Chapter 26: Butterflies

**Althaia**

“I gave birth to you! I suffered for hours for you to come out of my vagina!” My mom yelled at me through the phone.

“Mom – “

“You’re my only child and you have forgotten all about me.”

“Mo – “

“I let you go out for a little, and now look at you, not coming back to spend time with your mother.”

“Mamá!” I said frustrated, finally getting a word in. I was in bed, dealing with bad period cramps and talking to my mother on the phone. Well, she was doing most of the talking, actually, I take that back she was yelling at me because apparently, she had made up in her mind that I have forgotten her.

“Mamá, I literally send you text messages every other day. Besides, I did text you yesterday that I will be home soon to spend some time with you before the wedding.” I sighed.

“I’m your mother, I deserve more than text messages every other day! And you did not text me that.” She continued to scold me, making me roll my eyes a little at her. It was a good thing she couldn’t see me or she would have pulled out the wooden spoon.

“I have been busy. I’ve been helping Cara with her endless list of things that needs to be done. And yes, I did. Check your messages.” I was really not in the mood to be yelled at, especially being on my period with really insane cramps and back pains. They were the worst and it freaking sucked we had to suffer every single month. It was either that or getting pregnant making it fun to be a woman. Men had it too easy.

Stupid men.

“Don’t lie to m – oh, I see you did text me. My bad, honey.” She said with a little laugh, making me let out an annoyed sigh.

“Couldn’t you at least have double-checked before being so dramatic and yelling my ear off?” I scowled as she went all-in with that yelling.

“No can do. God created me this way, deal with it.” I shook my head at her but chuckled a little anyways. She was truly a one-of-a-kind woman.

“I promise I will be back soon, okay? I love you.”

“I love you too, honey. Feel better.”

I hung up the phone and groaned as a painful cramp appeared. This was my third day in bed, and I have been giving people hell with my mood swings. Poor Rafaelle, I yelled at him for breathing too loud. I haven’t seen him ever since and he was probably staying away from me after that. I actually haven’t seen anyone the whole day, the manor was quiet so there was probably no one home.

My cravings were going crazy, I was craving everything - fried foods, greasy pizzas, chocolate cakes, cheesecakes, ice cream. The only problem was I couldn’t move out of the bed, I had to lie down in a freaking fetal position. That’s how bad it was.

I had been watching Modern Family on my laptop for hours now. The only show I could watch on repeat and no matter how many times I had watched this show, it always cracked me up. It was especially helping with my mood.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through social media for the hundredth time in the past five minutes. I was bored but I couldn’t really do much, and I was also hungry but there was no way I was going down to the kitchen and to cook something for myself. Sadly for me, Rosana had gotten a few days off and wouldn’t be here until the next two days.

My finger hovered over the number I had been contemplating to call. I didn’t know why, but I was eager to hear his voice. I haven’t seen him since our little moment in the kitchen, the way his hands had roamed my body and his hot breath against me. These hormones were not helping me one bit as I thought of Damiano. As if it wasn’t bad enough that I wanted him badly, but now on my period, my hormones were all over the place.

Screw it, I’m gonna call him.

“Althaia.” He immediately said after the first ring. Oh my… His deep voice went straight down between my legs.

“Do you always pick up calls like this? It sounds so serious.”

“It gets to the point.”

“What are you doing?” I said, not really trying to hide that I just wanted to talk. He was quiet for a bit before he spoke.

“Taking care of business.” He finally said and as always would never tell me anything specific.

“So, what does that exactly mean? Like killing people, torturing them, or just plain paperwork…?” I wondered out loud, secretly hoping to get an answer.

“If I tell you, then I have to kill you.” He said and I could imagine him smirking as he said that.

“Right, message received.” No one talked for a minute as I heard him moving around a bit, then I could hear him closing a door.

“Are you feeling better?” He said softly, making me smile a little.

“No, I feel like shit and I’m craving everything… How did you know?” I raised my brows in surprise. It’s not like I had told him I was on my period.

“I may have gotten a complaint about you.” His tone was amused

“About me?” I asked confused.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Rafaelle said you were being a psychopath.” He chuckled a little and I dropped my jaw in shock.

“That little…. He should try to bleed for fucking days and have cramps and back pains. Let’s see who’s a psychopath then!” I huffed and he just continued to chuckle at me. “Watch it before you come on my ‘who to beat up’ list.” I said in all seriousness.

“Oh really?” He said amused.

“I’m strong, I could totally beat you up.” What a lie, he could crush me with his pinky if he wanted to.

“You do realize I’m twice your size. You barely reach my chest.”

“Pfft, I can just jump to get you.” I said cockily.

“I know exactly where you can jump on.” His voice went low, and it went straight down between my legs, and my body tingle as the way he had said it.

“I – I …” I couldn’t form a sentence and it was like my body was on fire.

“Althaia.”

“Yeah?” My voice was barely audible. He wasn’t even here and he could make me feel like that. Only the devil’s work.

“I have to go. Don’t miss me too much.” He hung and I groaned in frustration in the state he had left me in.

I stretched as I woke from a well-needed nap. I had to take a shower after my phone call with Damiano and then I just felt drained of energy and passed out as soon as I hit the bed. My stomach growled as the delicious smell of food filled my nose.

I sat up and my eyes widened at the amount of food that had been placed on the coffee table. I got up and saw everything that I had been craving was laid out in front of me. It was enough to feed a small group of people. I wasted no time and opened the pizza box that had at least two pounds of cheese on it, just how I liked it. There could never be too much cheese on a pizza. It was still hot so someone must just have delivered it, and I must have been really tired since I didn’t hear anyone walk in and place all this food. As I sat down and ate, I noticed a small black box in the middle of all the food. Curious, reached for it and opened the box.

“Wow…” I breathed out and my eyes widened. Inside the box were two gold round stud earrings; one big diamond in the middle and small diamonds around it with gold covering the space in between. They were breathtaking, to say the least.

A note was attached to it and a wave of butterflies erupted as I read the note.

*For you, my Althaia.*

*- D.*

He must have gone crazy. These were real diamonds, I couldn’t accept that! And they were so shiny, too. I had a weakness for shiny things but these must have cost a fortune just by looking at the number of diamonds in it. It was something I couldn’t accept. I got up and grabbed my phone from the bed and I sent him a text message.

***Althaia***

*Thank you, but I can’t accept it.*

A few minutes went by, and my phone vibrated.

***Damiano***

*You don’t like them?*

***Althaia***

*Are you kidding me…? They are gorgeous!*

***Damiano***

*Then keep them. They are yours.*

I sighed and bit my lip as I looked at the earrings. Was it really okay for me to accept such an expensive gift? I took the box and ran my fingers over them, they were so beautiful. Maybe I should try them on, just to see what they would look like… I put them on and looked at them through the camera of my phone, and I fell even more in love with them. I took a selfie with my hair tucked behind my ears to show the earrings and sent him the picture with a ‘thank you’.

***Damiano***

*Beautiful. You’re welcome.*

I smiled down at the message, my cheeks heating up a little at the word. The things he was doing to me.