Chapter Twenty

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Nico had punched Luca profusely, his drunken state rendering his last few blows sloppy and misguided. Matteo managed to pull Nico off of Luca before any serious damage was made. A broken nose and a split lip at most but nothing life-threatening.

"You touch her again and I'll kill you," Nico slurs and I grab his wrist, pulling him away. "I'm sorry, amore mio," he says, his breathing ragged.

"It's okay, it's okay," I repeat, not sure whether I am comforting myself or him. But either way, it seems to work for the both of us. Leading Nico away from the chaos, I return to the bonfire and grab my bag - taking out a water bottle and a pack of tissues. "Sit."

Nico obliges immediately, sitting down on the withered oak used as seats. "I don't know what happened... I saw him kiss you and then I was there. I couldn't stop. I saw the way you pushed him away, how you had no time to react..." Nico's words come out of him in heaves. Anger resides in his features again and he stands, ready to strike.

Placing my hands on his shoulders, I force him to sit back down. Taking the bottle, I unscrew the lid before wetting one of the tissues. Nico's knuckles had split, blood streaming down his hands.

"You shouldn't have done that, you could have done permanent damage," I sigh, pressing the damp tissue to his knuckles, attempting to stop the bleeding. Nico doesn't seem inflicted one bit by the pain as his eyes watch me.

Nico sighs before leaning his head against my stomach. "It was worth it to see that pezzo di merda get what he deserves."

"You wanna speak louder? Or are you just gonna cry to your bitch?" Luca shouts and it takes everything in me to keep Nico seated. The fury in his eyes almost toppled me over.

"Ignore him," I huff.

Holding the tissue to his knuckles with one hand, I use the other to thread it through his hair. Attempting to somewhat calm him down, I continue to run my hand through the strands.

Nico pulls me closer, to stand between his legs.

"Please can we go to bed," he says, his voice just below a whisper. I nod and Nico stands before leading us towards one of the tents. "I brought some stuff for you to wear," his voice is low and depleted.

"Thank you," I give him a tight-lipped smile.

Unzipping the tent, we clamber in and I set myself up for a night of complete and utter dread. My insomnia will be in full swing as I listen out for every snap of a branch and every gust of wind.

Nico grabs his bag, pulling out a thick blanket and some clothes. "Here." When he hands them to me, I attempt to turn the other way as I brush my hair aside and unfasten my bikini top. Letting it drop in front of me, my breath hitches when Nico's lips touch against the top of my spine, goosebumps spreading across my skin in a frenzy.

"I want to kiss every inch of your skin," Nico murmurs and I'm conscious of the thinness of the tent. My heart races at the thought, the sight of him kissing every curve and every flaw. The sight of him with his head between my thighs.

I shake my head. "You're drunk, you need to rest," I say as I pull the shirt over me. I thank god that I brought extra underwear as I discreetly change into them and turn back to Nico.

It was awkward and cramped, to say the least. Nico's eyes linger on my thigh for far too long and I look down. Remnants of his blood are smeared across my skin from when he pulled me to move closer. Taking a makeup wipe from my bag, I clean the crimson from my thigh - the once white material now a light shade of pink.

A heavy wave of sadness resides in his eyes. "Mi dispiace... I'm sorry," he clarifies and I give him a small smile. Mi dispiace.

"I have a feeling I'm not the one you should be apologising to," I tread lightly around the situation. Luca looked beyond battered, so much so that I'm surprised that Nico didn't catch any blows himself.

Nico scoffs. "Like hell I will be apologising to him." Conversation can be heard outside the tent, a raised voice and a few too many Italian words for me to understand. "That scum touched what is mine and I will not stand for that."

"Let's go to sleep, okay?" I say and Nico nods. As he lays down, his arms wrap around me and guide me to lay beside him. Finding that it is probably best to not deny him the comfort of being held, I wrap my arms around his waist. Resting my head on his chest, I listen to the wild thunder of his heartbeat.

Nico's hand moves to my head, smoothing my hair. The action alone makes my eyes flutter close in delight. Maybe I will sleep tonight, after all.

When the noises outside faded to a close, signalling that everyone had finally gone to sleep, I stared up at the roof of the tent. With the wind howling, I slowly sat up before reaching for my headphones. I regret not getting drunk, at least then I could have passed out and slept. A branch snaps outside and I try to calm my erratic heart.

Placing the small buds in my ears, I play music quietly in order to not wake Nico. Wrapping my arms around him, even tighter, I nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck. I use him as my anchor, my safety.

I flinch when a gust of wind presses into the side of the tent, an icy chill running through the small space. The wind is soon followed by the forceful patter of rain. I hadn't realised that I had been gripping Nico so harshly until he woke up.

Cradling my head to his chest, his other arm loops around my back - holding me in place against his body. "What's wrong?" he murmurs, sleep lacing his tone. I savour his warmth, the blanket no longer serving its purpose.

