16| niño

Claudia

With my eyes closed,  I turn over, reaching over for Pluto, my stuffed animal but I'm unable to find her.

I frown opening my eyes only to see myself in a dark room. The light was peaking through the dark grey curtains as I awoke.

The heck?

Where was I?

That's when my heart drops.

Shoot.

Luciano.

I gasp looking down on myself.

Okay good. I still had my clothes on.

Why would I be naked anyways?

I roll my eyes and look beside me. This wasn't my bed. I look around the room and it looked familiar.

But from where?

Oh flip-

Last night.

I get up trying to calm myself and gather my thoughts until I hear a knock on the door. "Ms Claudia?" The door opens slightly and there I see Anna with a tray full of food in her hand.  "Anna," I hold my breath. Embarrassed that she saw me in Luciano's room.

"I brought Mr Rivera's breakfast.." She trails off. I internally face palm myself.

Great.

You had officially embarrassed yourself and it hasn't even been a month.

But her sentence catches me off guard. His breakfast? I look at the time. It was 9 and the man woke up at 5:30 but he was only having breakfast at this time?

"Where is he?" I furrow my brows knowing he couldn't possibly be at work right now. "Well he should've been here way earlier but I suppose he took a little longer today for reasons I'm not aware of,"

I slowly nod then my eyes widen realizing what must be going on in her head.  "Oh no, nothing happened between him and I. I just-"

"No Ms Claudia. You don't have to explain yourself," She smiles sweetly. Dropping off his food. I look down on it. There was a protein shake  and soup that was just .... green. Plain green and almost looked watery.

Like leaves and water if you were to put them in a bowl.

Exactly. 

"What is that?" I try my best not to grimace so that I don't offend her but I fail judging by the look on her face. "It's his regular breakfast, "

"He eats that?"

"That," She herself let's out a sigh.

"Claudia," I hear my name. It was Diane. "I'm here," I say loud enough for her to locate my voice. "Claudia I- what are you doing here?" Her brows come to together. I open my mouth to respond but she talks again. "And what is that?" She asks, pointing to the leaf bowl.

Same Diane, same.

"Luciano's breakfast."

"I always knew he was weird," Diane states and I chuckle. "I knew from the moment he said he never tasted pasta,"

"What?" Diane eyes widen. "Yup, " I nod my head.

"Wow, " She shakes her head in utter disbelief. After a moment of silence, Anna breaks it by excusing herself. Diane shuts the door behind her and approaches me with a serious look on her face. "What happened?" I stare at her.  "Well I came to say goodbye,"

"What?"

"Well you know, I'm not supposed to be here in the first place. First of all, I overstayed and second the agency never assigned me anyone in this family,"

"But-" I nearly tried bringing up Isaak but I realized she was completely right and there was nothing I could do about it. I enjoyed having her around and knowing I had someone close I could talk to when I needed it. But that's not what  you came here for Claudia now was it.

I sigh in defeat. "On one condition," I say as if I set the rules around here.

"What?" She tilts her head to the side.

"You have breakfast with me,"

□□□

The sound of knives and forks colliding made a noise as everybody ate their meals. My eyes flicker around the people who ate while they spoke and I joined them by adding my 2 cents because I couldn't go 10 minutes without talking.

It hurt me if I did.

I was unable to tear my gaze away from the empty seat on the long table that consisted of his family but he wasn't even here. Though I didn't have to think about it any longer when I heard  a femine voice from a distance. This made me stop chewing. Everyone carried on like it was nothing while I remained on my seat,  frozen.

My temperature had risen from the sound of the two voices. They were loud and the chatter in the living room didn't help the noise as they got closer.

And there he stood, his stormy grey colored eyes were hidden by those shades he wore. He wore nothing more than a simple white t-shirt that was clinging on his body to the point where you could see what there was underneath - and grey sweatpants that hung low. The room got even warmer because of his presence as it rose from my neck, all the way down to my fingers which I could no longer feel due to the warmness. There was a slight smirk on his face that made me raise my brow.

And right next to him was Leyla. She wore a pair of black shorts along with a black long sleeve crop top and paired them with sneakers. Had they gone out together?

"Good morning," She smiled brightly and I hated myself for being so bitter about how happy she sounded.

What the hell was my problem.

"Ah, children. Your finally home," Raven gets up to greet them both.

After a long while the chatter in the living room dies down which meant that people started leaving the dining room.  I follow suit and on my way to my room, to wash my hair but something makes me stop.

And I don't know what it is but I find myself outside Luciano's bedroom door.

Ugh, what was I doing here?

I shake my head not believing myself and just when I turn around,  my body collides with something or someone.

I look up to find Luciano absolutely towering over me. He inhales, as if his trying to discover something and suddenly his jaw tightens. "I thought I was the blind one," His tone is dry but my eyes don't leave his Adam's apple that's moving as he speaks. 

"I guess not,"

"Then what do I pay you for?" His tone is disdain and only makes me look at him like he had grown 2 heads. "Well I'm not the one who went swimming on their own,"

He chuckles dryly. "I'm sorry do I need explain myself to a nurse?"

Gosh this man didn't take me seriously.

"I need to shower," He says like I bored him.

Oh he was going to take me seriously from now onwards. He could not talk to me in condescending manner because he felt like it. Who did he think he is? God?

Pssh.

The sound of my phone ringing pulls me out of my thoughts.  I reach for it in my pocket. The call was from an unknown number which I usually never answered but this time I did.

"Nurse Claudia," I hear a voice through the speaker. "Hello? I'm not available at the moment as-"

"Something happened to Matteo,"

I froze.

Matteo?

Who was- oh Matteo.

"Niño," I inhale. Recognizing the voice and at the mention of Matteo "Where are you now,"

"We're at the hospital,"

"Okay. I'll be there," I hang up and turn around only to see Luciano in front me of me.

I would feel a little victorious if it wasn't for that phone call I got. "Weren't you going to shower after your wonderful swim?"

"What happened," He ignores me.

"You can't answer a question-"

"Dammit woman," Frustration lingers in his tone and it gave me some sort of satisfaction.  I made him feel something, just like he did me.

Now we were even.

But I wasn't done with him.

"I have to go," I announce. "One of my men will drive you," He simply says.

I open my mouth to say I don't need it but he beats me to it. "And I'm not taking no for an answer.  I never do," His voice was dangerously low.

I inch closer to him fighting the urge to run my hand over his perfectly sculpted face and removed his black tinted shades so I could see his eyes.

"Stare at me like this and one of your patients will die any minute now. "

"Nobody dies on my watch Luciano. Nobody,  " And just then a notification pops up on my phone that causes me swallow all of my words.