Bound To You

Chapter 6

Valeria

I opened my suitcase, which had been hiding under the beautiful bench in front of Juan's bed. Pulling out my dark grey pyjamas and loose white t-shirt, I aimed for the white door of the attached bathroom. The entryway to the kitchen was on the left side of the room, though I hadn't yet seen it.

I made my way into the lavish, tiled bathroom. All the lights in the house seemed to be golden, soft, and bright. The large rectangle mirror in the centre of the wall opposite the door above the large white counter reflected the steel towel rack. The chamber pot took up residence at the right end of the wall. The wide oval sink gleamed in the middle of the broad counter, three drawers on each side of a cupboard below it. The spacious shower on the left was separated from the rest of the bathroom by a glass wall. Thankfully, the knobs looked simple enough to operate.

Stepping in front of the mirror, I stared at my own done-up reflection, marveling at the perfection of it. The photographer had already taken our wedding photos during the ceremony. I had been allowed a sneak peek and expressed my earnest awe for the truly magnificent candid shots. We'd posed for only one formal photo, which was undoubtedly going on the picture wall of the Lopez household.

It was a shame that I had to wash it off. I picked up my phone and fired off a message to my mother, asking for the names of the makeup artists and which company they worked for. I would have to send them an appreciation e-mail. And a good review online. Some people might find it to be a bit 'extra', but I believed in giving credit where it was due. And anyway, it would make their day to receive an email like that.

I shrugged off my dress, then bent down and opened the cupboards - bingo. Towels and robes.

Hanging one of each on the rack, I stepped into the shower. Twisting the knobs, I adjusted the temperature to my liking, then switched on the water, tested it, and stepped under the stream.

Oh, that water pressure was to die for.

I groaned silently at the sheer perfection of it. And for the next ten minutes, simply stood there, enjoying it.

* * *

I stepped out of the bathroom, wearing my night clothes, a towel wrapped around my head. Juan was nowhere in sight.

I swept the towel off my head, heading for my navy blue bag of toiletries. My toothbrush went into the holder near the bathroom mirror, my facewash under it. Armed with a blow dryer and hairbrush, I made quick work of untangling and combing my hair.

A glance in the bathroom mirror had me sighing in relief. I liked the beautified version of me, but I loved this one the most. The me who was human. I looked plain, my freckled skin rosy, my eyes bright, my hair thick and wavy. And slightly frizzy.

I made my way out of the suite, padding down the hallway to the staircase, past the archway of the living room, and into the kitchen.

To my surprise, I found Carlos, Gloria, and Juan sitting at the kitchen island.

"Ah, Valeria," Carlos said warmly. "Please, join us," he added, gesturing to the stool beside Juan.

I hesitantly took my seat.

"I've just asked for an explanation from my parents regarding why we were made to marry each other," Juan informed me. I nodded, then looked at them expectantly.

They swapped a look. "Surely, Maria and Vanillos told you why it was necessary, Valeria," Carlos inquired.

I shook my head.