Chapter 47- BACK

'Good evening mother, I heard you were looking for me" Aurora peaked her head through the door with just enough time to see her mother in-law hide something.

'Oh Avena! It's you. Where have you been my dear, I was worried sick" Signora Carina turned around to face Aurora, worry clouded her face.

'My apologies mother in-law but I got carried away, Cory was kind enough to give me some riding lesson" Aurora told her mother in-law as she entered the room. To her surprise, her mother in-law smiled at her.

'That is good. I like the fact that you are getting out more and seeing the town" her mother in-law told her and turned around, looking through her drawers for something and acting as though Aurora was not there to begin with.

'Mother In-law, one of the helpers informed me that you were looking for me" She reminded her mother in-law who then paused and then turned to Aurora.

'Oh that, I don't remember why I even called you" Signora Carina smiled but deep down Aurora knew that there was more that her mother in-law was hiding. But Aurora let it go, the last thing she wanted was to make the older woman upset.

'Okay mother, I have to leave now"

'Bye" her mother in-law told her and quickly turned back to what it was that she was looking for. Aurora silently left the room, giving her mother in-law some space. Upon walking to her room, Aurora could not help but feel the signs of loneliness creep in.

Now that Leonardo was not home and her mother in-law was busy with her own life, nothing felt the same and the enormous size of the mansion did nothing to fill the void that she felt inside.

Entering her room, Aurora shut the door behind herself and quickly jumped in her bed, shoes and all. Right now she needed to sleep, perhaps dreaming of her husband would help matters at hand.

**
'Wake up sleepy head" Leonardo leaned in and whispered into Aurora's ears. He had arrived during the early hours of the morning, cut his trip short because of the constant need to see his wife weighed on him more than being away from her.

He had watched her sleep in the messy bed with her shoes and clothes on and yet she still looked like a princess. He watched Aurora move her head and not once did she open her eyes. Moving her hair away from her face, Leonardo placed a kiss on her forehead and his eyes rolled back.

Her sweet coconut scent, filled his noise and he could not get that out of his mind. He had been dreaming about holding her in his arms and now that he was here, he could not for the fear that he would break her small frame.

He could not understand how he had gone from hating everything about his wife since the day that they had tied the knot, to loving everything about her and wanting to protect her.

'Sleep well my little princess" Leonardo whispered into her ear one last time before sliding off the bed and just when he was about to exit the room, Aurora's eyes shot wide open.

'Please tell me that I am not dreaming?" Leonardo stopped, his back facing her but he could not help but to smile at himself. Even though he could not see her, Leonardo could hear the tiredness in her voice. He slowly turned around and just then, his eyes met her dilated pupils.

'You should go back to sleep now" He whispered to her, with a smile on his face.

'You're back!" to Leonardo's surprise, Aurora jumped up from the bed, made her way towards him and wrapped her arms around him. All she needed was to feel his embrace and she got just what she wanted.
Holding Leonardo in her embrace was by far the best feeling that Aurora had felt ever since he had left.

'I missed you" she heard herself say and shut her eyes as she wished she could take those words back.

'I missed you too" Leonardo told her. His confession warmed Aurora's heart. How she had come to love a stranger in four months, she could not explain. But she knew that she could simply not live her life without him.

She let go of Leonardo and looked into his eyes, her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.
Leonardo's heart broke seeing his wife in such a state, all he wanted was to hug her tight and make all the pain go away.

'Hey, hey don't cry. I am here and I won't leave you again, I promise" He told her, promising her something that could not assure but he was damn sure that he would spend his life keeping her safe.

**
'You are so sweet" Leonardo placed a kiss on Aurora's forehead as her hand slung over his bare chest. They had spent the early hours of the morning wrapped in each other's embrace.
Their love-making had always been magical and like always, Leonardo had never fallen short of pleasing her.

'You are better" she complimented him and laid her head on his bare chest, feeling his heart beat.

'I must say that this is the best thing that my parents have ever done for me" he told Aurora whilst stroking her hair.

Raising her eyebrow in confusion and not knowing what it was that Leonardo was talking about. She lifted her head up and looked at him questionably.

