Taming a Dark Heart - Ch. 9 - Stubborn Love

****Hi everyone! I know its been a little while since I last posted but Ive been ultra busy with assignments and auditions and stuff ;).

To my new "fan", I write as quick as I can!

This chapter is a variety but I really enjoyed writing it. Probably one of my favourites thus far.
I would like to dedicate this chapter to my boyfriend. He doesn't know I write but maybe one day he'll read this and laugh because the lead characters remind me of us in a way here lol.

I really hope you enjoy it even though its a bit shorter than my other chapters!

Thank-you to my email buddies/fans for your help! Much appreciated!

Comment and vote! :) *********

****Danny’s point of view****

I turned and looked at Gabriele and Marie-Lou. His head was down and I could see he was angry but also hurt.
I had to say something.

"Mr Lombardi, I’m so sorry about what - "
"Danny, just shut-up" – I actually flinched. He was really terrifying. He looked at me with his eyes lowered. I could see the emotion in them. Then he stepped forward and his head was very close to mine.
"How dare you not tell me that you had her with you, all this time..." – Oh shit. He knew that she was living with me. How did he know? What terrified me most was that he was talking in little more than a whisper yet it was so chilling.

"Danny, I trusted you. You were like a brother to me. You have been nothing but loyal otherwise and now you go and do this? Did you not see James watching you? I was waiting for you to tell me but now I know that you were never going to..." – He looked me directly in the eye. Kara had asked me not to tell him but I really should have. He trusted me?

He stood up straight with his hands in his pockets and spoke –
"You’re fired Danny" – then he walked past me and James and Marie-Lou walked with him. As she walked past she tapped my shoulder and gave me a sad smile and shrugged and they walked out the hospital.

I threw myself down on a waiting room bench.

First Kara had walked out. I knew that I should have told her about Gabriele’s situation with Candice before then this all would never have happened. But she had made me promise not to tell. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Now Gabriele had fired me but what was worse was that I knew I had let him down. He had trusted me like his brother? And I had done that to him?

What was I going to do now?

***************
***Kara’s point of view***

Mae-Ling and I were doing our nails on her bed.
I had been living with her for a week. It had actually been really hard. Eventually I had begged her to go to Danny’s apartment and get the stuff I had left there which included my keyboard. I needed it to prepare for the duet coming up.

"Kara, Danny didn’t seem like a happy person when I was there. He was dressed in casual clothes and the dishes hadn’t been done for ages. He was just lounging on the couch the whole time" – Mae was applying a coat of black nail polish as she spoke.

I frowned as she spoke. It didn’t sound like him at all. Normally he was always at work and never watched TV. Did me moving out affect him that much? I just didn’t want to be associated with Gabriele’s lifestyle anymore and that’s why I had asked Mae-Ling if I could move in.
Then the doorbell interrupted my thoughts.
We looked at each other and frowned. Who could that be at 1 in the afternoon?

We ran downstairs with our nails still wet and opened the door.
"Danny? " – All the memories came back once again.
"Hi Danny" – I noticed Marie-Lou blush and run to hug him. I frowned. What was going on?
"Hi Kara. Mae, could I come in?" – She opened the door for him and we sat in the lounge.

I looked Danny up and down. He looked so different. When I last saw him he was all slicked back and mafia looking. Now he looked like a guy that worked at the local supermarket. He was wearing baggy clothes and he hadn’t done much with his hair.

"Kara, I have something to tell you. Please don’t be upset with Gabriele, he – "
"Danny, don’t start that again, just tell me what’s going on with you?" – I crossed my arms and looked at him.
"But Kara you have to know-"
"Why do you look like that Danny? You can’t look like that for...your boss" – I didn’t really want to talk about him right now and that why I was cutting him off.
"Well you see, he fired me Kar"- I felt face start burning from anger.
"It's because of me isn’t it..." – I clenched my hands and breathed deeply. This was the last straw.
"Take me to Gabriele Lombardi now Danny" – I stood up and demanded pulling on a jacket in the process.
"But Kara he – "
"Please Danny, just drop me off" – I guess it came out more like a bark than a request but I couldn’t help it. Gabriele had a knack of making me so, so angry!

"I'll see you later Mae...." – and with that I stormed out and Danny drove off not saying anything else.

****************
***Gabriele’s point of view***

I was sitting at my desk tapping my pen aimlessly and just thinking.

