‘It will take as long as it takes.’
‘Well, keep an eye on Marco. This is all for your benefit. To protect you.’ He heaved a long-suffering sigh. ‘Don’t you trust me?’
‘Of course, I do.’
‘Ijust care about you so much.’ Taking her by the hand, Vincent led her to her bedroom, all the while gently stroking her shoulder. ‘Really, I’m the only one you can trust in this place. You’ll see.’
Vincent leaned over Stella’s bedhead, closing the external shutters and drawing the curtains closed. Blocking out the lustrous glow of the moon hovering high above Rome, he plunged them both into darkness.
tredici
Very early the next morning, Marcella was padding around the apartment.
Every now and then, she would stop by Stella’s closed door and press her ear to the doorjamb, hoping to hear something that might reveal a little of what had gone on the previous evening.
‘Shit.’ Vincent roused Stella, who was asleep in the crook of his neck. ‘We slept through.’
‘What?’
‘Marcella’s pacing outside the door. She knows I’m in here.’
Stella, still half-asleep, had no filter. ‘Ah well. Everything’s out in the open.’
Vincent’s jaw tensed. ‘Damn it.’
‘Was bound to happen sooner rather than later.’ Stella checked the time on her phone. ‘It’s five-thirty. Ten euros says she’s been pacing that corridor since she got home at midnight.’
‘There’s nothing to see here, Marcella!’ Vincent called. ‘Keep moving.’
Immediately, the footsteps stopped and Marcella, evidently caught in the act, tried to tiptoe her way to the kitchen. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ they heard her call. ‘I’m just making somecaffé.’
‘Good, make us some too!’ Stella laughed. Manoeuvring herself carefully so as not to fall off the edge of the mattress, Stella rolled over to face Vincent. ‘So, what now?’ she asked, trying to wiggle under the sheet.
‘We havecaffé, apparently.’ He shook his head and exhaled.
‘Yes, but I meanafterthat. She’s going to want information, nitty-gritty details, the works.’
‘She doesn’tneedto know anything,’ he said, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
‘Oh, Vincent. She’s a master. She’ll get everything from me in a matter of seconds. She calls the shots around here.’
He sat up and stretched his arms overhead. ‘In that case, tell her that we are going to start seeing each other. It’s got nothing to do with her, really.’
‘But it does. She lives with us. What goes on between us will affect her.’
Vincent grunted. ‘Ok, leave it to me. I’ll sort her out.’
‘You will?’ Stella laughed, wide-eyed.
‘Yes, I’m man enough. I can take on the beast. Let me at her.’ Jumping from the bed, he pulled on his clothes from the night before and left the safe confines of the bedroom.
Vincent walked through the apartment to the kitchen as coolly as possible. Marcella nonchalantly handed him a freshly brewed espresso, which he downed in one gulp.
‘Marcella,’ he started, clearing his throat. ‘Stella and I have decided to start seeing each other. We will try to keep whatever this is between us to ourselves and hope it doesn’t make you uncomfortable. Thank you for the coffee, and for your understanding.’ He handed her the empty cup and walked out of the kitchen.
Stella erupted in laughter. Marcella, cackling, evidently agreed that the seriousness of his address was hysterical.
Now standing at the doorway to Stella’s room, Vincent said, ‘Done. Now, I’m going to take a shower.’ He gathered the last of his possessions from Stella’s room and locked himself in the bathroom.
