Tackling the Canvas

Chapter 20

Owen

I've been awake for five fucking hours, and it's starting to get ridiculous. I don't blame Nora, but she's moving way too much. It's like she's fighting invisible ninjas in her sleep or something. I tried holding her, you know, thinking maybe it would calm her down. But you want to know what I got for my trouble? A solid kick to the balls.

Yeah, that's right. Say goodbye to my future children.

I let out a quiet groan, shifting away from her a little, trying to protect myself from any further attacks. She's curled up now, looking peaceful, like she didn't just nearly end my bloodline. I can't even be mad. She's too damn cute.

Still, I'm wide awake and sore. This isn't exactly how I pictured our first week in Italy going. I stifle a laugh, thinking about how I'll probably tease her about this later—after I've recovered, of course.

____

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of soft breathing beside me. The sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on Nora's face as she lay peacefully, completely oblivious to the chaos of the night before. I smiled, rubbing my eyes, still feeling the dull ache from the "incident." She looked so calm now, like a different person from the ninja warrior who nearly took me out.

I stretched slowly, careful not to wake her. As much as I wanted to just lay there and enjoy the quiet moment, I figured I'd better get up before she delivered another unintentional attack. Sliding out of bed, I pulled on some sweatpants and tiptoed towards the bathroom, glancing back at her every few steps. She was still out cold.

Once I freshened up, I decided to head downstairs and see if we could grab some breakfast. The villa was eerily quiet, but I could hear faint clinks of dishes in the kitchen. As I walked through the hallway, I was still in awe of how massive this place was. It wasn't just the size—it was the luxury, the old-world charm of the furniture, the marble floors, the polished wood. I still can't believe I hadn't mentioned to Nora how loaded my family was.

When I got to the kitchen, the butler, Giuseppe, was already setting up a spread of pastries and fresh fruits. I nodded a greeting, and he offered me a polite smile.

"Buongiorno, Signor De Luca. Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Grazie, Giuseppe," I replied, grabbing a cup of coffee. I stared out of the window, admiring the view of the Italian countryside. This wasn't just any vacation—it felt like we'd stepped into another world, a world I grew up in, but one I hadn't fully shared with her yet. I couldn't wait to show her around, for her to experience everything Italy had to offer.

I wondered how she'd react to the small towns, the food, the people. She loved culture, always so curious about new places, and I had no doubt she'd fall in love with Italy. But part of me also wondered what she was keeping to herself. She'd been distant the past few weeks, and even though we were here now, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

When Nora finally shuffled into the kitchen, hair still messy from sleep, she gave me a soft smile. I handed her a cup of coffee, pulling her into a hug.

"Sleep better?" I teased lightly, keeping it casual, even though my thoughts were all over the place.

She gave me a small eye roll, clearly not remembering last night's attack. "Much better, thanks."

We sat down to eat, and as she took in the surroundings, I could see the awe in her eyes again. The villa, the countryside—it was all new to her, and I wanted to give her the best experience.

But I also knew it was time to talk.

The next day, after a long, restless night where I barely got any sleep, I found myself getting up with the first rays of sunlight peeking through the villa's curtains. I looked over at Nora, who was finally resting peacefully, her face soft and relaxed after hours of twisting and turning. I couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of getting kicked.

I carefully slipped out of bed, determined not to wake her, and headed downstairs for some fresh air. The crisp Italian breeze greeted me as I stepped out onto the patio, surrounded by the old stone walls of the villa and the rolling hills in the distance. I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing it felt to have her here, with me, even though something felt slightly... off.

"Buongiorno, Signor De Luca. Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Grazie, Giuseppe," I replied, grabbing a cup of coffee. I stared out of the window, admiring the view of the Italian countryside. This wasn't just any vacation—it felt like we'd stepped into another world, a world I grew up in, but one I hadn't fully shared with her yet. I couldn't wait to show her around, for her to experience everything Italy had to offer.

I wondered how she'd react to the small towns, the food, the people. She loved culture, always so curious about new places, and I had no doubt she'd fall in love with Italy. But part of me also wondered what she was keeping to herself. She'd been distant the past few weeks, and even though we were here now, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

When Nora finally shuffled into the kitchen, hair still messy from sleep, she gave me a soft smile. I handed her a cup of coffee, pulling her into a hug.

"Sleep better?" I teased lightly, keeping it casual, even though my thoughts were all over the place.

She gave me a small eye roll, clearly not remembering last night's attack. "Much better, thanks."

We sat down to eat, and as she took in the surroundings, I could see the awe in her eyes again. The villa, the countryside—it was all new to her, and I wanted to give her the best experience.

But I also knew it was time to talk.

The next day, after a long, restless night where I barely got any sleep, I found myself getting up with the first rays of sunlight peeking through the villa's curtains. I looked over at Nora, who was finally resting peacefully, her face soft and relaxed after hours of twisting and turning. I couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of getting kicked.

I carefully slipped out of bed, determined not to wake her, and headed downstairs for some fresh air. The crisp Italian breeze greeted me as I stepped out onto the patio, surrounded by the old stone walls of the villa and the rolling hills in the distance. I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing it felt to have her here, with me, even though something felt slightly... off.

As we continued eating, I kept stealing glances at her. She was trying to enjoy herself, I could tell, but there was a quiet tension behind her eyes. Maybe it was just nerves about being here, or maybe something deeper was bothering her. But knowing Nora, she wouldn't share it until she was ready.

"So, what's the plan today?" she asked, breaking the silence and looking at me with that curious sparkle in her eyes.

"I thought we could go for a drive, see some of the vineyards nearby. There's this amazing spot I want to show you. You up for that?" I offered, hoping it would help ease whatever was weighing on her.

She smiled again, a little more genuinely this time. "Yeah, that sounds perfect."

We finished breakfast and got ready to head out, but as I grabbed the keys, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was more to this trip than just spending Christmas together. Something was up, and I'd have to be patient until she was ready to open up.

But for now, I was determined to show her everything I loved about this place and make her fall in love with Italy just as much as I had.