Chapter 39



"Luca," stepping out of the nursery, Daisy took a step towards the bed.

Luca looked up towards her through his lashes as he tied the strings of his dress shoes. His cold stare made Daisy's heart shrivel up. She bit down on her bottom lip and hesitated.

"What?" Luca asked.

"I'm sorry."

Luca looked away. He was not interested in anything she had to say. Rising from the bed, he picked up his blazer and threw it on. When he turned back around, Daisy was still staring at him with her lips forming a deep frown and her eyes apologetic. Luca stared at her as he adjusted his cufflinks and fixed his sleeves.

"I..." Daisy tried. "I should have known better. I didn't listen to you and I'm really sorry. I put Gia in this position."

"None of that really matters right now," Luca said. "It's all a bit too late."

"Don't say that," Daisy shook her head. "Maybe Daniel can help. If he tells them wh-"

"Are you fuckin' kidding me right now?" Luca arched his brow. "Daniel?"

Daisy opened her mouth but no words came out. She had never seen Luca so mad. Even when they barely knew each other, he had maintained a level of composure around her. But the Luca that stood before her frightened Daisy. She could feel his disappointment on her shoulders like the weight of the world.

"Is there anything I can do?" Daisy asked.

"No," Luca paused. "Actually, yes. There is something you can do."

"What is it?" Daisy's eyes widened. She took a small step forward but froze when Luca frowned at her approximately. It hurt to see him move away from her touch when just a week ago he was exploring every inch of her body.

"Stay in the house," Luca said. "Can you do that? Or are you already hell bent on throwing this request out the window too?"

Daisy's chest hurt as she nodded, "I can do that."

"Don't tell me. Show me," Luca said. "Stay inside. Don't move an inch from this house, you understand?"

Daisy nodded.

"I swear to god if you don't listen, I will tie you up and lock you away," Luca warned. His eyes were serious. The green in them swirling like toxic gas. "Don't let Theo out of your sight."

"You're scaring me."

"Good," Luca said. "You need some fear in you. Maybe it will bring some common sense."

"They're not going to come in here, right?" Daisy's eyes darted to the lush lawns outside their window.

"No," Luca said. "But I'm not taking any chances. Keep him close by at all times and stay the fuck inside."

"I will," Daisy said.

"Aaron and Mateo are staying here. If anything happens, you follow whatever they say."

"Okay," Daisy's heart began to beat faster. "What can happen?"

"I don't know," Luca said. "Anything. I don't trust anyone in this town anymore."

"Can I come with you?"

"Did I just tell you to stay here?"

"Sorry, sorry," Daisy could barely think straight. "I'm just....I'm worried about Gia. And you."

"I'm going to be fine."

"They're not going to hurt her right?"

"No," Luca shook his head.

"Are they going to hurt you..."

"I don't know."

Daisy gasped as her heart stopped and dropped to her stomach. Watching her face pale, Luca's boiling anger began to simmer down just a bit. He didn't want to frighten her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her forehead. He wanted to tell her she had nothing to worry about and that he would take care of everything. No one would touch her.

But Luca held himself back. He needed to scare her. Her safety wasn't a joke to him. If anything happened to her or to Theo, Luca would lose it.

Before Daisy could stop herself or Luca could step back, she rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck. Pulling herself closer, Daisy hid her face in his shoulder. Luca could feel her racing pulse through their bodies. It was painful to not put his arms around her and melt into her touch.

"Come back to me," Daisy said quietly.

Luca's control almost slipped. He held his breath and pulled back. He watched the confusion in Daisy's eyes as he raised his hands and unhooked her arms from around his neck. The pain was visible in her hazle stare. Luca was seconds away from giving in and kissing her.

Without a word, he stepped away and walked out of the room. Once the door closed behind him, Luca shut his eyes and let out the breath he was holding. He was counting every hour, every minute and every second until he felt she had finally learned her lesson.

Back inside the room, Daisy sank to the edge of the bed and pulled her knees up. She stared at the closed door with her heart barely beating in her chest. The minutes on the clock dragged on, torturing her in silence as she sat with her thoughts.

Why are you so stupid? Daisy asked herself. Why can't you get it through your head that this family and the people of this town are not normal? When are you going to learn?

Daisy turned her head towards the open door of the nursery to where Theo played with his toys in the playpen. She walked over and sat down beside him. His sweet face made her aching heart hurt a bit less as he smiled up at her and held out one of his favorite toys towards her.

