Chapter 16: Where has this side of you been?
Kiara watched as her sister left the hospital, her heart heavy with guilt. She couldn't help but wonder if she had gone too far. Had she been too rude, too insensitive? She tried to push the thoughts from her mind, but they lingered like a dark cloud over her head.
Despite everything, she didn't hate her stepmother and sister. She couldn't bring herself to feel true hatred for anyone, no matter how wrong they had treated her. But she did feel that they had crossed a line, that they had done something unforgivable.
"Are you okay?" Enzo's voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. She looked at him, searching his face for some sign of what he was thinking. "I'm fine," she said, trying to sound convincing. "I just feel bad about how I spoke to Riley. She's still my sister, after all."
Enzo leaned forward, his eyes full of concern. "Riley and your mother are two of the most manipulative people I've ever met," he said, his tone serious. "I know you feel bad about how you treated Riley, but you did what you had to do. She wasn't here for a friendly visit – she was here to spy on you or plot something. She's not your friend, no matter how much you wish she was."
He placed his hand on her back, rubbing it gently. "You don't need to feel guilty about what you did," he said softly. "
She looked up at Enzo, a question in her eyes. Where had this compassionate, understanding side of him been all these years? He had never offered this level of comfort and reassurance before.
She gave him a huge smile and threw her arms around him in a hug. But as soon as she did, she realized what she had done and pulled away quickly. "I'm so sorry," she stammered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
To her surprise, Enzo wrapped his arms around her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You don't have to apologize for hugging your husband," he said, a playful smile on his face. "That would be crazy."
She pulled back from the hug, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Kiara's cheeks burned red as she looked away from Enzo, unable to meet his eyes. "Please stop staring at me like that," she pleaded, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze. "You're making me blush."
He smiled, but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes.
"Why should I stop staring at the most beautiful thing in this room?" Enzo teased, moving closer to her.
Kiara tried to step back, but her body felt weak and she found herself leaning towards him. She was suddenly aware of how close they were, and she could feel the heat of his body against hers. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she found herself unable to look away from him.
For a moment, they stood there, frozen in place, their eyes locked.
As Enzo's lips moved closer to hers, Kiara felt a rush of anticipation. She was filled with a sense of longing and desire that she had never felt before. And when their lips finally met, she felt a surge of electricity shoot through her body.
It was as If time stood still, and she couldn't think of anything else but the moment they were sharing. They were connected in a way that was both physical and emotional, and she never wanted it to end.
As they kissed, Kiara felt her heart racing, and her body tingling with anticipation.
"Can we stay like this forever?" Enzo whispered as they kissed, his voice hoarse with emotion. He didn't want to let go of her, didn't want the moment to end. He wanted to stay in this moment forever, wrapped in her arms.
In that moment, he realized something he had never admitted to himself before: he was in love with Kiara. It was a strange and unexpected realization, but it felt right. He had never felt this way about anyone before, and he wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as he could.
Just as the kiss deepened, a thought struck Kiara. She pulled away, her eyes wide. "We can't do this here," she said, her voice shaking. "What if someone sees us?"
She looked into Enzo's eyes, and saw that he was just as caught up in the moment as she was. But he seemed to understand what she was saying, and nodded slowly. "You're right," he said, his voice low and husky. "We can't do this here."
But even as they spoke, their eyes were still locked together.
She could tell that he wanted more, and she knew that if given the chance, he would take it. But she also knew that it wasn't the right place, and she wasn't ready to go that far. Not here, not now.
He nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I'll be ready for you when we get home," he whispered in her ear.
She felt a shiver run down her spine at his words, and a blush crept up her neck.
"And what if I don't want to give it to you?" she asked, a playful smile on her lips. She could tell he was caught off guard by her question, and she watched as he struggled to find an answer.
"I would force you" he smirked, his tone playful.
Kiara was determined not to let him win this little game, and she fired back, "Even if the baby did want you to have it, I could just tell him that Daddy has to wait."
She knew she was being childish, but she couldn't help herself. It was fun to banter with her husband, and she loved the way he could always keep up with her wit.
But he wasn't about to let her have the last word. "You know that if you try to deny me, I will just turn on the puppy dog eyes and you'll cave immediately," he said.
She thought for a moment, trying to come up with the perfect retort. Then it came to her. "I guess I'll just have to leave you and the baby if you're going to try to kill me before my time," she said, and then burst out laughing. She watched as Enzo's face went from confusion to amusement.
"There's no way you'll leave me and the baby," Enzo replied, his grin showing off his perfect set of teeth. "Because if you did, we would die, and I know you wouldn't want that to happen."
Kiara looked at him, her heart swelling with love and admiration. His smile was so bright, and his eyes were sparkling with laughter. She couldn't help but feel that she was the luckiest woman in the world.
"Where has this side of you been?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. Suddenly, the smile on Enzo's face disappeared.
His ocean-blue eyes met hers, and they seemed to dance with emotion. After a moment, he spoke. "I haven't always been a monster, Kiara. Life's circumstances and grief turned me into one," he said. He paused, his gaze never leaving hers. "When I lost my mother, my heart turned black. She was everything to me, my only source of joy."
He took a deep breath, as If gathering his thoughts and continues.
"But then I found out that your mother had a hand in the destruction of my parents' marriage," he continued, "and I was consumed by darkness again. I decided to take revenge, and that's when I decided to marry you. It was my way of getting back at her, but I never intended to hurt you in the process."
He paused, his gaze turning apologetic.
"But recently, I realized something," he said, his voice soft and full of emotion. He gently cupped her cheek in his hand and looked into her eyes, which were wide with anticipation. "I realized that people can only stray if they choose to do so. My father chose to flirt with your mother, and he chose to go astray. Why should I blame you for his actions?"
As he spoke, Kiara's eyes began to fill with tears.
"But more than anything, I realized that I love you," he continued, his voice filled with emotion. "And I'm terrified of losing you. The time we've spent together has filled the void that my mother's death left in my heart. I don't know what I'd do without you now."
As he spoke, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle and passionate, and it left her breathless. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. In that moment, everything seemed right in the world.