Chapter 30- WORDS

'Why would you ask me that type of question?" Aurora asked him, trying to keep her composure.

'I was just wondering if you are this kind and considerate woman that I see before me, you know? The one that watched out for my mother as though was her own mother or the woman that the tabloids speak about"

Every breath that Aurora held in at that moment was released, she had never felt relief such as she was feeling at that moment. Leonardo had not figured out her big secret and that meant that she was safe for now.

'Who do you think I am?" She surprised herself by asking her that, the corners of his lips curled into a smile once more, as he looked at her… almost as though she was the only girl in the world.

She had never had a man look at her with such a look, with a glimmer in his eyes, a look that did not make her feel as though she was meat being fattened for a feast.

'That is what I am trying to figure out, would you kindly give me a clue?"

'I can't"

'Why not?"

'Then I would not be a mystery, you have your whole life to figure me out" Aurora answered, before wiping her mouth with the napkin and standing up from her seat. 'Thank you for the food" she thanked him, leaving Leonardo seated as he watched her walk away from him.

Aurora's heart beat against her chest, a million times in a minuet. Being close to Leonardo always had a way of bringing out the funniest feeling in her. The way he continuously stole gazes at her, had sent a sinking feeling dropping into Aurora's stomach.

'What is wrong with me?" she asked herself in the comfort of her room. She had run up the steps as quickly as she could, only to slam the door behind herself and press her back against it.

Then I would not be a mystery, you have your whole life to figure me out. Her own words came back to haunt her. Those exact words that she had told Leonardo earlier, now lingered over her head.

'Now look what you have done" she slammed her palm against her head, trying to beat some sense into head.

**
I need to figure her out. Leonardo told himself mentally as he made his way into the mansion. He had expected Aurora to sit down and eat or perhaps converse with him a little longer but to see her run away had come as a shock to him.

'I would figure you out, Avena Romano" Leonardo told himself as he smiled.

'Is that a challenge?" he turned only to see his mother standing there, hands crossed over her chest and smiling at him.

'Oh mother! I did not see you standing there"

'How was it?"

'She enjoyed the food but we did not talk much" Leonardo told his mother, almost sounding disappointed that there was not much to tell her. Signora Carina sensing the disappointment on his face, walked towards her son and touched the side of his son's face.

'It will all happen in due time, you two are still getting to know one another" she advised him, her kind smile always knowing when to put Leonardo as ease.

'Si mother" he responded.

'Are you going to your room?"

'No, I just feel like driving out for some fresh air"

'Okay my son, see you later then" Leonardo leaned in as his mother landed one kiss on his forehead. 'Take care" she told him before leaving him at the foot of the stairs.


**
The morning at the Romano house felt different, the atmosphere quite cheerful so much that everyone was enjoying their breakfast and conversing, everyone except Signor Metteo.

Aurora smiled and joked with her mother in-law but from the corner of her eye, she could see that Leonardo was a bit reserved, choosing his words as he often spoke. With one swift move, Leonardo deposited his cutlery onto his plate of half eaten food as he cleared his throat.

'Mother, father, I need to speak to the both of you" He told them, the room went silent as each member of the family awaited to hear what he had wanted to tell them.

Aurora turned her head, biting her lips as a warning to Leonardo for him not to say something that might upset the serenity of the house but he ignored her, overlooking his own father and looking directly at his mother.

'Mother, I am sure that you know my wife and I had to cut our honeymoon shorter because you feel ill?"

'Yes my son, I know that and I am very happy that you did such a thing for me. I love having you and Avena here" she smiled, turning her attention to Aurora with eyes only of a proud mother.

'Mother I think it would be best if my wife and I leave for my home"

'But you are home" his mother reminded him, whilst Aurora sat in silence, not knowing what to make of the situation she was finding herself in.

'Mother you are aware that I do not live here, before this, I did not live in this forsaken mansion for years" Leonardo stated his claim with so much force that his mother turned her attention to Aurora and the look of sadness plastered over signora Carina's face.

'Avena, did you know about this? His decision to move back to his own home?" the question had come as a shock, a discussion that had begun between mother and son had quickly spiraled out of control and here she was, at the center of it all.

