by Serena Light
"- I was alone! I looked for you all and I didn't find anyone, and then these people, these strangers kept coming to me and laughing and mocked me and they looked at me like I was crazy and-"
"-What?" He held her at arm's length, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at her words. "Who?"
"I don't know who! I don't know anyone here!" Nicole pulled away from his hold, walking away from him and going to the window, trying to push it open, but letting out a frustrated shriek when it wouldn't budge.
Salvatore walked up beside her, sliding the window as it opened effortlessly and the gentle breeze brushed back Nicole's hair and caressed her face as she blinked away the tears, swallowing the lump and trying to calm herself.
"I'm sorry," He stood behind her, one arm wrapped around her waist as he rubbed her arm with the other and placed a kiss on top of her head. "We can go home if you like,"
Nicole fell quiet, inhaling the fresh air and realizing she was suffocated in that gym; either due to the number of people or due to their words against her husband.
"I just need some fresh air,"
"Baby, I don't know what happened in there, but if you don't want to stay anymore, we can go home, and there is no issue."
Nicole looked over her shoulder at him, knowing that asking him what he wanted would be pointless because, in the end, he would do what he felt she needed even if it wasn't something he wanted. She knew that he was enjoying it: meeting old friends, back in the old school, reminiscing over fond memories. Maybe she didn't know anyone here, but her husband knew everyone in this school when he had been studying here 10 years ago. And he needed this; he needed the distraction, something to take his mind off his sister's condition, and his sleep deprivation, the Vendetta, and Jayson.
He needed it.
Turning around in his arms, she found her back pressed to the window sill with his arms on either side of her. Reaching up, she cupped his cheeks into her hand and gently rubbed her thumb over his cheekbone, her wedding ring glinting in the setting sun. Leaning forward she pressed her lips to his as he leaned down to do the same.
He kissed her silently for a minute, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer as the other slipped into her hair, Nicole's arms encircling his neck as he felt she needed him to be there for her at the moment.
Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, the door suddenly flew open and his men came stumbling in after Stephan who cried out his name before slipping on the marble. Looking over his shoulder for a moment, Salvatore pulled away from Nicole before coming to stand beside her with his arm wrapped around her waist and looking at the four men frozen in place.
"We thought you'd left," Stephan got up from the floor, dusting off his dress pants as the other three looked at them with sheepish smiles and took a step back. "Dude, you can't leave,"
"We're not leaving," Nicole assured as Salvatore looked down at her for confirmation as she gave him a soft smile in response. "I just needed some fresh air, that's all,"
"And a smooch," Marco commented from the back.
"Aww, is that jealousy I hear?" She teased in response, a smirk quirking at Salvatore's lips. "Want me to give you one too? Or do you swing the other way?"
A laugh burst through the men around them as Salvatore simply placed a kiss on top of her head, both of them watching the men shoving and teasing Marco as he blushed and taunted them in return.
"Into battle?" Nicole looked up at her husband with adoration as he chuckled at her antics, giving her an Eskimo kiss and a smile.
"Into battle," He kissed the tip of her nose as she crinkled it with a grin. "Whenever you want to go home, just let me know, yeah?"
"Okay,"
They both walked back into the gym hand in hand, Salvatore not letting her out of his sight as he went and introduced her to various people, and talked to them as a few of the ones who had mocked and laughed at her were even introduced, Nicole putting on a polite smile and greeting them with nods. She was asked a couple of questions about herself, but eventually, the men began to talk about the Mafia. She had paid attention the first couple of times but then eventually lost interest and began engaging the other person in a conversation, swinging her and Salvatore's intertwined hands between them or just fiddling with his fingers or rings, the other person often stopping mid-sentence and staring for a few silent beats before continuing.
Nicole's light mood came to an abrupt stop when a couple came to them, the man shaking Salvatore's hand as the girl, rather than giving him a nod in greeting, went and hugged him before holding him at arm's length.
