CHAPTER 7: REGRETS

Bellissima had told her mother to leave the work to her because she wanted to put in a lot more effort to look more beautiful than she usually did.

Alice hardly did anything on her, just a little bit of mascara, blush and lip gloss, but before Bella had slept, she researched om proper ways to apply makeup and was ready to look very different.

Stealing some of her sister's products she applied a little concealer underneath your eyes, powdering afterwards, and she liked how that came out, the blush she applied this time was way more than she or her mother had ever put on her face, the mascara was much and she lined her lips before the lip gloss.

"what do you think?" Bella faced her younger sister who had been watching her all the while

"you are so ready to be wifed, my queen" They burst out in laughter, chatting for a while before kissing each other good bye.

Bellissima headed for the car nervously as to what her mother would say, she didn't mind what her father said, what good was him to her

"You look so beautiful amore" Alice whisphered in her child's ears

"thank you ma"

Her confidence was at it's peak, although her mother said the same words everyday to her, she knew it was different this time because she could see the spark in her mother's eyes as she approached her.

The mother and child walked besides each other to the car, Dante was already standing by the door side waiting impatiently for the women.

On Bellissima's arrival, he smiled a little and even if the woman had said she didn't mind what her father thought, she blushed excessively when she noticed his smile, however once Dante realised he had smiled, he put his face in a frown and stepped into the car.

And once again Bellissima reminded herself that her father was no good to her.

When they had arrived at the compound, Dominico was sat by the gardens painting. The instant she saw him, the wave of butterflies that she had felt with her mother about an hour or so returned, her mother helped her down the car and the three walked to greet Lorenzo and his wife.

"Ah! even more beautiful" the man exclaimed and Bella went ahead blushing

"you'd be with Dominico shortly, I'm sure he's aware you've arrived" benedetta spoke so sweetly to bella grinning as well.

Dominicos mother could already see bella as her daughter-in-law, she was everything she had hoped she'd be and that made her more excited and eager for the wedding

"Dante, i have fine wine" Lorenzo spoke to his dear friend, a glass of wine and his hand "thank you but my wife and I will be gone soon" Bella rolled her eyes, thankful that none of them had seen her.

"Alright then, till we meet again"

The four exchanged greetings once more before Alice left her daughter with a kiss on the cheeks.

When all had gone, Bella remained, sitting patiently by the trees. Although she didn't want to sit alone waiting, she didn't want to seem too eager and move over to where her fiancee stayed, she couldn't see where he was from when she sat but while they drove in, she caught sight of him through the car window.

She had totally forgotten about the different makeup she wore today, but when she noticed a figure approach her she immediately began to feel self conscious and question her look

"bellissima" Dominico called almost close to her, the young woman stood up, her eyes on her feet.

" I'm sorry for keeping you waiting"

"it's fine, I kept myself busy" Bella smiled lifting her eyes to his

"you look different" he began and Bella almost choked on her saliva "in a good way, very beautiful"

Even after he had added that sentence, she couldn't help but feel ashamed that she had done all of these to be considered different at first, immediately regret filled her.

"would you wait here while I get ready or you'd come with me?"

" get ready for?"

"We're heading out, your mother didn't say that?"

Bella shook her head, her eyes on his

"I would love to come with you" she said afterwards, he stretched forth his arms and she took it smiling, once again they walked besides each other to his room.

Bella believed that no matter how often she'd come to his room it would always feel surreal to her.

The room was so large, double the size of the large hall the girls gathered at evening.

"Sit I'll be back"

She nodded at him and turned as he walked away. Bellissima wanted to get to know the most about her fiance, she believed that if she really observed the man she would find out more details about him, but it was difficult to pick out anything from his room decor.

He was so different from her perhaps because he was a male but asides that she feared they would have nothing alike, she walked down to the mirror she saw by the corner of the room to stare at herself again.

All the effort she had put into getting ready began to seem like waste, she wished she had thought more about it before doing anything on her face or better still let her mother do it herself

While she sat waiting for her fiancee she bit her fingernails thinking of where they could possibly visit, Dominico knew nothing of what she'd like or where she would love to visit but still she knew it'd be somewhere nice.

Not long after, he came into view with Jean trousers and a black T-shirt, simple but very much appealing and once again the wave of butterflies had returned when he had asked.

"your hand please?"

she took his hand immediately giggling as they walked away. Bella felt different whenever she placed her hand in his, there was enough warmth to fill her and she felt ridiculously at peace and comfortable at that time, speaking of peace and comfort she began to question if she could trust him.

He had not given her any reason to think of such but she probably should begin to build trust, nothing else, others would say love was the key factor and essential in marriage but to bellissima it was trust and respect.

Respect covered all, a woman must not be treated without regard by whatever person, she is bound to be respected and well treated thus she cannot be denied of such a right.

"where are we going?" she asked again looking directly at his eyes

"For lunch"

In as much as she had asked him a question, Bella wished that he hadn't answered and kept her in suspense, she liked surprises, loved them instead and was hoping he'd keep their location a surprise, no matter how much she would persist to know.

" lunch, where?"

"a surprise"

And instantly she blushed, just like he had read her mind, he knew a surprise was well needed, it wasn't something big they were just going to have lunch at a very expensive eatery but the thought mattered, it mattered a lot.

"Thank you" Bella mouthed to him as he helped her get into the limo, they sat beside each other hands apart, they both desperately wanted someone to begin a conversation and Dominico noticing this and being a man spoke first

"how was yesterday?"

"very well, thank you" she didn't wish to speak as much as she usually did, trying to maintain beauty and composure

"and your father?"

" why would you ask about my father?" if they had not been a misunderstanding between Bella and her father the previous day, she would have not reacted the way she did, but she was curious as to know why he had asked

"do I have boundaries?" He asked the woman, waiting patiently to listen to whatever she had to say

"why shouldn't you?"

" what then are my boundaries?"

and for the first time, bellissima actually thought about this, what could she set as her boundaries, he was her fiancee for god sake

"can I touch you?"

"what?" She coughed, this time she actually choked on her saliva

"Can I touch you?" he repeated staring intensely at her

"Do you not want to touch me?" the instant she asked that she shut her eyes, regretting she had said that

"if you don't want me to, I'm asking you to let me know"

"does it depend on what I want or what you want?" bella spoke "you're the man here"

"what rubbish?!"

she was taken aback by the tone which he had just spoken with but pretended to be fine with it.

" what does my gender have to do with that?"

"the man always make decisions"

Dominico stared at his fiancee shocked that she would say something like that "I think you need to understand your role as a woman" when Dominico had said that, he hadn't meant it otherwise or had something different in mind.

He had just said that because it was very necessary for her to understand that her choices should be based on what she wanted and not on someone's else's wants or desires.

"I find that very offensive"

" I'm sorry you do" he said immediately after she had spoken

"but you're not sorry you said that, right?" she moved her eyes from his lips to his face.

"No"

"why?" her tone had changed she was more serious and angry at the conversation

"because I'm not, you're asking too many questions Bella, Stop it!"

"bellissima" she said Softly still looking at his eyes.

"What?"

"It's bellissima not Bella you are not allowed to call me that" she glared at him and Dominico moved a little adjusting himself.

The man just stared at her, amazed that she could speak in such manner.