ONE: There is some kinkery in this chappie, but it's not that bad.
TWO: The translations are in bold since I'm apparently annoying for putting them at the end.
THREE: I use the Microsoft Translator. I am not Italian, and neither can I speak the language. Forgive me if I am wrong in the translations.
FOUR: We are currently ranked at #5 in General Fiction!!!
FIVE: The picture is of me, since some of you are curious as to what I look like (I am obviously not a smurffette).
I love you guys!!!
READ ON!!! (^^,)
**********
I hate drugs.
I've always hated them, and the fact that Gabi took them, makes you realize just how stupid I was with the woman. I had an even greater hatred for them when they became one of the reasons behind my twin's death.
And now, I had yet another reason to hate them.
The word awkward doesn't even begin to describe what was currently being felt in the house. We'd just come back from seeing the girls off to the Caribbean, something that they apparently don't mind, and now I was faced with people who didn't want to talk to me, or each other.
I'd apparently spilled enough secrets in my intoxicated state to cause this tension.
"Alright, I've had it. I cannot take this anymore," I commented as we all sat in the lounge. I had a sling around my arm.
"You're the one who caused this," my wife mumbled.
"I didn't even mean to. I was high for fucks sake! How is that my fault?" I asked, receiving a glare from her.
Probably for the use of my language.
"Ambrosi, it may have not been your fault, but the secrets you spilled are enough to have us all questioning each other without doing it out loud. We're sorry if we're not keen on entertaining you right now," Marcia told me.
"So what? You're all going to be pissy until how long?" I scoffed.
"How long have you known?" my wife asked me.
I knew exactly what she was referring to.
"Since the day before I left. Katherine came to see a few hours after I'd sent you home. I know that you're angry at me for not telling you sooner, and I wish I could make up an excuse as to why I didn't tell you earlier, but I'd just be making up lies. I didn't tell you because I honestly forgot with everything else that was going on," I admitted.
If there's one thing I know about Aretha, it is that no matter how angry at you she is, she would still prefer that you tell her the truth, no matter how painful the truth may be for her to hear. Lying to her would only make situations worse.
"We're not even going to address any of the other secrets you spilled. Any peace that has to be made, can be made between the parties it pertains to. Right now, I'm more concerned about why you had to leave my best friend alone with no word for so long," Rhonda said.
I was dreading this part.
Being away from my wife and children was the worst thing, but I couldn't risk them getting hurt. I'd rather be shot on every part of my body before I let any harm come to them. I knew my wife would be angry, but I can't say I wasn't angry too, especially when I found out that this could potentially be her fault and not mine.
Either that, or our demons are somewhat connected.
With the more time I spent away, I realized that perhaps the latter thought wasn't so far off. For someone who worked as a Supervising Manager, my wife ended up knowing a whole lot of influential people.
The reality of the situation is that while she and I would love to live in our very rushed 'happy bubble', we do not know each other. We may know the people that we both aspire to be, and the people we bring out of each other, but we don't know each other's pasts, each other's demons.
"Her, and the girls' lives, were in danger, and they still are, but it's something that I figured I could only get to the bottom of with the help of my family," I replied. I consider everyone in the room family, Joel, Katherine and Rhonda included.
"Where's Bee?" Fabius asked me. Now that I was well aware of the fact that my little brother has been in love with my P.A for as long as he's known her, I knew he deserved the truth.
"She's in a coma on life support in one of my safe houses," I replied. The women, save for my wife, gasped.
"What happened?" Joel asked.
"Ambrosi was about to get shot by Celine, but Bianca saw her before she could shoot. Celine fired four shots and Bianca protected Ambrosi by taking all four shots. Ambrosi flew in a medical team to operate on her and she's safe with Sven and three other guys right now," Luigi was the one to explain.
"Will she live?" my little brother asked lowly.
"The doctors said there's a great chance that she will, but they'll need to run tests on her when she wakes up," I replied. He gave me a stiff nod, but it wasn't that hard to tell that he wanted to break something.
And I don't blame him one bit.
