Handcuffed Rebel

35. Truly yours

35. Truly yours

One year later
"Mama!" I sighed. What is it now? What else do I have to deal with tonight? I should be relaxing. It was the night before my wedding and I couldn't even relax.

"What's wrong?"

"Lucas is hungry. I wanted to bring him to you but aunt Madeline says I'm not to hold the baby without your permission."

"Aunt Madeline is right."

"But he's my brother." He frowned.

"I know, but we have to wait until he gets bigger before you can hold and carry him."

"Papà lets me hold him all the time."

"Papà isn't here right now," I said tersely. I knew that was the root of my problem. Niko and I never slept apart. He's always there when I fall asleep at nights and when I wake in the morning. I was used to him being there. The fact that we had to sleep apart tonight was what was making me so angry. He got me pregnant on purpose a year before our wedding, made me fat and ugly and then left me to work off all the baby weight for three months. Luckily I was back to my normal size in time for my wedding and fitting into my wedding dress, or else I'd have never forgiven him.

Talon was giving me a disapproving frown. He was six years old now and growing quite well, even if he was a little too opinionated on things around him. I ruffled his hair and he smiled. "Let's go feed your brother."

By the time I got to the nursery I felt a lot better. It was the one place I could escape to for absolute peace. Lucas had quieted down the minute I took him into my arms. I smiled. Lucas De Luca, three and a half months old and his father's pride and joy. He had the same dark hair, same colour eyes, and what I suspect would be similar facial features. My second son looked nothing like me and took nothing at all from me. I was strangely comforted by that.

Normally I would breast feed, but tonight I didn't want to. I didn't want to do it without Niko so a bottle will have to do. I told Talon to go get me a bottle and Madeline came back instead. "He's talking to Niko." I nodded. Madeline had been away for about a year, but as promised she came back for the wedding. She had to. She was my friend maid of honour. Something about her was different though. I couldn't really put my finger on it. She'd stop wearing those hideous glasses and stuck to wearing contacts, the regular kind of course. With those sparkling green eyes of hers she didn't need anything than regular contacts. Her hair had also grown a lot longer than I remembered. It hung down her back in waves. She'd also gotten a tan. She looked like some exotic beauty with her black hair, green eyes and tanned skin.

She never spoke about that night and I never ask. She never speaks about New Zealand either. My head was telling me that a lot of things were going on with her, but if she doesn't volunteer the information I'm not going to ask.

I fed Lucas in silence and burped him before putting him down to sleep. He never stayed awake long once he was fed. I turned to Madeline. "I know this might be hard for you but I have to ask. Will you be okay seeing my brother at the wedding?" She stiffened, but noticing my keen observation she immediately relaxed.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about anything or anyone. Tomorrow is your day."

She was right. Tomorrow is my day. It's the day I've been waiting for forever. I was so nervous I couldn't even sleep. A lot of things happened this past year. I had to struggle to maintain the company here and in America because I didn't want to replace Madeline. I told her whenever she was ready the position would be there. I had to do all that pregnant with Niko's child. Niko travelled a lot also because of the business so we were apart a lot of the time. There were constant arguments and tears but we worked through it. Surprisingly my mother came around. When I told her I was pregnant she packed up and came here. So whenever Niko wasn't here she was.