Chapter 31 - A crazy idea

We must have stood there for an eternity. Hugging and me sobbing my eyes out. Mrs Moretti didn’t move, she patted my back and let me cry until there was nothing left in my eyes. I didn’t even know why I was crying, but the tears didn’t stop till I had my full.

Finally, I pulled away.

“I’m so sorry. That never happens.”

I said ad I wiped my tears.

Mrs Moretti smiled at me.

“Oh it’s okay. I’m used to it. Blanca used to get real emotional whenever she’s pregnant. She would cry about the strangest things.”

I looked at her in surprise as I laughed a bit.

“What? What do you mean?”

I said and Mrs Moretti touched my hand.

“Oh nothing. It’s probably just your hormones and all. You should get some rest.”

She left the room, but I was still there looking confused. I wasn’t pregnant. But it was just so random how she had mentioned that.

I was still gathering myself when my phone started ringing. It was an unknown number. I wonder who it was now. Wouldn’t I get any rest?

With mild fear and trepidation I picked up the call.

“Hello?!”

“Cleo.”

I rolled my eyes as soon as I heard Michael’s voice. I had a new number of his to block.

“Why are you calling me?”

“I need to talk to you. It’s important.” He said into the phone.

I folded my arms as I waited for what he had to say. I’ll hear him out, just this one time.

“What is this about?”

“How long are you going to keep this up Cleo?”

“Keep what up?!”

“It’s clear you’re also not happy with Nicholas.”

“I’ve heard the two of you arguing.”

“Is this why you threw away the two years we’ve been together?! To be with a man like him?!”

“You know the kind of man he is. Nicholas Moretti is even worse than I am, he’s never going to treat you well.”

“Michael how is this any of your business?! What I do with my life is no concern of yours.”

“You know he’s not the right man for you!”

“And you are?”

I retorted as I laughed.

Oh the jokes write themselves. Michael Pritchett somehow thought he was better than Nicholas Moretti. The cheater who pointed a gun at me was still holding on to the sick idea that he could come back to me. I would make sure that never happened.

When was he going to give it up?! How many more times did I need to reject him for him to realize that it was finally over?!

“I’m better than that bastard. I’m sure you know I am Cleo! At least I know that I would never hurt you or never make you cry.”

“But you did all that and more! You did that when I caught you in bed with your stepsister!”

I said into the phone.

As soon as I said it, I knew that I shouldn’t have.

“W-what? What are you talking about Cleo?!”

I ended the call.

I shouldn’t have mentioned that.

It was a mistake.

He couldn’t remember that because we were back in the past, not the future.

…….

I decided to forget about my conversation with Michael and I went to undress. I changed into something more comfortable and I was unpacking when Nicholas walked in.

“You must be hungry, do you want to come downstairs for lunch?”

He asked and I nodded, sure enough my stomach was grumbling. I noticed that he looked a lot more relaxed. He must like being around his family, it made him more comfortable.

“I hope my family isn’t too much for you.”

Nicholas asked and I shook my head, a small smile on my face.

“They’re okay. It’s interesting to be around them.”

I answered and he heaved a sigh of relief.

“Good. Because I was worried they would be too much for you. When you’re downstairs they’re going to ask so many questions about us a lot.”

“How we met, all that stuff..”

He trailed off.

“What story do you want to come up with? Or do you want to tell them the truth?”

I asked and he shook his head.

“No. We will make up something about us falling in love at first sight and the rest being history. How’s that?”

He asked and I nodded.

“That works. I’ll leave you to do the explaining.”

I said as I turned around, preoccupied with finding the right scarf to go with my dress.

“Cleopatra…”

Nicholas called my name softly.

I turned to look at him. His face softened as I looked at him, I knew what was on his mind.

“You haven’t said a word since I told you that I was falling love with you.”

“I left you alone so you would have time to think about it, but your silence is making me fear the worst…”

“What do you want me to say?”

I asked and he sighed.

“Anything… anything would be better than this silence.”

“Give me. Give me some more time. Let me think about it.”

He sighed, he looked like he had more things to say but fortunately he held his tongue.

“If you didn’t find out about the whole Arcani stuff, would things be different?”

“What?”

I murmured and he repeated himself, cleared this time.

“I said if you didn’t find out that I sought to marry you because of you’re Arcani would things have been different?”

“Nick- I don’t think that really matters…”

“Please answer me Cleo. Yes or no?”

“Yes things would have been different.”

I finally forced myself to say.

Nicholas sighed. He sighed but he nodded his head and he walked out of my room without another word.

Oh my head was too tired. I couldn’t think about all this.

Maybe just maybe he might have had a chance if I didn’t find out the real reason he married me. If I didn’t lose my trust in him, maybe things would have been so much different.

…….

Downstairs with Nicholas’s family lifted my spirits. They were such a happy bunch. And they were nice too.

Nicholas must have told them not to bother me too much because they let me eat in peace, asking what I wanted at intervals. They talked extensively about their lives. Each story more outrageous than the last. And I learned just how close they all were.

Nicholas was especially really good with the kids. They seemed to flock around him all the time. He was sweet to his sister Blanca who was visibly pregnant. He talked at length with his cousins about business. Everyone had some silly, goofy but sweet story to say of him.

In short, Nicholas Moretti was perfect.

And I felt like I may have judged him too harshly and let what other people thought about him to influence my idea of him. Sure he omitted to tell me why he really wanted to marry me, but much of our marriage was arranged. He left out a detail that he thought I wouldn’t understand and I had been punishing him for it ever since.

Even though we had not spent so much time together, I could see myself falling in love with him. Easily falling for that charming smile. His rugged and insanely hot looks and the way he had acted all around me. I already couldn’t get enough of him in the bedroom, I could see myself easily giving into him. Easily falling for him, if I wasn’t already falling.

I had to talk to him.

After our last conversation he must have felt a little hopeless. I needed to let him know that hope wasn’t totally lost, I just needed to tell him that I needed more time.

I was waiting for the time to signal him to talk to him but he beat me to it.

“Will you step outside for a moment?”

He whispered in my ear and I nodded.

I stepped outside with him.

Before I could talk he already beat me to it.

“You’re worried about us having kids, that they might be too dangerous right?”

That took me aback for a second.

“Well yea…”

Nicholas promptly cut me off.

“Well, I thought of a way to eliminate that worry. So you don’t think I only want you for whatever children you can offer me.”

“How?! I mean prevention or abstinence might work but that isn’t going to guarantee much, especially with what you just told me, about you falling in love with me. Will you be okay with never touching me again?”

I asked.

What was he saying? Why was he suddenly saying all this?

Nicholas shook his head. He held my shoulders.

“Of course I still want you. You know that I can’t even get enough of you. And I know you also feel the same but you’re holding back.”

I ignored his last sentence.

“Then how would you make sure that we never have kids?”

Nicholas smiled, it looked like he was waiting to finally present the idea to me.

“I’ll get a vasectomy.”