When my wife told me that he's in love with her, I could only remember the point she made about how I needed to observe our surroundings. The more that I did, the more that I realized Fabius had been there for Bianca more than I'd realized.
When she wanted to have her baby by herself, he had disagreed, something that they'd fought over for weeks, before she finally did it without him. I could never understand why the whole thing upset him, but now it made sense- he'd wanted to be the one to have a child with her, except he was too chicken to say that out loud.
Nonetheless, he's loved Gio as though he's his own son; another thing that I'd found strange at the time, but that suddenly makes sense. He informed me that he'd been taking care of Gio since I left with Bianca for the States.
"So, why are you wearing a sling?" my little sister asked.
"He was shot by an enemy of mine to prove a point," my wife surprised me by replying.
"Enemy of yours? You have dangerous enemies?" Luigi asked her.
"I have a, complicated past," my wife replied, biting her lip.
"Something you and your husband clearly have in common," Katherine raised an amused eyebrow.
"Was it Eva?" Rhonda looked straight at my wife.
So she knows about this Eva person.
"Yes," my wife sighed.
"You can't go back Rita!" Rhonda said sternly.
"I don't plan to, but if they're coming after my family, then I might have to," my wife argued.
"You're going nowhere," Luigi, Fabius, Joel and I said simultaneously.
"What they mean is that we should evaluate the situation first before we send you off to a past we know nothing about, but that's clearly dangerous," Marcia added.
"Again, it's not something I want to do, but if they're threatening all of you, then I can't have that," my wife said, tears in her eyes. I wrapped my uninjured arm around her shoulder, bringing her into my side.
"Ok, answer this. Is whatever it is illegal?" Katherine asked her older sister.
"It is," my wife nodded.
"Before any of you judge Rita, you'd do well to not forget that she's a good woman who was threatened into being someone she would never choose to be," Rhonda warned.
"We'd never think differently of her. We all love her too much for that," Luigi said strongly.
We were all in agreement with that bit.
"And we're also serious about not letting her go back to whatever life has to do with Eva," I added.
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how dangerous is this Eva person?" Fabius asked.
"On her own, she's probably like a six, but with her boss involved, she's a solid ten," my wife replied.
"And who is her boss?" Marcia asked. Before my wife could reply, a frantic Gerard walked into the lounge.
"What are you doing here?" my wife asked him icily. While we hadn't spoken about the news I'd revealed, it wasn't too hard to tell that she's upset about what she found out.
"I came here as soon as your sister told me that you know the truth," he said, looking guilty already.
"How about we take this to another room?" Katherine suggested.
"We'll still be out here when you come back," Salina smiled as the sisters got up. I was surprised when my wife took my hand in hers.
"I may be mad at you, but I need you if I'm going to get through this," she explained softly.
"Of course mi amore," I kissed her hand before getting up and following her to the study. It's safe to say that the ride up to the study was beyond awkward.
"Twenty three years; you had twenty three years of opportunity to tell me, and yet you never did," my wife said, tears already in her eyes.
"Your mother didn't even know that I'd been in your life that long," Gerard sighed.
"I don't understand," my wife scowled.
"I've been in your life since you were two, that much we both know, but I didn't know that you are my daughter, until I got a call from social services telling me that the mother of my daughter had passed on, and since her husband was the only person she listed as your next guardian, with him gone, I was the person they called. That's how I found out about you," he replied.
"But why? Mum couldn't have possibly been that evil enough to keep me away from you," my wife said, confusion etched on her face.
"It's simple really, as sad as it is to have to tell you. My parents hated your mother wholeheartedly, and they threatened to disown me if I continued the relationship with your mother. She didn't give me the opportunity to make my own choice, and instead made it for me. She left South Africa and went to live with Yvette in Washington. As you know, I only got to know you because of my involvement with your school and the advanced education program that you were enrolled in. I always knew that there was something about you, and a part of you had always reminded me of your mother, which would explain why I was so fond of you. When I found out the truth, I knew that there would never really be a good time to tell it to you. You had just lost five important people to you, and your grandmother warned me against saying anything, so I didn't," he explained.
"She knew?" the first tears left my wife's eyes. I pulled her closer to me as we sat on the couch, with Katherine leaning on the desk, and Gerard stood by the window.