"Wow, you've become hotter since we dated," She grinned, looking him up and down as the man beside her pull her to his side.
"I hope that's not a problem," He joked as she gave him a peck before turning her gaze back to Salvatore, suddenly catching sight of Nicole.
"Oh, who's this? Your plus one for the night?"
"My wife," Salvatore stated as Nicole stepped forward with a polite smile.
"Nicole Regnante, pleasure meeting you,"
"Stella Bianchi, you must have heard of me,"
"No..." Nicole trailed. "Doesn't ring a bell,"
"You haven't told her about us?" Stella turned to Salvatore.
"What's the point of mixing my past and present, she's the only girl for me now," He shrugged as Nicole grinned and interlinked her arm through his.
Before she could say anything, Stella's husband spoke up, talking to Nicole and instantly the two of them hit it off, laughing and cracking jokes as they realized they had a lot in common.
"Oh! That's a beautiful ring," The husband, Otello, noted and looked down at her emerald ring with fascination.
"Thank you, my wedding ring,"
"Beautiful," He rubbed his finger over the gem before turning towards Salvatore, asking to see his ring, and noticing how the bands were same just his had the Celtic symbol of eternity. "Wow,"
"There is actually quite a funny story behind the ring," Nicole giggled remembering her wedding. "We got married at a really short notice, like 2 weeks short notice, and I had been so busy with the dress, and décor, and catering, and venue and guests and everything that I had absolutely forgotten about his ring."
"So, on the night before our wedding, someone came up to me and asked to see Salvatore's ring, and I swear to God, I cursed like a sailor because I had completely forgotten about it," She and Otello laughed as Salvatore looked at her in amusement, not having known that. "And I went around town, at night, looking for a jeweler. Eventually, I found one, and I told him I was looking for a wedding ring and picked one out and then he asked the ring size and I had no idea what Salvatore's ring size was."
"So I go 'he's about 6'2-6'3, muscular in the shoulder, but pretty lean and has long slender fingers, so what's the size going to be'. Obviously, he looked at me like I was insane and told me it varies and he can't be certain. I didn't have time, so I just got the ring. And throughout the time we were at the altar, I was terrified of it not fitting and being too small or too big and I thought I was going to pass out when they brought the rings. I hadn't seen my wedding ring, but I was literally surprised by how gorgeous and unique it was and unlike the typical diamond and gold ring, right. I mean, how often do you see platinum and emerald?" She pointed to her ring as Otello nodded, completely engrossed in her story.
"Anyways, I take the ring, and I'm downright about to pass out from anxiety and I start putting the ring on his finger and I'm thinking, 'shit, it's not going to fit', but then it fit and I was about to jump with joy if the minister hadn't spoken,"
Both Otello and Nicole laughed at the story as he turned to her with a smile.
"A 2 weeks short notice? Why though?" He looked between the couple, Nicole speaking before Salvatore could.
"Oh, it was an arranged marriage."
"Ah," Stella finally spoke up beside Otello, her arms crossed over her chest and a sardonic smile on her lips. "Explains so much now,"
"Excuse me?" Nicole look
ed at her in confusion.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It just explains how someone like Salvatore, ended up with someone like you," She spoke with underlying disgust in her voice.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, you talk too much, sweetheart, you need to shut up more often,"
Instantly Nicole's words died down in her throat as a memory came resurfacing to her, having her clamp her mouth shut and look down in silence.
"Coming from the person who gave me migraines," Salvatore spoke up.
"What?" Stella laughed in disbelief at his words.
"You talked so much, and with that nerve grating voice of yours that I used to get migraines on a daily basis from your chatter,"
"And she doesn't?"
"Not even close," Salvatore punctuated each word with a glare before turning towards her husband. "It was wonderful meeting you and we hope to see you again, preferably alone,"
"Excuse me-" Stella began in disbelief but backtracked when Salvatore held up a hand to silence her, sending one dirty look her way before turning back to her husband.
