Marriage

"You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry someone you can't live without"

• Baby •

I woke up to an aching back... again... I sat up to see that I was still in my dress
Why was I still in my dress?
I tried to think and that's when last night came back into my head
The dance, me and Vincent...

"I think your perfect...

"You're the only thing that keeps me grounded..."

"I love you.."

My eyes widened as I remembered last nights events
Vincent... loves me...
Wait no... he can't love me... he barely knows me, I barely know him
I had to have dreamt it
But how did I end up in my bed?

Fuck sake
I'm never drinking that much whiskey again.
I rubbed my forehead as my brain started pounding

I pulled myself off the bed and stripped out of my dress, beginning to fill the bath tub, sitting on the edge in my underwear as I watched the water pour out.

"Hey sexy" I snapped my head up to see Rocco stood in my doorway
At this point... my head hurt, my body hurt... he could fuck off
I flipped him off and turned my attention back to my bath.
It's not like he'd get anything out of seeing me in my underwear anyway.

He just laughed at me and shut the door
"Forgot you weren't a morning person" he said as he flopped onto my bed
"Not a drinking person" I countered, holding my head in my hands, willing the pounding feeling to go away.

"Fun night?" He asked, grinning at me
I hummed in response
"Not like you'd know... sneaking off halfway through with your boyfriend" I mumbled, earning a pillow to the face as he threw it at me.

"Well I'm sorry I got some and you didn't" he countered
"Oh ha ha" I said sarcastically
"So... how did last night go?" He asked, he tried to sound casual but I know he was keeping something from me

"Fine" I got up to get my body soap from the vanity, pouring it into the water and revelling in the smell of vanilla
"Vincent was that good huh?" He teased, I rolled my eyes
"It wasn't like that" I explained
"What was it like then?" He asked

"Turn around" I ordered him, he huffed but turned nonetheless
"Fine but what happened?" He asked again
I stripped out of my underwear and climbed into the small bathtub, pulling my legs up to my chest so he couldn't see anything
"It was... nice" I said, he looked back towards me and gave me that look that said 'tell me or I'll drown you'

I sighed, playing with the ends of my hair as I started to speak
"I think... he told me he loved me" I mumbled
"What?" He asked, eyes wide as he sat up on my bed, I huffed at him
"He... said he loved me" I said a bit louder, earning a very girl like shriek from him

"So you did hear?" He shouted, making me wince at the sound as my head still hadn't calmed down
"Hear what?" I asked, incredibly confused
"That he loves you... he was freaking out about whether you were still awake at that point or not" he rambled off
"Still awake?" I was even more confused

"Yeah, you passed out when you were dancing so he brought you to bed" he explained
Oh... that's why I woke up in my dress

"So... he loves me?" I repeated, he just nodded back as though it was a completely normal thing
"How can he though? He never talks to me, he barely knows anything about me" I stated

I was so confused, how on earth could Vincent Romano love me?

"Well, I didn't come up here to gossip in our underwear, I just came to tell you we're having a family dinner tonight" he informed me, I just nodded, staring into the water and thinking about everything
He didn't say anything else, just got up and left.

A family dinner meant just the Romano's and Garcia's, no mafia members.
I sat there thinking, the water swirling around me and the vanilla calming me as I went over the new information

Vincent Romano. He can't love me?

I knew I had to speak to him, but I was tired and hungover and still deciding how to go about the conversation that I decided I was just going to avoid him today.
I'll speak to him tomorrow

I decided to spend my day in the library
I spent all my time in here when Rocco would be busy
As kids, it felt like a safe place.

Besides, I just wanted to be alone today, I needed to think.

•

I spent the entire day in the library, reading old books I had read about a thousand times, I didn't tell anyone I had come in here, hoping to be left alone for a while.

It was around 4 when I went back to my room, only to find Brooke and Grace on my bed, flipping through magazines.
"Hey... where the fuck have you been?" Brooke asked
I just shrugged
"Library" I answered
They both laughed
"Of course" Grace commented

"Anything to hide from Vin huh?" Brooke asked, eyebrow raised as she stared at me intensely
"What?" I practically choked, how many people knew?
"Oh come on... he sulked out of the house earlier when he couldn't find you anywhere" she explained

I frowned, I really needed to speak to him, but at the same time... I really didn't want to
Sure I liked Vincent, he was my first crush, my first kiss, I'd daydreamed as a teenager about him, but love?
He couldn't love me...

"So what are you going to do?" Brooke followed up, still staring at me as I snapped out of my thoughts
"I don't know... what do you think I should do?" I asked
"Fuck him" Grace said
I choked on my own spit as I registered her words.

"What?... I'm not going to fuck him" I said incredulously
"Why not?" Brooke began
"It'll stop him from whining like a little bitch all the time" she shrugged
I ignored them and made my way into my closet, trying to find something a bit more formal to wear for dinner.

• Baby's Outfit •

I left Brooke and Grace on my bed gossiping as I went downstairs.
When I got to the dining room everyone was already there, I silently made my way to my seat, trying to ignore Vincent's stare as I sat down next to him.