"She found out the same time I did. Yvette had always suspected that you were not Hunter's child. Your siblings were darker than you in complexion since they had a black mother and father, and yet you were lighter. Your mother never told her the identity of your father, insisting that all her children shared a father. We didn't mean to keep this from you. Once you got into the hang of having me around as more than your guardian, we figured that the truth wouldn't change much. When you first called me dad, Yvette knew that a little part of you knew the truth, so we left it at that," he responded.
I could see the truth in my wife's eyes. She'd already shared her suspicions with me. Much like Gerard pointed out, she was lighter than her siblings. She told me that only when she met the girls, and when Gerard made his business proposal to me, did she realize that there was a strong possibility that he is her father, with him wanting her to be taken care of and all.
"Is that why you sought out Raphael?" she asked after a while of silence.
"That was actually my idea," Katherine jumped in.
"It was?" my wife and I asked in confusion.
"Yep! Dad knows I hate everything corporate, and I'm not the rightful heir to Hartley Inc since Aretha is older than me by two years. He'd already told me the truth about my half sister, and while I understood why I could never meet her, I hated her living conditions wholeheartedly. It killed me that I lived a lavish life, while she'd already suffered so much, so I suggested that we look for a suitable candidate to take over Hartley Inc. We searched through hundreds of CEOs, until I remembered reading an article on Raphael. I did some more research, and that's when I found out that the man is basically a mystery to the world, and that he wasn't married. From looking at his attributes, and based on what I already knew about my sister, it was clear that the two were complete opposites. I knew however, that my sister could possibly change him. You may not remember me Aretha, but we actually met, twice. I didn't disclose my last name to you, but I knew just from meeting you that you are a good person who sees the best in people. On the day I was going to suggest the idea to dad, I received new information. I was told that Raphael Maestri actually has children, but again, there was no word of a woman in the picture, so I went ahead and told dad my plan and we worked everything out. We were both hopeful that our plan would work, and it ended up working way better than we would've ever thought," Katherine explained.
I was speechless.
Finding out that this was such an elaborate plan from the get go had me feeling all sorts of emotions, but the negative ones were diminished as soon as I looked into my wife's eyes. This woman is my life, and I couldn't care less how she ended up being mine.
The fact is that she is mine.
"Thank you, to the both of you," I said.
"You're thanking me?" Gerard asked in surprise.
"Yes, I am. While Ari is going to take a while to come to terms with all that she's learnt today, I'll thank you on both our behalves. I thank you Katherine, for coming up with your crazy idea, and for caring about and loving your sister, even if it meant doing so from a distance. I thank you Gerard, for taking care of Ari, even when you yearned to tell her the truth, and for agreeing to Katherine's crazy idea. Because of you both, I have not only found my redemption, but also my last reason, besides my daughters, to truly live. Because of both your love for Ari, I can gladly and graciously say that you have led me to the love of my life, so thank you," I elaborated.
Tears shone in all their eyes. I could see the relief and happiness in Katherine's eyes, the worry and happiness in Gerard's eyes, and the indecision in my wife's eyes. She needed to take this all in, and I hope that Gerard doesn't pressure her.
"I will give you your time and space Aretha, but know that you are my flesh and blood, and I love you no more and no less than I love Katherine. The two of you are my life," Gerard ended on a whisper before turning to walk out of the room.
"Dad," my wife whispered.
He stopped and turned to look at her. It took her a second, before she ran up to hug him. I could see the clear relief in his eyes as he held her. They both needed this. Just like my mother, I could tell that it had killed Gerard to keep this secret from his daughter, but he still loved her as best as he could over the years.
And that has to count for something.
"Take care of her Raphael," Katherine smiled.
"Always," I returned the smile.
Soon after, Katherine left with Gerard, and I was left alone with my wife in the study. She hadn't moved from where she had hugged her father, so I got up and walked over to her. I wrapped my free arm around her waist, settling my chin on top of her head.
"Talk to me cara mia," I sighed.
"I just, I need to forget, even if it's for a little while," she murmured softly.
