"𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭."

❦❦❦

－ 𝖣𝖠𝖭𝖨 𝖡𝖤𝖫𝖫𝖲 －

♥︎ LUCIFER LOOKED just as stunned as I was, our gazes locked in a silent exchange of disbelief. The unexpected encounter had caught us both off guard, we stood there frozen for a moment.

"My bad," he sighed

"I didn't know you lived here."

"Yeah, well— I do." I chuckled awkwardly.

"Anyways— Where do you live?" I asked the tall male.

Lucifer cocked one eyebrow, studying me with a critical eye as I spoke. His gaze was intense and piercing.

"Shit—I hope that's not weird for me to ask— I'm sorry." I said nervously.

"calmati, I just live down the street from you." he replied
(Translation: calm down)

"I don't really got time to conversate with you, I just wanted to see if anyone had pasta sauce in their kitchen, we ran out." he said nonchalantly

Of course...

"yeah, let me go check."

I headed to the kitchen to check my pantry. As I scoured the shelves, searching for a suitable jar of sauce.

After some searching, I finally found the jar of pasta sauce tucked away in one of my kitchen cabinets. With a sigh of relief, I grabbed it and headed towards the front door where Lucifer was still waiting. As I approached I could see the frustration etched on his face, his foot tapping the ground impatiently. I handed the jar of sauce to him, our fingers brushing lightly as he took it from me.

"Grazie." He said

"Huh?"

"I said thanks."  He replied

"Oh!— how do I say you're welcome in Italian?" I asked

"prego." he said

"prego Lucifer." I said

He shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he thanked me for the sauce. "Cool."he replied, his tone casual and nonchalant.

As Lucifer departed from my doorstep, clutching the jar of pasta sauce in one hand and his phone in the other, I observed him carefully, taking note of his demeanor and mannerisms. Despite the negative portrayal I had heard from my friends, he didn't seem as despicable as they had depicted him.

Turning away from the door, I found my mother standing on the steps, her gaze fixed on me. She had a look of curiosity and concern on her face, her eyes searching mine intently.

I could tell she had witnessed the interaction between Lucifer and me, and I braced myself for the questions that were surely coming.

"Don't start." I said as i walked towards the fridge.

My mother mocked my words and laughed, "who the hell was that!?" She said.

"A boy at my school." I replied nonchalantly

"What is his name, Dani?"

"It's Lucifer Mom!" I yelled with annoyance.

"Is he your boyfriend?!"

"God, No!" I said disgusted

"Why did you say it like that Dani!? Is there something you're not telling me."

"There's nothing to tell you!— me and him are not together! We're just acquaintances."

"Why was he at my door."

"He just wanted something."

"Wanted what!?"

"Pasta sauce!"

"Pasta sauce?—He came to ask for sauce that he could just get at the fucking grocery store!"

"Mom, it's not that serious— you need to calm down."

"No you need to calm down!" She waved her index finger in my face.

As my mother continued her barrage of questions, her breath reeking of alcohol and her voice growing increasingly louder, I couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh. The stench of alcohol hit me as she leaned closer, and I longed to put some distance between us. But I knew that any attempt to do so would only rile her up further, so I stood my ground and tried my best to remain calm.

"Mom you're tired."

"No the fuck I'm not." She burped.

I attempted to gently guide my mother towards the stairs, hoping to take her upstairs and away from the confrontation. But she resisted my attempts, her movements clumsy and unpredictable as her alcohol-soaked brain struggled to cooperate. She kept trying to fight me off, her words slurring together and her movements becoming increasingly erratic.

"Dani! No boy would ever want you! All they want is your vagina!— they will fuck you and leave."

"I'm telling you!" She continues to wave her finger in my face.

I rolled my eyes "yea yea— how many times are you going to keep saying this bullshit."

"Until you get it in that little head of yours!" She continues to yell.

"Pick up your foot, you're on the last step."

My mother attempted to take the last step up the stairs, her coordination and balance were severely compromised by her drunken state. She missed her step and stumbled, falling backwards onto the staircase with a thud.

"bro."

❦❦❦

I carefully lifted my mother and laid her down on her bed, pulling the blankets up to cover her body. She was completely intoxicated and unresponsive, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she dozed off. I watched her for a moment, feeling frustration in my chest.

I wish she would stop drinking.

It makes her different.

I cast my gaze around the room, taking in the scattered cans of beer and other trash that littered the floor. The sight was depressing, a clear sign of my mother's deepening alcoholism and the state of her mental health.

"Goodnight." I whispered.

—————————————————

I found myself curled up on the couch in the living room, a book propped up in my lap as I attempted to distract myself from the day's events. My mother was fast asleep in her bedroom, her drunkenness finally taking its toll on her body. The silence in the house was heavy, the only sound coming from the occasional page-turning and my own breathing.

As I continued to immerse myself in my book, a sudden noise snapped me out of my reverie. It sounded like something being thrown against the front door, the sound sharp and jarring in the silence of the house. I tensed, my heart quickening as I wondered what could have caused the disturbance.

My mind immediately went to all the horror movies I had watched over the years, each one featuring a dark and crazy suspenseful scene.

The sound at the door sent shivers down my spine, my thoughts running wild with worst-case scenarios. Who or what could be waiting outside at this late hour?

I walked up slowly towards the front door and peeped through the peephole.

But I saw nothing...

I cautiously approached the front door, my heart racing at the thought of who or what could be waiting on the other side. As I opened the door, I was surprised to see a brown bag resting on the doorstep, along with a foam carry-out food container and a plastic fork on top.

what the hell?

I locked the door behind me and positioned the bag on the island  carefully opening it.

Inside the bag was a container of tomato pasta, the spaghetti twirled together alongside chunks of tomatoes and a savory-smelling sauce. The tantalizing aroma filled the air as I took a sniff, my mouth watering at the sight of the food inside.

who would give me this at night???

I didn't order anything???

"wait—

As the realization hit me, my heart skipped a beat.

Lucifer 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐊𝐒.

The man with the strange request for pasta sauce earlier.

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐄
𝟎𝟎𝟓. ❦