Within his walls - 4

The sky was caliginous.

The windy morning pulling me into open arms of the storm that came about.

Thunder rumbled from the west, and with every passing minute, I could feel the drops of rain pattering against my window.

My side of the window?

With my eyes barely able to scan my surroundings, I was startled out of whatever peace I had been lying in by that cracking sound.

Cream silk sheets, five-foot paintings hanging onto the walls, not to forget the dark carpet-rug taking the floors of the room, I could only wonder wherever I was. And only then did it hit me.

Yesterday, I became a married woman.

At once I dashed out the enormous bed, figure soon moving around the space of the room I so happened to have found myself in.

The walls were dark. And by dark, I mean doleful!

Painted in black, high ceilings of a grey colour, one could only wonder whoever thought it wise taking up such decor, but yet again was I to be alarmed, when I knew whose walls I was confined in.

Figure went scurrying around the space, pushing from here to there, as if in wait for something to unfold.

The area was much bigger than what I was accustomed to back at home. Wide-spread, strange-looking, and most discomforting.

Yes, that was it.

Even now I could tell why I had a hard time catching some sleep last night. Other than the fact that I could hear footsteps in the halls at midnight, it was how unsettling the room was that had kept me up at such ungodly hour.

It differed totally from my own space, my abode-That same room where David would sneak into every now and then, uncaught by father. And while the rest of the family would be out in the living room, leaving Plain ol' Bella to her business, I would be up in my room, making love to the man my heart thumped for.

Oh, David!

~Flashback~

It was the 23rd of December.

Here we were, bodies wrangled in each other's, the sound of our breaths cracking the silence which had taken ahold of the room. And while fireworks lit up the night sky, my heart only churned in thoughts of whatever it was I did to have heavens bless me with such love.

I'd been blessed. Blessed beyond reasoning, and every part of me knew that well.

David was the calm in the tumult which broke around me. He summed up all I failed to make up for.

And I couldn't let him go.

My heart had chosen him and him alone.

"I love you, Bella" I heard that low voice, the sound of his breath fanning hard onto my skin.

My gaze only took rest on that profile, watching the gleam held in his eyes while his body stayed pressed to mine.

"And I'd have death take me, If anything came between us"

The sound of my chuckles was all which followed, with my hold on him tightening.

"Then, I'd have to die with you, David" Those words had snapped his eyes to mine, gaze keen on my form. "We promised no one would leave the other behind" I reminded.

"No, Bella"

"If I was to go, you'd find someone to love you, someone who'd care for you"

He knew just well what he pulled about, still, I caught onto that pensiveness held in his gaze.

Not until now, I never had given it a thought what it'd be like losing him. Whom would I turn to if death snatched him from me.

We swore to stay with each other for as long as our bodies could carry us. Our souls were bind, and I knew that just right.

"But I'm afraid no one can love you as much as I do" There came those words which brought the light back to my heart, and one look at me, he brought his lips to mine.

"I love you, Bella-Those words were firm-And I swear I'd have to battle death to be apart from you"

~End of Flashback~

My heart was broken.

All of me torn.

I had slumped to the ground, such burn, eminent in my chest.

The sound of the door being pushed open had at once jolted me off my train of thoughts, gaze soon snapping to the figure which waddled into the entry way.

The stout figure of a lady was what I came first to meet.

An apron secured onto her waist, hands gripping onto a loaded tray of food, it was how the eyes of the lady were keen on my form that had managed to have caught me so well.

"Buongiorno!"

That voice of hers was as squeaky as the sound her footsteps gave, with her figure soon drawing nearer, but upon her approach, I had taken a couple steps back, eyes gaping at her.

"Dio Mio! Was that much of a fright, Signora?!"

"Who are you?" I demanded, ignoring those accent-coated words, and the lady whose face housed the sunshine the day sky partly lacked.

"I'm Patrizia" Followed the words at once, with bulgy eyes soon settling on my form.

