This Is Normal

(NFTMB)Chapter 92
Victoria
(This Is Normal)
It’s night now and Grace had left with the promise of coming back to visit me again.
I am excited and can’t wait.
We shared some good stories about our younger days and some good laughs and also remembered many beautiful memories of Simon which we cried to.
It’s been hours but I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Simon is gone now.
So I can’t see him anymore? Wow, life really is cruel.
Amara told me that dinner had been served but I had no appetite for food tonight plus I didn’t want to cross paths with Fabiano again.
At least not tonight.
I don’t have the strength to deal with him twice in a day.
It’s not healthy for me.
That’s why I ultimately decided to stay in here on my own and seeing as it’s quite late in the night and Alessandro isn’t back yet I’ll have to believe he isn’t going to be home today.
One question still rings like a bell in my head and that is actually the reason why I was hoping Alessandro would be back tonight or maybe tomorrow so I could speak to him about what Grace said.
Why would Sebastian forbid her from visiting me at the mansion?
He even went as far as chasing her away last night at the ball when she came to see me.
Was this Alessandro’s plan? Did he instruct Sebastian to do that so he can piss me off? If that was the plan then he aced it because he got me livid now.
Why would he do that? And why does something tell me that maybe Sebastian did all this on his own?
I don’t see Alessandro as the type of person who would involve himself in petty affairs like this.
It just seems so out of character for him to do.
Even the way Sebastian reacted when he saw Grace was quite shady.
He had casually greeted me as usual and said a very normal hello to Grace as if he was meeting her for the first time.
Grace’s jaw was literally on the floor because of how he reacted to her.
She could even swear that he knew her face with how he would pick her out from a crowd as Victoria’s friend and still demand she leaves the premises.
He has no right and no reason to do that to Grace or me.
I will have a word with Alessandro when he returns and then I’ll have a word with Sebastian as well.
With that angry thought in mind I switched off the lights and prepared myself to sleep.
I don’t actually know for how long j has been asleep before I heard the sound of the door.
I don’t know if it’s been minutes or hours because honestly, who’s counting?
Nobody.
But I heard a sound and I immediately sprang into action and switched on the lights.
Don’t blame me.
Ever since I was attacked I’ve learnt to be extra vigilant and always act like every day is on a battlefield.
As soon as I turned on the light and brightness flooded into the room. I saw the intruder hiss before trying to shield their eyes from the light.
“Alessandro?”
“Yeah. It’s me”. He said before standing straight and walking into the room and straight to the bed.
“What are you doing here?”
“I live here, Victoria”. He said as a matter of fact.
“Oh sorry, that’s true. I actually meant what you’re doing here by this time of the night? You’re back rather late”
He attempted to take off his shoes with great difficulty.
“Yes, I had a drink or two with Niccolo and Valentino. And we kind of lost track of time. That’s why I’m back late”
“Are you drunk?”
“No. Yes. Alright maybe a little”
“I’m sorry I can’t help with your laces. It’s difficult to bend now”
“Ah, that’s fine. I wasn’t even expecting you to do that. I just want the baby to be fine”. He successfully pulled the shoe off from his leg and raised it up in the air. “See that? I got it”.
He’s acting strange.
No, he’s acting quite normal but then again normal with Alessandro always seems like strange and abnormal.
He didn’t even think twice about answering my questions.
Normally he would have gone off on me with the, I don’t answer to anyone and I don’t explain myself to anyone thing.
It feels weird but better. Weirdly strange.
“Amara said you didn’t eat dinner”
“Yes. I wasn’t feeling hungry”
“That’s not what I heard though”
I was instantly interested in what he had heard about me and the dinner I missed.
“I heard you put Fabiano in his place today. He met me at the hall as I was about to leave and hurled accusations at you. He said you disrespected him and he wanted me to punish you or rather discipline you”
Instantly fear gripped me at the thought of Alessandro doing Fabiano’s bidding.
“So, are you going to do it?”. I was very nervous.
He chuckled and then proceeded to laugh a full blown hearty laughter.
I was shocked.
Alessandro Rossi was throwing his head back and laughing. So carefree and so amused.
I need to pinch myself and see if this is real.
And so I did. I pinched myself with all my might and instantly regretted it as it stung and hurt like a bitch making me hiss in pain and rub that area to soothe the pain.
“Don’t hurt yourself”
“Sorry”
“Why do you apologize all the fucking time. It can get very annoying, you know?”
“Sorokay”
“And in response to what you asked. Never. I would never hurt you because of Fabiano. I would never do that because whatever you did, I’ll need you to do or again and again so I can see that priceless reaction all over again”
This is a miracle.
It’s very strange to see this side of him.