"Forget?" I asked.
She turned and looked up at me. My biggest fear faced me. I knew that my time away caused her to be tougher as a person, and the emotionless eyes looking back at me told me all I needed to know- she'd perfected shutting herself off.
"Ari, you can't give in," I pleaded.
"Give in to what?" she asked, keeping her stoic expression.
"This new demeanour. I know it's my fault that you've perfected it, but you need to fight it. It's not you," I explained.
"How do I do that?" she asked. For that brief moment, she was fully open to me.
"Any way that you need to, but you have to fight it. I need my wife. I don't need a carbon copy of myself," I caressed her cheek.
"A carbon copy of yourself?" she giggled.
"You know exactly what I mean," I smirked.
"I know, I know. It's just been so tough without you here," she sighed, leaning onto my chest as she wrapped her arms around my waist.
"I know mi amore, and I'm so sorry. I will never leave you again," I promised.
"Even with this danger around us? Are you sure?" she looked up, clearly unsure.
"I can't be away from you. I would die if anything happened to you in my absence," I replied. She looked deep in thought.
"What is it Ari?" I asked.
"I'm just thinking about your offer," she said before biting her lip.
"What offer?" I narrowed my eyes.
"For me to be in control; I never got the chance to last night," she elaborated.
Dio!
All my nerves came alive, with my eyes surely darkening. I was well aware of the offer she was referring to, and the very thought of it had my blood boiling and my veins singing. This woman is a seductress without even trying.
"What about it mia moglie?" I asked, my voice either strained or husky.
I was too turned on to tell the fucking difference.
"Well mia marito, our room is sound proof, and I figure that the longer we take to come down, the sooner our guests will get the message and leave," she purred before trailing kisses on my neck.
"I'm injured," I attempted to bullshit us both. My eyes widened when she cupped my manhood.
"That's why I'm in control," she said before full on kissing me.
It took me a while to realize what was truly happening, and in my defence, it's only because I never thought something like this would ever happen; or at least I didn't think it's something she would ever initiate.
This was her way of dealing, of forgetting. I told her to find another way, and I guess this is it. My pain was forgotten as I took the sling off when we reached our room. She locked the door and I waited for her instructions.
"Anything you want to do, I'm yours," I reassured the last bit of worry in her eyes.
"It's not your disobedience that's bothering me," she scowled.
"Then what is it?" I asked.
"I want to try something, but I don't know if I can carry it through," she sighed.
"You're confusing me," I informed.
"I want to try something that isn't me Raphael. I want to try something I would never dare to try with anyone but you, which I'm not forced into doing," she said seductively.
And it dawned on me.
She wanted to do something out of her comfort zone.
Something kinky.
"What we do together remains in the confines of this room," I assured her. I watched as something passed in her eyes before she stepped up to me.
"Good," she smiled before kissing me.
Our kiss turned heated real fast as she gently pushed me back onto the bed. It wasn't all that long until we were both left in our underwear. I could marvel at the sight that is my extraordinary wife for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.
"Stay here," she said breathlessly before heading to our closet.
I waited patiently, staring at the ceiling, while images of her writhing beneath me plagued my mind, but today, she was in charge, and I would let her be. The thought of being dominated, especially by a woman as shy as my wife, was both thrilling and curiosity inducing.
I felt the fabric go around my eyes, which was unexpected. I lifted my head so that she could tie the blindfold. If I thought that was unexpected, I had another thing coming as she tied my wrists together.
"Obviously I can't tie your hands the way I want to with your wound and all, but this will work just as well," she whispered in my ear.
I reached out to touch her, but she wasn't there. My briefs were pulled down, leaving me stark naked. I felt a tug at my right leg, before it was tied to something. I was curious as to what that something is since our bed isn't a four poster bed, but I'd apparently only find out when my wife is done with me.
"Cara mia?" I said when there was a long while of silence. I didn't get any response.
I lay there, not knowing what to do with myself. She'd managed to tie my hands in a way that I couldn't get myself free, even if I tried. My legs were just as secure, and for the first time in my life, I experienced true sexual frustration.
"Damn woman," I mumbled to myself.