"Is everything alright?"

"Who put me in this?" That was the only question I ached to have an answer to.

At my utterance, her eyes had darted to the object of discussion, a smile taking those chapped lips she carried.

"It was I, Signora" Patrizia followed, eyes beaming, like the sight of me alone managed to pull that much glee "You fell asleep in your wedding dress, and in as much as it was a beautiful sight, Signor Bonnucci has asked me to make you comfortable" She divulged.

And only at the thought of being laid unclad by some stranger whose presence I was unaware of all through the night, brought utter fright to my entirety.

"Was he in here?"

For some reason my words had earned a pause from the lady, with her gaze soon averting to the tray in her hands.

"No, he wasn't" She let out. "He in fact, stayed on his side of the house"

"His side of the house?"

"That was what he mentioned to me, Signora-That I ensure to keep you on your side of the house, while he stayed in his"

"Just before he left the grounds, he mentioned that" She added.

"Left? Where did he go?" Her lips pulled open, yet no words followed. And at once, she shut them back in place, gaze soon leaving mine.

"Dio Mio! I've said too much" Those words of hers were called in mumbles, figure pushing onwards as she reached to lay the tray onto the bedside table.

"I'll be outside if you need anything, Signora" And with that, she turned around, figure hurrying away.

I pushed across the room, moving from one corner to another, and having a peek out the window onto the outlying yard, only then I realized just how high up the house stood.

The scenery brought the aches to me, heart screaming to make a run from this area.

I couldn't tell what it was, whatever it was that pricked at me, but I didn't like the feeling at all.

I felt caged. And the burglary which stood guarding the window wasn't doing all helping matters.

At once I dashed out the room, still clad in that red lace nightwear I had woken up with, and feet bare, I found myself waddling down the halls, coming to meet yet another passageway at each corner I turned to.

This house was a maze.

A maze I sought to get out of.

I went on pushing onwards hoping to get an answer of what I still couldn't make sense of, and only a few steps forward did I catch onto that faint noise coming from afar.

It grew audible and more audible, and at my approaching form, I made out what that noise was- Voices.

I went onwards hands gripping onto the railing of the balcony which stood atop the living room.

Right there stood some figures, all clad in suits, crowding over each other. Amongst them all, I was quick to recognize the one I had come to know as my husband only just hours ago.

The noise happened to have died, as their voices grew faint, and all I could make out, was Lucas whispering some words to those fellow, gesticulating at each utterance he gave.

He appeared less gloomy than the day before, a portion of hair fallen over his face, figure shifting here to there.

He appeared muddled about something, and for a brief moment, I ached to know whatever had him troubled. But then again, I remembered he was a swine-A swine who thought he could control me.

Shame on him for perceiving me as an object he could order around and get to do his bidding.

And whatever agreement did he speak of last night? What really had father gotten himself into that warranted him in getting into an agreement with Aldo Bonnucci?

What really did I find myself centered in?

I turned my gaze to that noise growing, and only at that moment, had my eyes caught onto onto that object Luca had passed into the arms of the fellow before him.

Whatever it was, remained unclear from this end where I stood, yet, whatever that thing was, it managed to have brought the silence into the space, with all attention centered on that figure amidst all.

The man before him seemed utterly shaken, eyes averted from the keen ones of Luca, and as if told something, as if a word had been whispered into his ears, Luca had snapped his gaze up, eyes coming to meet the prying ones of mine.

The last time those eyes were as much attentive on me, was few hours back at the alter.

When we exchanged our vows-Vows neither of us meant. Vows which meant the opposite.

Yet, on the Bible we'd sworn to be by each other until death did us part. And now being under the same roof, those eyes were sure to gaze at me every now and then.

Even from up here, I could make out those soulless eyes of his, and in a moment, he turned away, motioning onto the gentlemen, and off they all went, leaving me to the silence I had grown to be familiar with.