I wonder if she will ever talk to me again.
I was so happy to see her at the hospital, but the look on her face was so emotional. It made my heart break to know she was feeling pain because of me and my family.

But then again,
How dare she talk to me like that? In front of my workers and everyone at the hospital? Belittle me like that. Ungrateful that’s what she is.
I began pacing and thinking about how she was so wrong to walk out like that.

Then suddenly my office doors were flung open and it was her.
She looked very angry as she walked across the room to me.

"Gabriele Lombardi. How dare you fire Danny when all he has done is good work for you? – She was about two steps away from me but then she closed the gap and pushed me hard. Her cheeks were flushed from anger. How could she be angry with me? It was making me angry.
"Listen, you don’t even know the whole story? You just make assumptions and voice them to the whole damn world!" - She had never given me a chance to explain myself and it was pissing me off even though I was a wrong too.
"Why the hell should I listen to you Gabriele? Mmm!?" – she crossed her arms and took a step forward knowing that I was taller than her but still trying to show how serious she was.
"Danny lied to me Kara! He fucking lied to me and yet I’m the bad guy? Shit cut me some slack!"

"Slack! Shit Gabriele, I don’t need to cut you any slack. Damn you to make me seem like the bad person! You are the liar; you’re the deceiver with that slut! You are – "
"Drugs! She fucking drugged me Kara!" – I shouted over her.

"What?" – We were both breathing deeply after the screaming and after awhile she finally spoke calmly.
"Flunitrazipam Kara. The bitch put a drug in my drink..." – I watched her face drop and she looked totally dumbfounded.
"Nothing happened that night Kara. She set me up. I was out cold slouched on her according to Marie-Lou, James and Danny"

She looked down and appearing very torn emotionally.
"But, but you still haven’t told me so much Gabriele...." – she said in a calm voice but then shouted – "I can’t trust you again! I..."

She was beginning to get hysterical again so I closed the gap between us pressing my lips against hers and holding her tightly.
I felt her begin to pound my chest to try and push me away but I wouldn’t let go.
It just felt so right with her in my arms, even if she was angry with me.
She carried on pounding me but I kept my lips on hers and she eventually slowed down and stopped with her hands still in fists on my chest.

I felt her lips soften as she let me in. I began kissing her lips and felt her melt in my arms.
I knew she had only said all those things because she was hurt. I knew we were fighting like that because we were both just so stubborn to admit we were wrong.

As I slipped my tongue into her mouth, we began kissing and she slid her arms up my chest to my neck and around.
I knew I loved her. I knew I wanted her. I knew I needed her with me always. But how could I expect her to have to live my lifestyle? To always be in danger?

We couldn't get enough of each other. All the anger, pain, sadness and every other emotion was feeding into our kisses. Passion, hunger, even care. Our kisses were urgent and deep, ever changing and leaving us both out of breathe but not wanting to stop.

She jumped up onto my waist and I held her there so she wouldn’t slip. I began kissing her neck. I heard her say my name softly a couple of times as she enjoyed my kisses.
"Gabriele....how do you know her...?" – That question made me stop kissing her. She did deserve an answer to that.
I held onto her and walked over to my desk placing her gently on top of it.

"Kara, my family has this stupid habit of choosing each other’s spouses. Candice and I were in school together and yeah we did date for awhile. I know that I was an idiot to do that but I guess we all make mistakes. My parents realized what bad news she was and changed their minds on her and me. She never got over it though and up until today thinks we are still together. She pops up now and again and I can’t seem to shake her." – Kara just sat silently as I spoke not moving or even making a noise.

"I’m sorry for what I’ve said Gabe, I didn’t mean all those hurtful things I said...." – she looked down as she spoke and I tipped her chin up so I could see her eyes. They looked sad.
"I’m sorry for not telling you about her Kara. I’m sorry my brother did what he did to you. Most of all I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you"
There was silence for a moment. Then she leant over and hugged me with her legs still wrapped around my waist but resting on the desk.
"Gabe" -she said still holding on.
"Yeah?"
"I love you"

I felt my heart jump and my tongue catch as she said those 3 simple words. She loved me? How could she love me after all I had put her through? I had never heard a girl genuinely say they love me before. Well, beside my mami. Now I had this beautiful girl in my arms and wanted her with me all the time.

I held onto her and stroked her curls -"Ti amo anche io Kara"

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