Chapter 12
Andrea’s POV
After Emil and his brothers had left the room, I asked Wilma to set up a table in the garden so that I could talk with Angelo there and she had been more than happy to oblige.
The air was soft and the sun rays were gentle, it felt like a good day but my heart could not stop pounding in my chest, it had been a rollercoaster of emotions today, starting from my encounter with Emil in the morning and then the dream I had and now Lorenzo was here in the house, my marital house and he was standing just a few feet away from where I was sitting with Angelo.
“So tell me Andrea, how have you been really? Are they kind to you here?” he asked me as he held my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
I smiled and said “Everyone here is so nice to me, they treat me really well and they all try to make sure I am comfortable”
“That puts my heart at ease, I really worried about you a lot, I was just too ashamed to come and see you when I could not do anything when father asked you to get married to Emil Ferrari, I should have at least tried to say something to stop it from happening” Angelo said, I could hear the sadness in his voice as he spoke and it broke my heart that he was feeling this way.
“My dear Angelo, you should not worry yourself so much, I agreed to it without any objections, I was happy that I could finally be of use to my family, it was a sacrifice that had to be made and I don’t regret it” I said.
My heart broke as I realized that Lorenzo was hearing every word I was saying, I was saying that I did not mind losing him to please my family.
A sigh escaped Angelo’s lips before he said “We never should have put you in that position, it was not up to you to save our family, you are just a child and you had your entire life ahead of you and now, you are forced to play the part of Donna Ferrari in a place filled with people you do not know”
I smiled and said “Perhaps you underestimate me, I am a Severino, I persevere in the face of adversity, I am a descendant of proud men and women, my ancestors were part of the first people to set foot on this rich land, I am a Severino woman, I am always beautiful and proud”
Angelo had been the first to teach me about the heritage of my family when I was just a young girl and I never forgot.
I felt him brush my hair from my face “Your ancestors will be proud of you without a doubt” he said.
I smiled and said “Yes, so you should not worry about me so much, just try to visit me often and always give my regards to our father”
“I promise to visit all the time” he said with a small laugh.
I laughed and said “So how is he? How is father doing?”
“You know him, he is just the same, never saying much and preferring to spend most of his time in his study” Angelo said.
“You should try to spend time with him, he may not show it but I am sure he gets lonely sometimes” I said.
Angelo sighed and said “No one will ever really know how the mind of Don Dante Severino works”
I smiled and squeezed his hand “You are all he has now, please take care of him” I said.
“I will, I promise” Angelo said.
“Thank you Angelo, thank you so much” I said with a smile.
“What are you thanking for?” he asked.
I shook my head and said “For simply being Angelo”
He was quiet for a while then he said in a much lower tone “Will you like to speak to Lorenzo?”
He must have noticed the surprise on my face because he laughed and said “I know you think no one is ever paying attention to you my dear sister but I am not that oblivious”
“What? Why did you never say anything?” I asked him.
“What was there to say? Your happiness is all that matters to me Cara” he said and I suddenly felt like crying, I moved closer to him and hugged him.
He rubbed my back and whispered against my hair “I wish I was a better big brother to you”
I said and simply hugged him, I was lucky to have a brother like him and I will forever be grateful for that.
When I finally pulled away, he brushed my hair away from my face and said “Make it quick before Don Ferrari decides to come and see what’s happening”
I nodded and smiled.
Angelo stood up and said “I will visit soon, very soon, I promise”
“I will be expecting you” I said.
“Take care Andrea” he said and placed a kiss on my forehead and then he was gone.
I felt my heart break and tears mist my eyes but I pushed the feeling away and focused on what I was going to say to Lorenzo in a few seconds.
All of a sudden, my senses were assaulted by a familiar scent, one that brought with it the feeling of nostalgia and the memories of home, memories of something that could never be.
“Hello Andrea” he said, his deep familiar voice staring up feelings and memories I had tried to keep locked away since I came to live at the Ferrari mansion.
“Lorenzo” I said, his name leaving my lips in a whisper.
I felt him sit down on the chair next to mine and I forced myself to remember that it could be bad if Emil found us like this.
“How have you been? And I do not want the answers you gave your brother, I want the truth, are you happy? Does he treat you right?” he asked.
My heart broke for him, how could he still be worried about me when I had decided to sacrifice him for the sake of my family's happiness.
I pushed down all feelings and emotions I was feeling for him, we could not be here like this together, it was wrong.
"Lorenzo, you can't be here anymore, I need you to take care of yourself at all times, I am a married woman now and I intend to honour my vows" I said to him.
"You don't mean that my love, don't try to push me away" Lorenzo said as he held my hand in his.
He was making things more difficult for me by refusing to accept our fate.
I felt a teardrop fall from my eye, this was what love was supposed to be right? A feeling of home and peace, so what were the confusing feelings I was having for Emil Ferrari.
"Mi amor, do not cry please" he said as I felt him move closer to me and brush the tears from my eyes.
This was wrong and should not be happening.
"You need to leave Lorenzo, please" I said.
Lorenzo was quiet for a while then he said “Andrea, I am trying to find a reason to hold on to you even when I know I am not supposed to, I have every reason not to and you are making me think it is for the best, I do not want to let you go but you are forcing me to” he said.
For some reason his voice had taken on a deeper and darker note.
“Lorenzo you should leave” I said.
“Andrea you are making a mistake” he said.
I started to get up to leave but then I felt his hand on his mine “Tell me not to let you go” he said.
“You should go” I said once more.
“Do you mind taking your hands off my wife or do I have to make you?” I heard Emil’s voice float into my ear and I knew immediately that there was going to be trouble.
Angelo had probably returned to the front of the house in an attempt to give Lorenzo and I some sort of privacy so that meant I was stuck here with both of them.
I expected Lorenzo to let go of my hand but instead he held on and I was not sure if I should pull my hand away or just let him hold on.
“I do not really feel like it” Lorenzo said as he kept holding on to my hand.
“Lorenzo what are you doing, let me go” I said.
I heard a chuckle from Emil “You have some guts my friend, you stand in a man’s house, hold his wife’s hand and when he asks you to leave, you tell him you do not want to, are those not the words of a fool?” Emil said, his voice had taken on a darker tone, one that I remember him using only once and that was the day he had come to ask for his retribution for his brother’s death, he had come seeking blood.
I pulled my hand from Lorenzo’s hold quickly and said “I am sorry Emil, he was just leaving”
He had no reason to listen to me, I had not given him any reason to but I prayed desperately that he decided to.
I heard his approaching footsteps and my heart pounded in my chest, I had no idea what he would decide to do.
Finally his footsteps stopped and he was standing close enough for me to feel his body heat close to mine, I held my breath waiting for him to say something but instead I felt him take my hand in his, his hand was warm and big and mine was completely swallowed up in it.
“Let’s go” was all he said before he led me away from Lorenzo.
I followed him quietly all the while thanking God that he did not choose to react in a manner that would have resulted in disastrous consequences.
“And as for you” Emil said and stopped walking for a while, I felt him to turn around to look at Lorenzo “The next time I see you anywhere near my house or anywhere close to my wife, you will die” he said and turned around and continued to walk away.
I felt my heart take a dive when I heard him say those words, I prayed that Lorenzo would listen to me and not come back here anymore.
I expected Emil to say something but he did not and that bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
“Emil…” I started.
“You finally said my name” was all he said and I was not sure the best reply anymore so I kept quiet and followed him quietly.