"I'll have someone reach out to you whenever an opportunity presents itself, alright?"
"Uh...sure, yes...that sounds, lovely," Otello spoke slowly, noticing how his wife was fuming beside him.
With a nod his way, Salvatore led the way out, deciding that it was enough for one day.
As they walked past, people turned to him and bowed their heads, before he pushed open the door and walked into the dimly lit corridor of the high school, noticing how silent Nicole had become. Once in the car, they both sat down in silence, and just as he was about to call out to her, his phone rang in his pocket. Looking at how his wife stared out at the passing scenery, he had no choice but to attend.
Soon that one phone call turned into a message and then an email and another phone call, and before they knew it, they had arrived back at the estate.
Salvatore had been speaking into the phone in Italian when Nicole got on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"I'm heading upstairs," She murmured quietly as he listened to the other person on the line. "Join me when you're done,"
Nodding, he turned his attention back to the phone. Eventually, when he finished with the calls, he put the device on mute and walked up to their bedroom, noticing how the lights had been turned off with just their lamps illuminating the interior. Just as he closed the door, Nicole stepped out of the walk-in-closet, having exchanged her black dress for a cream-colored silk nightgown that reached her knees and had black lace at the front and a floor-length robe to match.
"Oh, I was just about to get you," Nicole enlightened as he put his things onto his side table, laying out the blazer on the bed. "I started a bath for you,"
Looking up at her, he was momentarily confused but nodded in acknowledgment before slipping out of his shoes and removing his tie and cufflinks, along with his watch and putting them on the bed. His button-up and slacks were next to follow before we walked across the room in just his boxers before entering the washroom. Nicole took a moment to put everything in its rightful place before she slid open the washroom door, finding her husband submerged in the water as steam rose from it with his head rested against the edge of the tub and his eyes closed.
Sighing, she went and walked towards the tub, Salvatore's eyes falling open as her shade covered him and watched her take off the robe and put it away before hitching up her dress and submerging her feet into the water. Grabbing a hand towel, she dipped it into the water before running it over his shoulder and chest.
"What happened?" He asked her and watched her move the towel over him, noticing how she didn't respond to his question. Grabbing hold of her wrist, she inhaled deeply and looked at him from below her lashes. "What happened, baby?"
"I just..." She trailed and pulled away from him. "I just remembered something, that's all,"
"Nothing good by the way you fell quiet after that," Salvatore looked up at her from his place in the water, watching how she shrugged with emotionless eyes.
"As a little girl, I was constantly doing one thing or another, sometimes ballet, or drawing, once even archery, and I would get pretty good at these things but mom would always have me stop them for one reason or another," Nicole rubbed a hand over her arm, not meeting her husband's gaze. "As an eight-year-old, I was forced to wear dresses with corsets, sit with my back straight, shoulders squared and chin up, to put on a plastic smile and sip tea with my pinkie extended and listen to these women with middle-age crises whine and complain about their husband's affairs."
"I was never allowed to do anything I love, I had to sit there, play my part as the grateful daughter and I was never, never allowed to speak. And if I dare open my mouth – god forbid," Nicole scoffed humorlessly and clutched the material of her silken robe into her fist. "Then I would be instantly snuffed out with "Shut up, don't talk when elders are speaking" or "Nicole, know your place," or "that's enough, want me to punish you?" and things like that, and when Stella said I talk too much it just...brought back memories,"
A silence fell over the two before the sound of water rippling could be heard as Salvatore sat up in the tub, cupping her chin into his hand and rubbing his thumb over her jaw as he saw the frown etched into her features and the sadness in her eyes that seemed to run bone-deep.
