad," Serafina admitted with a smile.

"Oh, what we have is definitely something everyone should experience." Rosalie grinned in response and took hold of her daughter's hand, rubbing her thumb over the skin."Dad does that," I noted."Does what?""The thumb rubbing?" "Ah. Yes." She laughed sheepishly. "I picked up a few comforting techniques from him." Serafina chuckled at her as they both giggled at themselves, the phone ringing disrupting them.

"Ha! Speak of the devil." Rosalie grinned widely as she showed the phone screen that had 'Hubby' written at the top with a picture of Arcangelo laying shirtless on his stomach, as he was looking at the camera with half-lidded eyes and a sleepy grin with his hair was a disheveled mess.

"Hi, sweetheart," She greeted into the phone, her cheeks flushing like a teenager. "Is everything alright?" Suddenly Rosalie's smile drooped into a concerned frown as she sat up straight, looking around her before gesturing Alberto to come forward. "What's the matter, Arcangelo? Come on, talk to me," "Arcangelo, you're scaring me." She whimpered into the phone as Serafina could see the obvious signs of distress on her, suddenly she looked up at her with wide panicked eyes and placed a hand on her mouth. "No...Arcangelo...no." "W-we'll be there. We-we're on our way." Rosalie choked out before standing up and making her way towards the exit with Serafina rushing behind her, unsure about what was going on.

"Mom?!" Serafina called after her, trying to catch up. "Mom! What's going on?" She didn't answer me until they were standing by the car and bracing herself against the bumper. "Mom! What's going on! Tell me

"Ricardo..." She trailed and instantly her mouth went dry. "He's dead.""A sniper shot him." 

They say death is hardest on the living. It's tough to actually say goodbye. Sometimes it's impossible. You never really stop feeling the loss. It's what makes things so bitter-sweet. 

Grief may be a thing we all have in common, but it looks different on everyone. It isn't just death we have to grieve. It's life.It's a loss. It's change. And when we wonder why it has to suck so much sometimes, has to hurt so badly. The thing to remember is that it can turn on a dime. That's how you survive--when it hurts so much you can't breathe--that's how you survive...by remember that one day, somehow, impossibly, it won't feel this way; it won't hurt so much....the really crappy thing; the very worst part of grief is that you can't control it....the very worst is that the minute you think you're past it, it starts all over again.And always--every time--it takes your breath away.It took Paolo 4 months to start talking again, another 2 to start coming out of his room and eat properly and another 2 to get out of the house and roam about. 8 months. That's how long Salvatore and Serafina had to watch him suffer. The loss had hit him the hardest. He thought he had forever with his dad...he didn't think he'd lose him...It hurt to see him aching like that. During these 8 months, they were always there for him. The twins spent a lot of time with him, occupying his mind, getting it off everything; taking turns staying with Paolo for the night. They couldn't leave him alone in his time of grieving. His father was assassinated. Ricardo Costa was shot down like an animal. During that time he was out running some errands, and talking to Paolo on the phone, laughing and joking with his son. Paolo might not have been there when it happened, but he heard the gunshot--clear as day--resonate through his phone speaker and consume his soul. He heard the bullet make contact with his father's skull, piercing straight through. He even heard his father slump onto the pavement. Dead. He might have even heard his dad's heart stop beating entirely. 

It had been ages since Paolo got out of the house, so that is what Serafina did. Grabbing his hand, she drove them to a nice little-secluded park where they could walk quietly. With interlaced fingers, she gave his hand a squeeze to let him know that she was here as he squeezed back, letting her know that he knew. 

He changed so much. His hair was growing and shabbier now. He hardly ever smiled and making him laugh was a very hard task now as well. His eyes lost that spark in them. He was...cold...and detached. But that didn't mean she'd leave him.

