Reputation S Play Book 1
@LucyBailey8 this one is for you <3 I hope this makes you feel better, my sweet darling :)
Chapter 10 Champagne problemsSince their kiss, Daniel avoided Gia like the plague. They rarely ever got to interact with one another for the rest of the summer since Stella and Luca announced their engagement and became busy with planning their engagement party. It was a grand affair attended by all the families of Del Mare. Stella and Luca's engagement was the talk of the town. Every girl wanted to be Stella and every guy wanted to be Luca. The two families grew closer with each other, entangled by the joys of new relationships and wedding fever. However, Daniel was nowhere to be found on any of those joyous occasions. If he heard Gia was coming over for dress fitting or some other wedding related nonsense, he would simply excuse himself out of the house and leave. He had no desire to see her.Gia, on the other hand, couldn't wait to see Daniel again. She had told her new friend, Daisy, all about the boy she had kissed at the beach. The two girls had giggled for hours on the phone until Maria came in and told Gia to get off her phone. "Okay, okay," Daisy laughed. "But you have to look good at the party. And you have to tell me everything that happens." "I'll send you pictures of what I'm wearing," Gia said before she ended her call and promised her grandmother she wouldn't stay up so late anymore. When the day of the party arrived, Gia insisted on dressing herself. She borrowed make-up from Carla and curled her hair before slipping into the champagne slip dress she had picked out with Stella. With a brush, Gia undid the perfect curls to turn them into soft "romantic" waves as Daisy would call them. When she was done, she stood back and clicked a picture of Daisy before running out to join the rest of the family. "You look so beautiful!" Carla exclaimed. "Oh my baby is all grown!" "Your dress is so short," Luca complained, struggling with his tie. "Stella said it was fine," Gia looked down at herself. "It's fine, it's fine," Maria waved her hand. "We're late. Let's go. Everyone out! Where's Angelo?" "Dad said he'll meet us at the party," Luca announced. As the family made their way into the car for the short drive to Stella's house, Gia checked her phone to find a text from Daisy. The girl halfway across the world reminded Gia to make sure she kept her cool if Daniel tried to kiss her again or asked her to dance. Play it cool, Daisy wrote. Pretend like you don't even remember you guys kisses. "Put your phone away, Gia," Maria complained. "Sorry," Gia muttered, feeling her heart jitter with excitement. Once they arrived at the Dimaggio's house, Gia was instantly separated from her family. Everyone went in their own direction to mingle with the guests or help Stella with coordinating everything. Gia was left on her own to roam around the massive house in hopes of finding Daniel somewhere. Her eyes scanned every face in every room as her nerves grew and grew. Gia had no idea where Daniel could be. A part of her wanted to check the upstairs but she was too scared to be so intrusive. "Hey, baby girl," Stella squeezed Gia's shoulder as she passed her in the kitchen. "H-hey," Gia looked up and smiled. "You okay?" Stella asked as she marched around in her heels grabbing drinks out of the fridge and glasses off the table. "Yeah, I'm fine," Gia smiled and tucked her hair back. "That dress looks ahhh-mazing on you," Stella whistled. "I'm shocked your brother didn't complain about it to me yet." "I'm sure he will when he gets the time," Gia laughed. "Oh, I'm sure he will," Stella snorted. "But darling, you look so good and I'm so happy we got to go shopping. You know I always wanted a sister....or a daughter. I hope I have a daughter." Gia laughed along with Stella. The girl's joy was contagious. Stella was the sweetest soul Gia had ever met and everything seemed so easy when she was around her. Easy like telling her that her brother had kissed her... "Stella?" Gia mustered up her courage to ask the girl where Daniel was. "Hm?" Stella hummed, pouring the champagne. Her hands shook slightly as she held the bottle, causing the drink to splatter on the counter under the bright light. "Hey, Stella!" Gia stilled as a tall girl with black hair and pretty brown eyes walked into the kitchen. Her dress was the color of dark red wine. The fabric wrapped around her curves like art. Her thick black hair was curled just like Gia's but looked way more effortless as if she was born with them. Gia was stunned by the pretty girl. "Have you seen Daniel?" the girl asked, walking up to the counter