"Thank you," Gia kissed his little hand. "I love you so much, my sweet boy."

Wanting to move closer to his mother, Theo braced himself and rose to his feet on his shaky legs. He laughed nervously as he tried to balance himself. His little hands were clenched tightly as his eyes waited to see Daisy's reaction.

"Good job, bubba," Daisy encouraged him. "Come this way. Come to mama."

Theo raised one leg but never made the step. Losing his balance, he fell to the floor.

"Oh, it's okay," Daisy pouted. Theo stared at her as if too stunned by his sudden fall. "Do you want to go see Carla? Let's go see Carla."

Theo squealed, recognizing Carla's name. He lifted his arms for his mother as Daisy pulled him onto her hips and headed for the stairs. She held Theo tightly to herself as she climbed down the stairs and turned towards Carla's room.

"Come in," Carla said as Daisy knocked on her door.

"Hi," Daisy said quietly, pushing the door open just a tad bit. "Did Gia and Luca leave?"

Carla nodded.

"They're going to be okay, right?" Daisy asked. "I mean...the Patriarcas won't hurt them?"

"I'm not sure what they will do," Carla said honestly. "I don't think I've ever heard of anything like this. I'm sure they probably won't know how to handle this situation at first either."

"I'm so sorry," Daisy stared at the woman who had raised her more than her own mother had. "This could have all been avoided if I hadn't let Gia sneak out."

"I hope you understand now why Luca is the way he is," Carla said.

"I do," Daisy nodded.

"Did you apologize to him?"

"Yes," Daisy said. "But I don't think his anger is going to lessen any time soon."

"I can't say I blame him," Carla sighed. "But don't stress about it too much. He cares about you a lot and I don't see him torturing you for too long by staying mad at you."

Daisy slowly nodded her head and shifted Theo on her hips. She was about to turn and walk away when Carla stopped her.

"How do you feel about him?" She asked.

Daisy's heart stumbled, "About Luca?"

"Yes," Carla chuckled.

"I..." Daisy hesitated, not knowing what she should say or how much she should say.

"You care for him, don't you?" Carla asked.

"I do."

"Do you want to make this marriage real?"

"It's a bit complicated," Daisy frowned. "Yes, we are married. But if things were normal and we were dating, then I would say we were not ready for marriage."

"What do you mean?"

"We both have a lot to figure out," Daisy said. "I don't think either one of us ever thought about being married and having a family. We are still learning how to do this."

"That's progress," Carla said. "I really think you're good for him. And he's good for you too."

"I hope so," Daisy's throat tightened.

"What's wrong?" Carla asked, noticing the shift in Daisy's eyes.

"I..." Daisy shrugged. "I never thought I would want all this. A husband, a family, being a wife. It all used to irritate me and it seemed so pointless. But the more time I spend with Luca and Theo, I keep thinking about it. I....I find myself being happy with this life."

"Is that a bad thing?" Carla asked.

"No," Daisy shook her head. "But it's unsettling."

"We're human beings," Carla said. "Our thought process, our desires, or needs are supposed to change with age. It's a part of growing up and maturing."

"But what if I'm not good at it?" Daisy voiced the fear that had been lurking in the background of her mind. "What if I'm a bad wife?"

"You're not a bad wife," Carla rolled her eyes. "You're a normal wife. You get angry, you yell, you love, you protect."

Daisy listened to the woman as her racing heart began to settle down. Her arms tightened around Theo and she pulled him closer to herself.

"What kind of wife do you think Stella would have been?" Daisy couldn't stop herself as the thought formed and the words fumbled out.

"Daisy, don't go there," Carla shook her head. "Don't compare yourself to her."

"Why?" Daisy wondered.

"Because you're Luca's present and future," Carla said. "He wouldn't be so wrapped up by you if he thought Stella was somehow better."

"But he didn't choose me," Daisy said, feeling her heart shrink a bit. "We are together because of situations life threw us into. If Angelo hadn't taken Luca's money, we wouldn't be here."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Carla asked. "I've seen his sketchbook, Dee, long before Angelo ever changed his will and Luca asked you to marry him. You've been on his mind for quite some time."

"I didn't think he was serious about any of that," Daisy shook her head. "He was always so hot and cold."

"Did you know that I was against him marrying you?" Carla asked.

"What?" Daisy's brows furrowed. "No, I didn't."

