The Reverence of a Man on Fire (BOOK II)

Chapter 26- An Inevitable Feeling

--Giovanni POV--

"What are you doing in Lilliana's room?"

"It's my room, and what are you doing in here?" I grumbled, pausing in buttoning up my shirt to glare at him as he went over to my bed, sitting down while oddly staring at the large Koala stuffed toy that sat at the centre.

"Really? Did she leave her stuffed toy in the wrong room or something?" He went to grab it, but before his slimy fingers could even graze the material, I snatched it up, taking a step back from him, a safe distance away.

"It's mine." I stated, annoyed, looking down at the ugly creature which Aurora had claimed as cute when she won it for me on our date. I don't see what she sees in this, but it's rude to throw gifts away so I have no choice but to keep it.

"I'm sorry, what?" He chuckled, leaning back as I rolled my eyes, mentally preparing myself for the array of jokes he'd be throwing at me for the next few years about this situation.

"Aurora won it for me when we went to the amusement park the other day. It's mine, so don't even think of touching it with those grubby hands of yours," I warned as he rolled his eyes, but the nonchalant look quickly turned into one of surprise.

"Shouldn't it have been you winning it for her? But then again, from what I know about her, I can't say I'm all that surprised, and... Wait a minute... What? You went to an amusement park?"

"Yes. Something wrong with that?" I asked, going back to getting dressed for the day as he jumped up on the bed, suddenly alert and looking at me as if I'm possessed, a reaction I've gotten all too familiar with recently.

"Oh, not really. Just the fact that I thought you always had better things to do!? What happened to your famous line of 'I could be spending that time working instead' Huh?" He exasperatedly asked, throwing a point at me to which I replied with an eyeroll.

"She's an... investment..." My words drifted off as I spoke. They, for some odd reason, didn't feel right anymore. I'm always telling myself that it's an investment of my time in getting her to marry me, but when did I stop thinking of marriage?

"You don't sound so sure about that," He muttered, confused but I didn't reply since he was right; I'm not sure.

When did it happen?

At what point in time did it change from getting her to marry me to simply wanting to see her?

"I don't understand," My fingers ran through my hair to slick it back as I turned to look at my confused reflection in the mirror, a man that I would never have guessed was me. Since when did my eyes look so full of life? When did my intentions change? When did Aurora become more than a prospective wife to me?

"Oh, I do," And suddenly he was smirking as though he had found his purpose in life.

"Of course, you do," I grumbled, not being able to help myself in rolling my eyes once more as I went to leave the room, taking one last look at the stuffed toy in my hands before dumping it on the bed, and leaving without another word.

I refuse to acknowledge the thoughts in my head. This game was to make her fall in love with me, not the other... No. I refuse to even think of it.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" Alex asked, following me out the room and towards the study where I planned to sit and work for the rest of the day. Although, I already know it'll be difficult to do as planned with him being under the same roof as me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I grumbled.

"She's an amazing woman. Pretty, successful, kind, and charitable, the list goes on forever that it's honestly a surprise to know that she's still single. What I don't understand is you. She's here, waiting for you, and you're refusing to acknowledge the fact that you love-"