where Stella and Gia were. "I'm not sure," Stella frowned, all her attention was on the spilled drink. Her eyes looked upset as she sat the bottle down and wiped her trembling hands on her dress. "Did you check his room?" "Nope," the girl shook her head. "Thanks for the idea." "You're welcome," Stella waved her off as the girl turned and walked out of the kitchen. Gia stared after her, feeling her heart ready to beat out of her chest. "Who was that?" She asked, trying to keep her voice even. "Gabriella," Stella said, grabbing a handful of napkins and placing it over the spill. "Daniel's girlfriend." Gia was thankful for the counter she was leaning against because the way her heart dropped into her stomach would have taken her down too if she had been standing upright. She stared at Stella feeling all sorts of emotions run through her young naive heart as drinks were poured and carried out to the guest. Suddenly, Gia was in no mood to be at a party, even if it was for her brother. She wanted to go back to her room and dial Daisy's number and bitch and complain about how horrible boys were. Her reflection in the window seemed to be mocking her for getting all dressed up for some guy who didn't even have the decency to provide an explanation for kissing her out of the blue. It was all stupid. Stupid, idiot, clueless boys. Gia pulled out her phone and began to type. She sent Daisy a long text explaining everything that had just happened and the small three bubbles immediately appeared at the bottom of the screen. Screw Daniel Dimaggio, Daisy responded. Fuck him! I bet he was a terrible kisser. Babe, you're so much better than this Gabriella chick. You haven't even seen her, Gia rolled her eyes. Take a picture, Daisy said. Show me all of these hoes who are messing with my gigi girl. I can't go around taking pictures of Gabriella and Daniel, Gia's fingers moved fast and swift over her screen. It's a party! Daisy wrote. Pretend you're taking a picture of everyone. Wanting to know if Gabriella was prettier than her to ease some of the disappointment she was feeling, Gia set off in search of the girl and that good for nothing boyfriend of hers. She knew there was a good chance they were all upstairs but Gia didn't want to go up just yet. She needed a good excuse in case they caught her. So instead, she roamed around the halls and backyard once again to see if maybe she could catch a glimpse of them somewhere. "Gia?" Startled, Gia turned to find Daniel's best friend stepping out from behind one of the large shrubs in the yard with a half finished cigarette in his hand. "Dino," Gia took a step back to avoid the smoke getting in her hair. "Hey." "Nice dress," Dino said, taking a puff of his cigarette. "When did you get here?" "Thanks," Gia looked down at herself and smoothed down her dress. "About an hour ago." "Oh yeah?" Dino coughed. "How come I didn't see you upstairs? We've all been hanging out up there." Gia followed Dino's gaze to the second floor balcony across the yard on the other side of the pool. Her heart jumped into her throat as she realized Daniel was there, staring back at them in the lawn. "Oh....I..." Gia swallowed and looked away. She turned towards Dino and shrugged, "I didn't know everyone was up there." "That sucks," Dino dropped his cigarette and stepped on it to put it out. "You taking AP Bio next year?" "Yeah," Gia nodded. "Nice," Dino smiled. "Me too. You know sometimes I forget we go to the same school back in New York." "Me too," Gia lied. She never forgot. "It sucks that Daniel and Gabriella are not there," Dino said. "It would have been cool if we all went to school together and then came here in the summer." "Yeah..." Gia said. "Fun." "So you wanna come upstairs?" "Ah..." Gia looked over her shoulder to the balcony once more and found it empty. "No. I'm fine here. Luca might be looking for me." "Nah," Dino waved his hand. "They'll be fine. Come on." "No," Gia shook her head. "It's really fine." "Come on," Dino insisted, reaching out and taking Gia's hand. "Gabriella snuck a bottle of gin upstairs. We'll have some drinks and play games." "No, Dino," Gia tried to pull her hand back. "I'm really oka-" "Get the fuck off her!" Gia yelped as Daniel pulled her back and shoved Dino into the bushes. "What the hell, man?" Dino stumbled and grabbed one of the lawn chairs before he fell over. "Dude!" "She said no," Daniel stepped forward threateningly. "Didn't you hear her?" "What's your problem?" Dino stepped forward too. Gia's head started spinning as the two boys stood face to face with one another. Her insides shook as she watched Daniel's eyes narrow and his hands