42

It could be either, and I understand that.
I haven’t exactly been great.
What was I thinking? I shouldn’t have come here.
But who else was I going to go to?
Who else could look after me?
“I’m sorry, Isabella.”
She says nothing.
“I shouldn’t have left you like I did, but there’s something I needed to do.”
She continues working, painfully silently.
“I had to keep you safe, and I knew it wasn’t something you would want me to do. I knew you’d try and stop me.”
“Hmm, keeping me safe,” she finally replies. “I’ve heard that before.”
I sigh heavily.
“It’s Henry. That man… I know what he’s like. I know how dangerous he is. I never wanted him to get to you, and after the ambush at the cabin, the idea that he might try to again really freaked me out. I know what he’s like and what he can do.”
“Right, I see.”
“Anyway…” I shake my head to myself. “He’s gone now. He’s dead, so we won’t need to panic about him coming after you anymore.”
“Really?”
Isabella takes a step back from me, staring at me like I’ve grown an extra head or something.
“Yeah, I killed him. I know he’s gone.”
Is that a small smile playing on her lips? That’s good. I love her smile.
“Well, if there’s one thing I know for sure, Dominic, it’s that you need to wash. Come on, let’s get you to the bath.”
“Is this your place?”
I’m still a little fuzzy. My head hurts.
My body hurts too.
“Yeah, I couldn’t take you into the clinic. I didn’t want you to get arrested or found or anything, so I brought you back here. I thought it was the best place I could look after you.”
She cares.
That’s what this screams to me.
After everything that we’ve been through, even after me leaving her, she still gives a shit about me.
It’s been a long ass time since someone cared.
As the bath starts running, Isabella helps me to peel my dirty clothing off. It’s hard because everything is sticking to me, especially around my wounds, but Isabella has this magical way of distracting me from the pain.
I think it’s because I can’t stop looking at her.
She really is the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.
“Right, come on. Let’s get you in the tub. Get you clean.”
I wince a few times as I get into the warm water, but as Isabella starts massaging me with her wash cloth, making sure she touches me with love and care, all of that goes.
This might be the most romantic moment of my whole damn life.
Who would have thought it?
“So, things have been happening on my end as well,” she tells me in an innocent tone of voice, which makes my brain shoot back in time. Didn’t she tell me something important while I was out cold?
Unfortunately, I can’t recall what it was.
“I spoke to my father,” she tells me as she strokes a wash cloth gently over my skin. “And it went exactly as I thought it would.”
“Huh?”
I stare up at her, but truth be told, it’s hard to focus on anything other than her soft touch grazing all over my skin. It feels so freaking good.
I love it.
I love her.
“Yeah, the wedding is off. My dad is furious with Risty Falesco Junior, thanks to the recording you got for him. The tension between the Genovese’s and the Falesco’s might be worse than ever, which is concerning, but at least I don’t have to be the bride of the worst man ever.”
She catches my eye and smiles.
“Oh, and I don’t think my father is too happy with Vincenzo either. I don’t know what will happen there.”
Fuck, Vincenzo is going to be in trouble.
But then that might get him off my back.
Fighting with Henry was one thing. Taking on Vincenzo and his band of assholes might be the thing to really get me killed.
Dying is out of the question especially since I’ve finally found the sunshine in my dark and dreary life.
“Are you good?” Isabella asks with a smile. “Shall we get out the bath now? I can make us a coffee. We can sit and have a talk.”
Oh I really hope she might fill in the gaps in my head here.
I want her to tell me what she confessed to me while I was out.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
She helps me out the bath and we head into the kitchen.
It’s warm so I’m quite comfortable in just my towel. Plus I don’t have the strength to get dressed. I feel like me and Isabella are on the precipice of something, and I can’t wait to find out what it is.
I cock my head to one side as I watch Isabella make us coffee.
I can’t help but notice there’s a sweet smile playing on her lips, a content blissfulness plastered across her face.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look like this.
Like she has everything that she wants all in one place.
Is that because of me?
“Hey, Isabella, did you say something to me while I was out?”
I need to know. I can’t hold back any longer.
She smirks.
“I might have told you how I feel, yes.”
My chest warms up with bliss. I can’twaitto hear what she has to say next. She knows how I feel and I need to know if that’s reciprocated.
“Oh, Dominic.” She comes up behind me and loops her arms around my neck. “In case you don’t already know, I am head over heels in love with you. I didn’t know I could be in love like this, especially with someone who abandons me at a gas station…”
“Yeah, I feel fucking awful about that. I’m so sorry.”
She kisses me on the cheek. “I think we can get over it.”
“Thereissomething I need to say though,” she tells me as she loops back around to look me in the eyes. I can see her joy there, and I have to admit it’s infectious. I can feel it swimming through me as well. “It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise since we weren’t exactly careful, but it certainly came as a shock to me.”
I swallow hard.
I knew there was something.
It’s sort of starting to come back to me a little bit now, but I still need her to confirm it.
I have to know for sure.
“I’m pregnant, Dominic. Having your baby. Iknowthis isn’t exactly ideal since neither of us really know what’s going to happen next, but since I’ve fallen in love with you, I think we can find a way to make it work.”
“But… your family…”
I don’t mean to panic about that, but of course I’m going to worry about Dimitry Genovese. I would be insane not to.
“Dad already knows. I’ve talked to him. It’s going to be fine.”
Before I can lose myself in any more worry, she grabs my cheeks and kisses me hard. Lovingly too.
I really hope she’s right and that everything will be fine, because I have to admit I really do like the idea of this being my life from here on out.
There’s a reason I’ve fallen for Isabella, and I’m sure it’s because we’re meant to be.
I’m going to have to face Dimitry Genovese now, and hope that he doesn’t kill me.
But if it all works out, then it’ll definitely be worth it for the happy ever after that me and Isabella could have.