The Sicilian Affair

Chapter 6 - Lord Of Intimidation

"Okay, I'll admit it. I honestly thought that Silvia was the most intimidating person that I have ever met but I was clearly wrong." Laurie said sitting by the window in Teresa's room.

Her brows jutted up when she heard Teresa chuckle before closing the book that she was reading and placing in on her lap.

It had been four hours since Doctor De Vega had left and she was still in the same daze that she had been in whilst they had 'as he had so courteously phrased it' chatted. Something about him intimidated her but at the same time the sad and distant look in his eyes as he spoke about Teresa made her think that it was more than just a Doctor-patient relationship.

But then again at this point she wasn't even sure, she had half phased out when he was asking her if Teresa still cried at night. That statement had taken her back abit.

Teresa cried?

Laurie couldn't answer him. It was the first that she was hearing of this. Even if she did cried all night there were no evidence, no puffy or bloodshot eyes in the morning. Nothing.

She had been greeted with the same cheerful Teresa every moring that she had been here.

Her heart clenched at the thought alone. Why would she be crying? She wanted so badly to ask Teresa.

Maybe she could be of help, maybe it would help if Teresa confided in her, Laurie thought, but she couldn't say anything, for now. She would allow Teresa to tell her herself...that is if she felt she wanted to someday.

"And who should I ask, dared to take Silvia's title away from her?" Teresa asked biting the side of her lips trying to conceal her amusement.

Laurie gazed out of the window and replied, " Doctor De Vega."

Her head snapped back to where Terasa sat in her rocking chair which had now been placed by her bedside.

She suckled a breath as Teresa's blank expression dissolved into laughter.

Teresa was laughing. A real laugh, her eyes were closed, her lips were spread from cheek to cheek and Laurie's heart soared.

She couldn't suppress the smile that crept on her lips.

She remembered Silvia telling her that this house had been foreign from laughter for so many years and now Teresa was laughing. She had made Teresa laugh.

"I can assure you that you have nothing to fear from him. Trust me when I say that he is not even close to her lane." Teresa said in between laughs.

"Oh I seriously beg to differ. I almost peed myself when he asked to talk to me for a while and that was in the kitchen in Silvia's presence and it didn't get any better when we went into the office. I honestly thought that at one point I was going to faint, he is the lord of intimidation. I think I might have called him 'your majesty' once or twice, I can't remember for sure." Laurie said hiding her now scarlet face in her hands.

"Dear lord," Teresa gasped at this point she was battling for air.

"You are definitely a breath of fresh air Laurie Slade, I'll give you that." She said to Laurie once her laughter died out.

"And didn't I mention how handsome is? " Laurie said beaming at Teresa who suddenly stiffened in her chair and merely raised a brow at Laurie.

"Oh no don't get me wrong, he's old enough to be my father. What I meant was that he has great genes, you all do. I mean what's your secret?"

"There's no secret Laurie. It's not like we have the fountain of youth hidden somewhere."

"You'd tell me if you did though, right?"

"I would but then I'd never let you leave this island." Teresa said getting from her rocking chair and moved over to the window next to Laurie.

Laurie frowned at the sudden change in her mood.

The happy gleam in her eyes had dissappeared as she now stood with a blank expression on her face. Teresa did that alot. It was as if whenever she willed herself to laugh she would then shut herself off from the world as if she somehow didn't deserve to be happy. But why?

She spent most of her days staring out into the garden but her gaze was mostly focused on the old chestnut tree that they had once sat under.

"Okay I call therapy in session." Laurie said to Teresa snapping her out of her daze.

Teresa turned and glanced at her.

She took the vacant seat next to Laurie before saying, " I thought we established that that therapy of yours was of no use the first time around."

Laurie chuckled leaning back against her chair.

"Oh no we didn't. You assumed that it was useless but I beg to differ. Now come on, you know what you have to do."

Teresa sighed then looked at Laurie with a mischievous grin plastered on her face.

"Alright, since you are making me do something that I don't feel like doing then you'll have to do something in return."

Laurie lifted a brow at her, "Something like what?"

Terasa smiled, " You'll see."

Laurie's face fell, unsure of what Teresa was going to have her do. As if sensing her hesitation Teresa let out a small chuckle and said, "Don't worry, it won't be anything dangerous. It will actually be good for you."

Teresa leant forward and placed a hand over laurie's giving it a light squeeze.

"I promise," Teresa said, "It's going to be a life changing experience." She smiled before removing her hand from Laurie's and leaning back against her chair.