Maya's Next Step

Part 118

Maya POV

I stood still, my eyes flitting from Carina to Gabriella and back again.

"You can't marry her Carina," Gabriella repeated, dropping her bag and coat on the floor before rushing over to Carina.

I watched silently as Carina held up her hands and took a step back.

"G-Gabri," Carina stuttered awkwardly.

"Carina my love please. Just listen to me," Gabriella begged, not even acknowledging my presence.

"Gabriella you need to leave," Carina said, looking over at me helplessly.

"No no Carina mia tesoro," she said desperately.

I fastened my robe tighter and moved from the corner of the room to stand beside Carina. Wordlessly, I took her hand in mine, the two of us putting up a united front.

"Gabri, I think you should go," Carina repeated.

"Carina I beg you. Please just listen," she said emotionally.

"I'm sorry Maya, I really am but I can't not say my true feelings any longer," she added.

"Carina I know we joke and we fooled around but it was always more. Always so much more to me," Gabriella confessed.

"No no, Gabriella don't. Don't do this," Carina said, attempting to put a stop to this confession.

"I love you Carina. You should be with me, someone who gets you, who knows you inside out, someone who's Italian and can remind you of home," Gabriella blurted out.

"I mean it Gabri, that's enough," Carina angrily said.

"Maya is my home. Maya is my love. Maya is the one I'm marrying," Carina said firmly almost forcefully.

"Maya isn't the one for you, you can't recreate the passion between us,"

"No, no Gabri enough," Carina snapped.

She let go of my hand, her arms flying into the air to match the rage in her voice.

"You cannot just come into my home and say these things. Not to me. Not in front of my fiancé," Carina yelled.

"I'm marrying Maya, I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear but you can't expect me to reciprocate your feelings," Carina added.

"You deserve everything Carina. I can give you that. I can give you what you need," Gabriella cried out.

"Mama?"

"Mommy?"

All of our heads spun in the direction the confused, little voice had just come from.

I mentally sighed that one, Elva had been woken up from her nap and two, she'd walked in on whatever this was.

"It's okay bambina," Carina said, trying and failing to sound calm.

"Come with mommy Elvie," I said, turning my back on Gabriella to take my girl away from this.

I lifted Elva straight up onto my hip and turned quickly to face Carina.

"Get rid of her," I said flatly, not caring in the slightest about my tone towards Gabriella.

"M-mommy," Elva said nervously, not understanding what was going on.

"It's okay El, come help mommy pick what to wear," I said, trying to distract her.

I placed her down on my bed but she jumped off straight away and rushed to the chest of draws.

"I can choose mommy," she said excitedly, already lifting a shirt out.

"Okay, don't forget we're going to the movies," I said playfully, hoping she'd choose something I could actually go out in.

"Mommy why's mama shouting?" Elva asked, turning to look up at me with her big wide eyes.

Carina and Gabriella were now communicating in loud Italian, leaving Elva and I both clueless to the conversation which was probably for the best.

"It's okay Elvie, she's just a little angry with Gabriella," I told her honestly, not seeing the point in hiding the obvious.

"But not with us?" She asked anxiously, holding  my jeans in my hand.

"No Elvie not with us. I bet she'll come back in here soon and give you the biggest hug," I winked, wanting her to remain settled.

"Can mommy have those?" I asked, holding my hand out my jeans.

She nodded and passed them too me.

"Good choice bub," I smiled, happy with my outfit.

I got myself changed and allowed Elva to comb through my hair. Sat on the edge of the bed with Elva stood up behind me, I felt her lean against my back and wrap her arms around my neck.

"I love you mommy," she giggled.

I reached my arm around for her and pulled her across my knee.

"I love you more," I played, tickling her stomach while she laughed loudly.

The laughter stopped abruptly when we heard the appartement door slam.

"G-Gabriella gone?" Elva asked me, leaning against me closely.

"I think so baby," I nodded.

I was about to stand up to go find Carina when our bedroom door opened.

"Mama," Elva said, wriggling out of my arms to get to Carina.

Carina lifted her and sat beside me on the bed, Elva now snuggled in arms.

I silently looked at Carina, asking her with my eyes if she was alright. She nodded firmly, letting me know she was.

"She gone mama?" Elva asked, holding on to Carina's necklace.

"Si bambina, she's gone," Carina assured us both.

"What on earth?" I asked, the disbelief finally hitting me.

"I have no idea bellina," Carina sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm so sorry bella," Carina said, turning slightly to face me.

"Carina you've no need to be sorry. That was unacceptable, she shouldn't have done that," I told her seriously.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"In shock but I am if you are?" I checked.

"I am bellina, I just wasn't expecting any of that," she said honestly. 

"You're not mad?" She asked me, gently running her fingers through Elva's hair.

"Not with you babe, never with you," I assured her.

"I'm really late for meeting Teddy and the girls," Carina sighed defeatedly.

"El come here bubs, let mama freshen up so she can go out,"  I said, holding out my arms.

"Go have fun, forget about what just happened and go celebrate with your friends," I said genuinely.

"Thank you," she mouthed, as Elva climbed into my lap.

"We'll be here when you get home," I said, leaning in to kiss her lovingly.

"Hmm I needed that," she said with a small smile.

"More later," I winked, leading Elva out of our bedroom.

"Come on Elvie, let's get you ready for the movies," I smiled, glad that I was also going to do something to forget about Gabriella.

Authors note.

Again, apologies for the lack of updates. I promise I'm trying to get my shit together 😅💕