21. Clara
Chapter Twenty-One
CLARA
It’s the night of Rosa’s homecoming dance and for the past hour, the upstairs hallway has sounded like the backstage of a Broadway show. Music blasts from speakers in Rosa’s room, and makeup and hair products litter her vanity as Lila and I help her get ready.
I can honestly say I’m having a blast as the three of us crowd in front of the mirror, with Lila and me taking turns fussing over Rosa like we’re prepping her for a red-carpet premiere.
I carried in the mannequin from my sewing room, which is now sitting in the corner wearing Rosa’s dress.
I steamed it and added a few extra beads for good measure.
“Hold still.” I laugh as I pin the last piece of her hair into place.
“I’m trying.” Rosa pouts, though there’s a bright gleam in her eyes, the kind that only comes with anticipation and nerves.
“I want to know more about this Alex guy. You’ve been very secretive about him.”
Rosa shoots me a warning look in the mirror. “Only because I don’t want you guys blabbing to my brothers.”
Lila laughs as she rifles through her makeup bag.
I scoff. “I’m offended that you don’t trust us.”
Rosa groans. “It’s a miracle Andre even let Alex pick me up from the house. I thought he was going to insist that I take Jax as my date because at least he carries a gun.”
Lila chuckles. “That is true. It’s cute how protective he is of you.”
“It is not cute . No other guy will come anywhere near me because of Andre and Marco.”
I smile. “That means this Alex guy has some guts asking you out. Good for him.”
Rosa sighs. “Yeah, well… There’s still time for Marco to scare him off.”
Lila frowns. “Why Marco? I would have thought Andre was the scarier of the two.”
“He might be, but Andre also likes to think things through before he acts. Marco, on the other hand, has the attention span of a French bulldog and is twice as destructive, so Alex wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”
I laugh. “That’s very true.”
Lila chuckles. “Well, if Alex manages to survive the night, I would love to have him over for a family dinner.”
I clap my hands. “Ooh, yes! Then we could triple date.”
Rosa groans, shaking her head. “Oh, my god. I’m starting to miss the days when my brothers were single.”
Lila scoffs. “Rude.”
“Actually, no, I take that back. If they were both still single, I wouldn’t have Holly and Zoe to look after.”
Lila gasps. “And what are Clara and I, chopped liver?”
“That depends on how well you do my eyeliner. You’re better at it than I am.”
Lila narrows her eyes at Rosa before stepping in to take over with the makeup while I stand back to admire the gorgeous dress we finished only days ago.
I still can’t believe that Rosa trusted me to design and make her dress for such a special occasion. Every time I look at it, I get a little choked up.
Because to me, it’s not just a dress. It signifies something so much deeper.
Since finding Marco, I not only gained a partner, but I gained sisters too, because that’s what Lila and Rosa feel like to me.
Because I didn’t grow up with sisters, I never thought I needed them. But spending the evening helping Rosa get ready for her dance, the three of us all laughing and singing to old pop songs, I know I was wrong.
This is what family is supposed to feel like.
When it’s finally time for Rosa to get dressed, a few stray tears slide down my cheeks as I look at her in the dress.
It fits her perfectly, and the rich purple color brings out the golden tones in her skin and makes her eyes sparkle. She looks beautiful, as if she walked right off the page of a fashion magazine.
I brush away my tears. “All right. Final thoughts before we head downstairs?”
Rosa twirls again, beaming. “I think I’m going to give Alex a heart attack.”
“That’s fair,” Lila chuckles as she places a hand on her stomach.
I frown a bit. “How are you feeling?”
There are slight shadows under Lila’s eyes.
She makes a face as she rubs her stomach.
“More tired than usual, and I desperately miss my morning coffee. But other than that, it’s smooth sailing so far.”
Rosa narrows her eyes dramatically. “You’re definitely having another girl.”
Lila smiles. “Honestly, I wouldn’t mind having another girl. Though Andre’s already a drama queen, always complaining he’s outnumbered.”
Rosa beams. “He is. And he better get used to it.”
We’re still laughing when the doorbell rings downstairs, and Rosa’s eyes widen.
“Oh, my god, he’s here! Do I look okay?”
I step back to admire the full picture. “You look perfect.”
Lila holds my hand, hand in her mouth like a proud mama. “Yeah. The poor guy’s never going to recover.”
I add a final spritz of hairspray to Rosa’s hair, and then we head out into the hall.
Marco’s voice echoes up to us from the foyer below. “…no drinking. No kissing. And absolutely no funny business in the parking lot.”
Rosa groans as she grabs the skirt of her dress and hurries downstairs.
I peer over the banister to find Marco standing face-to-face with a lanky teenage boy in a wrinkled suit.
The poor kid looks like he might pass out under the weight of Marco’s death glare, so I hurry to follow Rosa down the stairs to intervene before she ends up spending her homecoming in the ER.
