Enjoy!

******

The night breeze brushed her face as Elena and Marco stepped outside the house. They had dinner with her mom and Sebastian since her father was coming home late from work. They hadn't even had dessert but he said to have a meeting back home and with the time difference, she understood. She did. She was just not ready to have him leave yet.

Not yet.

Not when she was feeling so good having him so close.

But she also knew he had his own responsibilities, which is why she needs to work on hers fast enough.

"Mom is always happy to have you visit." Elena slowly said quietly as she walked down the steps outside the house.

"I'm always happy to be here. She loves having people around." Marco gave her a small smile. "I'm sure she will feel lonely with you gone."

"Thank you for looking for a place for me to live. Y-You didn't have to." She said.

"No need. It's the one I live in." The corners of his lips lifted slightly. "There was no trouble at all. Your mother will know you're in good hands."

A shy smile appeared on her face as she looked at the pave path they walked on. "With the way she's acting, you'd think she can't make me leave fast enough."

He gave her a soft smile. "It will be good for you. Italy might win you for good."

His gray eyes moved to her with an intensity that had her looking down at her feet again, her face growing warmer and she simply nodded.

He let out a low chuckle. "Santo cielo."

Santo cielo, yourself. It's your fault. Stop doing this to me.

"I'll send you one of my contacts. He'll help you with whatever you need regarding the shop. From legal documents to remodeling." He tells her and she nodded watching his driver enter the driver's seat as he sees them approach.

She tok a deep breath. "You're great help. Thank you a lot. I-It's good to have someone I know there at least."

He nodded as they stopped in front of his car and he turned to fully face her.

"Call me if you need anything." He said as she stood in front of him. "Anything. Please do not overthink it."

Her cheeks flushed and she could blame the night breeze as she nodded.

"T-Thank you, Marco." She responded quietly.

Before she could register it, his hand slowly englufed hers and lifted it. Her breath hitched as he lifted it to his mouth pressing his warm lips to the back of her hand. Her knees shook, almost giving out under her as her eyes widened meeting his own on her.

She was not ready for this.

Not at all. And she was feeling light headed.

His touch and lips lingered for a moment before he straightened up and took a small step closer to her not letting her hand go. Her struck eyes were glued to his chest because she was pretty sure she could not meet his eyes, now.

His free hand came up to her chin, lifting it to meet her eyes, keeping her gaze locked to his. "I'll see you soon, yes?"

Her heart practically jumped out of her chest, the poor organ slamming against it as if trying to run away or jump on him. "Y-Yes. I-" She clapped her mouth shut.

She was done talking for today.

He chuckled, slowly dropping her hand and opening the backseat door.

"Don't be a stranger, until then. Keep me posted." He said smoothly. "I'll see you soon." He repeated as she took a step back.

She nodded again clasping her hands in front of her, her knees weak, her face she was sure was 10 shades of red and he was having way too much putting her in this state.

Her petty side knew she would remember this.

Oh she will.

*****

The next day found Elena at her family's company, knowing her father would be here having not seen him at breakfast this morning. She had overselpt so bad, all because she could not sleep without feeling Marco's lips on her. Her mind went into overdrive.

On her hand.

She took a deep breath and paused in front of the office door to calm herself as she felt her whole self heat up. She would not be giving her father more reason to talk about anything.

Elena took another deep breath and knocked twice before slowly opening the office door before she could get an answer. Her father was seated behind the office desk in full concentration. His hard eyes moved to the door, expression showing his displeasure but his expression melted as soon as his eyes met his daughter's.

She brightly smiled closing the door behing her as she walked in.

"What is her royal highness doing in the building of her nightmares?" Her father smiled briefly looking at her before he returned his attention to his work.

"Bringing some sunlight into your lives." She sassed making him chuckle.

"What do you want?"

"Did you really tell Marco to take me to an apartment in his building?" Elena looked at her father with narrowing eyes.

"Yes." He nodded without moving his eyes from his computer.

She hummed walking toward the desk, her heels clicking on the floor. "What are you trying to do?"

"Nothing." He simply glancing at her she took a seat in front of the desk.