It felt like I was laying there forever. I still couldn't hear her, and the frustration of being tied up wasn't doing me any favours. I only noticed after a while that she'd turned the air conditioning on. I could feel my whole body getting colder, until I finally heard that distinct click.
I thought she would save me, but she instead added to my torture. I could hear her moving around the room, but she wasn't doing anything, or at least not to me. I thought I felt her presence beside my chest, but it was probably just a figment of my frustration.
"Woman," I growled out.
"What is it man?" she giggled.
"You're seriously doing this to me?" I scowled, despite the blindfold. Before she replied, a fabric passed beneath me, and before I knew it, my arms were tied to my chest.
What the hell? Now I'm guaranteed not to touch her.
"It's not fun when someone tortures you, is it?" she asked, the smugness clear in her voice.
"What? When have I ever tortured you?" I asked.
"I guess you're going to have to practice to be silent," she said lowly in my right ear.
"But-"
"You can be quiet when need be," she whispered in my left ear before nipping it.
"That isn't fair. That was pleasurable for us both," I argued.
"And you have no faith in that this will be?" she asked, straddling me. I groaned at the realization that she was now as naked as I was.
"I don't even know what this is going to turn out like," I admitted.
"Then you're going to hate me for this," she giggled. Before I could say anything, earplugs were put into my ears.
I couldn't hear a single thing.
"You have got to be fuc-"
I didn't get to finish as her lips descended on mine, except, she transferred something sweet into my mouth. I'd never tasted the drink before, so I had no idea what it was. She kissed me passionately, and my frustration at being tied up only grew because I couldn't touch her.
I couldn't even hear her.
I felt the unmistakable chill of an ice cube travel from my neck, down my chest, and stopping on my stomach. She did it a second time, starting on the other side of my neck, and I was sure I would go insane.
I had no idea how right I was.
She didn't touch me again for the longest time, and because I couldn't see or hear anything, I was practically an angry, tied up and sexually frustrated man. It's safe to say that that's a bad combo, especially with a man like me.
Sweetness returned to my lips, but this time I knew the taste. It was the distinctive nectar of our favourite shared fruit, strawberry. With the other half of it in my mouth, we bit down on it together, the juices flowing down my chin and onto my neck.
I thought I would convulse when she licked it off. She proceeded to pour something hot onto my bare chest, and I was sure it would leave a mark from how scorching it was. When she proceeded to lick that off too, I knew it had to be chocolate.
Specifically her favourite Belgian chocolate.
She drove me crazy for what seemed like hours, before finally giving in, or at least giving me what I wanted instead of the constant teasing. I was probably harder than I'd ever been in my whole life, and a sense of pride settled within me, knowing that only this woman had the power to make me feel this way.
At some point, I felt a prick in my arm. I didn't know why, until the pain in my shoulder vanished completely. She untied the scarf around my torso, and the tie around my wrists, before taking out the earplugs.
"You're a most evil woman," I commented darkly. I could hear her erratic breathing, which turned into a moan as she settled on me.
"And you are a most evil man. We were meant to be," she said before kissing me.
Not being able to move my legs meant that she still had complete control over this situation, and I was honestly enjoying every moment of it. Our sweat mingled with the stickiness all over my body, and the air conditioning being on finally made sense.
I only wished I could see her.
"Let me see you mi amore. Let me adore your magnificence," I whispered.
Without stopping, she moved to take the blindfold off, and I was worried when I realized that she was crying. With my legs tied up, I could only watch her as she rode all her emotions out, all the way to pure ecstasy.
It was one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching sights I'd witnessed in my life.
Having joined in her rapture, I stroked her hair when she finally collapsed onto my chest. Her breathing was heavy, tears trailing my chest. I let her take all the time that she needed to, and when she was ready, she untied my legs, before settling beside me. I pulled her into my side.
"How do you feel?" I asked her.
"Thoroughly emotionally and physically fucked," she said with a cheeky smile.
"Oh my, did you just swear?" I asked wide eyed.
"I believe I did," she giggled.
"I'm not sure I like this," I frowned.
