Friends

"Let's chase dreams together"

• Baby •

It's been three days since the night in the library
I still wasn't used to the feeling of the ring on my finger.
Yet I couldn't stop staring at the blue diamond sparkling up at me within the band.
I also couldn't stop thinking about the fact that this was his grandmothers.

Why would he give me such an important ring?
Everyone keeps saying he's been wanting this for years... but how can he?
We've not spent any time together.

The dinner we'd planned to have had got cancelled the very next morning when Giovanni proclaimed they had to leave urgently for some business.
Business my father and brother were continuously keeping me out of.

Knox had said I already had too much on my plate having to deal with this 'bullshit wedding' as he kept referring to it.

Vincent had apologised profusely and left with his father, they were due back tomorrow.
And every day since their departure I'd had white roses delivered to my room with a note from Vincent saying how sorry he was as he couldn't be with me.

My room was filled with roses now.
I must admit I was disappointed that Vincent had left, I wanted to spend more time with him before the wedding.

But in the same breath, I relished in the time I was alone. Every encounter I had with him was completely overwhelming.
He would practically smother me in his emotions.
And considering all I had ever known from his was stoic expressions and very little words, the way he was now acting around me was an odd thing to experience.

Adrianna was completely swept up in wedding preparations, dragging my mother along with her
The two youngest had been busy studying and Brooke had been too busy in the weekdays looking after little Matthew to help me occupy my time.

Me and Grace have gradually got back on track, after she apologised again and again.
Yet I still hadn't seen Rocco, he was definitely avoiding me.

Every time I walked in a room he scarpered as quick as a flash.
He hadn't spoken to me or looked at me.
And I was supposed to be ignoring him.

The last three days have been quite tame overall, mainly used for dress fittings and alterations, cake testing and catering.
I'd become exhausted after two hours of invitation writing that I snuck away from Adrianna and retreated to the gardens.

The first place they'd look is the library and I was fed up of being dragged back into wedding shit.
I settled on a bench in the south gardens, the smell of marigolds surrounding me as I read.

"Baby?" I heard behind me, I turned around to see Rocco looking at me nervously
"Rocco" I said quietly, moving over on the bench for him.

He hesitantly sat down beside me. I know I had every right to be mad. But these awkward sit downs where people kept apologising were getting tiring.

"Baby I-" I held my hand up, cutting him off
"Don't... I forgive you" I said simply, causing his eyes to widen
"You do?" He asked, I nodded

"We can't change anything. What's done is done and I'd rather have you by my side in this as opposed to avoiding me" I explained
"I haven't avoided you" he mumbled
I let out a soft laugh.

"Don't lie to me. I know you have. But like I said... I forgive you. I need you with me in this. I know you have loyalties to Vincent as his brother" I said
"Yeah but you're my best friend... do you know how much it's been killing me keeping it from you?" He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

I'm not entirely sure how he was even sat here with me without feeling uncomfortable, he was in a suit under this hot sun, I could practically feel the heat burning into me.

"Well you did a pretty good job at it" I said
"I know... but I couldn't tell you, you'd always talk of all the things you want to do and Vincent would always talk to me about how much he couldn't wait to finally tell you" he rambled off
"I know... but marrying Vincent isn't going to deter my plans... I'm still doing all the things I want to" I said with confidence.

My words only made Rocco wince however
"Have you uh... talked to Vincent about that?" He asked
"No... why?" I replied
"I just- it's not my place to say... but I think he has other ideas" he explained.

I felt my grip on my book grow tighter.
"I just forgave you Roc don't ruin it now" I said simply, making him laugh and hold his hands up in surrender
"I'm just saying..."
"And I'm just saying. No one on this earth is stopping my dreams. Not even Vincent Romano" I said as I stood up, walking into the house.

I spent the rest of my day in my room, trying to avoid Adrianna as much as possible.

The next day however, she had burst into my room early in the morning, throwing the curtains open and rambling about the boys return at noon.

I got up and got dressed, ready for the on slaughter lunch was sure to bring. We hadn't all been together since the dinner where everything came out and I accepted Vincent's proposal.
But now we'd all be dining together for lunch, even Grace and the others would be joining us.

I had just fixed my hair properly when there was a knock at the door.
I opened it only to be immediately engulfed in a hug, no chance at seeing who it was.
"Fuck I missed you" I tensed at the rough velvety voice of Vincent in my ear.

"Three days was too much" he mumbled, making me laugh awkwardly as I gently tried to push him back.
"It's not that long" I laughed
"Yeah but now I have you I don't ever want to let you go" he said, pulling me into him tighter.

"Have me?" I asked, moving from his hold
"Well yeah... you're going to be my wife" he smiled, hands holding my hips.

"Vincent. I'm trying okay, but I'm not yours, we're not..." I sighed, I didn't know how to word this without upsetting him.
"We're not together..." I mumbled

His hands slowly let go of me and he gave a small nod. But he didn't seem too pleased by my rejection.
"I uh... I just wanted to come and see you. You know... take you down to lunch" he explained.

I nodded, only now taking the time to look him over, he looked quite tired, but that was expected seeing as he'd been away for days doing god knows what.

He was dressed down in black trousers and a dress shirt, the sleeves rolled back to his elbows, his captivating tattoos sneaking out from underneath.
His hair looked quite messy though, like he'd repeatedly ran his hands through it.

"Can we uh... can we talk quickly before lunch?" I asked, he nodded immediately, sitting down in the window and waiting for me.
I sat down too, my dress tightening around my thighs slightly as I did so.