"Why would you ask him that, then?" She questioned him with a suspicious look.

He let out a long sigh. "Little girl, because you need an apartment." He said unhappily. "And since apparently my opinion doesn't matter in my own damn family, you go to Italy. So I'd rather you be living in a property I can trust."

"But why would you ask him? I thought mom would be more likely to do that." She grinned. "Since she's been working overtime to get rid of me."

He groaned throwing his head back against the seat. "Don't push me before I suddenly decide that I have a problem with all this after all." He said narrowing his eyes at her.

She chuckled standing up and rounding the desk. Her arms wrapped around him before kissing his cheek. "Thank you, dad."

He hummed with a reluctant smile as she pulled away. "Get out of my office. I have work."

"I came to see you and you're kicking me out?" She crossed her arms over her chest leaning against the desk.

"Yes."

She glared at him not moving from her spot. "Well I came for something."

"I'm listening."

"My only friend isn't here." She stated.

He raised an eyebrow expectantly. "And?"

She frowned at his tone. "You're my father. You have to make me feel better."

"I don't have to do anything." He said shooing her hand away when she reached for his pen.

"You're my genitor, brought me to this cruel world without asking me. So yes, you have to." She insisted.

"I fed you, gave you my name, put clothes on you and allowed you to breathe until you're grown enough to piss me the hell off." He said in a light tone, pushing her hand away again when it started tapping on his watch. "Leave me alone, Elena."

She grinned. "You won't have to really do much. Just give me your credit card."

He looked back at her with a blank expression, clearly not impressed.

She pouted. "Please?"

"No."

She frowned again. "You know, for most fathers, it would be hard to say no to their only daughter."

He scoffed. "And most daughters wouldn't want their father to go bankrupt."

"I'm not going to do that. I just want to shop a little." She said and he nodded.

"My point exactly."

She let out a long sigh.

"Don't you have your own money?" He asked as she dropped her head in a dramatic way only she could.

"If I was using my money, it wouldn't be you making me feel better." She told him.

"I'm not giving you my card."

She sighed and clasped her hands together with the saddest look she could muster. "My only friend is married and left. She won't be back until next week and I'm so lonely. I don't have a lot of people I can talk to. I'm a sad excuse of human being right now. I'm all alone because my other brother would rather spend his time doing Lord-knows-what and my father is too busy to care about me, too heartless to entertain. I'm young, beautiful, rich, and yet I can't fill my empty heart with the simple joys of life. All I can think about is-

Elena jumped when a black card was slammed on the low table in front of her.

"Stop talking and leave my office." He groaned and began gently pushing her. "I can't believe I wanted more than three." He muttered.

Her face broke into a huge grin as she snatched the card from the table before her arms wrapped around her father to kiss his cheek a few times. "Thank you! I love you! I'll see you later."

"I love you too."

She grabbed her purse and speed walked around him to go to the door. She just opened it when he called her name again.

"Elena."

She paused and looked at him. "Yes?"

He didn't say anything at first and her brows furrowed at his hesitation as he simply looked at her.

"Dad?"

He shook his head and gave her a soft smile. "Nothing. Have fun."

Her brows furrowed, her gaze lingering on him for a second before she walked out.

*****

Her ringtone Elena's eyes from her laptop and toward her phone on her desk. She grinned wide at the name on the screen answering the call quickly.

The big smile on her friend's beautiful face was enough to make her own widen even more if it was possible.

"Victoria!"

"I missed you sooo much, Lena." Her friend laughed. "I feel like I haven't talked to in ages."

"How can we talk when Jason act like it's a federal to call?" She asked. "You need to come back soon."

"In a few days." Victoria said before humming with a little smirk. "So Seb called us yesterday and told me some pretty interesting stuff." Her now teasing voice came.

Elena scoffed, knowing exactly where this was going. "What stuff?"

"Of you officially going on a little getaway and living under the same roof as your one and only love. Sharing a space with the apple of your eye." Her sister-in-law teased.

"Stop saying it like that." Elena hissed, her face slightly heating up. "Seb has a big mouth. I wanted to tell you myself."