"Calm down mio caro. I'm not going to suddenly start throwing profanities around. Now that you're back, and after what we just did, I feel like myself again," she blushed.
"What we just did definitely blew my mind," I smirked.
"You're a terrible liar. Even the expressions on your face suggested that you were fighting feeling pleasure and the urge to kill me," she laughed.
I had missed that laugh so much.
"Well, you did torture me way more than I've ever tortured you; something I'll definitely be getting you back for by the way," I pointed out.
"I look forward to it," she purred, eyes darkening.
"Woman," I groaned.
"You're so easy to tease Rafe. How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I'm on top of the world. I feel like the luckiest man alive, though I'm curious to know why you injected me with morphine again," I raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't inject you with as much as Fabius did, and I figured that you were in pain from your frustration. Plus, with you a little high, I can milk it for all it's worth and get some secrets out of you," she said with a devilish smile.
"What is into you today?" I chuckled.
"You think you're the only one who knows sexual frustration? You were away for three weeks mister. Being married to you means you're the only one I can do this with, and with you being aloof, well, you can put two and two together," she huffed. I leaned in and kissed her softly.
"I'm sorry I left you behind Ari," I said, just as softly.
"I know you are mi amore. It was just a lot to handle. To top it off, you come back and spill the biggest secret of my life," she smiled sadly.
"How do you feel about that actually?" I asked.
"I'm not mad at him. He's been there my whole life, and like you told me about Anita, I feel exactly the same about him. A part of me wants to respect my parent's deceased souls, but a bigger part of me, right now, hates them for what they did. My father, or rather Hunter, always treated me a little differently, alienating me almost, and I never understood why, but now that I know the truth, it makes sense. I just feel like I was smart enough to be told much earlier in my life, and it hurts that my mother thought otherwise. The part that infuriates me most is thinking about whether or not she would've ever told me had she not died that day. Gerard has loved me for as long as I can remember, and there were even times when I felt like he loved me more than my parents combined. It just, it all makes perfect sense now," she ended on a whisper.
"I am so sorry cara mia. I wish I had the answers that you seek, but I highly doubt anyone does. You will just have to deal with it, and accept it when you're ready," I offered my piece of advice.
"Was it easy for you to?" she asked.
"Not at all. I'm still dealing with it, but I love my mother, that much I cannot dispute. She has watched over me, loved me, protected me, and raised me all my life, and one mistake cannot erase such a powerful love. My father is the one I'm having a harder time dealing with having to accept, but I promised my mother I would try, and so I will," I sighed. She was quiet for a while, tracing patterns on my chest.
"Let's invite them over for dinner," she suggested.
"Who exactly?" I asked.
"Anita, Raoul, Katherine and my father. They're the only four people we haven't truly bonded with as our family members," she replied.
"It's not a bad idea, but how will we get my father here. He wasn't exactly all that warm and fuzzy towards us when he was last here," I pointed out.
"That's because Mariya was here. If we can get him to come without her knowledge, then he'll get to prove that he's the man your mother believes him to still be," she countered.
She has a good point.
"Are you calling him, or am I?" I asked.
"It would obviously mean much more if you did," she smiled.
"I was afraid you'd say that," I murmured.
"Be positive caro. Remember what Anita said to you," she caressed my cheek.
"I hate the power you both have on me," I sighed.
"If it counts, we both love you very much," she said, tracing the cut that was still prominent above my eyebrow.
"And I love you just as much," I said before kissing her.
We stayed in bed for the rest of the day, as well as the following day, but I couldn't avoid the phone call to my father, especially since my wife was basically waiting on me to actually do it. I picked up the phone and dialled his number, and I was surprised when he answered on the second ring.
"Ambrosi?" he asked, sounding uncertain.
I can't blame him since I last called him four years ago.
"Sono io," I confirmed. (It's me.)
"Quando tua madre ha detto che si sarebbe chiamata presto, non ci credevo," he admitted. (When your mother said you'd be calling soon, I didn't believe it.)
"Così sai che io so," I stated. (So you know that I know.)
