Chapter 90 — Wife Material

MAXIMILIANO.

I left Mamma's office and made my way to the parking lot after enduring ten minutes of small talk with some coworkers.

The chilly weather seemed less hostile at this hour, as if it had sensed the shift in my mood. Alessio drove off after I told him I gotta check up on my wife.

Wife.

I winced. Not because Adreana didn't fit the role I asked her to play. I wouldn't have wifed her up that fast if I thought she wasn't emotionally mature enough, or couldn't handle the most basic household duties.

The problem was me. Of course I was the issue. Even months after that rushed courthouse wedding, my brain still couldn't fully deal with the fact that I was someone's husband now. I couldn't even handle my own shit. Let alone another human being.

It was sheer luck I found someone as caring and understanding as her. "She doin' okay?"

"Adreana? Yeah." Alei stepped on the gas. "Better than last month."

"You sure Joachim's still in the hospital?"

"Hundred percent comatose. Just the way you like him." Alessio glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his smirk crinkling the sun-tanned skin beside his heedful eyes.

"Good to know," I sighed. I tilted my head, wincing at the throbbing pain beneath my scalp.

"Relax."

I pulled a face.

"She's too in love with you to think about going back to him."

I scoffed. But his comment made me feel things. Almost like a punch in the gut. And the twinge of guilt that followed made me wish I'd learned other coping mechanisms—and less harmful ones—before I once again tested how much damage my body could take.

Adreana saved me. She was the one who called for an ambulance the morning after I gulped down a bunch of sleeping pills. I did it to force my brain to shut off, following another two-day fling with my favorite uppers.

Then came the unnecessary intervention. With her, Mamma, Ricchar, and even Amara, who, that day, strangely didn't give me an ounce of attitude or any condescending remarks.

I didn't have to tell Adreana why I needed to be away for a while. I badly needed to decompress. Reset my brain. Stay sane.

I could only hope my most recent fuck-up and months-long absence didn't change her feelings for me. "Sure hope that's not all bullshit," I replied to Alessio as I watched my phone screen, waiting for her to text me back.

I just sent her a message asking what she wanted for dinner. Kinda lame and unnecessary, since I already knew her favorites. But I couldn't think of any non-sappy one-liners.

I sat back and tried ringing her number.

No answer.

She would call me any minute now if she wasn't too busy, then ask me why I sent her that message. The look on her face the moment she sees me would be priceless.

I snickered. Just imagining it formed a dozen knots in my stomach. I couldn't wait to see her smile again.

***

Alessio and I arrived outside the gates past six. Everything looked the same. The last rays of the sun colored the lots beside mine a dull orange.

Once Alei had parked the SUV in my garage, I headed straight to the front porch, my keys jangling against my fingers, the chill in the air seeping into my bones. "Adreana?" I knocked on the front door. It was locked like I expected.

Excitement and some trepidation kept my heart pounding fast. My whole mouth felt bone dry. I took off my mask.

I'd been careful all week, and these past few months. So far I had no obvious symptoms of the viral infection spreading like wildfire across the country. All over the world, actually.

No one came to the door. I slipped the main key into the lock, then used the other keys to release the bolts. I turned the knob with a quiet, practiced ease.

I didn't make a sound as I stepped inside. The plush and freshly vacuumed carpet muffled my footsteps. The guard on duty did say Adreana kept busy with chores all day.

One of her ways to de-stress. I took off my sneakers, then walked past the living room. The warm glow of the setting sun cast shadows on the couches and walls.

The house smelled clean. The floor, windows, and furniture looked spotless.

"Adreana?"

No response. The only noise was the faint hum of cicadas. She must've left some windows open. Maybe the backdoor, too.

My breath caught when I found her alone by the sink with her back to me. Her white headphones covered her ears, her black hair pulled up into a loose bun. I smirked at the black T-shirt she wore.

One of my oldest shirts. The hem reached her bare and fairly muscular thighs. The shirt was too big for her. But I loved the way she looked in it. For a moment, I just watched her and leaned against the empty dining table.

Adreana kept her gaze forward, too focused on her task, her right hand busy scrubbing the edge of the countertops.

I smiled to myself. Before we got married, I didn't think she'd be okay with living here in this sleepy town. Nor did I think she'd want to live in this house. I'd been telling myself she was patiently waiting for me to come back home because she wanted to enjoy a simpler, quieter life here with me.

The mere thought made my gut clench. I approached the kitchen sink with careful steps, my brain memorizing this moment with her. I wanted to feel her arms around me again, but, I needed to gauge her mood first.