“Loosen up, Victoria. I don’t bite. At least not this night. We’re known and seen as the bad children by Fabiano now so we better make the most out of this title”. He said before laughing as I joined in too.
“I can’t exactly classify as a child, right?”
“I don’t think so physically. How old are you?”
“Thirty-four. I just turned thirty-four. Too old to be a kid. Can’t exactly be a kid and have a kidsorry, kids”
Wow. Thirty-four? He’s way older than I am.
“Wait, you’re thirty-four?”
“Mhmm. Am I a little too old for you, Victoria?”. He teased me.
“No, it’s good. It’s perfect”
“And you’re twenty-five”. He said with a smile.
“Yes. You know that already”. I said.
“You really can’t fault me for that, you know. It’s kind of the law around here”. He said with a shrug and fell back on the bed after pulling his shirt from his pants.
“I know. Aren’t you going to have a bath?”
“I would but I can’t”
“Why’s that?”
“It’s obvious. I’m tired and kind of drunk. I might just slip and fall if I decide to go in there against all warnings. I don’t want to make you a widow yet.”
A small smile spread across my face at his words.
“I’ll help you with it”. I offered
“Be careful with the help you offer, Victoria. Tomorrow I wake up and I’m suddenly you’re accusing me of abuse. You started this one”
“Can you stop bringing that up all the time?”. I said in embarrassment and anger.
“If you say so. Just don’t wake up in the morning and cry wolf. Or maybe you’ll call me a pervert and a flasher”
“Alessandro, stop that and sit up, let me help you take your clothes off”. I said while kicking him on the leg.
He sat up and slowly shed his clothes before walking into the bathroom while I followed him behind.
The entire bath was very quiet as he hardly said a word and would just keep his eyes closed.
I wonder what happened today that got him all destabilized and turned upside down.
Must be serious.
“Hands up”
I was quite hesitant and nervous to say that seeing he wasn’t someone who listens to instructions.
But surprisingly he did as I asked without complaints or troubles.
“All done”. I said to him once I was done drying his hair.
I went to the bathroom to drop it off there so Amara could collect it when she comes here tomorrow.
“Victoria”
“Yes?”
“Thank you”.
My footsteps halted at his voice and the words he spoke.
I have never heard him say those words to me before or even to anyone.
Is this a permanent change or a temporary change?
Either way I’ll savor it for tonight.
“You’re welcome”.
He nodded before he started to dress up for bed.
I guess this is the moment that I get to say this now.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about”
“I’m all ears”
“My friend, Grace. She came here today”
“Oh…. I see”
He reacted calmly to it which means that it wasn’t him.
He doesn’t seem to care about the fact that Grace was here today.
“Yeah and she told me some things and also said she came here twice including last night but was sent away”
“Really?”. He seemed confused.
“Yes”
“I had no idea”
So, I was right. Alessandro really didn’t give this order.
“She says it was Sebastian who kicked her out of the house both times so I was wondering if it was you”
“I know you think a lot of awful and horrible things about me but maybe stop for once and think. Why the fuck would I stop your friend from visiting you? I’ve got a lot of things on my plate to worry about instead of petty girly conversations.”
“I thought the same as well. I knew it wasn’t you. So why would Sebastian do such a thing? Why would he distance me from my friend?”
“I don’t have the answers right now but I’m sure I will soon. So for the time being please keep away from him for now.” He said.
I’m already planning on doing that. Sebastian is starting to get on my nerves. I just want to yell at him and slap him.
“Noted”
“You can have your friend over. I don’t mind. You’re not a prisoner. You’re my wife.” He clarified.
That’s the first time he’s saying this.
“Thank you”
“God! I’m so tired”. He said in exhaustion.
“She also told me that our friend, Simon is dead”
“What? The guy?”
“Yes. He died in a car crash.”
“Fuck!”
“Yeah. It’s sad. He was laid off for no good reason after years of impeccable service and he had to find a lower job which was far away from where he lived.”
“Shit!”
“He went to and fro everyday while surviving on meager pay till that night when he met his horrible end. He didn’t deserve that. He really didn’t deserve that”. I said in pain.
“I know”. He said softly
“He doesn’t deserve to go like that!”. I felt the tears making an appearance again.
I didn’t know when Alessandro moved from his sitting position on the bed but all I could feel was his warm embrace as he held me tightly.
I sobbed into his chest all over again as he held me tighter and rubbed my back.
“He didn’t deserve that”
“I know”.
Would it be stupid of me to say that I didn’t want this night to end?
That I just wanted to stay wrapped up in Alessandro’s arms?
He was nice and wasn’t yelling at me. He laughed at my words and laughed with me.
This night was normal.
For once in my life I craved normal.
This is normal.
In between my words I heard his voice once more.
“I’m sorry”