"I didn't want you mixed up with our family drama," Carla sighed. "I told Luca not to marry you. But he wouldn't listen to me. He didn't even take the time to really think all his options through. It was as if he instantly knew he wanted to marry you as soon as Don told him about the clause."

Daisy didn't know what to say. She stared at the woman with her heart in her throat.

"He had his heart closed for a long time," Carla continued. "But when he had to open it back up, he chose you."

"But why don't I feel that?" Daisy asked. "What's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you," Carla said. "Having needs in a relationship is not a problem. You and Luca just have to figure out how to fill each other's needs. That's how a relationship works. You need something from your partner in order to feel secure, you have every right to ask for that."

"We're trying," Daisy said. "But every time, it's like we've hit a wall and there's no going forward from that point."

"This really is something for you and Luca to figure out together," Carla said.

Daisy nodded. She felt a heavy weight on her chest that crushed her spirit and made her heart feel as if it was beating with only a few working parts. Taking Theo, Daisy walked out of Carla's room and made her way to the backyard. She sat down on one of the pool chairs as Theo sat on her lap, happily munching on fruits Dana had brought out for him.

"Mrs. Silvano?"

Daisy looked up. Dana waited for her with a small smile on her lips.

"Yes?" Daisy asked, confused.

"Do you want me to put Theo down for his nap?" Dana asked. Daisy could tell by her tone the woman had already asked the question.

"No," Daisy shook her head. "I'll take him."

Dana stepped aside as Daisy stood up and headed back into the house. Every step felt as if Daisy was slipping farther and farther into a cloud. Her heart sank and began to feel heavier than before. She did her best to be present for Theo as she sang to him and placed him in the crib. The little boy yawned and rubbed his eyes before growing sleepy and quiet.

With nothing else to do, Daisy began to roam the halls. She walked up and down the balcony several times with her eyes glued on the gate, waiting for Luca and Gia's arrival. Not even the hot Italian sun could make her feel warm enough for the goosebumps on her skin to vanish. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms before walking back and heading into Luca's childhood room.

Something about the posters on the wall, the helmets, the arts, it all made her feel a lot better than standing on the balcony. Daisy sat down on the edge of the bed and let her eyes wander. She couldn't see a trace of the Luca who could be so cold and calculating. All her eyes could see where his many talents that made him unlike any many she had ever met.

As Daisy sat observing the room, her eyes fell on the closet. She realized it was the one area of the room she had not seen or looked through. Getting up from the bed, Daisy made her way over and slid the doors aside. She smiled at the hoodies and shirts that would never fit the man now. Maybe someday Theo could wear one of the college hoodies that hung on the hangers, Daisy thought. She made a note to herself to put it away for good measure. Her hand ran over the clothes and then the small boxes before something in the corner high up caught her attention.

It was a large blue box. Half hanging off the shelf as if someone had tried to put it away in a hurry but couldn't quite get it onto the shelf. Daisy pushed to her toes and pulled it down, surprised by its weight. As she walked to the bed, she lifted the lid and froze.

Daisy felt an icy cold shiver run down her spine as she stared down at the photographs in front of her. Stella smiled back at her. The girl's arms were wrapped around Luca's shoulders as he stared at her with stars in his eyes.

A heavy rock lodged into Daisy's throat. She sat the box down and began to flip through the many many many polaroids of the pair. Stella at the beach, Stella by the flowers, Stella dancing.

Daisy's eyes watered. Her fingers shook holding the photos of Luca with his first love. In every picture he was staring at her. Looking at her as if she was the center of his universe. Daisy's heart twisted inside of her chest when she realized all she ever wanted in life was to be looked at like that. She wanted to be the center of the universe for someone. To know that there was someone who would never leave her. Someone who would always love her and always chose her over everything and everyone.

Putting the pictures down, Daisy picked up the letters that were beside them. She flipped through the Valentine's day cards and birthday wishes as the tears in her eyes began to fall down her cheeks.

Dear Stella,

You complete me.

Dear Stella,

Happiest birthday to the one I can't live without.

Dear Stella,

I love you more than life itself.

"You weren't supposed to see that."

Daisy still as Luca's voice spoke up from the doorway. She didn't bother looking back at him as her hands slowly placed all the letters back inside the box. She quietly raised her hands and wiped the tears from her eyes before turning to face the man at the door.

"Why do you still have these?" Daisy asked, surprised by the bitterness she felt in her heart as soon as she laid eyes on Luca.

