Seventeen


    So many questions fill my head at once. "Why would she do that?" I decide to start with that.


    Sydney leads me to arge kitchen and I sit on one of the ind stools.


    "What I''m about to tell you is very dangerous and I need you to be very discreet about it. Not even a


    single person should know about this." His eyes bore into mine and once again I feel the same


    shiver because of fear.


    "It''s not like you kill and dispose of bodies." I say with a chuckle trying to diffuse the seriousness.


    Sydney''s eyes don''t change and I know my joke wasn''t appreciated.


    "Promise me Isabe. Not even your soulmate or whatever you call him should know this." I think


    about this and how Sydney''s behaving.


    "I''m I in trouble?" I ask in a whisper. I don''t know why but my voice just came out that way. Should I


    send the SOS message to Harry? Why is he making this sound so mysterious?


    "Just tell me what''s going on Sydney. You''re scaring me." He moves to the stool next to mine and


    takes. my left hand making my heart beat so fast. I don''t know if he knows that he has this effect on


    me. My hand looks so tiny in hisrger and warmer ones.


    "My family is involved in something bad. Something illegal." I looks deep into my eyes. "Telling you


    this will put you''re life in great danger and that''s why I bought this ce just incase you got


    pregnant."


    "Then why are you telling me this?" My voice has be shaky.


    "Because I need a favor from you. I''m trying to get out of all this and I''ve tried but nothing."


    "What is it you''re trying to get out from Sydney? You make no sense." Could it be the engagement?


    He must have proposed andter on regretted but Bianca... My thoughts are interrupted by


    something I never expected.


    "The Mafia." Silence. I yank my hand from Sydney''s as if it has been burnt and look at Sydney with


    large eyes.


    "I''m breaking Omerta by telling you this." Sydney says with a sigh. "My dad leads the American


    Mafia and it has been my life since I was born. To be honest, I''ve never been thrilled about it." His


    eyes show a sadness and my heart breaks.


    "You can talk to me. I hope you know that."


    Sydney looks at me for a while. "You want me to be open to you and yet you don''t trust me. I know


    you warned you''re soulmate about meing with you here." He pauses with a grin. "You were


    preety obvious."


    I give him a sheepish smile. "His name is Harry."


    "I''ll try to remember that." I give him a grateful smile. I still want to hear what he wants to say. I


    somehow feel that Sydney is allowing me into his dangerous world.


    "Since I need your help, I just have to tell you." Harry takes my hand once again and the same


    reaction happens.


    "The mafia has made me rivals with my brother. The mafia killed my mother and sister and the


    mafia has made my father heartless." I ponder over his words.


    "Rivals? Why are you and your brother rivals?" His thumb has started rubbing circles on my arm


    and I notice Sydney doesn''t even notice he''s doing it.


    "My dad wants me to be the next leader since I''m the eldest and my brother has always tried


    pleasing my dad since he was a kid. He looks up to him and he sees me as a threat." His head


    rests on my shoulder and my heartbeat increases. I have never seen Sydney behave this way. He''s


    so touchy.


    "And do you want to be the next leader?" My voice is now hesitant. "No." No one speaks after that


    and my hands find themselves weaving through his hair. So soft.


    "What do you need me to do?" I ask without hesitation and that shocks me. I know I''m not in the


    stage of doing anything for Sydney especially after his confession.


    His head jerks from my shoulder so fast that it almost hits my chin. "My world is very dangerous


    Izzy. I''m having second thoughts of involving you."


    "Tell me." I look at him in the eye to show him that I''m serious. "You already did the day you broke


    my virginity." I say with a straight face.


    Sydney stands even before I see any expression on his face and goes to take a ss of water. He


    offers me some and I ept.


    "My engagement to Bianca is nned. Her dad is also part of the Italian mafia group. I suspect her


    baby is Liam''s." Sydney sees my questioning look. "Liam is my brother."


    I suddenly feel like a very heavy weight is lifted but I have to confirm. "Bianca''s pregnancy isn''t


    yours?" Sydney shakes his head no and a very big smile that I can''t control appears on my face.


