Chapter 10
ARIA
I wake up this morning, and a wave of exhaustion hits me. It’s so bad I don’t even want to get up, so I just lie in bed for a while longer, hoping my father won’t need anything from me this early in the day.
I contemplate everything that’s going on in my mind.
First, it’s the wedding. Time feels like it’s moving fast, as the wedding preparations continue.
A wedding that I want no part of. Every single day, I pray for a miracle that Salvatore will keel over and die.
It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m still hoping.
The second thing on my mind is obviously Enzo.
He cornered me last night in the bathroom at the restaurant where he had his way with me.
It was the hottest and most explosive experience I’ve had with him so far.
The knowledge that anyone could have banged on the door and found us in there together was thrilling.
It was risky having sex in such a public place, but I have to admit that it was exhilarating, and the most daring thing I’ve ever done in my life. Well, the second most daring thing since the first was giving my virginity to Enzo in the first place.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the whole experience or him.
The man has somehow been stuck in my mind ever since our first meeting.
I’ve never felt an attraction so strong toward anyone else in my life until him.
Maybe it’s because it’s forbidden, since we could never be together due to the rivalry between our families.
Luckily for me, we didn’t get caught, because things would have been very bad for me.
Even knowing that, I couldn’t help myself.
I needed him just as much as he wanted me.
When I finally made it back to my table, Salvatore was still on the phone, but ended the call a few minutes later.
Knowing he would ask, I casually mentioned a stomach ache, letting him know that was why it took a while in the bathroom.
He accepted my explanation, and we resumed dinner. Whew! Dodged the bullet.
Throughout the rest of dinner, though, I couldn’t help stealing secret glances at Enzo with his date and was surprised to see that his eyes were already on me every time I looked.
I could feel his cum slowly leaking out of me, and I squirmed in my seat.
It’s like he knew what I was thinking and doing because when I glanced over at his table again, he had that stupid sexy smirk on his face while staring right at me with smoldering eyes.
Salvatore had captured my attention again and asked if the food was good, and I absently replied that it was.
I was already over this date and him trying to get handsy with me.
I wish I had the balls to run away and not marry him.
But Father has conditioned me so well that I wouldn’t even think of doing something like that, for fear of his retaliation.
And he would retaliate. That I know for sure.
He’d never let me get away with running if I tried.
By the time we left the restaurant that night, my nerves were frazzled, and Salvatore was getting on them.
He took me home, and as soon as the car stopped in the driveway, I hopped out, thanking him for an amazing night while quickly—yet not too obviously—heading for the front door.
I absolutely did not want him trying to kiss me.
Now here I am, the next morning, feeling like death. A moment later, I’m jumping out of my bed as fast as I can, heading straight for the bathroom. I barely make it to the toilet before I’m throwing up what feels like my guts.
Geez! What the hell is wrong with me? This is the second time this week I’ve woken up and felt ill. Just as I’m done washing my mouth and brushing my teeth, Giana steps into my bathroom.
“What’s the matter with you? Are you feeling alright?” she asks with concern in her voice. “Do I even want to know?”
“No, you don’t. And yes, I’m alright. I just think it was that stupid lamb Salvatore ordered for me last night.
I had to eat a few bites of it before he got angry about me not eating with him and all that bullshit.
You know I don’t eat lamb, and that shit was a little bloody, too.
Like, who the hell eats their meat like that? ”
No judgment here, but it’s just not for me.
“Could be food poisoning,” she tells me.
“No idea. But don’t tell Father because then he’d throw a fit and blame me for getting food poisoning when it wasn’t my fault.”
“True. Anyway, I did come in here to let you know breakfast is ready.”
“Thanks,” I tell her, and we head downstairs. Father is already at the table by the time I make it into the dining room.
“Good morning, Father,” I say to him in the politest voice I can muster.
“Morning,” he grunts into his coffee cup, and I don’t bother saying anything else to him as Giana brings in our breakfast. The smell of the meat on my plate makes me instantly nauseous.
Giana gives me a funny look as I pick at the food on my plate before she leaves for the kitchen.
Father and I eat in silence as we usually do until he’s done with his food and speaks again.
“I’m leaving today on a business trip and will be back in a couple of days. ”
“Okay.”
