Chapter 41 Rosa
ROSA
“NOOO!”
I jolt up in bed, blood stopping in my veins as I hear the deafening scream from outside. Is there a murder happening or what?
I chuckle at how Mateo didn’t even wake up to it; he just continues to sleep peacefully beside me.
I carefully get out of bed without waking him up, then peek outside the hall, noticing other people’s heads popping out from behind the doors.
I tremble when I hear another scream, although it’s about one decibel quieter, thankfully.
I slip out the door and then make my way toward the bride’s room, since I’m guessing that’s where it came from. I knock softly, and then open it when I get the okay to come inside.
“Did you just scream a couple of seconds ago?” I step closer to the bed, seeing that Julie is still lying in bed, her mother rubbing her arm in a soothing way. Oh no. She’s crying.
“I’m the unluckiest woman on Earth,” she mutters between sobs. I sit on the edge of the bed.
“What happened?” I ask, not knowing what else to do, so I just sit there in silence, waiting for her answer.
“I just got my period.” She starts sobbing again, and I let out a sigh.
“Well, that’s a good thing, right? Means that you’re not pregnant. That would be worse.” I crack a smile, trying to cheer her up, but the way she looks at me, I doubt I succeeded.
“We’re trying for a baby,” she says, and I immediately regret being born on this planet. Great. I’m humiliated for the rest of my life. “But that’s not just it. I’ll have to be in a white dress—in a wedding dress all day, and all I’ll do is worry about whether I bled through it or not.”
“Look, I have some pads on me. You’ll shove up a tampon, put in two pads, and I’ll even go out to buy you a period panty if you want. Triple protection,” I say, once again attempting to lift the mood.
“No. I need you more here. I think the two pads and tampon will be okay,” she answers, her breathing calming down at my proposal.
“Okay. Then get out of bed, Julie. It’s your big day. The makeup artist will be here in…38 minutes. I’ll be right back with the pads, and try to calm down, eat something. It’ll be a long day.” She nods, and with another sigh, I step out of the room. Fuck me if I don’t survive this day.
You know what’s good about having multiple women in one place? They’ll help each other no matter what. Doesn’t matter if they don’t get along; if a woman needs something, the others are there to help.
The rest of the day went smoothly, thanks to the power of the female guests; everything fell into place, and Julie didn’t bleed through her wedding dress.
Her dress looked incredible, and she was beautiful in it.
I was even a little jealous. I want to be so loved that one day a man decides he wants to officially spend the rest of our lives together.
Now we’re at the reception, waiting for Julie and Arden to start their first dance. The place is decorated with carnations and light bulbs, the sweet scent of the flowers filling the room. People are murmuring, waiting for the newlyweds.
I let out a big sigh when they appear, anxiousness slowly leaving my body as the night goes on. It’s been a long day, but I can’t complain.
I even got along with Ethel, Julie’s mother. Both of us apologized and decided it’s best that we’re going to be nice to each other from now on. No need to cause any more drama than there already is.
Mateo’s sitting next to me in his perfectly tailored suit; he was getting all the attention today, especially from women. I’m glad they helped make Julie’s big day nice, but I don’t need help with checking out my boyfriend, especially not flirting with him. I do that pretty well.
His hands find mine under the table, intertwining our fingers, then squeezing them. He smiles at me when I look up to him, and that’s all I need to relax.
I find it a little funny how easily he can calm me down, making my anxiety disappear with only a look, but god, he can rile me up even easier.
At the beginning, we were having lots of arguments, we were mad at each other, and while that was fun, it sometimes hurt as well. We both said some hurtful things, and they still linger around us, however much we’d like to forget about them.
Now it’s different. Now we get along—kind of—and we share some banter, but that’s it.
Our job is easier as well, like this, without the constant arguments.
Teo’s reputation is rising again, and apparently, Enzo has some news about Mona’s case, and we’ll hear about it next week when we fly to Monza for the race.
The summer break went by too quickly, just like it always did when we were in school. Good times always go faster, and this was an exceptionally good summer. Yachts, luxury, vacations, and all that for pretending to be in love with a man. I could get used to it, to be honest.
“A big round of applause for the newlywed couple, Mr. and Mrs. Blake!” the best man shouts into the microphone, pulling me out of my thoughts. “And now, we’d like to invite you, guests, please join them for a dance.”
Pretty please kill me. A slow song starts to play, and guests from around us make their way to the dance floor, swaying to the music. I’m not prepared for close proximity with Teo in this mind-blowingly sexy suit. Please God, make him stay put in his even sexier ass.
“Would you like to dance, bruja?” I shiver when I feel him lean close to my ear, his breath tickling my skin. Well, it seems like my prayers have gone unanswered.
I hesitantly nod, taking his hand and letting him lead me to the dance floor. When we reach a free spot, an elderly couple smiles at us, but it’s not helping ease my nervousness. I feel like this will be a new level of intimacy, and even after we’ve slept together, this is new. And new scares me.
He holds our arms up, then slides his other arm around my waist, the movement making me shiver. He pulls me closer, and I lean my head on his shoulder as we start swaying to the slow tune of the music.
I feel a light kiss being planted on the top of my head and immediately smile into his shoulder. Maybe it’s not so bad after all. He continues to keep me close, occasionally rubbing my back.
I could seriously laugh at myself. I have no problem keeping him on his toes, continuing to argue with him while he’s thrusting inside me, but I’m nervous while we’re dancing and he’s holding me close. Get yourself together, Rosalia.
The song suddenly changes, turning into a more active one. Teo loosens his hold on my waist, then, as I stop to look up at him, he just smirks and grabs my wrist to spin me around.
I start laughing because I didn’t expect that, and when I’m at arm’s length, he spins me back to him. He catches me and pulls me close again, the smile fading from my face, turning into a blush from his intense stare.
Our faces are inches away, his eyes constantly flicking back and forth between my eyes and lips. I slide my hand from his arm to his neck, waiting for the moment he gives in and kisses me.
“Rosa.” He pauses, now stopping at my eyes, searching for my consent. I nod, and with a quick movement, he bends me backward, holding me close to him by my waist. If I didn't know he’s strong, I’d be afraid I’d fall, but I know I’m in good hands. “Can I kiss you?”
I blush even more, my smile returning. “Yes.”
And with that, he leans in, capturing my lips in the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had.