open and close into fists. "Gia," Dino looked over Daniel's shoulder to her. "You okay? Are you hurt?" "She's fine, dumb ass," Daniel placed his hand on Dino's chest and pushed him away from Gia. "Leave her alone." "Daniel, stop!" Gia found her voice as Gabriella ran out into the backyard. "Daniel!" She shrieked as Dino shoved Daniel back. "Dude, what the fuck are you doing?" Dino questioned. "I was just talking to her. Gia, tell him!" "Dan-" Gia stepped forward but Daniel ignored her. "I told you to stop fucking talking to her," he said, pulling his hand back and swinging at Dino. "Oh my god!" Gabriella and Gia yelled together as Dino fell backwards with his hand over his nose. "Dino!" Gia ran forward to the boy's side. "Oh my god, are you okay?" "Gia, get away from him," Daniel followed her and grabbed her arm. "Stop!" Gia swung around and pushed Daniel's hand off of herself. "Don't touch me." Rage flared up in Daniel's eyes in the dark. Gia quivered from his gaze as Dino climbed to his feet behind her. He spit out a mouthful of blood before charging forward to throw a punch at Daniel. "No, no, no," Gia grabbed Dino's arm and stepped in between the two. "Dino, stop! Stop it." "Tell him!" Dino pointed to Daniel. "He's the one with the fucking mental issues. I was just talking to her, dude! I wasn't going to fuck her out here in the lawn!" Gia barely had any time to react as Daniel pulled her back to his side and pushed her behind himself before he grabbed Dino by the collar of his shirt. "Say that one more time," Daniel raised his voice. He was much taller than Dino and bigger. Daniel was built like a football player and Dino was no match for him. Gia watched Daniel tower over Dino as he yelled at him to repeat his words. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Daniel snared. "You can't say it to my face, can you?" "Back up, bro," Dino warned. "Back the fuck up." "Boys!" Gia jumped as a tall figure hurried towards them in the dark. She couldn't make out the man's face as he stormed up to the group and separated Dino and Daniel. "What in the hell is going on here?" The man asked. "It's because of her," Gabriella, who had been watching everything from the side, spoke up. She pointed towards Gia and began to cry hysterically. "They're fighting because of her." "Danny!" the tall man growled. He released Dino and grabbed Daniel's shoulder before lightly slapping him as if to wake him up. "What's the matter with you, eh? You gonna pick fights with Dino over some girl?" Gia stood frozen in her spot. She had no idea who the man was or why Gabriella had suddenly thrown her under the bus as if she had any intention of starting a fight. "Look at her," the man grabbed Daniel's face and turned him towards Gia. In the dimly lit yard, their eyes met and Gia felt her heart shrink inside of her chest. "For her? For the Silvano girl?" Gia didn't like the way the man said her name. She felt sick to her stomach as she stared at him standing beside Daniel, holding his face and forcing him to look at Gia. "You're gonna act like a fuckin' fool for her, Danny?" The man laughed. "Get your shit together, boy. It's not fuckin' worth it. She ain't worth it." Every word the man said was like a rock through the window in Gia's heart. She felt her eyes well up with tears as everyone in the yard turned towards her. She wanted to disappear and never come back. She wanted to vanish into thin air. Daniel stared at Gia with a hurricane of emotions in his eyes. He didn't say anything as the first tear rolled down Gia's cheek and she quickly lifted her hand to wipe it away. In the dark, Gia was left speechless as she witnessed Daniel's eyes turn cold and empty. He continued to stare at her for a moment longer before he pushed the man's hand off his face and turned away. "Let's go," he said to Gabriella as he took her hand and headed into the house. "You," the tall man looked at Dino. "Go on inside before your mother sees you like this." Dino lowered his head and complied. He scurried into the house with an apologetic glance towards Gia. "And you, princess," the man turned to Gia, causing her to flinch. "That's a pretty dress."Gia couldn't remember how to speak. She stared up at the man as he pulled out a cigar and held it between his lips. In the dark, she could only see the amber flames of his lighter as he lit his cigar and took a deep inhale of the foul scent. "Some free advice, darling," the man's gaze made Gia's skin itch. "If you're going to make men fight over you, at least wear a shorter dress." Gia immediately felt extremely uncomfortable under the man's gaze. She couldn't make out his face too