"Just know that whenever someone tries to shut you down, you just say 'no' and resume with whatever you were doing." Salvatore looked at her with gentle eyes. "Because you are allowed to express yourself, you're allowed to be loud and noisy sometimes, you're allowed to get excited and sad, even angry. You have every right to these emotions, so don't let anyone take away your right of expression, and if we continue to try that, then just...shoot em',"
A small chuckle escaped Nicole at her husband's words, having expected something like that as he placed a kiss on her forehead, a thought returning to her. Squirming at the memory, she stepped out of the tub, picking up a towel and drying her legs before hearing Salvatore step out of the water and wrap a towel around his waist and made his way over to the vanity, reaching for his toothbrush and begun his usual routine.
"Salvatore..." She trailed quietly, her arms crossed over her chest and her gaze downcast. "At the high school, no one believed me when I told them I was married to you,"
He listened and brushed his teeth, one hand bracing the counter as he waited for her to continue.
"They all kept saying that it was impossible for me to be married to you and called it a 'whimsical fantasy' and just like my mother, they tried to snuff me out," Nicole resumed, uncertain on how to continue. "They said things about you...said that you were cruel and heartless, aren't able to love and you're a monster...and..." She trailed as he rinsed his mouth and grabbed a towel from the counter.
"And you don't understand why, or you didn't like that they did?" Her husband asked as he braced the counter, looking at her as if though he was unperturbed by the whole ordeal.
"Both," She shuffled on her feet uncertainly. "Because they're wrong, you're not cold and heartless, as a matter of fact, you have quite a big heart. Sure, you have your moments but, I mean they haven't seen you with me or with your parents or with Michele, Marina, Aurora, Irene, or your siblings and you're no monster and...How are you so unfazed by it?"
"It doesn't matter to me what they say behind my back if they don't have the guts to say it to my face, but I am quite aware of what people think about me,"
"And it doesn't bother you that they're wrong?" She demanded before coming to stand beside him, staring at him incredulously. "Salvatore, they're wrong!"
"They're not wrong, they're just half right," Salvatore shrugged before noticing the incredulous expression on his wife. "Tell me, Nicole, can you imagine yourself killing an innocent person?"
"Not consciously, no,"
"Well I can," Her husband nodded. "I can and I have killed innocent people because it was too much of a risk and because I needed to protect my family. Peop
le just see that one person I killed and not the hundreds saved by that death. It doesn't matter how much good I do, how loving and caring I may be, people are never going to see that, they just see the ruthless Mafia Boss who is a killing machine, and they're not wrong, because I can be ruthless when provoked to it, but more often than not, my kills have a motive behind them but it doesn't matter because, in everyone's eyes, I'm a murderer."
"I never listened to them then, and I don't listen now," Salvatore began to walk out of the washroom. "And it's nothing new, you shouldn't worry about it too much, Nicole. People are going to be...well, people,"
Chapter XXIX: Life goes on
Nicole lay on her side beside Salvatore, gently running her hand over his back with him sleeping soundly. It had been almost 3 days since he finally managed to get some sleep, but that also with Nicole rubbing his back and she was too afraid that he'd wake up if she stopped, and for that very reason she resumed the movement at 2 a.m. in the morning; hoping that he'd get as much as sleep before he took over Arcangelo's turn at the hospital.
She didn't dare move, no matter how uncomfortable she might be, or how her arm may be getting numb, she wouldn't move, much too well acquainted with her husband's sleeping habits.
Inhaling deeply, she slowly ran her hand up and down his back, gauging by his breathing in the dark and let out a relieved whoosh of air to know that he was still asleep. No soon had the relief arrived when a knock sounded on the door and forced Nicole to hold her breath before wanting to curse when Salvatore shuffled on the bed and looked up from his place on the pillow.
"Go back to sleep, baby," Nicole ran a hand through his hair as he blearily looked at his phone screen.
"There is someone at the door," He slurred, his voice husky and thick with sleep as he threw off the comforter and stumbled out of bed, steadying himself as he rubbed his eyes tiredly and walked to the door.