Chapter 34- WORK

Leonardo batted his eyelids, he had hoped that Aurora would forget the embarrassing display that he had put up in the morning but here she was, reminding him of the sadness that filled his heart.

'Nothing but the truth, please" Looking into her eyes, he knew that he could not lie to the woman who was now his better half, even though he did not see himself as a better half.

'I was informed that one of my students had passed on and that is the reason why I was upset" he confessed. Aurora's face changed, sadness washed over her face and a small part of him pained seeing her worry.

'I am so sorry, I didn't realize that you were—"

'No need to apologize to me, everything happens for a reason" He answered, looking away and walking past Aurora to enter into their room. He shut the door behind himself, leaving Aurora outside their room as she wondered how she would fix things between them.

**

'My daughter, come on in here!" Signora Carina opened her arms wide, readying herself to hug her daughter in-law with a smile on her face. Aurora walked towards her mother in-law, leaning in for a hug.

'Good morning mother in-law, you are looking better and better" Aurora complimented her and to see the smile on her mother in-law's face had put Aurora at peace.

She had woken up early in the morning, determined to make sure that her mother in-law was in good health. Aurora let go of her mother in-law, seeing the older woman smile and full of health made her happy.

'I am so sorry mi hija, I don't know what had happened to me. One moment I was in the kitchen and the other, I found myself on my bed with the doctor tending to me" signora Carina explained, her face riddled with worry, something that Aurora's fragile heart could not bear too see.

She smiled at signora Carina, anything to make sure that her mother in-law did not feel as though she was a burden to anyone.

'It is okay, I am actually here to make sure that you take your medications" Aurora informed her mother in-law who in return, playfully rolled her eyes.

'You are my daughter in-law and not an employee, therefore it is not your job to make sure that you take my medication" her mother in-law warned her but Aurora smiled at her in return.

'You might not like me doing it but I feel that I have to" Aurora told signora Carina, she then turned to the table and grabbed the medications but stopped as she realized that one of the medications was missing. 'Oh, one of the medication packets is missing"

'Oh! it's downstairs, one of the helpers took it with her and she is yet to return with it" she explained to Aurora.

'Okay mother, I am going downstairs and I will get you the rest of your medications" Aurora informed her mother in-law and then walked out of the room, making a point to stop in the kitchen where she found one of the helpers.

'Good morning signora Avena"

'Good morning, I believe my mother in-law's tablets are here in the kitchen"

'Yes it's here" the helper responded, grabbed the packet of medication from the counter and handed it over to Aurora.

'Thank you very much" Aurora responded and right before she could leave the helper called out to her.

'Yes" Aurora replied to her.

'I am so thankful that you are taking care of signora Carina, when I found her in her room on the floor I panicked and I did not know what to do. But with you here, I am sure that she will be taken care of"
Aurora paused, not believing her ears what the maid had said to her.

'I beg your pardon, what were you saying?"

'I— I said that I am thankful—"

'Not that, I meant the part where you found her in her room, on the floor"

'Yes madam, she was on the floor, in her room and unconscious" the maid repeated herself even though nothing was making sense to Aurora.

‘I am so sorry mi hija, I don't know what had happened to me. One moment I was in the kitchen and the other, I found myself on my bed with the doctor tending to me' Aurora stood in the center of the kitchen thinking of her mother in-laws words and nothing made sense to her.

'Are you sure that my mother in-law did not fall in the kitchen?" She asked, Aurora's head spinning in circles trying to make sense of it all.

'Yes madam, I was the one who found her in the room and on the floor. Is there anything the matter?" she asked Aurora who raised her head and faked a smile.

'Okay, thank you" Aurora replied before walking out of the kitchen. Every step she took towards her mother in-laws room, Aurora struggle to come to terms with what the maid had said to her with full conviction.

As she walked towards the room, she knocked into something hard, feel backwards and an arm came around her waist to stop her from falling.

'Hey!—" she stopped as her eyes locked with that of Leonardo's.