well as he stood smoking his cigar and looking her up and down. Every muscle in Gia's body told her to run inside and find Luca or her dad. But something had her frozen in her spot. "Go on," the man said after a while. "Get inside." Gia felt as if she had been released from a spell. Her eyes watered once again as she ran as fast as she could into the house and locked herself in one of the bathrooms. __________________________________"It has to be something in the city air," Daisy waved her arms around. "There's no way men can be that stupid." "I know!" Gia plopped down on the armchair that was by the window of the hospital room. "Can you believe him? He thinks I'll listen to him and not date Louis." "Mental," Daisy shook her head. Her blonde hair was pushed into a lopsided bun at the top of her head and her skin was pale and dull from being bound to her hospital room for so long. "Are you going to eat that apple sauce?" Gia asked, pointing to the small container on the bedside table. "No," Daisy said. "Eat it." "Thank you," Gia smiled as she reached for the apple sauce and the spoon. "I can not believe I thought I should go over and say thank you to him." "You need to stop being so stupid," Daisy rubbed her eyes. "Especially when it comes to Daniel. I know you two have history." "There is no history," Gia said casually as she licked the spoon. "It was just a stupid kiss." "A kiss is more than enough for Luca to want his head," Daisy said. "Speaking of the devil. How, why and since when does your brother have my number?" "I gave it to him," Gia held up one finger and then another, "Because he asked for it and he had it since you've been in the hospital." "God," Daisy groaned. "Why, G? Why would you do that? I can't stand him!" "What did he do?" Gia frowned. "I thought he wanted it for emergencies." "He's telling me not to speak to the detectives," Daisy said. "Oh yeah, you can't.""You too?" "Did Luca tell you he'll take care of it?" Gia asked. "Yes." "Then let him handle it," Gia advised. "Don't talk to the detectives." "I was shot!" Daisy laughed in disbelief. "I almost died!" "I know," Gia's heart contracted just thinking about her best friend laying lifeless in her arms. "But trust me, Luca will take care of it." "How?" "I don't really know," Gia said. "And that doesn't bother you?" Daisy arched her brow. "Damn it, Gia! You are a strong independent girl with a brilliant mind yet you let your brother and dad boss you around all the time as if you're some helpless little girl." "What would you have me do?" Gia sighed. "It's always been like that. My family....we're not like other people. I'm just thankful to be here with Carla living a semi-normal life.""You need to stop being so damn scared to rock the boat," Daisy snorted. "Make waves, baby girl! Fuck em up!" "You clearly haven't met my dad," Gia shook her head. "And until you do, you won't get it." "Satellite father who barely shows any affection," Daisy rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. Welcome to the daddy issues club, sweetheart." "It's not that," Gia clicked her tongue. "It is," Daisy said. "You're scared to do what you want because you don't want to upset your father. You think if you do everything right he will finally look at you the same way he looks at Luca." "Wow, look at you," Gia laughed. "Since when are you so insightful of my traumas?" "It's the meds," Daisy shrugged. "I feel woozy and dizzy and on top of that your brother is being a pain in my ass. Tell him to fuck off or I will." "I think you need a nap," Gia rose from the chair and walked over to the bed. "You're getting cranky." "I think so," Daisy pouted. "These meds are on another level." "Lay back," Gia laughed as she tossed the applesauce into the bin and adjusted Gia's pillows." "I think you should call Louis and ask him out to dinner," Daisy said as she pulled the blankets up to her chin. "Yeah?" Gia looked down at the sleepy girl. "Don't let another man boss you around," Daisy said. "Fuck Daniel. If he says you can't date Louis, fuckin' marry the French bitch and show him who's boss." "That's a bit extreme." "Okay, well," Daisy rolled her eyes. "Maybe not marry him but date the shit out of him. Make him a simp for you." "But I don't even like Louis like that," Gia shifted her weight. "I don't want to lead him on." "Then just make Daniel think you like Louis like that," Daisy said. "You just have to mess with his head." "That's not ri-" "Not right?" Daisy arched her brow. "Was it right for him to tell you what to do?" "No?" Gia frowned. "I thought so," Daisy closed her eyes and snuggled into her pillow. "Beat him at his own game, gigi."