"Che faccio, e so che nessuna quantità di scusarsi con te o tua madre mai si otterrà indietro, ma sono dispiaciuto figlio. Io veramente sono," he said. I'll admit that he sounded sincere. (I do, and I know that no amount of apologizing to you or your mother will ever get you back, but I am sorry son. I truly am.)
"Senti, mia moglie vuole farvi venire a cena, e mi piacerebbe che anche. Saremo noi, con mia madre, suo padre e sua sorella. Alcuni segreti sono stati rivelati sia per noi, e ci piacerebbe legame con la nostra famiglia ritrovata. Pensi che si riesce a farlo senza Mariya sapere affinché possiamo trascorrere tempo con l'uomo che presumibilmente non odiarmi?" I asked. (Look, my wife wants you to come over for dinner, and I'd like that too. It will be us, with my mother, her father and her sister. Some secrets have been revealed to us both, and we'd like to bond with our newfound family. Do you think you can manage to make it without Mariya knowing so that we can spend time with the man who supposedly doesn't hate me?)
"Ne sarei onorato. Io ci sarò. A che ora?" he asked. (I would be honoured. I'll be there. What time?)
"Sette, ma potrebbe per favore arrivate alle sei? Mi piacerebbe davvero capire cosa Mariya ha su di te," I admitted. (Seven, but could you please arrive at six? I'd really love to understand what Mariya has over you.)
"Ti dico solo se mi prometti di non dirlo a tua madre," he sighed. (I'll only tell you if you promise not to tell your mother.)
"Ho promesso, ma non dirmi se non vuoi che aiutavano. Mia madre è ancora innamorato di te, e io farò tutto quello che serve per tornare a lei," I said strongly. (I promise, but don't tell me if you don't want me to help either. My mother is still in love with you, and I will do all it takes to get you back to her.)
"Che è l'unico motivo che io sono disposto ad aprirsi a voi. Tu sei l'unica persona che sarà in grado di aiutarmi. Non ho mai smesso di amare tua madre, e mi piacerebbe conoscere mio figlio. Ho già perso uno," he replied. (That is the only reason I am willing to open up to you. You are the only person who will be able to help me. I have never stopped loving your mother, and I'd like to get to know my son. I already lost one.)
I never once thought about how he must've felt to lose Ralph, even after my mother shared the information that she did with me. It must've been horrible for him to have to pretend that he doesn't care, since that's what I always thought before I knew the truth.
I'm actually growing soft.
"Poi si vedrà più tardi," I said. (Then I will see you later.)
"Più tardi," he agreed before the line went dead. (Later.)
I put the phone down and headed downstairs to look for my beautiful wife. I found her in the kitchen, already slaving away. It was only two in the afternoon, and yet she'd already started getting everything ready for the dinner. Since the sling was back on my arm, I could only wrap one arm around her.
"Cosa stai facendo l'amore della mia vita?" I whispered in her ear. (What are you doing love of my life?)
"Sto volando in cucina mentre sniffava cocaina," she replied sarcastically, eyes closed as she leaned into me. (I am flying in the kitchen while snorting cocaine.)
"Funny, but my question is why are you cooking right now? Our guests are only getting here at seven, which is five hours from now," I reminded.
"I know mio caro, but the beef stew I'm making needs time to cook," she turned to face me.
"Beef stew?" I raised an eyebrow at her.
"I asked your mum for the recipe. It's your dad's favourite meal," she blushed.
She's too adorable.
"You're cooking for my dad?" I teased.
"I want to leave a good impression on the real him. We already got off on the wrong foot. I don't want to screw this up," she rambled.
"Calm down cara mia. If anything, he's going to want to make it up to you, so you're both kissing each other's asses," I chuckled.
"That sounded so wrong," she giggled.
"True, but it's true. I could tell that he's excited to properly and truly meet you, and I'm pretty sure that like everyone else, he's going to love you, so you shouldn't panic so much," I pointed out.
"I'll take your word for it. Did he agree to meeting you earlier?" she asked.
"Us, and yes, he did," I nodded.
"Us?" she scowled.
"You didn't think I was meeting him by myself, did you? My mother I can handle, but I don't think I can deal with him, or at least not without you there. I wont believe anything he has to say, whereas with you there, you'll ask the right questions and put things into perspective for me," I explained.
