A Bond by Marriage

Chapter 14

Gia’s POV-

Alicia.

I huffed a breath again, not being able to place that name anywhere. The two Alicia I knew from Famiglia Prescelta were two and seven years old and in no way related to Dino. Finally, I thought I had to ask Marco and see if he would answer me or if he knew. Chances are he’d just ignore me after that tense dinner we shared, but Dino wouldn’t allow him to eat alone as Marco told me himself.

“Marco, do you know who Alicia is?”

“Alicia?” He asked, straightening up his books splayed on the table. He had told me earlier how much he hated going to school now that the teachers paid special attention to him. He wanted to be home-schooled but Dino wouldn’t agree because it would do him good to be out there instead of being stuck here. “Oh, Alicia, yeah, she was Dino’s girlfriend.” I stood up abruptly from where I was sitting on his bed, his comforter slipping out my hands.

“Dino doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

“No, he doesn’t, but she was once his girlfriend. Then she died in a car accident.” Oh, God. I didn’t know how to feel.

“When did that happen?”

“Last year,” he said. Last year, when Dino took the command of Famiglia Prescelta. Did he plan to marry her? Have her on his side? The thought made me sick. How could he even share his room with me? Marry me to start with?

I knew the reason though. Above anything, he was the boss of Famiglia Prescelta and with that came responsibility and expectations. And yet here I was making his job harder. He had been so patient with me, and probably it was Alicia’s love that should be credited.

Wishing Marco good night, I rushed my way to Dino’s room– our room. Walking into the closet, I donned my usual night suit: a shirt and a pyjama all the while praying he wouldn’t suddenly come out of the bathroom. Wringing my fingers, I sat on the bed before Dino walked out dressed up casually. He looked so different in just a t-shirt and his Pjs, walking around in them while drying his hair with the towel. I held my breath, waiting for him to look at me and when he finally did, I quickly walked to the front.

“What is it?” That question was becoming a constant.

“The puppy,” I blurted out.

His eyes narrowed and he flung the towel on the chair, “I thought that was discussed.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” I could tell he knew something was wrong.

“Though I could get one. If you tell me what I need to know.” Need to know. The word sounded funny to my stomach.

“There is nothing you need to know—”

“Tell me what you really mean to say, Gia. I know it isn’t about the puppy.”

“I…” I took a breath and turned my gaze away from his. “I noticed you have been patient with me,” I looked at him for a brief moment. He stood there waiting for me to say more. “And I have been creating a problem for no reason. I know why you married me and I want you to… well, I just do not want to create any more problems.” I didn’t dare raise my head. He had made the first move before, I knew he could now too. Only he didn’t. He just stood there, watching me. I suddenly felt the flare of shame course through my entire body. I just made an i***t of myself again.

“I was just saying, in case you want to…” I turned my back to him. I was making it worse.

“In case I want to what?” He stepped closer.

“You know—”

“Are we repeating last night, Gia? Did you not understand when I said that your comfort mattered?” He was close but he was also giving me space. “As much as you can be in an arranged marriage that is,” he quickly added before sighing. “I won’t do this. Not until you give me what I want.”

My desperation made me turn around hastily. He had his back to me, already dismissing me. “Is it because of Alicia?” The question was out before I could hold my turn. I suddenly realised I shouldn’t have said that and the way his entire body jerked, I Knew I was right.

“What?” The question came out more as an accusation.

“I overheard you talking with Uncle Corrado.” There was no point in hiding anything. “I didn’t do it deliberately," that sounded stupid. “I mean I hadn’t planned to but then I did and then I asked Marco about it after dinner.” His jaws clenched.

“Please don’t be mad at him, and don’t stay mad at him. I’m sure he won’t sneak out again.”

“He will sneak out again because he has never stopped. Now don’t change the subject. What did he tell you?”

“That you and Alicia were together but then… she got in an—”

“Accident, yes. There you have it. I’ve opened up to you, now you should open up to me. So, who the f**k is it?” He was suddenly angry and closer. Who was trying to change the subject now?

I took a step back, “There is no—”

“Goddamit, Gia! Tell me!” I dropped onto the bed and in a quick second, Dino was on his knees and both his arms slammed on either side of my thighs, on the bed. The feeling of calmness and safety I had started feeling with him was flying off quickly. He looked angry; he looked dangerous and I saw the exact moment he realised it too.

“f**k!” Cursing, he backed off. “I’m sorry.” I knew he meant it. He didn't mean to force anything out of me. That chaos we faced was because I brought up Alicia. Just like that, he was gone. He needed space from me. That shouldn’t hurt me, seeing I would like to have my own space too, but it felt bad. Like I betrayed him by asking about his life on my back. I should’ve waited for him to tell me, to trust me, if he ever could. But I should have waited and I didn’t.

It was my fault and— I quickly rushed to the door. “Dino, please don’t—”

“I’m not going to see Marco, Gia,” he said. His voice was eerily calm, his expression too as he looked at me over his shoulder. “Go to bed.”

.

Seeing Dino at the breakfast table the next morning was a surprise. I hadn’t seen him for two days after that night. He would be out of the house before I woke up and come back after I was asleep. I am only guessing he came every night. I was worried about what would happen when we did start talking again. Now I knew that we wouldn’t. Dino was just simply ignoring my presence.

“Good Morning!” Marco came hopping on his feet.

“Well, someone is cheerful today,” Vito smirked.

“Ah-ha, I’ve been waiting for the weekend, because today I get to kick Gia’s ass— I mean, I get to defeat her in the video game,” Marco chirped, plopping in his seat.

“I get to play?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been thinking I could use a partner since Vito isn’t home really often and you look like a lost puppy while I play,” he grinned at me. I didn’t know what had happened overnight because he wasn’t this chirpy when I left his side yesterday evening. Marco had been busy with school stuff the last two days and I didn’t have anything else to do other than experimenting dishes with Maria. At least now I could play with him in the evenings and if I turned out to be good, I could play while he stayed away as well.

“Marco, have you been ignoring Gia?” Dino’s voice cut through the merry air. “I trusted you to be welcoming and you have been doing what until now?” I wasn’t looking forward to his concern but it turned out, although Dino was ignoring me, Marco couldn’t.

“Marco has been busy is all. He might not indulge me in talks but at least he doesn’t stay away from me to ignore me.” I said before Marco could respond and while that might have earned me a good point in his book, I realised a little too late that I had mocked Dino. My face went hot and Vito blew out a deliberate long breath. “He is making an effort now,” I smiled at him.

“Even if he was staying away. It could’ve just been because he was busy,” Dino clipped.

“Too busy to even inform me that he was busy?” I asked in a low voice before going back to my food. Dino didn’t respond after that or said anything at all. Marco’s game characters and levels filled the course of time and I was grateful for that because my tongue was in the need of immediate control.