How can Gia beat Daniel?
Chapter 10 Champagne problemsSince their kiss, Daniel avoided Gia like the plague. They rarely ever got to interact with one another for the rest of the summer since Stella and Luca announced their engagement and became busy with planning their engagement party. It was a grand affair attended by all the families of Del Mare. Stella and Luca's engagement was the talk of the town. Every girl wanted to be Stella and every guy wanted to be Luca. The two families grew closer with each other, entangled by the joys of new relationships and wedding fever. However, Daniel was nowhere to be found on any of those joyous occasions. If he heard Gia was coming over for dress fitting or some other wedding related nonsense, he would simply excuse himself out of the house and leave. He had no desire to see her.Gia, on the other hand, couldn't wait to see Daniel again. She had told her new friend, Daisy, all about the boy she had kissed at the beach. The two girls had giggled for hours on the phone until Maria came in and told Gia to get off her phone. "Okay, okay," Daisy laughed. "But you have to look good at the party. And you have to tell me everything that happens." "I'll send you pictures of what I'm wearing," Gia said before she ended her call and promised her grandmother she wouldn't stay up so late anymore. When the day of the party arrived, Gia insisted on dressing herself. She borrowed make-up from Carla and curled her hair before slipping into the champagne slip dress she had picked out with Stella. With a brush, Gia undid the perfect curls to turn them into soft "romantic" waves as Daisy would call them. When she was done, she stood back and clicked a picture of Daisy before running out to join the rest of the family. "You look so beautiful!" Carla exclaimed. "Oh my baby is all grown!" "Your dress is so short," Luca complained, struggling with his tie. "Stella said it was fine," Gia looked down at herself. "It's fine, it's fine," Maria waved her hand. "We're late. Let's go. Everyone out! Where's Angelo?" "Dad said he'll meet us at the party," Luca announced. As the family made their way into the car for the short drive to Stella's house, Gia checked her phone to find a text from Daisy. The girl halfway across the world reminded Gia to make sure she kept her cool if Daniel tried to kiss her again or asked her to dance. Play it cool, Daisy wrote. Pretend like you don't even remember you guys kisses. "Put your phone away, Gia," Maria complained. "Sorry," Gia muttered, feeling her heart jitter with excitement. Once they arrived at the Dimaggio's house, Gia was instantly separated from her family. Everyone went in their own direction to mingle with the guests or help Stella with coordinating everything. Gia was left on her own to roam around the massive house in hopes of finding Daniel somewhere. Her eyes scanned every face in every room as her nerves grew and grew. Gia had no idea where Daniel could be. A part of her wanted to check the upstairs but she was too scared to be so intrusive. "Hey, baby girl," Stella squeezed Gia's shoulder as she passed her in the kitchen. "H-hey," Gia looked up and smiled. "You okay?" Stella asked as she marched around in her heels grabbing drinks out of the fridge and glasses off the table. "Yeah, I'm fine," Gia smiled and tucked her hair back. "That dress looks ahhh-mazing on you," Stella whistled. "I'm shocked your brother didn't complain about it to me yet." "I'm sure he will when he gets the time," Gia laughed. "Oh, I'm sure he will," Stella snorted. "But darling, you look so good and I'm so happy we got to go shopping. You know I always wanted a sister....or a daughter. I hope I have a daughter." Gia laughed along with Stella. The girl's joy was contagious. Stella was the sweetest soul Gia had ever met and everything seemed so easy when she was around her. Easy like telling her that her brother had kissed her... "Stella?" Gia mustered up her courage to ask the girl where Daniel was. "Hm?" Stella hummed, pouring the champagne. Her hands shook slightly as she held the bottle, causing the drink to splatter on the counter under the bright light. "Hey, Stella!" Gia stilled as a tall girl with black hair and pretty brown eyes walked into the kitchen. Her dress was the color of dark red wine. The fabric wrapped around her curves like art. Her thick black hair was curled just like Gia's but looked way more effortless as if she was born with them. Gia was stunned by the pretty girl. "Have you seen Daniel?" the girl asked, walking up to the counter where Stella and Gia were. "I'm not sure," Stella frowned, all her attention was on