'Mother I—"

'No need to ask her mother, my wife, Avena has already agreed to my decision" Leonardo cut her off and interrupted her. Aurora stared at him, surprised that Leonardo had gone out of his way to implicate her in his lie and now, she could not say anything.

'But—"

'Carina let them be. They are young and they deserve their own place" Signor Metteo stepped in, coming in defense of his son. Even from her peripheral vision, Aurora could see that Leonardo was clenching his jaw and signor Metteo was loving every moment of it as he sipped his wine.

'Avena, we need to leave" Leonardo told her, his words coming out as an order rather than him asking her to leave with him. 'Avena please" this time he begged her and even with minimal words, she could read the flow of emotions rising in him.

'Excuse me, we have to go" Aurora excused herself as the two of them stood up from the chair and left. The entire time they walked out of the house, Leonardo held her hand with so much pressure that she could feel his need for her.

He held the passenger door for Aurora and she got in, slamming the door shut as soon as she stepped in. Aurora watched Leonardo walked around the car with immense purposes until he unlocked his side and got in, slamming the door.

She watched silently as Leonardo gripped onto his steering wheel and paused, suddenly he slammed his head repeatedly onto his steering wheel, his action terrifying Aurora who sat in her seat shocked.

'Stop!" Aurora yelled and quickly covered her mouth with her hands to stop herself from screaming. He slowly turned his head face to face her and once again Aurora was shocked. Streaks of blood ran down his face from his forehead and not even that fazed him.

His eyes red, swollen, his face red and puffy as though he had eaten something that he was allergic to. Leonardo was out of breath as though he had run a marathon, looking into Aurora's eyes as though looking at her was the only thing he depended on.

Without waiting another second more, Aurora cut the hem of her of floral shirt and used the price of fabric to put pressure on Leonardo's forehead, hoping to stop the bleeding.

'Stop it" Leonardo painfully moved his head away from her but Aurora kept on applying pressure to the bleeding forehead.

'Can you stop it… just stop being stubborn!" She yelled at him, half scared of what his reaction might be to her yelling at him but to her surprise, Leonardo calmed down and welcomed her touch.

Even as she applied pressure to his wounded head to stop it from bleeding, the only movement that had come from him was the rise and falling of his chest and winching from the pain. She could not explain the hurt she felt, seeing Leonardo in the state he was in.

Seeing the strong man that she was accustomed to at his weakest, allowing himself to be vulnerable around her sent a certain emotion running through her, an emotion that Aurora could not explain.

'See, the bleeding has stopped but you might need stitches and—" Aurora stopped, Leonardo's hand held onto her wrist as their eyes locked into each other's. Everything around them stopped and for just that split second, the world belonged to them.

'Thanks… I just—" Aurora interrupted him, placing her finger over his soft, wet and pink lips. Aurora's own hunger matching that of his, quickly realizing what she had done, she looked away from him, removed her finger from his lips, embarrassed by her action.

'We all have bad days" She said, looking out of her passenger window.

'Thank you… for taking care of me like that. I must be special" he laughed, hoping that his laugh might encourage Aurora to look at him but even that failed.

'I would have done the same if it were someone else" she answered plainly, her answer hurting and sending a small pain through his heart.

'Would you care to go out for a drive with me?" he asked her, hoping in his heart that she would agree to go with him.

'You have to go and see a doctor" Aurora responded stern fully, still not looking at Leonardo.

'Let's make a deal, I take you for a drive and after that I'll get my injury checked out" He told her, Aurora turned to face a smiling Leonardo and even the look on his face was enough for her to know that he was not having it any other way.

'Okay, but after we come back you need medical help" she said sternly as Leonardo raised his one hand and the other over his heart like a boy scout.

'Boy scouts promise" he smiled.

'You are technically a man and not a boy, might I remind you" she teased him.

'I know" Leonardo's smile grew brighter. He turned his attention to his steering wheel, the very one that he had repeatedly slammed his head against on to the point that he bled. Even as Aurora watched him start his car and the engine roared to life, her eyes still locked onto the steering wheel and images flashed before her eyes.