Mrs Romano signalled the maids to bring the food out, everybody eating in silence.
There was a tension in the air, a really awkward and dense tension that I couldn't seem to figure out.

It was halfway into dinner that my father started speaking
"How are you liking America sweetheart?" His question was aimed towards me, I was a little surprised but remained composed
"It's good... not as hot as home though" I tried to joke, but the table was still silent, something was going on and I wanted to know what.

Lia and Gianna were even being quiet, Lia looked like she was about to cry, what had gotten into her? Even Rocco was avoiding looking at me
"Okay what's going on?" I asked, setting my fork down and looking around for an answer
"What do you mean honey?" My mother asked sweetly, eyes solely focused on her food.

"I mean... what's going on? No ones talking, no ones looking at me, what's wrong?" I demanded
My father took a deep breath, looking to Giovanni opposite him and thinking
"Just fucking tell her" Knox snapped, clearly pissed off at whatever had happened

"Knox" my mother warned, but he completely ignored her
"No tell her..." he abruptly stood up
"Tell her how she's marrying a fucking monster" he shouted, glare fixated on Vincent next to me
"What?" I asked, my gaze on my father

"Knox!" My father shouted, fist slamming down on the table, Knox didn't listen, instead storming out of the dining room, leaving me utterly confused.

"What does he mean padre?" I asked, what got Knox so wound up?
And why would he say I'm marrying a monster?
I wasn't marrying anyone

"Darling... you are getting married" my dad said matter of factly
I started laughing
"What do you mean?" I asked convinced this was some sort of joke
"You're getting married... to Vincent" he confirmed

I froze... he wasn't serious, he couldn't be serious
"No I'm not" was my immediate reaction, they had to be playing some sort of joke on me
"Yes you are..." Gio interjected
"What are they talking about?" I asked Vincent, who hadn't said a fucking word since I came in.

He wouldn't look at me, just focused on the table
"We um... we're getting married" he said
"Says who?" I demanded, looking between my father and Gio
"Says us... we all agreed it would be best... for both families" Giovanni explained

I scoffed
"So this is a business deal?" I asked
"No" my father immediately retorted, earning a warning look from Vincent
"It- I... It isn't a business deal..." was all my father could get out

I threw my chair back and stood up
"What is it then eh?" I asked, it was silent for a moment before I felt something touch my right hand, I looked down to see Vincent's hand holding mine

"It's me... it's me wanting you, needing you... I- I need you to marry me" he said, his voice desperate as he clung to my hand for dear life.
I couldn't speak... I just stared at him
He was looking at me with so much... love and adoration.
Feelings I couldn't handle right now

I pulled my hand out of his and stepped back
"I'm sorry... I- I can't marry you" I said, stepping back even further, not missing the way Vincent's face completely fell and I left the room altogether.

I made my way down the hallway... marriage... fucking marriage
There were so many questions swimming around in my head
Who knew?
How long did they know?
How long has this marriage thing even been going on for?

I just wanted to get back to my room as quick as possible, as confused as I was, I was twice as angry.
They all thought they could tell me I was to be married and I'd just obey... like some weak bitch?
No... I wasn't getting married.

I was stopped in my tracks by a hand on my arm, pulling me back
"Princess" Rocco began, I interrupted him, holding my hand up in the air
"No... did you know?" I asked, he sighed
"Did you know?" I asked, my eyes watering
"Yes" he hung his head, he was supposed to be my best friend

I pulled my arm away from him
"How long?" I asked again, wanting to know how long he'd been keeping this from me.
"I-... 3 years" he mumbled sadly, I felt like my jaw was gonna hit the floor
3 fuckin years?...

"Baby pleas-"
I shook my head at him, feeling the tears hit my cheeks as I turned away from him, practically storming to my room

When I got there, Brooke and Grace were still there, Brooke in the window seat and Grace on my bed, both heads immediately perking up at the sound of my sobbing
"Baby?" Grace asked, standing up
"Did you know?" I asked, cheeks red and eyes blurry
"What?" She asked seeming to not understand

I was clenching my fists now, complete anger taking over me
"Did you two know I was supposedly getting married?" I asked, eyes flickering between the both of them
Brooke stiffened and Grace looked anywhere but me

I felt even more tears spill out from my eyes, they knew... they fucking knew
"Get out" I said, moving over to rest my hands on the vanity to try and stable myself.

"Ba-" Brooke tried speaking but I cut her off, throwing a perfume bottle from the table at the wall
"GET OUT!" I screamed, practically breaking down as soon as they had reluctantly left.

Who else knew?
Everyone has just been lying to me... I wanted to do things with my life, I knew I would never take over the mafia but I certainly didn't plan on my life swaying in the direction of becoming a mafia wife.

And three years... three fucking years
Is that why we didn't come back?
Why did Vincent even want to marry me? It wasn't for convenience and he didn't know anything about me.

I cried myself to sleep... thinking of all the shit everyone has been keeping from me... it's fair to say they have a lot of explaining to do
Because they are deranged if they think I'm getting married.

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