SERENDIPITY | BOOK 1

T W E L V E

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"

Waking up the morning after dinner with the Russo's, there's yelling surrounding me and I'm unsure whether or not I want to know what's going on. I'm in a very comfortable bed that I recognize as Ella's by the scent of raspberries and warm vanilla surrounding me, and although I know that we're not alone- I'm unsure exactly how many people are here. My eye's remained shut as the voices continued.

"Why the fuck is he in our sorellina's bed?" (baby sister)

"Why the hell doesn't he have a shirt on, and why is she so close to him?"

"Mara is going to have some explaining to do."

"Why the fuck is he touching her?"

"Come on guys- leave them alone. They're cute together." Thank you to whoever said that! I've been saying it for weeks but no one ever listens to what I have to say. "Why is there a boy in my granddaughters' bed?"

That voice is one that ordinarily would have me scared shitless. The one and only Emiliano Russo was watching my apparent sleeping body next to his granddaughters, while she's laying in my arms and has her head laying on my bare chest. Suffice to say, I'm a little scared. Especially because him being here means that Ella's three uncles, and twenty-one older male cousins are in this house somewhere too. As the voices only continue to multiply, and arguing erupts between the men standing around us, I feel someone step closer to the bed. "MARABELLA GET THE FUCK UP."

The sudden, loud voice jolts Ella awake and forces me to open my eyes. Ella glares at me, pissed about being woke up before she realizes that I'm not the one who yelled at her. Panic flashes across her face as she forces a smile my way and turns to face the group of men standing in front of us.

Standing there, is her dad, grandpa, uncles, and all of her brothers and cousins. In one split second- the panic leaves her face and is replaced with something resembling relief as she throws the blankets down to the bottom of the bed and crawl across the bed over to Emiliano. "Nonno! Oh my god" Ella exclaims. "La mia principessa!" Emiliano laughs and wraps his arms around her, bringing her face into his chest and kissing the top of her head. (my princess!)

"I can't believe you're here" Ella says, looking up at him with stars in her eyes. "Certo che sono qui dolcezza. Non mancherei di venirti a trovare per niente al mondo" he replies. Ella kisses her grandpa's cheek before coming back over to sit next to me. I wrap my arm back around her waist, and place a kiss against her temple as she snuggles further into my side. (Of course I'm here sweetpea. I wouldn't miss visiting you for the world)

"Tesoro, what is the Romanov boy doing with his hands all over you, in bed no less?" Emiliano asks, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at us with a pointed glare. Ella laughs and shakes her head. "Nonno, this is Alexei, which I'm sure you already know. And he's in my bed because this is where we fell asleep last night." He doesn't seem satisfied with that answer though, and Ella sighs. "Look, I'm not a child, I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and I would appreciate everyone respecting that decision. And as for his hands 'all over me'- it's my body and he's allowed to touch it if he wants, I'm not going to stop him." (sweetheart)

As that last sentence finishes, scared expressions take over her family's faces at the way she just spoke to her grandfather, however a smile flashes across Emiliano's face. "I see you're still just as stubborn as you were as a child." Ella's dad laughs, and she shakes her head. "Sure am" she says with a smile. Emiliano chuckles, and nods at her once. "It's good to have you home principessa" he said before they all started to file out of the room. (princess)

Once the door to her room was latched, Ella looked at me and gave me a smile, before crawling on my lap and straddling my hips. I smiled and placed my hands on her hips, leaning in and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Ella wrapped her arms around my neck, and after a few moments- rests her forehead against mine. "How would it make you feel if I told you I didn't want to do this anymore?" she asks. My heart skidded to a stop at those words, and panic set in at the thought she didn't want me anymore. I tightened my hold on her hips and dragged her further into me. "Don't" I order.

Ella laughs and cups my cheeks. "Calm down caveman, I meant how would you feel if I didn't want to do the situationship thing anymore, and instead wanted to do this for real." My heart picked up its normal rhythm at those words and I smiled at her before flipping us both over. With her lying on her back under me, I covered her face in kisses- earning myself a giggle. "That would make me the happiest man on earth." Ella smiled at me and grabbed the back of my neck, dragging my face down to hers. "Thought you wanted to take things slow" I teased, keeping my lips just far enough away from hers to elicit a whine.

Ella slapped my shoulder playfully, and I smiled at her before giving her the kiss she wanted. "I lied" she said. "I don't want to take things slow anymore. I want us to build a beautiful life and raise a bunch of crazy ass kids together." I chuckled and placed a kiss on her cheek. "You're so cute." Ella blushed at the compliment, and slid off my lap back down next to me. "Are you just going to ignore that last comment?" she asks, looking a bit defeated.

I grab Ella's chin and force her to look at me. "Ella, I don't want to take things slow either. We have an entire lifetime left to live together and build a beautiful life, and I know that even if everything is grey- you being beside me will forever be enough. I want this. I want you" I say, grabbing her hand and locking our fingers together.

"Promise?"

"I promise Ella."

I kissed her one last time, before taking a deep breath. "Marabella, I-I" "Alexei don't" "I have too. Marabella, I Love you." Silence stretched between us as my heart raced. Love me too Ella. Love me. Please.

"I-I, I love you too Alexei. I love you too."

I smiled and laughed as I crushed Ella to my chest in a hug. As I held this woman, I realized I was holding each of my todays, and all of my tomorrow's. This woman is my present, and my future.

I swear to god- I'm going to love her forever, and even still when forever runs out.