26. Chapter 26 - Diego
Day one of the festivities is complete. Honestly—thank fuck. A few stragglers are down at the beach, coupled off and stargazing. Madison has kept her distance from me. Intentionally or not, it’s concerning me. The logical part of my brain knows she feels bad for participating in the drama at her best friend’s bachelorette. The part only she drudges up from the depths of my blackened soul, fears she could be having second thoughts. It took everything in me not to react the way I initially felt walking into that cabana and seeing the two of them holding each other.
Liam and I have had a decent friendship this past year. I wouldn’t say we are able to confide in each other about anything, but we share a mutual respect. At least I thought we did… tonight proved he isn’t willing to stop himself when it comes to Madison. Typically, I’m not the type to be fazed by jealousy or insecurities. A real take it or leave it kind of man. Seeing Madison in distress over her ex, and her thinking she was to blame for all the drama between them, had stirred the monsters inside of me. They wanted to obliterate anyone or anything hurting her—including Liam. He was a fucking prick tonight.
I will say, hearing my woman choose me had me feeling all sorts of elated. Yet, this nagging feeling she is still unsure keeps digging its claws into me. Her distance speaks volumes.
We parted from the cabana and went right to the crowd. A few raunchy games and a lot more drinking led to sloppy kisses—but they were brief. It was as if she was afraid to show any PDA. Far from how we were at the beginning of the evening. She was ravenous, wild, and one hundred percent mine. Now, I’m not so sure that’s true. Her words say she is all mine, her actions… they confuse the fuck out of me. This is exactly why I never did relationships. If you keep the lines drawn in bold, no feelings get involved.
With Madison, every fucking red line is crossed. Hell, every red line is sprinted over with no desire to stop. I’d do anything for her. There is no fucking line, barricade, or obstacle I wouldn’t cross for her. Which is why I am standing here in the small end of the pool nursing an espresso and sobering up. If we are going to talk later, I want to do it free of the influence of alcohol.
Can’t say the same for my wife.
She’s still banging back shots with Lexi at the Tiki Bar.
Adorable . When she lets loose like this, all her worries are saved for another day.
She’s currently sensually swaying her hips to the music. Her dark violet curls are wavy from the salt in the air. They touch the top of her ass as she leans her head back. Manicured fingers clasp her drink which is extended above her. Lexi and my wife dance parallel to each other, enjoying the company but vibing independently. Lost in their own minds and the music.
It’s moments like this that remind me just how young she still is. How in the short time she’s known all of us, she’s had to mature in ways most wouldn’t. As much as that makes me proud as hell to have the privilege of seeing that transformation, it breaks me, knowing she won’t always experience this.
As if she could sense me staring at her, she opens her eyes and locks in on me. A radiant smile spreads across her face as she places her drink down and hugs her best friend. Madison takes a few steps my way before stopping abruptly. What is she doing? I watch in amusement as she turns around and steals the sombrero they used for drinking games off of Lexi’s head.
I expect her to stumble her way over here. Surprising me as always, she makes a running start. The sombrero flutters in the wind atop her head. Fully clothed, she jumps in, sinking beneath the cool water. I’m soaked, my espresso now blending with the salt water. I toss the cup to the side as my wife resurfaces. She is radiant. Her hair is slicked back, makeup pretty much intact, minus some smudged mascara. The look on her face has me cracking a smile. A confused chuckle leaves my lips as she plops the wet sombrero back on her head.
She leans in to whisper, placing a hand beside her lips like she is telling me a secret. “Can I have your wedding band, please?”
I raise an eyebrow, but am starting to catch on. So, I play along. I remove my ring and place it in her cupped palm that’s waiting before me.
She tugs my left hand forward and slides the ring back onto my finger. Her fingers linger there, playing with the metal as she looks up at me. I inhale a breath. She’s always stunning, but right now? It’s like I am peering directly into her soul.
And it’s fucking breathtaking.
“Diego De La Cruz. I once stood like this with you in your swimming pool as you proposed to me. Well… technically… you told me I was marrying you.” Her voice is captivating. There is a hint of lust and bit of frogginess from all the singing and drinking.
I laugh at her memory of that day and rub the mascara from underneath her eyes with my free hand.
“I’m sorry about everything that’s happened in the last year. Especially these last few months. Tonight was exceptionally awful. I doubted myself for a while, wondering if I can be the woman you deserve or if my past was going to affect our future together. I spiraled, questioning my worth. Questioning if you were the next victim on my list of people I left destroyed. That’s why I was distant.”
“Baby, I don’t think that about you.”
She places her finger over my lips to hush me. “I don’t want to live my life without you. I once told you I could give you my heart but not my soul. I was wrong… Because you are my soul. Without it, I’d be an empty vessel, always wandering until I found it again. Found you again. Since I met you, you have helped me become the strongest version of myself. I have truly discovered who I am. Liam made me question pieces of myself. You make me figure it out on my own, always encouraging me and stepping in when I need it. Please . Please tell me I didn’t fuck this up. Please tell me you’ll marry me again. I love you, Ocean Eyes .” She takes the damn hat off, frisbeeing it to the deep end.
