Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Sofia’s POV
“If there’s anything you’d like to talk about, any time or any moment, don’t hesitate to come to me, hm?
I’m always ready to listen.” Matilda continued to say after a few seconds, staring straight into my eyes –
all traces of playfulness and goofiness gone from her voice, and leaving behind a serious woman that
ozzed so much maturity and confidence.
I ducked my head a little, breaking eye contact with her in that one move. It was weird.
It felt really weird, hearing these same words that nobody has ever said to me until this very moment –
these same words which I had been praying and hoping for throughout the years, ever since I became
sensible as a child.
I wasn’t going to be taking her up on her offer though, because what was it that I was going to be
speaking to her about?
About how I hated being married and how I wished I would be able to further my education… how I
wish I can leave this cursed country who has chosen to still remain in the back when it comes to
equality between both genders.
About how I wish I was still at home and not here? About how I missed my brother so much, it’s starting
to weigh me down day in, day out.
I lifted my head up and locked eyes with Matilda’s once again and she smiled at me for a few seconds,
a gesture which only managed to calm down a little of the huge storm brewing in my heart at this very
moment.
“Um, thank you so much for this.” I started to say to her, biting at the insides of my cheeks for a few
long moments as my mind zeroed in on when she had pulled me into her arms after I had started
crying, that might have been the reason as to why she was suddenly acting this way, in a more caring
way.
And it could also be that she was just curious, because that was the kind of person Matilda was– so I
wouldn’t be so sure if she was doing this because she genuinely cared for me, or because she just
wanted to know what it was that was bothering me out of curiosity.
I might be wrong and might be accusing her innocently for no reason, but I couldn’t move past that
conclusion in my head.
And so I smiled back at her in return before brushing my hair backwards away from my face and
placing my elbow more firmly on the dining table.
“Matilda, I love the fact that you’re offering to listen to me whenever I might need to unload and talk to
someone… Believe me, I do.” I paused for a few moments before pushing my hair away from my face
once again.
“But I don’t really have anything to talk about, and there’s nothing much bothering me, except for the
usual. Nothing too big for me to start worrying Someone else because of that.” I paused and forced a
bright smile one my face before continuing. “I really do appreciate your offer and the fact that you care Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
enough to offer is making my heart all fuzzy.” I gushed the last part out and watched as a pleased smile
finally broke out on her face, her cheeks stretching out across her cheekbones.
And the fact that she smiled made me feel less bad.
“It’s alright, Sofia. Just don’t hesitate to come to me if you need to talk to someone. I’d always be here.”
She finally said and I nodded my head at her.
After a few more minutes, Matilda was lifting up from the chair and clearing off the dishes from the
table. I picked up my plate before she could get to it and took it straight to the kitchen, Matilda’s long
protest echoing around the dining room.
I rinsed my plates in the sink and placed them on the flat side of the sink before proceeding to discard
my water bottle into the trash can. Matilda had gotten to the sink before I got done with the trash can
and I didn’t bother asking her to allow me stack up my plates in the dishwasher– not like I could even
make use of it, and instead headed back to the dining room to retrieve my phone from the now
sparkling clean table.
There were a lot of things I wanted to do today, since today was a Sunday, it made it better for what I
want to do, to be carried out well today.
Firstly and most importantly, I wanted to finally speak to Luca about the idea about me painting, today.
Everything was already planned out in my head. All I had to do was to see him, express my thoughts
as to how I want to start painting to avoid feeling lonely everytime, and how I’d also need a room in the
hose where I can get to myself and my paintings.
And then, if he hopefully agrees – he had agreed in my own thoughts anyways, I’d take my black card
and together with Ethan and Ryan, we’d head straight for the mall to get all what I am going to be
needing.
Now, there was a little problem though.
How am I going to tell him all these?
That’s the first huge problem now, and what’s hindering the plan from being carried out in my head.
I swallowed emptily as I made my way towards the sitting room and sank straight into one of the single
couches in the sitting room, pulling my legs upwards and pushing it beneath my weight on the couch.
The clock on the wall says the time was some minutes past twelve p.m in the afternoon and I shifted a
little on my seat, wondering how I was going to end up carrying out this whole plan since I couldn’t
even bring myself to go before Luca and speak to him about this said plan with was already thoroughly
outlined in my head.
I picked up my phone from the top of my thighs and started clicking on the top of the screen mindlessly,
searching around in my head for a way in which I could use in bribing the topic forward to him.
It can’t be that hard, now can it?
All I have to do is check in the bedroom if he’s in there first to begin with… and if he’s not there, I’d go
knock on his office door and I’d go with the flow from there. There was nothing hard about it.
Right?
******
I paused outside our bedroom door and slowly pushed the door open after waiting behind the door for a
few minutes and contemplating if I should give on my plan to speak to him or just swallow my plan up.
The former had ended up winning and I looked from side to side in the bedroom and found it
completely empty.
A part of my mind pointed out that he might be in the bathroom, or the closet… but I pulled the door
close after about a minute and turned around once again, making my way down tne stairs.
Once I was down the stairs, I made my way towards the end of the other part of the hall and paused
outside the door which Matilda had only shown me the door without taking me in. She had then
proceeded to tell me that this particular room was completely off limit. I haven’t been curious for a
second after that to go see what was on the other part or the door, because I was never an overly
curious person ever since I was kid.
Once I wasn’t allowed access to a thing, I’d push it completely out of my mind and wouldn’t dwell on it
any longer, ever since I was a kid.
I raised my hand and hesitated, my hand hanging in the air and I remained like that for a couple of
minutes before finally breathing out a dejected sigh and allowing my hand to fall down at my side. I
contemplated turning around and heading back for the sitting room, because now that it was almost in
my reach, it was now appearing really, really hard.
I turned around and started to head back towards the sitting room before slowly stopping in my tracks
and turning back around once again. I stared down at my fingers, knowing that I was going to be so
angry and disappointed in myself if I didn’t end up getting to ask him for permission at least.
At least if I do that, I’d be able to say that I tried.
I headed back until I was standing before the brown door once again. I dragged in a deep breath and
lifted my left finger, allowing my eyes to full shut as I knocked twice on the door, the sound of the
knocks barely echoing loudly, sounding less quiet than I’d have preferred.
I bit on my lower lips and moved my weight from foot to foot just as I heard Luca’s deep voice call out.
“Come in.”
The breath I had been uncontrollably holding in my lungs all whooshed out on a loud gasp and I
glanced around from side to side, looking for what I didn’t even have an idea of.
I reached forward and placed my hand on the door’s handle, fully aware that over a minute has passed
since he invited me to come into the office.
Gosh, I am such a fool.
I pressed on the door handle and pushed the door open to reveal Luca sitting behind a big looking
black table, a pen in his hand and his phone in his other hand.