"Evening, Miss," I greeted, my voice flat. I reached out and touched her shoulder.

Adreana jumped. "What the—" When she turned to face me, her jaw dropped.

I caught her headphones before they fell to the floor.

"Maxim!" Her wide eyes locked with mine. She pressed her palm on her chest.

"Hi." I flashed her my best smile. "I don't remember calling for deep cleaning services."

Adreana sounded like she was trying to catch her breath. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

I chuckled when she tossed the brush in the sink and pinched my arm.

"When did you... Why didn't you tell me you're—"

"Tried texting and calling." I stared at her pouting mouth, already imagining what she tasted like. I sighed and pushed down the urge to touch her. Kiss and feel every part of her. "You weren't picking up."

"Oh. I..." She grimaced. "Sorry. My phone's..."

"Upstairs?"

"I left it on the, erm... Our bed."

Our bed. I grinned. My heart jerked. The way she said it felt like I just won the lottery. "Sorry for the wait, Mrs. Falco," I quipped, moving closer.

"No. It's fine. I was just... How're you feeling, love?"

"I'm good." I gave her a smile, the concern in her faint and raspy voice more than reassuring. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I just can't believe you're..." Adreana threw herself into my arms, her embrace a bit too tight.

I tried not to grunt and make a face when a skull-splitting pain shot down my nape. Fuck these headaches. The body pains, cravings, and dizziness, I could tolerate without popping any pills. But these fucking migraines were a different story. And the last thing I wanted to mention was these withdrawal symptoms.

She had enough shit to worry about.

"You haven't left the house?" I murmured to her ear. "Since I..."

A tear spilled down her pinkish cheek. Adreana shook her head, sniveling now.

I caressed her long and silky black hair. The sound of her crying quietly felt like a stab in my gut. "How's work?"

"Same."

"Hey." I kissed her on the temple and feigned a calm tone. Inside, I felt like a mess. Simply breathing and listening to her muffling her sobs felt like someone plunged an ice pick into my chest. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Just..."

"What?"

Adreana sighed. "I just didn't think you'd be here today."

"Wanted to surprise you." I held her tight. "Everything okay?" I murmured, caressing her back while she cried on my shoulder.

Her hair and skin smelled of jasmine and fresh apples. Just like I remembered. When she pulled away, her damp eyes searched my face. "You're not required to go back there soon?"

"No."

"Really?"

I grinned and lightly brushed the tears from her flushed cheeks. Relief flooded my senses when she finally smiled.

"But, erm... When are you supposed to go back?"

I pressed a kiss on her warm forehead. I hugged her tight and let out a deep breath, hoping the gesture showed all the longing and emotions I'd kept bottled up while I was away. "I'm not goin' anywhere."

***

Lorenzio: "Just talk to her, would you? She won't listen to me. I think she actually wants to meet Magnus."

21:19.

***

"Shit." I stopped in the middle of the hallway and sighed at the message Enzo just sent.

He seemed bothered and desperate enough to call for backup. Understandably so.

I had no clue Kel was trying to meet up with her brother. After mulling over what to say, I sent a quick text to her numbers, guilty of being the shittiest best friend. If she had some time and wanted to talk to me, she'd message me back before midnight.

I stood outside my room, scrolling through my recent messages and emails. Nothing urgent from work, so far. A muffled retching sound coming from the bathroom disrupted the silence.

It piqued my curiosity. It was Adreana. I rushed inside. A surge of panic froze me by the sink.

I found Adreana hunched over the toilet, her skin pale, the noises she made rather strained. Dammit. I wanted to slap myself. I honestly thought she liked what I cooked for dinner. "Hey. You okay?" I asked, faking a calm tone.

She wiped her mouth with some toilet paper, her nods faint. She wore a silk nightie and a pair of shorts now. A scrunchie loosely bound her dark hair. "Yeah."

"Was it the steak? Or the soup?"

"No. Not at all. I'm just... I-It's nothing," she mumbled, her watery eyes avoiding mine. "Just acid reflux, I think."

I squinted at her. I already knew her tells, and I knew how she sounded whenever she tried to lie. But I'd give her the benefit of the doubt. "Acid reflux? Since when?"

Adreana sighed. When she turned to face me, her eyes were already brimming with tears.

Breathing felt difficult as I waited for her to say something else. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"After you, er..." She itched her neck, her shaky voice barely above a murmur. "Left for rehab."

"Yeah? What happened?"

"I-I took another test." Concern and some nervousness thinned her voice.