the spilled drink. Her eyes looked upset as she sat the bottle down and wiped her trembling hands on her dress. "Did you check his room?" "Nope," the girl shook her head. "Thanks for the idea." "You're welcome," Stella waved her off as the girl turned and walked out of the kitchen. Gia stared after her, feeling her heart ready to beat out of her chest. "Who was that?" She asked, trying to keep her voice even. "Gabriella," Stella said, grabbing a handful of napkins and placing it over the spill. "Daniel's girlfriend." Gia was thankful for the counter she was leaning against because the way her heart dropped into her stomach would have taken her down too if she had been standing upright. She stared at Stella feeling all sorts of emotions run through her young naive heart as drinks were poured and carried out to the guest. Suddenly, Gia was in no mood to be at a party, even if it was for her brother. She wanted to go back to her room and dial Daisy's number and bitch and complain about how horrible boys were. Her reflection in the window seemed to be mocking her for getting all dressed up for some guy who didn't even have the decency to provide an explanation for kissing her out of the blue. It was all stupid. Stupid, idiot, clueless boys. Gia pulled out her phone and began to type. She sent Daisy a long text explaining everything that had just happened and the small three bubbles immediately appeared at the bottom of the screen. Screw Daniel Dimaggio, Daisy responded. Fuck him! I bet he was a terrible kisser. Babe, you're so much better than this Gabriella chick. You haven't even seen her, Gia rolled her eyes. Take a picture, Daisy said. Show me all of these hoes who are messing with my gigi girl. I can't go around taking pictures of Gabriella and Daniel, Gia's fingers moved fast and swift over her screen. It's a party! Daisy wrote. Pretend you're taking a picture of everyone. Wanting to know if Gabriella was prettier than her to ease some of the disappointment she was feeling, Gia set off in search of the girl and that good for nothing boyfriend of hers. She knew there was a good chance they were all upstairs but Gia didn't want to go up just yet. She needed a good excuse in case they caught her. So instead, she roamed around the halls and backyard once again to see if maybe she could catch a glimpse of them somewhere. "Gia?" Startled, Gia turned to find Daniel's best friend stepping out from behind one of the large shrubs in the yard with a half finished cigarette in his hand. "Dino," Gia took a step back to avoid the smoke getting in her hair. "Hey." "Nice dress," Dino said, taking a puff of his cigarette. "When did you get here?" "Thanks," Gia looked down at herself and smoothed down her dress. "About an hour ago." "Oh yeah?" Dino coughed. "How come I didn't see you upstairs? We've all been hanging out up there." Gia followed Dino's gaze to the second floor balcony across the yard on the other side of the pool. Her heart jumped into her throat as she realized Daniel was there, staring back at them in the lawn. "Oh....I..." Gia swallowed and looked away. She turned towards Dino and shrugged, "I didn't know everyone was up there." "That sucks," Dino dropped his cigarette and stepped on it to put it out. "You taking AP Bio next year?" "Yeah," Gia nodded. "Nice," Dino smiled. "Me too. You know sometimes I forget we go to the same school back in New York." "Me too," Gia lied. She never forgot. "It sucks that Daniel and Gabriella are not there," Dino said. "It would have been cool if we all went to school together and then came here in the summer." "Yeah..." Gia said. "Fun." "So you wanna come upstairs?" "Ah..." Gia looked over her shoulder to the balcony once more and found it empty. "No. I'm fine here. Luca might be looking for me." "Nah," Dino waved his hand. "They'll be fine. Come on." "No," Gia shook her head. "It's really fine." "Come on," Dino insisted, reaching out and taking Gia's hand. "Gabriella snuck a bottle of gin upstairs. We'll have some drinks and play games." "No, Dino," Gia tried to pull her hand back. "I'm really oka-" "Get the fuck off her!" Gia yelped as Daniel pulled her back and shoved Dino into the bushes. "What the hell, man?" Dino stumbled and grabbed one of the lawn chairs before he fell over. "Dude!" "She said no," Daniel stepped forward threateningly. "Didn't you hear her?" "What's your problem?" Dino stepped forward too. Gia's head started spinning as the two boys stood face to face with one another. Her insides shook as she watched Daniel's eyes narrow and his hands open and close into fists. "Gia," Dino looked over Daniel's shoulder to her. "You