No, she would stick by him to the end. He tugged at Serafina's arm, pulling her closer to him and wrapping his arm around her waist, burying his head in the crook of her neck. The action surprising her momentarily before placing a kiss on the top of his head."I want to take you out in a date." He spoke, his voice deeper and huskier than before. "Where to?" Serafina asked. "Oh! I know! The docks? A nice picnic in the park? An amusement park?"She felt him smile against her skin, causing her to grin. "No, I want to take you to a nice restaurant." He informed and pulled away from her neck. "Tomorrow. Meet me there at 8.""At 8," She nodded. "Done deal,""Done...deal," He trailed, looking at her with a quirked eyebrow and the ghost of a smile. "Great. Now seal the deal with a kiss.""Sorry?" "Paolo! Don't you know that you seal deals with kisses?""No." He looked at her in amusement as she momentarily saw that spark back. That spark of the old Paolo, the one that died with his dad."You're unbelievable." Serafina sighed in exasperation before grabbing him by the front of his shirt, pulling him down and getting on her tiptoes to connect their lips together. He was momentarily taken off guard, but melted right into it, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Serafina wrapping her arms around his neck, not wanting this to end. It had been an eternity since they kissed. It had been an eternity since they went out. It had been an eternity since Paolo smiled or laughed. It had been an eternity since everything felt normal again. She clutched onto him as if though he were her last bit of salvation. She clung onto him like a drowning man would cling to oxygen like a baby monkey would cling to its mother. She clung onto him as if though her life depended on him. She didn't want this to end. But it had to. No matter how she might cling onto him like a drowning man, they couldn't handle the lack of oxygen for long. Pulling away from each other, they pressed their foreheads together as their labored breathing mingled together with their faces flushed and bodies warm. "I love you," Serafina told him. Needing to get it out, even if he didn't reciprocate the feelings. She needed him to know. "I love you so much." "I know." He breathed out, his lips brushing her with the words as a small smile quirked against her lips. "I love you, too"Smiling at him, she pressed her lips to his once more, grinning into the kiss.

She sat in front of the mirror and applied the finishing touches to the nude makeup. Scrunching the ends of her hair, ensuring they had a nice curl to them before getting up and changed into a lace navy blue dress. Completing the look with nude stilettos and a matching clutch.Adorning her coat, Serafina made her way out the bedroom and down the stairs, met by her father and Uncle Vincent as Rosalie was talking to Alberto about something at the bottom of the steps. "You look gorgeous, sweetheart," Arcangelo commented as he hugged her tightly and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "But I still don't trust Paolo. I had to lock away Salvatore.""Thanks, dad," She smiled at him with an eye roll. "Don't worry, Alberto will be with me at all times.""That's good to hear." He nodded and placed one last kiss on her forehead before allowing her to leave. Reaching the venue at 7:59, Serafina took a deep breath before stepping out of the car, walking inside she was instantly greeted by a luxurious ambiance. Walking over to the podium, she informed that there was a reservation for two, under Paolo Costa's name. He had politely smiled and led her to a table in the corner as she realized that Paolo wasn't there, yet.

Might be running late. The traffic was horrifying on the way here.Settling down, the waiter asked if she wanted something, Serafina ordering a glass of water. Once he came back with the glass, she couldn't help but glance at her phone screen. 8:02, She sat and waited, sipping the water. Glancing over her shoulder at Alberto, she watched the man survey their surroundings with hawk-like features before he caught her gaze, his entire posture softening. "He'll be here, Serafina." He assured with a smile. "He's just running a little late."A little late turned into an hour late and Serafina sat uncomfortably in her seat, noticed people turn to look at her with pitied looks. He'll be here. He promised. She called him thrice in the span of an hour and messaged him more than that. "Maybe...maybe we should go home..." Alberto suggested, whispering into her ear. "No." Serafina shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat. "He'll be here.""Serafina...""Alberto, I said no." She hissed at him, sending a glare in his direction, as he gave her a nod before standing to attention against the wall.As the minutes ticked by, the lump in her throat continued to grow. The tears forming in her eyes as nearly the entire restaurant's population was looking at her, giving her sympathetic looks. And just when she thought about getting up and leaving, Paolo's face came into view before her, his clothes ruffled and his hair a mess as he was breathing heavily, a bouquet of crumpled roses in his hand.

"I'm...so sorry..." He huffed out of breath. "The roads were blocked and I had to run here."

She looked at him with tears welled in her eyes and her heart-easing back into its place as she let out a chuckle. Her chuckles morphing into laughter as she tried to quieten herself but failing.

"Look at you." Serafina laughed, referring to his disheveled clothes and hair, causing him to look down and chuckle along with her, both of them laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Once their laughter died down, he pulled up from her seat and hugged her close, apologizing in her ear and asking if she wanted to leave this restaurant and go someplace else. Nodding to his words, Serafina grabbed her coat before the two of them ran out of the restaurant. Taking off her heels, Paolo and her ran down the sidewalk, their laughter ringing through the night as clear as day.