Breaking Point

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Malina: Part Two

Malina, 22 Years Ago

"Marco, I'll be fine." He gave me a skeptical look through the mirror, his arms were crossed and a scowl on his face. I turned around to face him, mocking his facial expression.

"Don't give me that look." I said as I wrapped my arms around him, his hard expression softened. His large arms came around my figure, my bump making a bridge between us.

"I don't like the idea of you leaving the estate mi amour."

"I'm pregnant, not fragile. I've already sucked the inspiration out of this place, I need to leave and get more. Besides, it's just Barcelona." I turned back to the mirror and put my hair in a ponytail.

"There's a million beaches here in Valencia, why do you have to go so far?"

"I've been to all of them Marco, I need to get out of here. I feel trapped." I was hefting my bag onto my shoulder and turned to face him again, I was only going to be gone for three days. I was tired of being stuck here and painting the same things over and over again.

When I turned to the door, Antonia came toddling in, we still haven't bought anything for her so she's just been wearing Santiago's clothes, still a little big on her but it was better than nothing. I bent to pick her up and showered her face with kisses.

"Cómo mi bebé hoy? (hows my baby today)" She giggled and held my face with her hands.

"She's such a ball of sunshine." Marco took her from my arms handset her down.

"Ir a jugar (Go play)." He ordered and she ran out the door. I frowned at him.

"Marco." I deadpanned, he looked away from me and brooded at the window, I rolled my eyes and walked over to my pouting husband. The man was 300 pounds of pure baby.

"Marco it's three days." He ignored me.

"If you're going to act like a child I'll treat you like one." I warned, crossing my arms.

"What's down in Barcelona that you don't want me to see? You wouldn't be so adamant about me going if there was nothing there."

"I'm not hiding anything Malina, I just don't like the idea of going by yourself, take someone please."

"I want to do this myself before I'm too tired and too pregnant to do it without someone." I said back. Without answering he walked past me and out the door, I groaned and picked up my bag and hurriedly followed him down the stairs. Antonia, Santiago and Ramirez were all on the floor in the foyer, Nico was playing with them absentmindedly while he was on his phone. He raised his eyes to meet mine and winked, I scowled and faced the front.

When I got out the door Marco was leaning against the car with the keys in his hand, a bored expression on his face.

"Are you going to speak or am I going to have to fight you for the keys?"

"If you want to leave I'm not going to stop you."

I was about to reach for the keys when he pulled them back. "If you tell me why you want to go to Barcelona so badly."

"Better scenery." I said automatically. It wasn't a lie really, the scenery was better, I just need to think without him breathing down my neck.

"Malina, you're lying."

"No I'm not, are we really going to argue about this?" We stared at each other, I made sure that I looked right into his eyes showing him that I was going to get my way for once.