okay? Are you hurt?" "She's fine, dumb ass," Daniel placed his hand on Dino's chest and pushed him away from Gia. "Leave her alone." "Daniel, stop!" Gia found her voice as Gabriella ran out into the backyard. "Daniel!" She shrieked as Dino shoved Daniel back. "Dude, what the fuck are you doing?" Dino questioned. "I was just talking to her. Gia, tell him!" "Dan-" Gia stepped forward but Daniel ignored her. "I told you to stop fucking talking to her," he said, pulling his hand back and swinging at Dino. "Oh my god!" Gabriella and Gia yelled together as Dino fell backwards with his hand over his nose. "Dino!" Gia ran forward to the boy's side. "Oh my god, are you okay?" "Gia, get away from him," Daniel followed her and grabbed her arm. "Stop!" Gia swung around and pushed Daniel's hand off of herself. "Don't touch me." Rage flared up in Daniel's eyes in the dark. Gia quivered from his gaze as Dino climbed to his feet behind her. He spit out a mouthful of blood before charging forward to throw a punch at Daniel. "No, no, no," Gia grabbed Dino's arm and stepped in between the two. "Dino, stop! Stop it." "Tell him!" Dino pointed to Daniel. "He's the one with the fucking mental issues. I was just talking to her, dude! I wasn't going to fuck her out here in the lawn!" Gia barely had any time to react as Daniel pulled her back to his side and pushed her behind himself before he grabbed Dino by the collar of his shirt. "Say that one more time," Daniel raised his voice. He was much taller than Dino and bigger. Daniel was built like a football player and Dino was no match for him. Gia watched Daniel tower over Dino as he yelled at him to repeat his words. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Daniel snared. "You can't say it to my face, can you?" "Back up, bro," Dino warned. "Back the fuck up." "Boys!" Gia jumped as a tall figure hurried towards them in the dark. She couldn't make out the man's face as he stormed up to the group and separated Dino and Daniel. "What in the hell is going on here?" The man asked. "It's because of her," Gabriella, who had been watching everything from the side, spoke up. She pointed towards Gia and began to cry hysterically. "They're fighting because of her." "Danny!" the tall man growled. He released Dino and grabbed Daniel's shoulder before lightly slapping him as if to wake him up. "What's the matter with you, eh? You gonna pick fights with Dino over some girl?" Gia stood frozen in her spot. She had no idea who the man was or why Gabriella had suddenly thrown her under the bus as if she had any intention of starting a fight. "Look at her," the man grabbed Daniel's face and turned him towards Gia. In the dimly lit yard, their eyes met and Gia felt her heart shrink inside of her chest. "For her? For the Silvano girl?" Gia didn't like the way the man said her name. She felt sick to her stomach as she stared at him standing beside Daniel, holding his face and forcing him to look at Gia. "You're gonna act like a fuckin' fool for her, Danny?" The man laughed. "Get your shit together, boy. It's not fuckin' worth it. She ain't worth it." Every word the man said was like a rock through the window in Gia's heart. She felt her eyes well up with tears as everyone in the yard turned towards her. She wanted to disappear and never come back. She wanted to vanish into thin air. Daniel stared at Gia with a hurricane of emotions in his eyes. He didn't say anything as the first tear rolled down Gia's cheek and she quickly lifted her hand to wipe it away. In the dark, Gia was left speechless as she witnessed Daniel's eyes turn cold and empty. He continued to stare at her for a moment longer before he pushed the man's hand off his face and turned away. "Let's go," he said to Gabriella as he took her hand and headed into the house. "You," the tall man looked at Dino. "Go on inside before your mother sees you like this." Dino lowered his head and complied. He scurried into the house with an apologetic glance towards Gia. "And you, princess," the man turned to Gia, causing her to flinch. "That's a pretty dress."Gia couldn't remember how to speak. She stared up at the man as he pulled out a cigar and held it between his lips. In the dark, she could only see the amber flames of his lighter as he lit his cigar and took a deep inhale of the foul scent. "Some free advice, darling," the man's gaze made Gia's skin itch. "If you're going to make men fight over you, at least wear a shorter dress." Gia immediately felt extremely uncomfortable under the man's gaze. She couldn't make out his face too well as he stood smoking his cigar and looking her up and down. Every muscle in Gia's