Rosa pushes past him. “Marco, you’re scaring him!”
“That’s the point.” Marco’s eyes are still locked on Alex, who looks about ready to faint. “I know how teenage boys can be.”
Rosa scoffs. “You haven’t been a teenager in almost two decades.”
“How old do you think I am?”
Rosa grabs Alex by the arm and starts pulling him out the door, ignoring Marco completely. “We’re going to be late.”
Alex looks to be completely frozen with panic.
Marco still has his eyes locked on Alex. “I have Enzo chaperoning you, and I’ve got five more men stationed outside the venue. Try anything stupid, and you’ll be explaining yourself to me.”
“Go,” I mouth to Alex, and he nods, his hair falling in his eyes.
Rosa quickly yanks on his arm, and they hurry down the front steps toward the car.
“You so much as blink in the wrong direction, I’ll know about it!” Marco calls out.
“Buzzkill!” Rosa yells over her shoulder.
“I’d rather be a buzzkill than have a dead sister!”
I move to his side and reach for his hand as we watch Rosa and Alex climb into the backseat of the black limousine.
My heart warms as I rest my head against Marco’s shoulder, picturing this exact moment in the future when we’ll be waving Zoe off on the night of her homecoming.
Marco scoffs. “I don’t like this one bit.”
I chuckle. “She’s growing up.”
“Exactly.” He snakes an arm around my waist, pulling me closer against him as we watch the limo drive away.
“I’m surprised Andre didn’t want to give Alex a talking to.”
“Oh, believe me, he wanted to. Lucky for Alex, Andre is in the city on business.”
“Holly and Zoe don’t stand a chance.”
“They’re both going to be nuns, and that’s final.”
I laugh, lifting my head off of Marco’s shoulder.
The moment I do, the warmth in my chest fades, and cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck.
“Clara?” Marco turns to me instantly, his voice laced with concern. “Love, are you okay?”
I nod quickly, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m just…dizzy. I probably didn’t eat enough today.”
Marco frowns. “I’ll cook you something?—”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t think I could eat right now anyway.”
The nausea comes out of nowhere. It’s not enough to make me physically sick. But it is enough to make me uneasy.
A thought flickers in the back of my mind as I rest a hand on my stomach, trying to breathe through it.
Could I be pregnant?
I push the thought aside as quickly as it comes.
I’m being ridiculous. Marco and I might have had a marathon sex session at the Plaza without using protection once, but I’m still breastfeeding, which is almost the same as using contraception.
Right?
“I’m just going to lie down.”
Marco keeps an arm around my waist to support me as we head back up the stairs to our room.
My mouth keeps filling with saliva, and I have to keep stopping every few steps as I fight the urge to vomit.
“Did you eat something bad?”
I shake my head. “I’m not sure.”
The last time I felt nauseous was when I was pregnant with Zoe, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, so I decide to keep my worries to myself before I have all the answers.
Besides, there’s already one pregnant woman in this house.
I’m not sure Andre would be thrilled if there were two pregnant women living under his roof.
Marco leads me into our room. “I’ll get you some water.”
I sit down on the edge of the bed, hoping to get some rest, but the sound of Zoe stirring comes through on the monitor, and I sigh.
“She probably wants a feed.” I reach for the monitor to get a better look.
“Want me to get her?”
Right on cue, Zoe starts whimpering loudly, and Marco laughs.
“I think that’s my answer.”
I settle back against the pillows and unclip my bra as Marco goes to get Zoe.
When he returns, Zoe’s face is wet with tears and the moment she sees me, she starts wailing even louder.
“Come here, sweet girl.” I take Zoe from Marco and settle her in my arms.
The second she latches on to my nipple, the tension in her body melts away.
I gently stroke her dark hair, needing to ground myself from my spiraling thoughts.
Another baby right now would be crazy, e specially considering the fact that we’re currently living with Marco’s family, and I just got accepted for college.
Marco sits down at the side of the bed. “What’s on your mind, Clara?”
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.” I keep my eyes on Zoe.
Marco reaches out to stroke Zoe’s cheek. “Yeah?”
“I love being here with your family… But I think it’s time we started talking about getting our own place. Somewhere for just the three of us.”
Marco is quiet for a moment, so I sneak a glance at him and find his expression almost pained.
He sighs. “You’re right. I want that too, a home of our own. But…”
I frown. “But?”
“I promise you that I will find us the perfect home, but right now…” He pauses, and my stomach sinks at the crease that appears between his eyebrows. “Right now, my priority is making sure you and Zoe are safe. That we are safe.”
I nod slowly, the weight of his answer pressing down on my shoulders.
But as I sit on the bed with Zoe cradled in my arms and Marco beside me, I can’t help but wonder what happens the next time some old enemy of Marco’s climbs out of the woodwork.
Because in this world Marco lives in, there’s always going to be a next time. And I’m not sure I’ll ever truly be ready for it.