The Vineyard In Italy

*"Where are you lost ?" He snapped me out of my thoughts with his soft husky voice*

*"Hmm?….Nothing at all" I shrugged. "What are you doing here anyway? I mean, you're no more incharge of me, are you?" *

*"I'm always incharge of the one who's incharge of my heart" he winked.*

*He managed to put a smile on me effortlessly. "That was a smooth delivery"*

*"That's only for you, love" he leaned closer and cupped my face with his warm hands. I felt the feeling of being saved. My heartbeat DIDN'T increase, I didn't feel my body tense up or I didn't even freeze. Warm. It was warm. It felt like I was back home*.

**Ch-2: the vineyard in Italy **

**Lily's POV**

"That's enough affection for one day". I placed my index finger on his plump lips which was making its way to my forehead.

"Fine, fine" he sighed "I'll get going sweetheart, make sure to rest well" he stood up and took heavy steps towards the door.

Stopped at the doorstep and opened it. He then looked over his shoulders and started to stare at me.

"What?" I snapped

He nodded "Goodnight !" Stepped out and closed the door making me realise he disappeared just like that. The little light I ever had for a moment is now gone and I'm back drowning in darkness.

Hmm….

Gavin. My Gavin. You always manage to lighten up my day and I end up failing you miserably. How I wish I could live longer just for you. Just to say a "yes" to your purest pure love for me.

Each time I turn you down, it feels like I destroyed a beautiful red rose and now the thorns are attacking every inch of my body, tearing my soul into dust. But every time I do it, I feel less selfish. I can't let you aboard my sinking ship. You're a great man with a greater heart. A bright future awaits at your doorstep, I don't want to be the reason you shut it out.

I love you, Gavin. With all my heart. I'm such a coward for not welcoming my feelings towards you. But I believe it's for the better. I had lost all my hopes on living. It's like I didn't care about it at all. Nothing around me ever mattered.

But then, he appeared as an uninvited guest last month, promised to be there for me till the end. Well "till the end" doesn't have the promising feel it tends to give in my life. For me, END is lying next to me, in this very room. I don't know when it'll knock me into wake-less sleep and lift me up from this planet enclosing me into its undeniable wrath.

"Oh dear! W-what happened to you ?" I was pulled out of my my the soft concerned voice of Mary, the old nurse more like my nanny, standing with my dinner tray at the doorstep.

"What do you mean?"

"You- you're crying! "

"What ?" I touched my cheeks and batted my eyes, I realised I *was* crying all this time. Not exactly surprised.

"Lily? Dear?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine" I wiped away all the tears swiftly "I'm just…uh…it's…..well, don't worry about it" I managed a small smile.

"You don't have to hide it. From me, of all" Mary, my godmother reassured.

"I really am fine. Relax okay? Let's say I wasn't exactly crying ….hmm…. How about 'my eyes were sweating' ?" She squinted her eyes and I shrugged it off "what's in that tray ? Mmm… smells delicious. Bring it over, please !"

"Yeah! Here is a soybean dish. Some scrambled eggs and yeah a whole glass of milk"

"This tray screams *proteins*" I scoffed a remark.

"It's good for you. Your lungs especially"

"Whatever…." I trailed off and started to finish my food.

Once I was done, I swallowed some pills she gave me. She gave content smile at my "good kid" behaviour and left after tucking me in the bed.

I was not sleepy, not just yet. I've slept all day long. I decided to read a book instead. Great idea. **Books are the best**.

I opened the drawer that was attached to the right side of my bed's headboard leg and fished out a purple book I started reading about a couple of days ago. It read, *The Princess's secret*

Mason, my brother gave me this the last time he came to visit me. He even apologised before hand just in case I didn't like it. This book came to me in a rather special way. Would me calling it a mysterious destiny thing make it cheesy of me ? Well, here goes the flashback and you decide what to call it….

*FLASHBACK*

"Hi there! Monalily!" Stood there grinning like an idiot, Mr. Mason, the newly appointed CEO and to me a stupid brother.

I shot daggers at him, which he enjoyed and we both know the reason. The nickname!

'Monalily' is simply 'Monalisa' with Lisa replaced with Lily.

And the reason, trust me, it's embarrassing. Or maybe embarrassing is an understatement. If you have a better word for it, you can gladly use it.

He thinks my personality and character is a lot similar to that of which the painter describes to be of Monalisa's.

"I have a good news, dear sister"

"Oh really? And who's delivering this 'good' news, Mr. Mason Brown or my mindless Mason"

"It's Mr. Mason Brown, sweetheart" he said correcting his crooked posture and tie. Wearing a truck load of pride and narrowing his eyes. You can say he's over enthusiastic about his newly found job.

"You see over there, Mason? That door behind you?" I asked in a calm, not-at-all bothered voice

He gave a didn't-expect-this look and looked over his shoulders, pinning his eyes at the doorway "yeah. What about it?"

"Well… I see it's an interesting one to explore, now how about you try going out of it and KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS GARBAGE OUT. OF. MY. ROOM!!!" I yelled it all in a single breath. I bet if any of his employees were present here, then the next day in his office will be the funeral of his self-esteem

"Oh so funny, Monalily!" He laughed nervously

"Well anyway, do you remember the vineyard with a mansion in Italy which was on litigation all this time? The one you saw in our ancestor's photo album and wished to visit?" He finally got my attention with this.

I remember!

Long ago, dad showed us some of our ancestor's paintings and I was curious about the magnificent building that stood as a background in those paintings.

When I enquired if it was real or just the artist's imagination, I was amazed it find out it really was a place and it belonged to us. But due to some legal issues, the court had put a litigation order on it.

"Now Lily, prepare to shower me with applauses because this responsible, smart and cool brother of yours worked day and night with his lawyers, and now, has acquired full rights over that mansion!" Proud again. Well, me too! I was proud of him.

*Clap. Clap. Clap.*

"That's really great Mason" I applauded. He bowed like one of those ballet dancers do.

"And Ms. Sister Brown, here's a small token of gratitude for effectively motivating your Brother Brown all this time." He fished out a mahogany casket which was about 25x15 cms.

I gasped at its sight.

Beautiful Angels were carved all over and vivid rare filigree designs acquired every nook and corner where the angels didn't sit. Not even a rice grain sized of an area was left unattended. This box defined 'luxury in art'.