"You trust me that much?" she smiled.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I am nothing without you? I need you mi amore, now and forever," I caressed her cheek.
"Ti amo Signor Maestri," she smiled.
"Ti amo ancora di più Signora Maestri," I smirked before kissing her.
Since my wife has no chill, she told me that I'm an invalid, and therefore useless to her, so I had one of two options: either stand in the kitchen (out of her way that is) and watch her cook, or go and watch TV.
I chose the former option.
After being away for three weeks, I wanted to know everything that she'd had to deal with in my absence. Since we'd both dealt with the negative emotions, it was easier for her to share the events without her feeling any animosity towards me, and without me feeling any guilt.
I worked on my laptop while we spoke. She'd tell me about something and I'd go and check it out. For someone who was greatly doubted, she handled the company as though she'd been running it from its creation.
She's incredible.
She even managed to clinch three deals that I couldn't, and the three men involved in each of the deals had sent me an email to congratulate me on having such a wonderful and impressive wife. She didn't even know about all the articles that had been written about her in the short space of three weeks.
She had really made her mark in the corporate world.
At five, everything was basically ready. The table had even been set, and since I wasn't allowed to take any more morphine, she figured I'd need the time to get ready. We took a joint shower (which was non-sexual fyi), and she helped me to get clean.
By six, we were both dressed, with her in a simple light pink dress with a white cardigan and matching shoes, while I was dressed in jeans, a shirt and dress shoes. When the doorbell went, it was obvious to see that we were both a little freaked out. We'd already alerted the security team that my father was expected tonight.
"I am astounded that you're even nervous, just so you know," she giggled softly as we headed to the door.
"The little boy in me is yearning for his father Ari," I confessed.
"And you will get him," she smiled before kissing me.
We opened the door and my father was standing on the other side. He had a bottle of wine with him, and he looked as nervous as we were. We opened the door wider to let him in, and it took a while before anyone said anything.
"Good evening Raoul. It's such an honour to have you here with us tonight," my wife broke the silence.
"Good evening Aretha. I'd love to first off apologize for my actions the last time I was here. I disrespected you, and I had no right to behave the way that I did, and I am sorry," he said.
"It's ok Raoul. We know the story, even though we're interested in learning more. For now though, the only thing I want is for you and Raphael to make peace and get to know each other. His happiness is my priority," she replied.
"Ambrosi," he turned to me.
"Padre," I said. (Father.)
"Lei è bella, e posso dire che lei ti ama veramente," he said. (She is beautiful, and I can tell that she truly loves you.)
"Grazie, e davvero," she smiled, taking the bottle from him. I laughed at the stunned expression on his face. (Thank you, and I truly do.)
"She speaks Italian?" he asked.
"Trust me, I was just as surprised to find out," I smiled, remembering the day she first came to The Empire.
It seems like so long ago.
"Well, I truly mean it when I say she's beautiful, and not just on the outside. She radiates an innocence that that other woman just didn't have. She's the kind of woman I always hoped you'd end up with," he said softly.
"She and the girls are my whole world," I sighed.
"I can tell. I am proud of you figlio," he smiled.
"I guess we should go and talk in the study," I cleared my throat.
"Right! Lead the way," he signalled.
I lead the way as instructed and we reached the study. I signalled for him to take a seat, and we sat in silence, awaiting my wife's arrival. She walked in just seconds later, and took her seat beside me. He looked surprised that she was joining us.
"I need her here," I answered his unasked question.
"I understand. I guess I had better get into it then," he sighed.
Here we go.
**********
ELO SMURFLETTES!!!
So, I hope you enjoyed this chappie. It makes me happy to know that you enjoyed the previous chapter as much as you did. It motivated me to get this out to you today.
I'm hoping for the next update to be on Friday, but if I don't make it, then maybe Sunday.
Thank you so much for all your support on this book. Please help to get it to number one. I need the stats to show them to a publisher so that I can get the book its ratings and all.
So, please vote, comment, share, add to your libraries and follow. I truly do love you guys!
Katee (^^,)