Vicky chuckled pushing her face closer to the screen in a silly way making Elena laugh harder. "That you're going to live with your love?"

"Will you stop!?" Elena laughed. "We're not going to live together. We'll just share a building."

"Still under the same roof." Victoria kept teasing. "Still very easy access to-"

"Please stop." She heard Jason grumble.

"Why are you so unhappy about? I thought you trusted your friend." She looked over her camera with a smile.

"Doesn't mean I want to hear about whatever the hell all this is." He hissed. "How are you, Elena?"

Elena gasped dramatically. "So you do care."

"Shouldn't have asked." Was his response.

"I'm fine, Jason." She leaned closer to her phone. "Not on my honeymoon or anything but I am living."

Another grumble was the answer she got making Victoria laugh some more.

"But seriously which day are you guys coming back?"

"We'll come back when we do." Jason took the tablet from his wife's hands and his face appeared on the screen. "Are you guys done catching up?"

"No we're not." Vicky hissed taking the tablet back from him giving him a look. "We didn't even talk much."

"You said five minutes."

"Which are not up yet." She rolled her eyes. "Begone, Mr. Grumpy."

"How is it a honeymoon if you're paying attention to someone else?" He continues. "I'm having your damn internet cut off."

"I'm catching up with your sister. How is tha-" She paused, taking a deep breath. "You know what? Go away. You're distracting me."

Elena stifled a giggle pressing a hand to her lips to hide her amusement. These two could go from being nauseating level of lovey dovey to having petty little exchanges.

Vicky looked at her screen again. "Elena? Is Marco still there?"

"He left this morning." She sighed.

"And when are you planning to start the transition?"

"I've already started." Elena huffed. "Mom refuses to slow down. And I-" She paused letting out a long breath. "I can't keep up with her."

Victoria laughed. "Your mom is very excited. Your love life is a full time job for her right now. she takes it so seriously."

Elena smiled softly. "I guess there are worst things in life than having a meddling mother." He said. "If only she helped just as much with the paperwork."

Victoria grinned. "Well she took care of the location for you."

"That was so I wouldn't back out. That's the only reason she made the offer so fast."

"And she was right. You need a push or you won't get anywhere."

Elena's eyes narrowed at that. "You're annoying me."

But Elena also knew she was right. She needed the push and she was more than grateful that her mother was giving just that. She knew what she wanted, she just needed help getting there. Lots of help. And lucky for her, her mother didn't know the definition of limit when it came to this. so whatever regret she may or may not have in the future, it wouldn't be for lack of trying. That's for sure.

She talked to Victoria for only a few more minutes before Jason decided their time was up.

"It's been more than five minutes." She heard her brother say in the background, sounding like a jailer of some sort, and Victoria simply waved a dismissive hand at him.

Elena scoffed, leaning back in her seat. "Just go before he blows a fuse." She said.

Victoria chuckled. "I'll be back in a few days, okay?"

"Alright, Vicky." She snorted. "I love you."

"Love y-" The call ended before she could finish her sentence.

Most certainly, courtesy of Jason. Elena snorted.

Why was he so stingy of his wife's time as if they weren't together 24/7?

She sighed placing her phone down and looking at her laptop screen knowing how much work she had to do for everything to go smoothly for the new shop.

She stretched her arms in front of her with a sign before getting back to it though her face broke into a smile as she did.

Her eyes moved to her hand and she closed her eyes tightly feeling a girlish giggle bubbling her begging to be let out. Now how was she supposed to focus on her work when her brain has just decided to make her relive that. She laughed to herself, feeling her cheeks hurt, because she swore she could still feel his warmth on her hand.

Screw work.

*******************************************

A/N: Hope you enjoyed.

Next Bigger Than Us update will be on Thursday.

Next Aere Perrenius update will be Sunday.

Any questions you have about me, my current or future works put them in the replies for this line!! And I'll answer🤍

For Sebastian's girlfriends, he'll be in the next chapter lol (I know it's coming)

So for the group chat, your suggestions are either instagram or Facebook?