body told her to run inside and find Luca or her dad. But something had her frozen in her spot. "Go on," the man said after a while. "Get inside." Gia felt as if she had been released from a spell. Her eyes watered once again as she ran as fast as she could into the house and locked herself in one of the bathrooms. __________________________________"It has to be something in the city air," Daisy waved her arms around. "There's no way men can be that stupid." "I know!" Gia plopped down on the armchair that was by the window of the hospital room. "Can you believe him? He thinks I'll listen to him and not date Louis." "Mental," Daisy shook her head. Her blonde hair was pushed into a lopsided bun at the top of her head and her skin was pale and dull from being bound to her hospital room for so long. "Are you going to eat that apple sauce?" Gia asked, pointing to the small container on the bedside table. "No," Daisy said. "Eat it." "Thank you," Gia smiled as she reached for the apple sauce and the spoon. "I can not believe I thought I should go over and say thank you to him." "You need to stop being so stupid," Daisy rubbed her eyes. "Especially when it comes to Daniel. I know you two have history." "There is no history," Gia said casually as she licked the spoon. "It was just a stupid kiss." "A kiss is more than enough for Luca to want his head," Daisy said. "Speaking of the devil. How, why and since when does your brother have my number?" "I gave it to him," Gia held up one finger and then another, "Because he asked for it and he had it since you've been in the hospital." "God," Daisy groaned. "Why, G? Why would you do that? I can't stand him!" "What did he do?" Gia frowned. "I thought he wanted it for emergencies." "He's telling me not to speak to the detectives," Daisy said. "Oh yeah, you can't.""You too?" "Did Luca tell you he'll take care of it?" Gia asked. "Yes." "Then let him handle it," Gia advised. "Don't talk to the detectives." "I was shot!" Daisy laughed in disbelief. "I almost died!" "I know," Gia's heart contracted just thinking about her best friend laying lifeless in her arms. "But trust me, Luca will take care of it." "How?" "I don't really know," Gia said. "And that doesn't bother you?" Daisy arched her brow. "Damn it, Gia! You are a strong independent girl with a brilliant mind yet you let your brother and dad boss you around all the time as if you're some helpless little girl." "What would you have me do?" Gia sighed. "It's always been like that. My family....we're not like other people. I'm just thankful to be here with Carla living a semi-normal life.""You need to stop being so damn scared to rock the boat," Daisy snorted. "Make waves, baby girl! Fuck em up!" "You clearly haven't met my dad," Gia shook her head. "And until you do, you won't get it." "Satellite father who barely shows any affection," Daisy rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. Welcome to the daddy issues club, sweetheart." "It's not that," Gia clicked her tongue. "It is," Daisy said. "You're scared to do what you want because you don't want to upset your father. You think if you do everything right he will finally look at you the same way he looks at Luca." "Wow, look at you," Gia laughed. "Since when are you so insightful of my traumas?" "It's the meds," Daisy shrugged. "I feel woozy and dizzy and on top of that your brother is being a pain in my ass. Tell him to fuck off or I will." "I think you need a nap," Gia rose from the chair and walked over to the bed. "You're getting cranky." "I think so," Daisy pouted. "These meds are on another level." "Lay back," Gia laughed as she tossed the applesauce into the bin and adjusted Gia's pillows." "I think you should call Louis and ask him out to dinner," Daisy said as she pulled the blankets up to her chin. "Yeah?" Gia looked down at the sleepy girl. "Don't let another man boss you around," Daisy said. "Fuck Daniel. If he says you can't date Louis, fuckin' marry the French bitch and show him who's boss." "That's a bit extreme." "Okay, well," Daisy rolled her eyes. "Maybe not marry him but date the shit out of him. Make him a simp for you." "But I don't even like Louis like that," Gia shifted her weight. "I don't want to lead him on." "Then just make Daniel think you like Louis like that," Daisy said. "You just have to mess with his head." "That's not ri-" "Not right?" Daisy arched her brow. "Was it right for him to tell you what to do?" "No?" Gia frowned. "I thought so," Daisy closed her eyes and snuggled into her pillow. "Beat him at his own game, gigi."
How can Gia beat Daniel?
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