Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
“You know, for someone who just got married, you look fucking miserable. I thought CJ was the one thing in the world you wanted most, Daniella? Your words.” My dad sits down beside me on the sofa. I found a living room after running from CJ’s bedroom.
“His mother hates me,” I tell my dad.
“Anyone who hates you, baby girl, doesn’t have an ounce of intelligence in their brain.” Dad pulls me against him. I feel his lips press onto the top of my head.
“You have a biased opinion.”
“My opinion is the only one that matters,” he says.
“What if I made a mistake?” I whisper.
“What mistake would that be?”
“Getting married so soon.”
“As much as I want to be selfish and tell you that you made a mistake and should come home with me now and forget all this ever happened…” My dad pauses. “…you went for what makes you happy, Daniella. That is never a mistake.”
“But you weren’t there. Mum wasn’t there. Rosie and Aurelio. This isn’t how people are supposed to get married.”
“If you want a big wedding, I’ll throw you a big wedding. But a marriage isn’t about anyone else, Daniella. Your marriage is about you and CJ. No one else,” Dad says.
“Not even you?”
“Unfortunately, not even me. But if he ever hurts you, I will very much make it about me.”
“What if I’m not enough? And in five, ten years’ time, he decides he wants what I can’t give him?”
“Then I’ll kill him.” Dad shrugs.
“I’m serious, Dad.”
“I know, but I don’t think you will ever not be enough for him, Daniella. I’m guessing you told him.”
“I did.”
“And what’d he say?”
“That he didn’t care, that he loved me.”
“Then you need to listen to that and not the voice inside your head.”
“It’s not that easy,” I mumble, leaning closer to his chest.
My dad tightens his arms around me. “You know, if you really do want kids, say the word and I’ll make it happen. I will get you a baby, Daniella.”
“You’re not stealing me a baby, Dad.” I slap his chest.
“I wouldn’t be stealing it. I’d be buying it. Different things.”
I sit up and glare at him. “Sometimes I worry about your soul. You know your morals are very corrupt.”
My dad smirks at me. “There is no line I wouldn’t cross for you.”
“Where is Mum? I thought she’d come with you?”
“She’s on her way, with Aurelio and Rosie.”
“They’re all coming here?” My eyes widen.
“Yes.”
“Shit. I should ask CJ. This isn’t my apartment, Dad. They can’t just drop in,” I say. “And he’s sick. I really should be in there with him. First day of being a wife and I already suck at it.”
“This is your apartment, Dani, and your family can just drop in.” CJ’s voice has my head snapping to the entryway.
“What the bloody hell are you doing out of bed?” I jump up from the sofa, my voice rising with each step I take towards my husband.
“Looking for my wife,” he says, leaning against the wall.
“You didn’t think to just yell out?” I ask him.
“I’ll make your coffee. Give him hell, baby girl,” Dad says, walking past me and leaving us alone.
“You need to be in bed. Jesus, CJ, you’re hooked up to an IV and just walking around like you’re not freaking sick as a dog.” I wrap my arm around his waist. “Let’s go. Back to bed.”
“Mmm, I thought you’d never ask.” He winks at me.
“Seriously? My dad is here,” I hiss.
CJ shrugs as if he doesn’t care who hears him. When I get him back into the bed, he grabs on to my hand. “Don’t leave.”
I frown. “I was just going to get you something to eat.”
“I don’t need food. Besides, Ma’s bringing lasagna.” He smiles. “I need you to stay here, with me. Where I can see you.”
“Why?”
“I just want to be able to see you. So I know you’re still here. Also, I like looking at beautiful things, and nothing is more beautiful than you are.”
“Smooth.” I smile. It’s my fault he thinks I’m going to leave. I did this to us. Which is why I don’t mention it. Instead, I climb over him and settle in beside him. “I won’t leave the room.”
“Thank you.”
“CJ?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you really think we’re going to be able to make this work? Us? I broke us really bad. What if we can’t come back from that?”
“We’re going to work, because I’m not going to give up on us, Dani. I did that once, and I shouldn’t have. You didn’t break us. We both played a part in that.”
“It was me. I left. You didn’t do anything.”
“I didn’t chase you.”
“I didn’t want you to.”
“I know and I wanted to respect what you wanted. But I should have done what I wanted and just kidnapped you and kept you until you developed Stockholm and decided you couldn’t live without me.”
“Huh, you really had that thought out, didn’t you?”
“I had a hundred different ways of taking you, a hundred different locations scoped out where no one would find us.”
