Love Makes Blind

Ana had no idea what had brought here to the little village in Italy. Yes, she had been backpacking through the country, but she hadn’t planned to go to this place, Parghelia. The sun was about to rise on the blue, cloud free sky as she walked down the sleepy street. The only people she saw were the ones that had to work; the fishermen, the old couple that owned the tavern.

No one noticed Ana, with her long black hair tied up with a leather strap. She wore a blue short shorts and a black tank top. Her backpack was big and heavy, but that was no problem for her strong back. She was wondering if this town had any hotels; she could use a shower and it had been a long time since she had slept in a bed.

It could be a sign, if Ana had believed in signs and fate and so on, she thought it was more a coincidence. She stopped and looked up at the house, it was more like a mansion, but it was still modest looking. But what caught her eye was the plate with text nailed into the wall next to the door ‘Rooms.’. A bed and breakfast.

Ana had stayed at a few B&B’s before, but none of them had looked this good. She walked up to the door and knocked even if it was still in the early hours. The house was dead silence but Ana didn’t care as she pounded her fist against the door again. She heard someone call something in Italian and rushing to the door. The door was unlocked before opened and Ana came face to chest with a tall man wearing only a pair of boxers.

Her mouth hung open but she quickly closed it when he said something.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand Italian.” She said when she got a grip over herself and looked up at his face, that was even better looking than his chest, if that was possible.

“Sorry.” He mumbled and tried to wipe the sleep out of his eyes. “What can I help you with?”
She smiled a little at him. “I want to rent a room.”
“Of course.” He sighed and looked over his shoulder. “It is usually the owner that rent out the rooms but I don’t want to wake her. Just come one in I’ll show you to a room, you can talk with Elia later.”
“Are you renting a room as well?” Ana asked him.
“Yeah, but it’s permanent.” He said and walked ahead of her upstairs.

He stopped outside a door and opened to see if the room was cleaned. He stepped out of the way when he saw it was clear.
Ana stopped in the doorway and looked at him. “I’m Ana by the way.”
He shook her hand. “Matteo.”

When their hands touched and Matteo locked his eyes with Ana’s dark brown world, his world stopped. Her innocent smile and evident beauty made him speechless. She was young, he noticed.
“Aren’t you a little young to be traveling on your own?” he managed to ask her.
Ana shrugged and started closing the door with a smile adorned on her lips. “I’m eighteen.”
“Breakfast is served at ten o’clock.” He told her before she closed the door and he walked back to his bedroom in a daze.

Ana put down her backpack and looked around the room. A small bed, but it looked comfortable. She walked over to the window and looked out. The view was over the sea. And she could see the white beaches. Ana decided that she would go for a swim later; after she had slept a few hours and eaten whatever breakfast they served.

^^^

The smell of pancakes attacked Ana’s nose when she got dressed after her shower and walked downstairs and searched for the kitchen. The house was gigantic and easy to get lost in. She heard laughter and walked into the room it came from; the kitchen. She spotted Matteo sitting with the kitchen table. And then she saw another man standing in front of the stove flipping pancakes and a woman finding plates in a cabinet and placing them on the table.

Matteo heard someone and turned his head to look who it was, expecting Gina. His eyes widened when he spotted the girl that came earlier, Ana. She was even sexier now when she had had chance to clean up and get fresh clothes. She smiled shyly at him and he returned it.

Elia turned to see why Matteo hadn’t replied to her question and saw him staring at a girl standing in the doorway.
“Excuse me, can I help you?” Elia asked her, a little surprised the girl had just come inside her house without knocking.
“I-” Ana looked at Matteo for help.
“This is Ana. She came earlier today and wanted to rent a room. I didn’t want to wake you but I hope its okay I gave her a room.” Matteo explained to Elia.
“Oh, of course. Are you hungry Ana?” Elia smiled at her and found a plate for her. “We do have enough pancakes, right Angelo?”
“Yep, I will say so.” Angelo said and eyed the tall stack of pancakes standing in the counter.

Ana smiled and sat down beside Matteo, she noticed there was something about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly. Angelo placed the pancakes in the middle of the table and they ate in silence for a few minutes.
“Where are you from?” Angelo asked Ana.
“America.” She said and started on her third pancake; Ana had a good appetite.
“Really? I just moved back here from Washington two months ago.” Elia smiled at her.

Matteo asked Ana to come with them to the beach, and she accepted since she was going anyway. Matteo was really kind to her; but she wanted to know what was different with him.
Ana noticed Elia had three long scars over her right rib-cage.
“How did you get those scars?” Ana asked Elia, being the straight forward girl she was.

Elia glanced at Matteo quickly. He hated himself more every time he saw Elia’s scar and he couldn’t comprehend how she had forgiven him and why she let him love in her house.
“A wolf attacked me.” Elia said; her voice was strong.
“Wow, where did it happen?” Ana asked and looked a little closer at them.
Elia looked over at Matteo again before she spoke, this time Ana noticed.
“Right here at this beach.”

It clicked in Ana’s head. No wolf had big enough paws to make that big scar. But a- Ana felt scared suddenly and rushed away from Matteo and Elia and out in the waves. She dove under them and tried to push away the fear. She wasn’t afraid of anything, and she couldn’t be sure she was right either.

Matteo ran after Ana and grabbed her shoulder underwater and pulled her back up.
“What do you know?” He asked her and held her up by her shoulders.
Ana stared up at him with big, scared eyes. “I know.”
“What do you know, Ana?” he asked again and loosened his grip a little.
“I know what you are, and I know what I am.” She said to him. “Why did you hurt her?”
“It was before I had any control. I won’t let you be with me if you are afraid of me.” Matteo said and placed her on her feet again.
“You can only hurt me by leaving me.”
Matteo took her face between his hands and kissed her lips slowly.

“You’ll never guess what happened.” Angelo said with a smile as he sat next to Elia on the sand.
Elia was staring at the place where Matteo stood kissing Ana.
She shook her head slowly. “Will he stop hating himself now?”
Angelo took a hold of Elia’s hand. “He will never do that, but she will help him.”

Elia smiled out at them before closing her eyes and let her own misery boil inside her.