Page 36 of Monster in Disguise

"Claudia."

"Good," he says with a hint of approval. "You and Claudia won't have to worry about anything."

"It's not... an issue?"

"No," he states firmly. "I have a younger sister at home. She and your daughter are close in age and could get along well." A sense of relief washes over me at his words. "However," he adds seriously, "I do have some ground rules. That's why I asked Enzo to arrange for us to speak beforehand."

I freeze. What does he mean? I wait for him to continue.

"This will be a marriage in name only. I will give you my name, and I will provide for you and Claudia. You will want for nothing. You will be given your own room in the house. How you spend your time is up to you. I will only impose on you if there is an event we are invited to, or if we are hosting one."

My heart plummets at his words, like a stone plummeting to the depths of a dark, frigid ocean. A marriage in name only? There's no way I can conceal my disappointment, yet I attempt to camouflage it behind a forced smile.

"That's fine with me," I respond, striving to appear unfazed by his pronouncement. But inside, my heart is splintering into countless fragments. Doesn't he like me? That's the only plausible explanation.

"And one last thing. Don't touch me." His words smack me as if they're physical blows, and I jerk my head around to stare at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" I question weakly.

"Just that. I don't like to be touched. Even something small, like a brush of a hand. Don't." His tone is firm and decisive, allowing no room for negotiation.

I'm too shell-shocked to reply, so I just numbly nod.

"It's better to lay out our expectations from the beginning," he states calmly. "That way, there will be no disappointment."

But his prior declaration has already left me spinning and grappling to process everything.

"That doesn't mean that you can see other men," he abruptly interjects, causing my head to jerk up in surprise.

"What about you then?" The question slips past my lips, and suddenly my mask of indifference drops.

"Me?" He arches an eyebrow at me, as if amused by my query.

"It will be a marriage in name only, as you've said," I persist, fighting to keep my voice steady. "But I'm not allowed to see anyone. Then what about you?"

He throws back his head and laughs; the sound reverberates throughout the room. It's a cruel laugh that twists my stomach with unease.

"You don't have to worry about that, Catalina." He leans forward, so he's closer to my face. "My affliction, so to speak, extends to everyone. I'll be true to my vows; of that you can rest assured." He takes a moment to breathe deeply, before adding, "If I could..."

He shakes his head, a bitter smile forming on his lips.

"If we're both in agreement?" Marcello asks, and I nod.

"Good. Let's get Enzo so we can talk about the formalities."

And so we do. The wedding will be a small affair, to be held in three days. And after that, both Claudia and I will move in with Marcello.

It all sounds lovely, but why do I have this nagging feeling of disappointment?

Marcello

A FEW HOURS BEFORE

My aversion to touch cannot be pinpointed to a single point in time, although there was one specific event that might have triggered it. Maybe it all started in childhood. There is a study that proved infants who have close physical contact with their mothers grow up to be better-adjusted individuals than those who lack a mother figure. I belong to the latter category.

It wasn't hard to find out what had happened at my birth—the staff always gossiped. My mother had taken one look at me and declared me a sinner. She'd said that an infinite number of baptisms couldnotcleanse my soul. Father had, of course, relished the thought that a son of his would be the devil incarnate. And so he'd done everything in his power to strip the humanity from me. My mother had either kept her distance or abused me for the sinner I was.

It all converged to a single event that proved to be my breaking point. And so, from then on, I'd developed a phobia of touch. Although my phobia applies to everyone, it is especially traumatic when the person in question is a woman. And so, forthe past decade, I've avoided all interactions with the opposite sex.

---