“I would have found her.” Dad walks into CJ’s bedroom with a mug in his hand.
“Dad!” I swear my family knows no boundaries.
“What?” he asks. “I got your coffee.”
“Thank you.” I take the cup from his hand.
“Also, your mother is here,” Dad says.
“Well, at least she has boundaries and doesn’t just walk into people’s bedrooms.” I roll my eyes.
“She can come in here.” CJ reaches over and takes hold of my hand. A move my father follows with his eyes before he stares at my face, looking for any sign that I’m not okay.
“Tell her to come in,” I say. “But the other two can stay out there.”
“The other two?” CJ asks.
“Rosie and Aurelio.”
“They can come in, Dani. It’s your bedroom.”
“It’s your bedroom. And you’re sick. You need to be resting. Not having my family invade your space.”
“Technically, you went and made us all his family too, baby girl.” Dad chuckles. “Welcome to the family, CJ.”
“Why do I get the feeling he’s being sarcastic?” CJ turns to me when my dad leaves the room.
“Because my family is… a lot.”
“I’ve known your family for years, Dani. They’re fine.”
“No, you’ve known them in small, polite segments. Now that you’re family, they won’t hold back.”
“Oh my god! You got married without me there. I’m never going to forgive you!” Rosie yells as she runs into the bedroom.
“Sorry.” I’m not, and the wide smile on my face tells her as much.
“Don’t be. I’ve finally got a brother I like,” Rosie says as she hugs me.
“Rosie, you’re not even the slightest bit funny,” Aurelio tells her. “You.” He points at me. “Should have called me. You got hitched without me, Daniella? Congrats.” My brother pulls me in and kisses the top of my head. Straightening, Aurelio then glares at CJ. “If you hurt her, I will kill you.”
“Aurelio, stop,” I groan.
“I’m serious,” my brother says.
“Noted.” CJ grips my hand tighter and I turn to look at him. “You okay?” he asks.
“Me? I’m not the one with an infection. You all need to get out. My husband needs to sleep.”
“Ugh, that really does not suit you.” My brother shakes his head and slinks back through the door into the hallway. Rosie stands and follows after him. But then my mum knocks on the frame. The polite one of the family.
“Come in,” I tell her.
“How are you feeling?” she asks CJ.
“Good. How are you?”
“Well, my daughter got married without a white dress or her father to walk her down the aisle. So I’m great,” Mum tells him sarcastically.
“Sorry, Mrs. De Bellis.”
“Don’t be. She wouldn’t have gone through with it if it wasn’t what she wanted.” Mum walks over to my side of the bed. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good.”
She stares at me. “Really? Is that why you look like you want to cry?”
“I’m not going to cry,” I insist.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. Dad says he’ll throw us a big wedding,” I tell her.
“In Melbourne,” my mum clarifies. “Are you really okay?”
“I’m just tired,” I tell her.
“You should sleep, both of you.” Mum looks to CJ. “Aiden just got here. Your mother is heating up food for you.”
“Can you tell her to hold it for a bit please?”
“I will. Try to get some rest.” Mum stands and walks out.
“What’s wrong?” CJ asks as soon as we’re alone.
“I’m scared.”
“Of?”
“Myself. What’s going to happen when they all find out, CJ? What is your mother going to think? She already hates me. What’s she going to think when she finds out I can’t give her grandchildren?”
“It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about us or our life, Dani. All that matters is you and me.”
“But I want your family to like me.”
“My mother loves you. Trust me. She’s just a little dramatic sometimes.
It’s the Italian in her.” CJ leans over and presses his lips to mine.
“We might have a bit of work to do together, but we will get there. We’ve already tackled our biggest problem, Dani.
Everything else will just come as it comes. ”
“What was our biggest problem?”
“You weren’t my wife. And now, you are.” CJ smiles wide. I like this version of him. Happy. Content. Easygoing. The man who doesn’t look at me like I stomped on his soul.
“I’m going to be a better wife,” I tell him.
“You’ve been a wife for less than twenty-four hours, Dani, and already you’ve been the best one I’ve ever had.”
“Funny.” I roll my eyes. “We should sleep a little.” I turn onto my side to face him. “Wake me if you need anything.”
“Ditto.”
“CJ, close your eyes and stop watching me.”
I hear his chuckle, but after a while, I can feel his body go lax. Peeking an eye open, I find his have closed, his chest rising softly. Finally, he’s asleep. I don’t dare move, knowing he needs rest to be able to recover better.