𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

Tate slept soundly with her arms wrapped around my torso whilst I brush my hands across her stomach.

Tate's quiet snores loudens in the quiet bedroom soon blending in with my alarm. I reach to turn it off and wait for a few moments holding my wife in my arms.

I never thought it'll get to this stage, but I feel safe. I feel all my pain and worries go away when I'm in her arms.

She doesn't know it yet, but I'm consumed by her. I'm obsessed. If she's not by my side I feel uneasy and feel the need to make sure she's okay every minute. I guess that's what the words 'I love you' mean. I've never been in love before her and I'm happy that my first and last is her. My wife.

After a few minutes, I slowly remove her hands away from my torso and she groans and slowly opens her eyes.

She smiles up at me faintly and grips my shirt and hums. "Where are you going?"

"I have work, amore. Remember? I told you. I'm transferring my company duties to Antonio. He's already moved almost everything."

She furrows her brows and brushes her delicate fingers down my chest. It hurt to leave so early this morning knowing she's pregnant and feeling sick.

I press a light kiss on her stomach. "I'll be back soon. I love you."

"I love you."

𖤐𖤐𖤐

Antonio opens the door and enters my car, holding a cup of coffee firmly in his hands.

"How did the deal go?"

Antonio shrugs. "I think it went well. It's hard to tell with him. He doesn't have any expressions. Just stone cold."

I nod and start reversing out and onto the road. Before Christmas, I made sure everything was cleared out of my office and all my rooms leaving it tidy for Antonio.

Mr Thompson is the New CEO of my company since I wasn't allowed to just declare my brother the role with no proper experience. So he's hoping to make the COO role if Mr Thompson thinks he's capable of it.

Which he is. But everyone has different expectations. Even if he meets the common paper expectations, Mr Thompson will still have his very own.

I stare at my phone vibrating in the little storage on the centre console. I roll my eyes when I read the contact name.

Antonio laughs quietly. "You aren't going answer your father?"

"You mean your father?"

"You're the one who has a middle name named after his first name." Antonio chuckles. I narrow my eyes and give him a quick side glance before keeping my attention back on the road.

"Whatever. I'm not interested in what he has to say. He just threw this mafia at me and ran off on holiday living his best life and trying to date again. At his old age, you'd think he would give up."

Antonio huffs. "Maybe he'd been waiting for an opportunity to give the mafia to you so he can experience what it feels like to live again. No responsibilities just pure vibes. He deserves it."

"I never said he didn't deserve it. My point is, the mafia is now under my control and he doesn't have a clue what's happening yet he shows up telling me what to do with it. Advice? Fair. But commanding? Absolutely not." I let out as I pull up at the office.

I switch my phone off and lock my car once Antonio closes the passenger-side door.

"Just give him a call," Antonio says after a few minutes. "He might not admit it, but he misses your old relationship."

I frown.

"You know what I mean. You used to tell him everything. And now you don't. So he feels the need to check up and take over so you share information with him. For fucks sake, he even spent time getting close to Tate so he could know your feeling since you don't open up to anyone but Tate."

I clench my jaw. "He went to Tate?"

Antonio quickly shakes his head. "She didn't say anything about why you're feeling certain ways. Just how you were doing."

I shrug and press the floor eleven button. "I'll call him."

𖤐𖤐𖤐

Tate holds her mint chocolate chip ice cream bowl tightly in her hands as she sobs at the tv.

I Shake my head and wrap my arm around her waist. "Amore stop crying. You do this every time you watch this movie."

"I know but it's soo sweet. I had a crush on him since I was twelve and I haven't stopped rewatching and it gets me every time." Tate scoops a little ice cream and stuffs it in my mouth.

I furrow my brows and look down at her. "I hope your little crush is over."

Tate rolls her eyes and sighs. "No. I'm still waiting. He will come here and declare his love for me soon."

I grip the side of her waist tightly. "Just know if that was to happen, though it won't, just know I won't hesitate to cut his legs off."

Tate laughs and faces me fully. "I love you."

"I love you." I lean forward to kiss her lips and she instantly responds and sits on top of me.

"I can't wait for the rest of our future."

"I'm looking forward to it."