"I was going to get rid of them," Luca sighed, his eyes tired and his shoulders heavy.

"When?"

"I don't know," Luca ran a hand through his hair.

"Do it now," Daisy said.

"I don't have the time for it now," Luca shook his head.

"It takes two minutes to place a box in the tras-"

"Not now," Luca said, pushing away from the doorframe and turning to leave.

"Eric called."

Daisy mentally smacked herself as luca paused in the doorway. She had no idea why she said that. It was as if the burning in her heart melted all her brain and the smoke pushed out whatever words came to her mind.

"Why?" Luca scowled. "What does he want?"

"He wants to talk," Daisy looked down at the box and placed the lid back on.

"About?" Luca turned around to face her.

"About Theo, I guess," Daisy shrugged. "Or about us."

"Us?" Luca arched his brow.

"Eric...and me," Daisy walked over to the closet and placed the box back inside. When she turned back around, Luca's eyes bored into her like a tiger in the jungle. He followed her out of the room, stalking her as she made her way back to their room.

"What did he want, Daisy?" Luca asked from behind. His voice was hard, like he was trying to keep himself from blowing up.

"He wants to meet Theo," Daisy said, unable to turn and face the man as she continued with her lie. Somehow, it was like applying medicine to the burn in her heart named Stella.

"I hope you told him to stay the fuck away from my son," Luca said.

"He has the right to see Theo if he wants to."

"He signed away all those rights," Luca snapped. "Tell him he can go fuck himself if he thinks I'm letting him anywhere near Theo or you. He's lucky he's not dead right now for trying to come back into your life like this."

"Don't you think Theo would want to someday meet him?" Daisy finally turned to face Luca and insanely regretted her decision. The fire in his eyes made her heart squeeze. She hated the words coming out of her mouth but she couldn't stop herself from wanting to get all the pain out.

"No," Luca said stubbornly. "I'm his dad. I pulled him out, I cut his cord, I held him in my arms every day in that NICU. You're out of your fucking mind if you think Theo is ever going to meet Eric."

"You can't make that decision."

"I just did," Luca said.

"It's not up to y-" Before Daisy could finish, Theo's cries stopped her.

She held Luca's heated glare for a few seconds before turning on her feet and walking into the nursery. Daisy could feel Luca follow her quietly as he stopped in the doorway and watched her pick Theo out of the crib.

"What's wrong, bubba?" Daisy cooed, kissing the crying boy. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Theo stared at his mother for a few seconds before his eyes fell on Luca. He instantly began to reach for him over Daisy's shoulder with his little fingers opening and closing. When Luca didn't budge from his spot, Theo began to whine and fuss. Daisy patted his back slowly and bounced him over her shoulder.

"Shh shh," Daisy whispered as Theo continued to fuss. The back of her neck prickled with the heat from Luca's glare. She didn't dare face him as Theo continued to cry for him. "No, bubba. Not now. Stay here with mama."

Theo's body twisted as if he was ready to throw himself off of Daisy's arms. He let out a high pitched screech in protest before beginning to cry.

"It's okay," Daisy bounced him. "It's okay."

"Dada," Theo suddenly spoke.

Daisy froze as Theo reached over her shoulder once more.

"Dada," the little boy stared at Luca, reaching out with his hands as tears poured down his face.

As if breaking out from a spell, Luca crossed the room in three long strides and pulled Theo out of Daisy's arms.

"Dada," Theo said again as he was finally pulled to Luca's chest.

All Daisy could do was stare with a frozen heart. Luca began kissing the top of Theo's head as he cradled him to his chest and held him as tightly as he could.

"Dada," Theo said again.

"Yeah," Luca laughed, his eyes softening and his face breaking into a wide smile. "I'm here, bub."

Daisy looked up and caught Luca's eyes. Her eyes began to water as she stepped forward and he reached out for her.

"He's my son," Luca said, kissing the top of Daisy's head. "And no one is going to take that away from me."

___

Dear readers,

As many of you already know, I have been dealing with bipolar disorder for some time now. I was doing good with the med but starting last week, a hit a bump in the road that derailed by progress and sent be back to square one. It's hard for me to focus on writing right now. I hope to get myself better as soon as possible. But until then, I can't say how frequent these updates will be. Please be patient with me. I wanted to give you all this heads up so you knew what was happening. I always try to be transparent with you guys and I hope you will continue to show love for this story because I know how much you are enjoying this.

See you all soon.