𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄

𝐈𝐈 - 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞

Today is the day. Today, I was to meet Adriano, my soon-to-be husband. I woke up earlier to tend to the plants and flowers in my garden, doing that usually calmed me and today I'll need that a lot.

I could feel my body easing up as I watered my lavenders, the sweet scent intoxicating me. I didn't realize when Pa approached me and he gently tapped my shoulder to get my attention. Gardening tends to do that to me, it engulfs me and makes me ignorant of everything happening around me. It was therapeutic for me and had always helped when my heart was burdened and I was on the verge of having a panic attack, it was the major contributing factor to me getting out of my dark place.

"He is here, Carina," Papa told me and I felt my breath slowly become unstable, he sensed that. He put his hand around my shoulder and started to lead me into the house.

" You have nothing to worry about bebé, this will only be for a while. Give me a little time and I'll come save you, okay?" he tried to reassure and calm me down.

"how long?" I asked.

"A month or two tops," he said kissing my forehead and we continued walking till we reached the door leading to the room they were in.

I gulped as Papa opened the door. Inside the room were Miguel, Adriano, and two guards who probably came with Adriano.

Miguel and Adriano were casually chatting and as I entered, the conversation ceased. Both men stood up at once, Miguel coming up towards me and whispered only to my hearing, "He is fine, I might as well steal him from you, be careful." he joked and I quietly giggled.

"Adriano," the man standing opposite me said, stretching out his hands for a shake.

I hesitated but remembering what Papa had told me, I said "I'm Novalie" and took his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Novalie." He said still holding onto my hand while keeping eye contact with me.

His eyes. They were these attractive silvery blue.

Sexy.

What the-

He lifted my hand slightly and laid a quick peck on it. I bent my head down, trying to hide my flustered face.

"Alright let's not waste any more time and get to the business of the day," Papa said, interrupting.

Mama came down and I sat beside her, opposite Miguel and Adriano sitting together. Dad ordered the maid to get us drinks as he began "Adriano, do you have any plans for the wedding"

They talked for about thirty minutes as the men decided that the wedding will take place in two weeks, way too soon. Adriano said he wanted us to go on a week's trip to wherever I want after the wedding for our honeymoon and then I'll have to move back to Italy with him. At the time, I had felt it was really sweet for him to let me have a honeymoon though it was an arranged marriage but that happiness was cut short when he told me I'll be having to move away from Mexico and go to Italy with him.

I guess I should've known, I had been trying my best to distract myself from the whole marriage thing since I was told so I hadn't gotten much thought about it. But the thought of leaving my family -the family that had been by my side throughout and always tried their best to protect me from another occurrence- to go stay with a complete stranger made me grevious and nervous.

The room started to feel smaller and I started to take in small breaths, scared if I took more, I'll use up all the oxygen and suffocate. I started to sweat and feel sticky as the people around me blurred and their voices muffled. Everything currently happening felt surreal and deeply scared me. I was scared of the man in front of me and even more scared of the thought of being left alone with him. If he tried to harm me, Daddy and Miguel won't be there to save me again and my mom won't be there to hold and comfort me like last time.