“I expect nothing to go wrong and for you to be on your best behavior while I’m gone.”
“Yes, Father. I know the rules.”
“Do you have plans on going anywhere?”
“Just to the cemetery tomorrow.”
“Make sure you take your guard and Giana with you.”
“I will.”
He gets up and leaves the dining table. I leave the rest of my food on my plate and head back up to my room to throw up again since the bacon really made my stomach sour. Giana walks into my bathroom again while I’m in the middle of throwing up and looks down at me.
“I don’t think it’s food poisoning you’ve got.”
“What? What else would it be?” I ask.
“Are you pregnant?” she questions.
“Huh? Am I what now?”
“Are you pregnant?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re having what definitely looks like pregnancy symptoms. Throwing up in the mornings and the smell of bacon made you look like you were two seconds away from vomiting right on the table,” she tells me.
“No. I just had my period—” I start, but cut myself off because I can’t actually remember when it was. I mean, they were always irregular for Pete’s sake!
“When?”
“Well, I can’t really say. I think it was a while ago…”
“Jesus! I think you have the worst luck in the world if you are. How the hell do you have sex one time and get pregnant? That is if you are.”
“Erm…” I say, and she slaps her palm to her face.
“Please tell me the night of the party was the only time you were with him.”
“Um. I can’t do that.”
“Why not? Please tell me you didn’t have sex with him more than once!” she shrieks quietly.
“Quite a few times, actually,” I mumble.
“Please tell me you had the sense to use condoms the rest of those times you two had sex!” she whispers, yelling at me.
“Nope. But if it makes you feel better, I did take one of the morning-after pills I got from the pharmacy after the first time we did it,” I tell her, and then cringe. “Um, but then remember I was sick for a minute there… Shit! Shit! Shit! This can’t be happening! What am I going to do?”
“Well, let’s not freak out yet. We don’t know anything for sure. It could just be food poisoning, and we’re worried and freaking out for nothing. As soon as your father leaves, I’ll go out and get you a pregnancy test,” she informs me.
“Yeah, okay, and then we’ll know for sure.”
It feels like it takes forever for my father to leave, and when he does, she goes and gets the test for me. I’m on pins and needles as I wait for her to come back. When she finally returns, I quickly grab all five tests from her and rush into the bathroom.
I read the instructions, then pee in a cup, dunk all the tests into it, make sure it’s coated in pee, pull them out, cap it, and leave them all on the counter.
Giana comes in a moment later, and we both stand there and wait.
Well, she does while I pace, waiting for the tests to change.
It doesn’t take long for the pregnant sign to show up on one of them, and I instantly start to freak out.
“Ma-maybe it’s not accurate. Maybe it’s wrong. I can’t be pregnant! Not now.”
“Maybe, but um, I’m not so sure,” she says, pointing to the other four. Two read pregnant and the other two have two pink lines.
“Oh my God! What am I going to do?”
“We have to get you to see a doctor to know for sure before we freak out further.”
“Yeah, that makes perfect sense. You have to sneak me out and take me to the one in Springfield,” I tell her, which is the next town away.
“I’m pretty sure you are, though.”
“Shhh! Don’t put that kind of negativity into the universe!”
“Your father left already, so we’ll leave in about an hour and a half just to make sure he’s not coming back for anything. I’ll let everyone know you’re not to be disturbed because you’re not feeling well. Since no one else is allowed in your room, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Deal,” I tell her, still worried about what I’ll have to deal with if the doctor confirms I am pregnant.
When Giana finally comes back up to get me, we put some pillows under my sheets to make it look like I’m under there, just in case. Then we sneak downstairs and head for her car. Making sure the coast is clear, I slip into her trunk once again, unseen.
Once she’s far enough away from the house, she stops, and I get out of the trunk, move to the passenger seat, and we head to the next town to see the doctor there. I don’t want to risk going to the one here in case my father hears about it.
“Oh, by the way, I made an appointment earlier, so by the time we get there, it should be time to see the doctor, give or take a few minutes,” she tells me.
“That was good thinking. Do you think those tests are wrong?”
“Um, well, five tests can’t be... So, I’m going to say they’re accurate.”