Filled with an abundance of emotion, I pull her face to mine and kiss the hell out of her. Her little surprised yelp has my back vibrating with laughter. This perfect woman makes me feel so full, so happy. So incredibly loved.
“Yes, Mariposita . I’ll marry you again. I never doubted you. I may have felt insecure tonight, definitely a little worried. But I never questioned your worth or if you still loved me. From the moment I chained you up in that cell and you gave me your trust, I knew that we were something more.”
That playful eyebrow of hers arches and her eyes light with the memories of that day. She enjoyed it. That was the start of our budding attraction.
I kiss her again, stealing her breath away. We are both left panting. Goosebumps coat Madison’s slick skin. Time for bed. Guiding her out, I wrap a towel around her and rub her arms to warm her up.
Madison breaks out giggling. I tilt my head to figure out why as she nods towards the sombrero floating in the center of the pool. “I’ll never look at oversized hats the same way again.”
“Let’s get dried off. Tomorrow is a new day. And I heard through the grapevine you have an early morning?” I ask it as a question because I have no clue what they are up to. I caught a glimpse of Madison’s spread sheet on our bedroom desk. 8-11 AM is blocked out, highlighted, and has a purple devil emoji sticker next to it.
We ascend my private staircase to the master balcony. “Yeah…That one is a surprise.”
Cryptic little thing.
I slide the glass door open, letting her enter before me. “I could always find a way to retrieve that information.”
She swivels her head on her neck to look at me over her shoulder. “That actually sounds fun. I can promise you this—you will benefit from this surprise…”
“That so?” I rasp, pulling her to me by her towel.
“Mhm.”
Her mouth is only inches from mine. When I lower my head to claim those delicious lips, she inhales sharply and bolts from the room towards the en suite.
Gagging travels my way and I know she’s hugging the porcelain. I follow her in. Her towel is dropped at her knees and she’s clinging to the bowl.
“Ugh, Diego. Get out of here. I don’t want you seeing me like this,” she groans with embarrassment.
“Sweetheart, I’ve seen it all. Your bodily functions will never make me disgusted with you. Let me help,” I encourage as I approach her.
She responds by handing me her rubberband off her wrist. I collect her violet hair into a bun and secure it with the rubberband she offered.
The palm of my hand rubs gentle circles around her back as she continues to empty the contents of her stomach .
“Did you eat tonight?” I ask concerned as she continues to gag but nothing comes out. That has to be the worst feeling in the world.
“I didn’t really get a chance,” she says shakily.
“Christ, Madison. First, let’s get you cleaned up and in bed. Then I’m going to grab you some food.”
She stands, stripping off her wet clothes. Snagging her toothbrush from the holder, she enters the shower. “I’m alright now, Ocean Eyes .”
“Okay…” I say hesitantly. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. If you feel dizzy, sit down. I don’t need you cracking your head open.” The sternness in my voice has her rolling her eyes. The sass on this woman. Madison shakes her head back and forth in awe, insinuating I am being doting.
Which, I guess I am.
I adore this woman.
My wife.
I enter my kitchen expecting it to be closed up for the night. All the lights are on. Pots and pans are on the stove. Containers and food are scattered across the surfaces of the counters. Strange .
My chef isn’t expected here until tomorrow morning. Lainey and her are collaborating on the catering for this weekend.
Speak of the devil…Lainey comes out of the pantry, looking frazzled. Boxes of food and ingredients are stacked high, obscuring her view of me.
Excellent .
With deliberately quiet steps, I pad over to her, grabbing a few items off the top of her pile.
“Need a hand with these?” I boom, causing her to drop and fumble a few of them .
“Dddiego! I didn’t see you there. Can I help you with something?” she stutters, lowering her supplies to the island.
Perfect. She should be on edge around me.
“Well…for starters, I need you to make my wife something to help cure her hangover. Except, I don’t think I trust you not to poison it…” I start to circle the island, playing with my prey.
“I…I would never . Tonight had nothing to do with Madison. I was mad at Liam.”
“ Liar .” I smack my palm down onto the granite. Lainey jumps, clearly afraid of me.
Good .
“This will be your one and only warning. Speak to or about my wife the way you did earlier, and you will no longer be able to use that sharp tongue of yours. I know you grew up in this life, so you know I don’t play around. I especially don’t play around when it comes to Madison.”
A lone tear drips down her cheek as she toughens her skin. Straightening her spine she looks at me. “You are all blind. Liam included. That’s all I’m going to say. I will bite my tongue moving forward.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Bite your tongue, Lainey or you won’t have one. It is very simple.”
She nods silently, moving toward the blender. With her back to me she says, “I can make her a smoothie that will help her with the hangover.”
Leaning back against the counter by the sink, I cross my arms and ankles, watching her every move. I don’t trust her, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. If Liam and her reunite, I don’t want bad blood between us. Not everyone handles jealousy maturely.
“ Fantastic ,” I drawl.