Coming Back To You

~Twenty-eight~

Bella's POV

My legs are shaking from how intense our sessions were. When I try to stand up, Nick immediately helps me up.

Never expected my first time to be behind a waterfall.

I smile widely at Nick as he helps me put on my clothes. He'd already gotten into his.

"Are you okay," concern pooling in his eyes

"Yeah, it's just...that was...wow"

"I'm glad you feel the same way I do."

I smile as I look at my feet, but his forefinger lifts my head and he stares deeply into my eyes, forehead leaning lovingly against mine.

We stare at each other until we decide to clean up the little picnic.

As I'm picking up the basket, Nick immediately takes it from my hands and kisses my temple.

"I could've carried it, you know" I roll my eyes and scoff lightly

"Yea, but after that, you don't need the extra work. I'm enough"

I let out a soft chuckle as I wrap my arms around his neck and peck his cheek, but he turns his head so my lips touch his.

I try to pull away since it was supposed to be only a quick peck, but he puts the basket down and holds the back of my head so I can't pull away.

I smile against his lips as his tongue skims the seam of my lips, but instead of granting access, I gently nip at it to tell him that we have to get ready to go.

He groans in frustration and pulls away reluctantly with a pout on his face.

I smile at his cuteness and pat his cheek, "You're so cute."

Immediately his face scrunches up, "Cute? Me? I'm not cute. I'm manly, did what we just do not show that?"

I immediately get flustered from the memory and glance at my feet before looking into his blue-green eyes

"Yes, but it also showed me you act like a tough guy on the outside. And from what the pout told me," I caress his lips with my forefinger, "you're just a big teddy bear on the inside."

"Just for you, though."

"Just for me."

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•
In the car ride home

Nicolo's POV

My hand rests on Bella's thigh as I draw circles on the inside of it.

I glance at her while she looks out the window, lost in her thoughts.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"My thoughts are much more valuable than a penny, Nick."

"A dollar?"

"Ten dollars."

"Ten dollars it is." I smile at her antics

"I'm thinking about lots of things, my dad, my friends, both in England and here, the surprise..." she trails off, I know there's something going on though.

"What else?"

"Other things."

"What kind of other things?"

She takes a deep breath, "There's something I need to tell you, and you can't get mad."

"Okay." Depends

"Promise?"

"Promise." Lies

"...Okay, so umm. There's been this little thing going on with...Tatiana...," she waits for my reaction. I don't have any emotion on my face. She continues, "...She kind of...threatened me." She stops abruptly, noticing my immediate reaction, which was to slam on the breaks at an upcoming red light, several cars honking around us.

My arm flies forward across Bella's stomach to catch her from flying forward and out the windshield even though her seatbelt was on.

With my jaw clenched I ask, "How?"

"Umm, she just said, You better watch yourself or something will happen to you that you won't like. Nothing too bad."

"Are you kidding me?!" I never thought Tatiana could be so dumb yet somewhat smart. Threatening someone I cared about with my life, yet her threat has confirmed she had a death wish.

A muscle in my jaw twitches, but I know Bella won't like this side of me, so I concentrate on her beautiful honey eyes, her soft and silky hair, her warm and kind heart and I'd already calmed down a little bit. Key word little.

I drive away from her house after walking in with her to make sure she isn't killed or kidnapped, have a quick 10 minute make out session with her and leave way happier than when I arrived.

This is just another thing left to worry about, I already have Enzo -go to chapter seven if you forget- working on who sent that text.

I take a quick shower to reflect on the problems I need to focus on the most. And number one, at the top of the list, the problem at the top of my list of priorities, is how to get rid of Tatiana without Bella questioning me about it. Since they work at the same place, I'll have to get creative.

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I don't really have anything to say other than I'm glad I have had more time to write this chapter! Ily🫶🏼