Page 17 of Possessive Vows
Serafina tips her head back as she begins to walk out of the foyer. “Heaven forbid you go back on a promise you made.” She points at Adelina. “And tell her that she can’t practice her ballet wherever she feels like it. Some of us enjoy watching TV in the living room without her prancing around.” With those words, she’s gone.
“That’s what you two were fighting about?” Dario asks Adelina.
Adelina ignores him and turns to me. “So, shall we give you the tour?” She slips her arm through mine.
“Thank you,” Dario breathes out. “Let’s go.”
And just like that, I get to see the new home where I’ll be living for … well, forever, I guess. It’s expansive with a large living room—where Serafina is curled up on the couch, scrolling through her phone—an even larger kitchen, and huge bedrooms that make my tiny tower look the size of a closet. Granted, given how large the closets are in this house, my tower is more the size of a pantry.
When we enter the master bedroom, I feel nervous. The bed is white, the walls are white, and all the furniture is white, but it has an overall cozy vibe, especially with the large windows overlooking the ocean. None of that makes me nervous, though. It’s the thought that this is where I’ll be sleeping now that Dario and I are married. He’ll want me in his bed. Am I ready for that? I’ve been sheltered my entire life, but I’ve read books and watched films. I know what sex is. And I know it’s something that happens between a husband and wife.
“Isn’t this view amazing?” Adelina asks, tugging me into the room to look out through the large bay windows. “Every room on this side of the house has this view. It’s pretty cool.”
I gasp once I see the ocean before me. It’s so vast. I feel like it could eat me whole. But it’s also a symbol of freedom—freedom to run, to live my life, just freedom.
Dario takes his place next to us. “I wanted this house just for the view. I bought it after our parents died.”
“The memories at our old house were too much,” Adelina says. “I saw our parents in every nook and cranny of that place. Dario was nice to move us here.”
“You know I’m always looking out for our family.” They share a smile.
Adelina squeezes my arm. “And now, you’re a part of this family, Pia. I hope you like it here.” She lowers her voice. “And don’t worry about Serafina. She’s a handful, but she’s very loyal. Once she has your back, you can always count on her.”
She’s scary, I type.
Adelina laughs once she’s read it. “That she is.”
Dario clears his throat. “Thank you for helping me give the tour, Adelina, but you may go now.”
She looks between Dario and me, a knowing look in her eyes. “Ok. It’s so strange that you’re married now. But I wish you guys the best. I’ll give you some space.”
Once she leaves, it’s just us in his bedroom.
I stand there, passing the phone from one hand to the other.
He points at it. “I’ll have to get you one for yourself. That way, you can communicate with my sisters while I’m away at work.”
You’re leaving?I type.
I don’t know why, but the idea terrifies me. I want Dario to stay.
“No, not today. It’s best if we keep a low profile. I don’t want your father to find you.”
I nod.
A moment passes. Neither of us moves or says a word. Or in my case, types a word.
Dario opens his mouth to speak, then clamps it shut. Finally, he says, “I’m not normally this way. I’m a taker. I see something I want; I take it.”
Like you did to me.
“Exactly. But now, here we are, and I suddenly don’t know what to say or do. What’s that about?”
I type,Maybe I make you nervous?The idea that I could make Dario nervous makes me want to laugh.
He laughs for me. “Yeah, maybe. I’ve never met a woman quite like you.”
Mute?