Test? Like a rapid test? My heart sank.

She caught the virus? How?

"You were sick?" I asked, my voice louder than hers.

Adreana dropped her gaze. A frown wrinkled her dark brows. "No."

I gripped my nape and didn't take my eyes off her. "What test?" I stood in front of her.

She looked up to stare at me. The worry in her eyes just tugged at my chest. "Could you tell me? What really happened?"

"Happened? In rehab?"

"No." Adreana shook her head and averted her eyes. "When you found him, in the estate."

Shit. Really?

Did she want me to say every single thing that happened that day?

"I just... Did you mean to..."

"Murder him?" I pressed my lips together, the heaviness in my chest only doubling by the second. "No."

She looked me in the eye again.

"No, I didn't." I shook my head weakly. I wanted to say it was a heat-of-the-moment decision I made to protect Alessio. Despite weeks of counseling, though, it still sounded like utter bullshit in my head. I didn't deliberately plan to kill my own father that day, but that dumb, gold-digging bitch he eloped with left me with no choice.

Adreana sighed and gripped my wrist, her brows creasing, her palm clammy. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"And thank you."

"For?"

"Telling me."

I shrugged lightly. "You asked."

"And it must've been difficult," she muttered, "getting past that."

"Yeah." More difficult than I wanted to admit. "But the shrinks helped." The guilt still gnawed at me, but just her unwavering support was enough reassurance and motivation.

What we had might not be old or wise enough to weather the storms waiting for us, but my optimism was at an all-time high right now. And with her right beside me, safe and happy I was back home now, I felt like I could conquer anything. I wouldn't trade the feeling for anything else.

I pulled her in and hugged her to me, savoring her warmth and the feel of her body pressed against mine. When Adreana put my hand underneath her shirt, I felt a slight bump. I pulled back to look at her, my eyes focusing on the little bulge below her stomach. "What? Does your stomach hurt? You feel bloated?"

Her gaze held mine. She bit on her lip, her brows wrinkling again. The silence that followed turned a bit tense. Kinda awkward.

But maybe it was just me. I slowly pulled my hand out of her shirt and cleared my throat. "You need to see a doctor?"

"No." She made a face, her eyes still shiny. "I mean, n-not now."

"Okay..."

"Maxim." She clasped my arm when I took a step backward.

"What, babe?"

"I'm pregnant."

Pregnant? "Huh?" The word rang in my head. But it sounded weird. Unlikely. Was she joking? "What?" My chest and throat clenched. I pulled her close and held my breath.

"Twelve weeks."

"You're..." The room spun. I felt like the ground wanted to swallow me whole.

"I already took a couple tests." Her voice faltered. "All positive, and, I have a lot of symptoms."

As we stared at each other, a quick laugh slipped out of me. Not because I found it funny. Nothing about this was laughable. Now I just wanted to kick myself where it counted.

Wow. Twelve weeks?

Fuck! I had no idea.

Shit. I didn't even think it was possible. She was three months pregnant now? How? I thought her hormone issues and the fact that we used protection after our wedding night would be enough of a guarantee.

No. Wait. Not every time. Right. We screwed twice in the basement on my birthday, in my studio, after I painted a portrait of her.

No condoms or anything. I didn't pull out, only because she told me it was not an issue. I thought she meant she's back on the pill, and she would take emergency contraceptives afterward.

Hold on. So, all of that didn't work? Or she didn't take any pills that night?

Fuck me sideways...

I got her pregnant again.

If she or someone else had told me, I would've come home sooner. To be here for her. Care for her. Put her needs first. "Are you sure?" It almost hurt to speak up, but I had to know everything straight from her mouth.

Adreana nodded faintly and smiled. It showed a bit of shyness and uncertainty, her pale hand resting on her belly. "I sent my urine samples to a lab. The new clinic beside the mall."

"Last month?"

"And the month before that," she replied, almost stuttering. "Maxim, we're seriously having a baby."

I grinned, chuckling at her reply. My hands cradled her and the precious life growing inside her. Matching her smile, I gently kissed her on the lips.

She clung to me, her slim arms tight around my back, her tears leaving wet spots on my shirt.

I stroked her soft hair, then kissed the side of her head and murmured an apology.

"Why're you saying sorry?"

"Nothing. I'm just...shocked. Kinda overwhelmed."

"But why're you apologizing?"

I shook my head. "You're amazing, y'know?"

Adreana gripped my shoulder and sniveled, obviously restraining the emotions making her voice waver. "I missed you."

"Missed you more." I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't think this day could get any better.

"I love you."