'I don't understand what you are trying to say?" she asked Leonardo who simply smiled at her.

'Who would have ever thought that the two of us would have fallen in love this fast. I remember when I first met you in the garden and you accused me of stealing your locket" Leonardo smiled at the thought of that night when he had met Aurora for the first night.

'I apologize for that, I was upset" She explained, embarrassed that she had once thought of Leonardo as nothing more than a thief and a womanizer.

'No need to apologize for anything, I too once thought that you were a spoilt brat. Avena, please tell me why have I heard nothing good about you before marrying you?" He asked her, puzzled as to why no one ever spoke well of Aurora before they were married.

Aurora was silent, she knew just why no one had ever said anything good about Avena. She had grown up with Avena and she was difficult to get along with. And here she was, bearing the brunt of what Avena had done in the past.

'Did I say something wrong?" Leonardo asked her and his question had Aurora snap out of her head.

'No you did not say anything wrong… I was just thinking about something, that's all" she lied, something that she had been doing a lot of lately.

'Oh, I thought I said something wrong"

'No you did not, as I said, I was just thinking about something, that's all" She explained herself and before she said anything else, Leonardo pulled her close to him and wrapped his arm around her.

His kisses all over her body was more than welcoming but the guilt still hung in the air, leaving Aurora hearing the ticking of the clock, her time of lying might just come to an end.

'I have to dress now" Leonardo informed her and just before he could get up, Aurora pulled him back, sending him crashing onto the bed.

'I won't let you go anywhere" Aurora leaned closer to Leonardo as she spoke to him, her lips only a few centimeters away from him.

Looking into her eyes, Leonardo could not believe how lucky he was to have her as his wife.

'If I do not go then—"

'Then what?" Aurora asked, pressing her finger onto his lips whilst looking into Leonardo's hungry eyes.

'Well if I don't go down stairs then mother will know that— well, let's just say that she would put two and two together and realize what we have been up to all this while" Leonardo informed Aurora and the shocked expression on her face was one that made him smile.

'Don't say such a thing!" she playfully punched his arm and Leonardo playfully responding by pretending to be hurt by her soft blows.

'Why are you so shy?" he asked her, pausing as he wanted to get an answer from her. She looked away, shy that Leonardo was able to read her facial expression.

He inwardly smiled, loving this new side of his wife. Leonardo shortened the distance between them and hugged her from behind, whispering dirty words into her ear. The kind of words that sent shivers down her spine, so much that he could feel her body quivering.

'Leo—"

'Don't say anything, please. I will be right back, I'll get us some food" he kissed her on her spine and before Aurora knew it, he was gone. His absence from their room left her feeling cold as though he had always been a part of him.

What will happen when this fairytale comes to an end? She mentally questioned herself, thinking of how Leonardo would feel if he were to find out that she had been lying all along.

Standing up from the bed in a haste, Aurora walked up to her room window and looked outside. With one swift decision, she had made up her mind that she would not allow negative thoughts to destroy the love that she and Leonardo had built together.

**
After what seemed like an eternity, the door open, scaring Aurora. She turned her attention to the door and there Leonardo was standing, breathing heavily. He did not look too happy like he had looked earlier on.

His eyes swollen and face red as though he had been crying, to her surprise, he slammed the door shut and locked it. Turning his attention towards Aurora and walking towards her slowly.

The murderous glare on his face was one that should have scared Aurora but it did not, so much that she walked towards him and placed her hand on the side of his face. He shut his eyes and a tear fell from his eye.

'What happened my love?" Aurora asked, her heart broke for every second that Leonardo did not respond. His eyes shot wide open as he looked at her.

'Do you care for me?" Leonardo asked her. Aurora was taken aback by Leonardo's question as he patiently looked at her, awaiting her answer.

'Of course I care for you" she answered truthfully without any hesitation.

'Please pack your bags, we are leaving and please do not ask me why" he pleaded with her. His eyes focused on Aurora and no place else.

'Yes, I will get our bags" she answered and immediately, rushed towards their walk in closet and began packing their bags.