"I officially hate camping," I whisper back and a small chuckle comes from Nico. A boom of thunder sounds and I wish I could be anywhere else in Nico's arms.

"It's only a storm... it'll pass soon," he assures me and I nod my head. I trace his tattoos beneath the blanket, finding solace in sliding my fingertip across the dark ink etched into his skin. "If you truly do come back in three years... you have to make me a promise."

Lifting my head, I meet his eyes which are now open. "Anything."

Nico smiles, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose. "You have to get the tattoo..." he smirks and my mind flashes back to our conversation. A fully bloomed rose on my wrist.

Giving him a small smile, I press the pads of my fingers against the wilted rose on the lower part of his abdomen. "A promise it is."

Nico was right, the storm did soon pass and with the morning, sunlight and unbearable heat were brought with it. I'd slept sporadically during the night - going through phases of sleeping and being wide awake. Nico continued to hold me tight the entire night, no matter which weird position I was in whilst trying to sleep.

I was dreading the boat ride back and how Luca and Nico would act with being in such close quarters. But, you would hope that they wouldn't act like small children and get over their differences.

"There's another place I want to show you," Nico says, his hand folding around mine. I furrow my brows in suspicion. What else could you possibly show someone on a desolate island other than trees and sand?

"What is it?" I ask, excitement but also anxiety bubbling up in me. Nico smiles before shaking his head. "Another surprise?"

Nico laughs, his eyes shining brightly compared to the cloudiness from last night. He seems to have recovered from his fury. "I will continue to surprise you until you are filled with nothing but joy when the word surprise is thrown into a conversation."

Giving him a small laugh, I let him take me away from where everyone sits around the, now ash-filled, fire pit and along a small trail. Holding onto his hand tightly, I can imagine this being the perfect story for a horror movie.

A group of people go to a remote island, alone, with no service but they never return. Only an empty boat and their belongings remained - their bodies never found. Shivers run through me.

I'm grateful for the warmth that radiates around us and for the length of Nico's shirt as it manages to cover all intimate parts of me. We reach a cave of sorts and I look around.

"You're not going to murder me, are you?" I laugh and Nico rolls his eyes.

"I wouldn't murder someone as beautiful as you," Nico smiles and I shake my head. "It's just in here. There's natural hot springs and I'm taking you up on your offer," Nico smirks.

As he pulls me into the cave, I can't help but rack my brain of said offer. "And what offer are you talking about?" I ask, hesitant.

There's a light at the end of the cave and the sound of bubbling water fills my ears. A mischievous smile can be seen on Nico's face and I am increasingly wary. "The offer of skinny dipping."

I'm thankful for the darkness as an intense blush creeps into my cheeks. Skinny dipping with Nico. The sight of his toned body yet again will surely send me into a spiral.

When we reach the hot springs my body is overcome with awe. Looking up, a gaping hole is situated in the roof of the cave - letting us see the ever-blue sky. The water bubbles as a soft breeze of steam floats into the air.

I attempt to remain a neutral expression as Nico takes off his shirt, his muscles moving beneath his skin with the motion. Nico looks toward me and I raise my eyebrows.

"Turn around," I say and Nico smirks.

"You say that as if I haven't already seen every inch of you, that I haven't touched the most beautiful parts of you. You don't have to be shy, not in front of me," he steps closer before inevitably kissing the tip of my nose.

I've come to realise that I relish every time his lips touch my nose and the sweetness that follows. It's when his lips then touch my cheek that I melt into him.

His hands move to the hem of his shirt and he stops before looking at me. I nod my head but he still doesn't move. "You can take it off, Nico," I smile and he licks his lips before lifting off the garment.

Warmth hits my bare torso and I close my eyes in delight. They only open when Nico's hands meet my waist, his large palms covering several inches of my skin.

"Where have you been?" Nico whispers and confusion fuels me.

"What do you mean?"

"My entire life I've thought that the universe was punishing me for something unknown. That I didn't deserve a soul such as yours but... here you are," Nico searched my face, as if he's not sure I'm real.

My heart aches. "Nico, you deserve the entire world and more," I profess and he leans down, pressing his forehead against mine.

In a moment of rash decisions, I take his hands and place them over the small band of my underwear. His irises double in size as his fingers play with the thin material. His finger loops around the band and pulls before he lets it ping back against my skin, creating a small snap.

Slowly, he pulls them down, his eyes not once leaving my body. "You are pushing every ounce of my self-control," he breathes and I step out of my underwear as soon as they hit the floor.

Before I can even make a move on Nico's clothing, they're off. He wasn't lying... his self-control does seem to be wearing thin.

I stand on the tip of my toes, my mouth nearing his. "Just let go," I breathe, his lips brushing against mine in a haze. But, before he can kiss me, I pull away.

Flashing a sweet smile, I move away from him and walk toward the edge of the hot spring.


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