Page 31 of Vow to Me
Every month I end up out of commission for a couple of days. I’ve always had bad cramps, according to the doctor I’m just one of those women who get them really bad.
It’s two in the afternoon and I ended up having to come and lie down in bed, figuring I wasn’t going to get much work done today anyways.
I’m flicking through Netflix, trying to find something to watch when the bedroom door flies open, and Luca walks in with a frantic look in his eye.
“Iz? What’s wrong? You never spend time in here during the day,” he says and makes his way over to me.
Last night he must have found me asleep on the couch because I woke up this morning snuggled into his side.
“Stop your stressing, I’m fine. I’ve just got cramps and needed to lie down for a while.”
“Is this normal? Should I call a doctor? Have you taken medicine? What do you need from me baby?” he asks, his tone desperate.
“What I need is for you to calm the hell down, it’s completely normal so don’t you go fucking calling any doctors,” I say sternly, “and why are you here anyway? You’re not normally home during the afternoon.”
“I just wanted to check on you.” He removes his suit jacket and I’m about to ask what he’s doing but he leaves the room before I have chance.
He comes backa couple of minutes later, arms full of snacks and he piles them on the bed before climbing in next to me. He grabs a heat pack from the pile and lifts the blanket so he can place it on my stomach.
“What are you doing? You need to work,” I say to him, completely confused as to why he’s still here.
“My wife is in pain, you’re staying in bed for the rest of the day, and I’m not going back to work. We’re gonna spend the day watching shit on tv while eating snacks, don’t bother arguing because it’s fucking happening,” he says before he kisses my forehead, gets himself comfortable and pulls me closer to him.
“I’ve told you before, I’ll always be here to take care of you.”
We ended up spending the rest of the day in bed, snuggling up under a blanket while watching the latest Marvel movie.
I’ve never been this happy before, and I feel like this is the calm before the storm.
I apply the last of my lipstick and check myself in the mirror one last time. I’m wearing simple black skinny jeans, a pale blue blouse and classic black Louboutin heels with my hair curled and light makeup covering my face.
We’re going to his father’s estate for a family dinner. To say I’m nervous would be a fucking understatement. I’m fine when it’s just me and Luca alone, I feel like I can just be myself, but around others? I’ve been acting a certain way for so long it’s hard to get myself out of that cycle. Luca says I should just be me, but he doesn’t understand what it’s like to suppress yourself for so long around others.
You’ll be fine, Izzy, stop your worrying.
I take a deep breath and walk through the apartment to meet Luca at the elevator. He’s stood waiting for me, wearing one of his usual suits. It’s rare I see him wearing anything else, when he’s in the apartment he’ll wear sweats or shorts, but he never leaves the apartment unless he’s in a suit.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Ready,” I say with a nod.
“You look beautiful,mia regina.They already love you. You’ll be fine.”
He presses a quick kiss to my lips before taking my hand and leading me into the elevator.
Once we’re in the car, Luca places his hand on my thigh as he drives us to his childhood home.
“Have things calmed down since you took out Novikov?” I ask, he doesn’t mention his work much, which I don’t mind—I just don’t like the idea of him being in additional danger.
“Yeah, Muñoz has gone underground to regroup for now, he knows it would be suicide to hit us right now, why? You worried about me?” he says with a raised eyebrow.
“Of course, I am. Who’d give me so many insane orgasms if you were gone?” I tease.
“If another man touches you, I’ll come back from the dead and rearrange his fucking organs. No one, and I mean fucking no one touches what’s mine, Izzy.”
“Relax, no one could replace you. But use that as an incentive to not get yourself killed.”
“No one could replace me, huh?” he says as though he’s joking but I can sense a hint of vulnerability. Is he really worried about that? Surely, he knows no one could mean anything to me like he does.