    Sydney smiles too when he looks at me.


    "If I knew how beautiful you look when you smile, I''d have told you this before." Iugh and yfully


    smack his hand even though I know I''m so red. He called me beautiful.


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah. After you''re done with being sappy tell me about this love triangle." I brush off


    thepliment by ruining the mood. Great!


    "Liam used to have a crush on Bianca since we were kids. She was my best friend. I never knew


    about Liam''s crush until one day Bianca told me about it and how she likes him. After some months


    they became the perfect couple but Liam prioritized his duty as a mafia boss'' son over his duty as a


    boyfriend and they broke up after two years. I guess they were still in love and got back together


    two monthster. It just ended mysteriously and the next thing I know I wake up with a hangover


    and a naked Bianca next to me." Hurt. Anger. Sadness. I feel all that at once.


    "Nothing happened even though she made me believe that. She made me believe we had sex and


    later on tells me she''s pregnant." Sydney sighs deeply and I wonder why Bianca would do that to


    him. To Liam. "It was the night after we met." He adds. It seems so far away.


    "Why would she do that? Why would she betray you''re friendship and Liam''s love?" I feel so angry.


    "Apparently Bianca learnt a lesson or two from Liam. She prioritized her position as the Italian Mafia


    Boss'' daughter over our friendship and love." Sydney spits. ''So she''s like a spy.'' I realize.


    "So what happens?" Sydney resumes our previous position with his head on my shoulder. I do not


    feel guilty anymore after what Harry tells me.


    "Bianca doesn''t know I already know about her maniptive and acting skills and I intend to keep it


    that way. She doesn''t know that the baby you''re having is ours." I swear my heart just stopped for a


    second.


    "Where do I fit in all of this?" I y with Sydney''s very soft hair.


    "We need to get married as soon as possible. Secretly." My hand stills in his hair and I feel my body


    going rigid.


    "W... What? Marriage?" My voice feels like a blur. Sydney stands infront of me. I don''t remember his


    head rising from my shoulder.


    "To ensure I don''t get married to her this is the only way and I know in a few weeks time I''ll be


    forced to." He holds my face between my palms. He''s acting like we''ve known each other for so


    long intimately and somehow it feels just like that. His touch feels so familiar.


    "Marriage is something too big to ask from me. You could have asked someone else you know." I


    ask exasperatedly.


    "I know. But I only wanted you." His words sound like they have a deeper meaning but maybe it''s


    because I wish they have.


    "What do you mean Sydney? Like in the club when you decided that I''ll carry your baby since I


    seem like the desperate woman avable?" I feel so exhausted. Sydney seems to notice and he


    picks me up bridal style earning a surprised yelp feom me.


    "Carrying me to the sofa won''t make me marry you Sydney." I look up at him. "I just wanted you to


    befortable." He says in a low voice making him seem very ufortable. Before I react to it


    my phone st with Bruno Mars'' ''Count On Me'' indicating Harry is calling.


    Sydney hands me the phone and I receive it. I assure him I''m fine for about five hundred times


    before he hangs up. "Is he always this way with you?" Sydney raises an eyebrow.


    "Overprotective? Yeah." I smile at that and past times when I told him that I went out with a boy.


    Sydney stands abruptly and gets into the kitchen. What now? "Sydney?" I follow him.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    His hands are in fists and I wonder whats wrong with him. He''s been okay until the call. Oh! The


    call! Iugh suddenly and Sydney looks irritated with me.


    "I told you Harry is like my elder brother. He''s bound to be like that."


    "I asked you for a favor before your soulmate called you." Sydney spits the soulmate and anger


    res in me.


    "Take me back home. I can''t deal with you acting like a dick Sydney." I pick up my purse and head


    towards the door. Wish I coulde with my car and leave him here.


    I get into the car and Sydney follows in. We drive in a silent drive thick with tension for thirty minutes


    and bef ore I get out Sydney holds my hand. "Think about it. Please." I only nod and get out


    immediately.