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“You can’t be serious.” She laughs at me, and when I think about how close I came to never hearing how pretty it sounds again, I get more of that sick feeling in my stomach.
“Hell, yes, I’m serious. You made me feel as if I was nothing, and what made it worse was the fact that you, and that feisty, little attitude madeeverythinginside me come alive.
After that, I took it upon myself to learn everything about you. Sometimes I even followed you home after you finished school.” I look down at our hands feeling a little humiliated. Admitting how obsessive and pathetic I’ve been isn’t easy, but she needs to know how important she is to me. Maybe then she’ll understand all the selfish thingsI’ve done.
“I’d watch you laugh with your friends from a distance and wish that it was me making you happy,” I explain, looking back up at her and wishing I’d done things differently. “If I was out of town or too busy, I’d have my men follow you to make sure you were safe because I knew your brother was a loose cannon. And Ihatedthe idea of any other man having you.”
“Dario, why didn’t you tell me this?” She’s still looking unconvinced.
“Because I felt stupid.” This time I laugh at myself. “I’d dated plenty of women by that point, but none of them intrigued me the way you did. My father had already tied me up in a marriage with Gabriella and I swear I was going to try and make it work with her. I wanted better for you than this.”
I look at the white gown she’s had to put on as a replacement for her blood-stained clothes. “Then one night I was coming out of a bar in one of your father’s districts and I saw you waiting on a bench on the other side of the street. I didn’t know you were going to be there, it was way past your curfew so I expected you to be at home. It was dark, you looked cold, and all I wanted to do was wrap you up in my jacket and put my arm around you so I could keep you warm. I’d never had those kind of thoughts before. Or cared enough about someone that I’d die to protect them. I started being selfish right at that moment when I went to cross the street–”
“But you didn’t…” she interrupts me, “I never saw you after that first time until our wedding day.”
“Your brother turned up in his car before I’d even stepped off the sidewalk. He started yelling at you for sneaking out and I wanted to break his face. But at the same time, I understood his concerns. That same night, I went home and told my father to call off my marriage to Gabriella.” She stares at me in shock as she takes in what I’m telling.
“Youwanted this?” She checks again, still not grasping it.
“Madalina, Iwantedthismore than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.” I place my hand over the place where she’s growing my two healthy girls and smile. “I wanted it so much that I threatened to walk away from my family if my father didn’t convince yours to give you to me.”
“You could have caused a war,” she whispers.
“You’d have been worth it.” I kiss her lips.
“Wait.” She forces me away. “Dario, this makes no sense. You really hated me. I saw it. Ifeltit.”
“I hated myself. I knew how selfish I was being. I knew that you’d never feel that way for me, but I still took you, because I wanted you. I convinced myself that I could change your feelings toward me, but you made it very clear from the start that you aren't easy to sway. Even then I didn’t care. I wanted to keep you, regardless of all your hatred.” I tuck some of her hair behind her ear. “I was frustrated, and I wanted you to feel some of that frustration too. I guess forcing this marriage on you was just the start of all the selfish things I’ve done.” I look down to where our babies are growing safely inside her and swallow bitterly when I think about how deceptive I became to get them.
“Don’t do that.” She grabs my face and forces me to look back up at her. “Don’t regret what you did.” Her head shakes firmly.
“That's the problem, I don’t. I don’t regret any of it. I’d do it all again. But that day, when we learned that we were having two little girls, it got me thinking about what I’d do to a man if he did what I had to one of them.” I drop my head and let it consume me all over again because the truth is, I’d kill the fucker with my bare hands and piss on his soul.
“I forced all this on you because I wasn’t prepared to not know what it was like to own you, entirely,” I admit.
“Good.” Her words shock me, and when I stare at her andsee how her eyes glisten through her tears, it’s my turn to look confused. “I’mgladyou married me, and I’mgladyou wanted to own me. Because they may not be here yet, but I’m already in love with these little girls.” She leans her head into my hand when I go to brush away her tears. “But just so you know, you could have just asked me on a date. You are kind of hot.” Her lips pick up into a huge smile and we both manage to laugh before I kiss her again.
“I love you, Madalina DeMarco,” I whisper against her lips. “I should have told you that the night I married you, but I was too proud and you were being so?—”
“I love you too,” she blurts the words out before I get a chance to finish. “Now, go find someone to discharge me so you can take me home and show me just how much with that tongue of yours.” She pulls me in close enough to kiss me again and I give her a sample of what's to come when I slip my tongue between her lips and dance it around hers.
“Stay right there. I’ll be back.” I drag myself away from her to go in search of that doctor.
I’m surprised when I see my brother sitting out in the hall, his arms hanging over his knees and his head sagged between them.
“I owe you an apology,” I growl at him. “Thanks for getting them here. Dev said it was you that dragged her out of the car.”
“Are those babies okay?” He looks up at me like a regular concerned uncle would.
“Fine, they’re all fine,” I assure him, and hearing the words out loud again only reminds me of how it could all have been so different.
“She was really scared of losing them. She had no thought for herself. You’ve got yourself a good one there, brother.” He stands up and slaps me on the back before making his way toward the exit.
“Wait…” I call after him, already knowing that I’m going to regret what comes out next. “I’m having a birthday party for her at the house next week. I’m sure she’d like it if you were there.” I keep my eyes on the floor not wanting to give him too much, there's never been any love lost between me and Cassio, we were raised so differently. But today he’s proven just how thick blood can be.
He was there when I needed him, and that's got to count for something.
“Then, I’ll be there,” he assures me with a sad smile, but instead of continuing to walk away, he comes at me.
