Page 13 of His Wicked Obsession
Once I’m dressed, I slowly head out of his room. The hall leading to the stairs is brightly lit with wall sconces. Framed pictures of what I know is his family are spread out evenly down the length. Light hardwood covers the floor, and the dark rugs somehow pull everything together. The masculine tone of their voices guides me down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I find Bria sitting with a steaming cup in her hands.
“Bria,” I sigh, and her head pops up with a gasp as she rushes to her feet.
“Bella!” she cries as I envelop her in my arms. The brothers have stopped talking, and I feel their eyes on us, but I can’t look. I don’t want to.
I want to enjoy holding my twin in my arms, breathing in her fresh scent, and savoring the fact that she’s a completely different woman since meeting Maso. She’s happy and whole, and I love that for her so damn much.
“I was so scared,” she murmurs in my ear, pulling away only long enough to kiss my cheek. “Are you okay?” God, it feels so good to hear her voice—and with more than yes or no answers. Bria has never felt so confident to speak this freely, and I adore it.
“I’m…” I can’t say okay because I don’t think I am. “Here,” I conclude.
Her crest-fallen face indicates that’s not what she wanted to hear, but I can’t lie to Bria; I’ve never been able to. Pushing the loose hair off my face, she holds my cheeks in her hands and rests her forehead against mine.
I clasp her wrists to steady myself when she speaks. “I’m not leaving you again, Bella. No matter where you are, I’m going to be there too.” I hear a growl, and I suspect it’s from Maso because my sister wants to follow me.
Before I can respond, however, Donato says, “It’s a good thing she’s staying here then.” My eyes slide over to him, standing beside his brother, arms crossed and leaning against the counter, a smug smile on his face.
He’s staked his claim.
He’s all but chained me to him.
This man wants to own every piece of me, and who am I to stop him? Especially when it’s what I secretly want as well.
“You can’t promise that,” Bria retorts. “Her home, her husband are on another island. Her life isn’t here.” As the smile on Donato’s face grows, I realize Bria is challenging him. She’s forcing him to lay that claim on me.
“I’m her home. There is nothing and no one else but me.” He’s so confident as he swaggers over to me. Grabbing my hand, he pulls me into his side, and as I melt into him, I realize he’s right. There’s nowhere else I feel as safe as I do than when I’m with him.
“And you’re staying here?” Bria asks carefully as Maso tugs her into his lap when he sits down where she was when I came in.
“Yes.” I close my eyes and listen to Donato’s heart beating as he reassures Bria that we won’t be separated again.
Bella. My heart freezes when I hear the voice.
It can’t be real. It has to be my imagination. Slipping out of Donato’s hold, I feel his eyes on me as I grab a cup and pour myself some coffee. It’s the last thing I need right now, but I have to get myself together. The voice was so soft, it must be a distant memory.
“Bella?” I look up to see everyone staring at me, and I know they probably called my name a few times.
“Yes?” How could I zone out like that?
“Donato was telling us you have an appointment with a great therapist in a few days to truly assess what happened to you and what led you to being at the facility.” I see the worry in my sister’s expressive eyes.
Eyes I see in the mirror every day. I wish I could bring myself to tell them all what they want to hear—that I’m fine. I’d give anything to smile and move on with my life, but there are so many unfinished issues yet to be tackled.
If the voice I’ve heard as real is genuinely in my head, how can I be with anyone, let alone start a family? “Excuse me,” I murmur, placing my cup in the sink and calmly walking out of the room before running to the powder room I passed this morning.
Locking myself in, I turn on the faucet, cupping the cold water in my hands and splashing it on my face once, twice, three times. “Get it together, Bella,” I hiss when I look in the mirror. My usually flawless, tanned skin is splotched with red at my cheeks, and dark circles surround my eyes from lack of sleep and exhaustion.
“Come on, Bella. You aren’t hearing voices again.” My voice cracks because I don’t know if that’s true.
Children of my own.
A loving husband.
My own family.
It’s what I’ve wanted my entire life. Disembodied voices will change all of that. I can’t risk passing off whatever disease this is to someone else. Someone who is a piece of me. I certainly can’t ask a man to stay by my side when I know I’m going crazy.
A soft knock on the door startles me as I contemplate my future. “Bella, let me in.” Donato. I could love him. I do love him, I think. I’ve wanted to with my entire heart and soul since the first second our eyes met.