'We need to stop bumping into each other like this" He teased her and just a smile from him had made her forget all about she was thinking about. He straightened her and let go of her, the disconnection from Leonardo left her feeling sad, as though something was ripped off from her.

'Hey, you're up early"

'Well I just came from my mother's room and she was telling me of how well you are taking care of her and I honestly cannot thank you enough for what you are doing"

'No need to thank me, your mother is like my own mother" Aurora answered, she tried walking away from him but Leonardo stopped her.

'You don't have to be shy around me" Leonardo leaned in as he spoke to her, the hot heat coming from his mouth tickled her neck, sending a tickling feeling running down her spine. She stepped back but was quickly pulled back by Leonardo's hand, wrapped around her hips.

'I am—I—I am not shy" she lied, looking away from him as to not see his eyes burning with passion.

'Then why are you running away from me?"

'I—I need to go and give mother her medication" she told him softly, hoping that Leonardo would not press on. The space between them was getting smaller and Leonardo's grip tighter around her waist, her eyes shut and her core getting wetter as she stood before him, both her hands on her chest as to try to control her breathing.

'Ok" he responded and released his grip on her, her eyes shot wide open, surprised that he had let go of her that easily. She watched as Leonardo placed both his hands into his trouser pockets and smiled at her, a charming smile, one that would make any woman including herself weak at the knees.

'Just okay?" she was surprised that she had asked him that, placing her hand over her mouth quickly as a way to stop herself from saying any more outrageous things.

Leonardo's smile brightened as he raised his eyebrow, rocked forwards and backwards as he looked at her.

'Are you expecting something like a kiss from me?" He asked her and the look of shock appeared on Aurora's face was enough for Leonardo to almost burst out laughing but he stopped himself.

'No!" She responded but louder than she should have and then went silent.

'I have to go somewhere, see you when I see you" He told her before walking past Aurora but not before her nose perceived the smell of his after shave and cologne. His smell so addictive that by smelling it, she was almost drugged by it.

He's gone, get ahold of yourself! Aurora scolded herself mentally, she had to go and help her mother in-law. Standing close to Leonardo had caused her to lose track of time and everything around her seemed fictional.

**

'Stupid, stupid!" Leonardo slammed his hands against his steering wheel, he had tried assuring himself that what he did was right but in the end, he felt like a loser. In his effort of trying to be an affectionate husband, he had ended up sounding like a womanizer and ultimately making Aurora feel uncomfortable.

'Ricardo, I am no longer taking your advice" he gritted his teeth as he said those words. He had spoken to Ricardo earlier, hoping that his best friend would help him spice up his marriage by giving him tips but here he was, in his car and regretting his actions.

Before starting his car, Leonardo looked at himself in the review mirror and smiled, he had purposefully left his hair wet as a way to woo his wife who was more shy than excited.

He laid his head back on his head rest and shut his eyes, almost immediately he imagined Aurora looking at him, speechless to say. Leonardo wrapping his hands around her hips had felt as though it was second nature to him and the softness of her skin, the perfect resting place for his hand. Even though she was shy, her constant biting of her lips had turned him on, swelling him in places that he would rather not mention.

Being that close to his wife, Leonardo could almost hear her heart beat and in perfect sync with his own heart.

The moment had been perfect, he had come closer to her neck, feeling her heat match with that of his own. So many times in a short space of time, he had wanted nothing other than to place his lips on her neck and kiss her but summoning all the courage in him, he stopped himself.

If they were to go over to the next base, he wanted to do it with her and at her own pace. Their marriage had started off less than welcoming from both partied but he wanted to make it work no matter what.

'I do not know how I am going to do this Avena but I promise you I will try my best" He promised her, in the silence of his car. Putting his key into the ignition and starting the engine. He needed to go somewhere and he would do that quickly before anyone knew that he was gone.

He drove his car into the deepest parts of town, where no one would have dare to wonder to, he needed to be by himself. This marriage was a new beginning for him and he would try his best to make it work.

But you are not a good person. His thoughts taunted him and just then Leonardo accelerated his car, he needed to forget the constant demons reminding him of his past, a past that most people refused to speak about, a past that his father had paid many people to forget.