Something Vincent seemed to notice as his eyes were cast down
"What do you want to talk about?" He asked quietly, grabbing my hand in his and stroking my ring with his thumb.

"The wedding... well no... the marriage really" I began
He nodded, shifting closer to me
"Anything" he said
"What?" I asked confused
"You can have anything... anything you want I'll give it to you" he said.

I took a breath and tried to think of the right way to word this
"I want to know what your plans for the future are" I asked
"Well... we'll get married obviously, have the honey moon. And then we'll need to start looking for a house. After a few years start having children an-"
"Children?!" I asked, pulling my hand away from his and standing up.

I wasn't even thinking about children
I was nineteen for christ sake. He was only twenty one.
He couldn't possibly be thinking about children so early.
"Well yeah, eventually, I want a family? I want everything with you" he said, pulling me closer as he stood too

I pulled away again
"Okay that's... that's something that definitely needs its own discussion. But I want to go to university, I want to get a job. I mean I guessed that with this happening I'd obviously be moving here and being a part of the business and everything but I want a legal profession as well" I explained.

It was the best thing for someone in our kind of world
Having a fall back. A cover.

His face dropped and then hardened
"No" he said simply
"No?" I asked with a slight laugh
"When we're married you'll never have to do anything ever again. I'll give you anything you could possibly want" he said like it was obvious.

"I'm independent Vincent, I'm not going to be your obedient housewife" I scoffed with my arms crossed
"No, you'll be my wife. And my wife will never have to work for anything. I don't expect you to be obedient but I don't want you tiring yourself out, you'll have everything" he said with finality.

"And I don't want you lording over me. If I want a job then I'll have one" I said, my voice raising
"No you won't. I won't have you in danger just because you wanna fuck around with those Wall Street bastards" he shouted.

All sense of having a rational conversation was out the window now.
"You are not controlling my life!" I said bitterly
"I'm your husband. I'll do whatever the hell I need to, to keep you safe"

"Safe but not happy" I threw back
"Vale-"
"And you're not my husband" I bit back
"As good as" he said, I scoffed
"Fuck this" I said, moving for the door.

But I was yanked back into a hard chest and then turned around
"No. You're not walking away from this baby. We'll be married, you'll be a much bigger target in our lifestyle, I'm trying to keep you safe" he said angrily

"Mm but not out of choice" I seethed, shoving him away
"I'll be your wife. But I don't love you. I never will. And I don't want anything to do with you. You're mad if you think I ever did. I'll barely look at you let alone have your fucking kids" I screamed.

He stormed towards me and pushed me up against the wall, grabbing my face in his rough hand and smashing his lips onto mine.

It was the first time I had been kissed in years. Our first kiss was soft and gentle but right now it was forceful and bruising.
It was like he was trying to convey how he felt through kissing me.

He pulled away after a moment, leaving me breathless, my chest heaving as I glared up at him.
"You're mine. I didn't spend most of my life waiting for you just to be rejected in the end. For all the sleepless nights. All the security I had follow you. Sending you birthday and Christmas presents through Rocco. Getting your fucking name tattooed on my neck just to show everyone I was yours!" he took a deep breath.

I hadn't ever really looked at all his tattoos individually, but after he said that my eyes shot to his neck and when you're searching for something it seems to stand out straight away. And sure enough there it was, Valentina scrawled across his neck in swirly writing.

I tried to hold myself back from reaching up and tracing it.

"You're not working. Not there, and you're not leaving me. You're not doing anything unless we talk about it" he said, his deep and raspy after all the shouting.

"Fuck you" I whispered, shoving him away from me and storming out.
Fuck him
Fuck lunch
Fuck this whole marriage

I stormed off to the front door. The sun was blaring as I stepped out
I took the keys from one of the guards, taking the car he'd just come in, he informed me I wasn't allowed to leave without protection, so I took two guards with me and drove out of the gate.

• Vincent •

Why can't she just see that I'm trying to keep her safe?
I don't want her getting hurt and if she has some big shot job then all our enemies will know where to find her.

And I can't have guards following her everyday to work. She'd hate it.
Who am I kidding?... right now she hates me.

I jogged down the stairs after her, but by the time I got outside she was speeding away in a car.
Fuck sake

"Vin!... oh... what's taking you so long?" Rocco asked, stopping from going up the stairs as he noticed me by the doorway.

"Baby's gone" I told him, my voice void of any emotion. Rocco sighed
"What did you do now?" He asked
"Why is it always me? You never assume she's in the wrong" I mumbled, staring at the gates she'd left through.

"You brought her here, lied to her, told her you're marrying her and we all heard her screaming at you from outside... I'm gonna guess it was you in the wrong" he laughed.

"She just... she won't accept it. I know it's gonna take time, but she wants a job, she doesn't want a life with me" I sighed
"She hates me" I said softly.

"You're so dumb. She doesn't hate you. I'm her best friend, trust me, she used to have the biggest crush on you when we were kids" he chuckled
"What?" I asked
This was news to me. I thought she'd barely ever noticed me.

"You think I missed the way she'd look at you when you were in the room, or eye your tattoos... or ask me what you were always doing... trust me she had feelings once. This is all just a shock, you need to remind her why she liked you in the first place. Stop acting desperate" he said, patting me on the back before walking off.

"Yeah..." I sighed
I just have to show her, show her I'm a good guy. Well as good as I could be.
For her.

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