Page 52 of Pomegranate Seeds

Yet, she gave me her trust.

“Antonio?” she murmured. Her eyes were closed, and her body was soft.

I nuzzled her hair to show I was awake. “Yes.”

She whispered, “Thank you.”

“Why?”

“For making it so good for me.” she snuggled even closer to me, filling my nose with her strawberry scent. “You make me happy.”

I couldn’t find fucking answer. Thankfully Priscilla didn’t wait for one. Her breathing got softer soon, but I laid there awake almost all night. I wanted to make her happy. I was determined to make her not regret her decision but hearing it like this… My heart squeezed in my ribcage.

I pulled my chest away from her to make it go away.

It didn’t.

Kira was wrong. She was here with me, and she was happy. She never once looked sad to leave her family behind. I was enough for her. What I was capable of giving was enough.

I didn’t need emotions. Priscilla had enough to last for both of us.

We were leaving the next day. I ordered room service of Priscilla’s favorite things. She told me she didn’t eat much last night because she was afraid of being too stuffed. Her cheeks turned pink as she said that.

It was a stupid thing to do, but I didn’t say that to her. My logic was my best equipment to make her happy, and I knew no one would appreciate being called stupid. So instead, I told her she could eat as much as she wanted now. I was not planning morning sex since she told me she was a little sore.

We had our whole lives to have sex. Her well-being was more important than anything.

Also, she looked so happy while she was eating. It was too easy to get those emotions from her, and I enjoyed that. I wanted her to spread all her positive emotions into my life.

After breakfast, we got ready and went to the limo. I didn’t have many things, and most of Priscilla’s belongings were already shipped to my penthouse in Chicago. We just needed to take ourselves there.

Gabriele wanted to follow us to the airport because he wanted to have a proper goodbye with his sister. He was accompanied by his family and Roberto’s family. I didn’t mind. They could have a goodbye. After today Priscilla was all mine.

Maybe it was very illogical to be this possessive over her, but I couldn’t care. I deserved to slip once in a while.

Priscilla held my hand the entire ride, making funny faces to Clara and giggling at my sister’s meaningful looks. She was sunshine for everyone around her. Only Valerio didn’t seem very impressed. Maybe he was jealous that now every man in the family was married and didn’t have enough time for him.

Thankfully he had Verona and Bianca to spend time with. He was their ray of sunshine, and I hoped for him to get along withmyray of sunshine.

When we reached the airport, Priscilla jumped out of the car to go hug her family. As we politely said goodbye, my eyes were always on her. I was looking for a drop of sadness in her face, her body. I wanted to make sure Kira was really wrong. She was not leaving her family for an impossible dream. I was enough.

She hugged all of them tightly. Gabriele grabbed her head and kissed her hairline a bunch of times. I could see that it was the hardest on him. He was good at putting on a mask, but I was able to see all his sadness and worry. Kira and Beatrice already had tears in their eyes.

Priscilla was all smiles, though. She swiped the tears from both of her friends’ eyes. She squeezed her brother with a peal of delightful laughter. She rained kisses to both babies. She even patted Roberto’s cheek and made a joke I couldn’t hear. She was amazing.

They were sad to lose herbecauseshe was amazing. She was mine now.

Myjoy.

Mysmiles.

Mysunshine.

She came back to my side, leaving them with sadness and maybe some anger towards me. I couldn’t fucking care. Their anger was not dangerous at this point. The truce was done, and I had a bride just like I wanted. Everything in my life was in order, just like it has always been.

Priscilla held my hand and waved back to her family. I felt the weird urge to just pull her inside the plane. I was never a paranoid person, but all the unbalance in my life was getting to me. Everything was going to go back to normal when we were back in Chicago. All the shenanigans that disturbed my core were done.

I waited patiently for my wife to be done and take the lead for us to board the plane. When she did, we were all on the plane and finally ready to leave. Everybody seemed a little tired. Clara was wide awake because she went to bed early, unlike any of us. She was in Alessio’s lap watching some children's show on the TV. My brother was also playing chess with Isabella on her phone. She was getting better at it.

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