25: You did what ?!?!?

Bella

"There you go buttercup." Ciro says as he places the hot cup of coffee right in front of me on the table.

"Thank you Ciro." I say I tilt my head to the side to look up at him. He smiles and winks at me playfully. I just shake my head and grab the cup carefully before looking around the table for the creamer.

Francesco notices me looking around and he silently slides the creamer towards me. I take it and thank him politely and then get busy with mixing it with my coffee.

I usually take my morning coffee with extra cream and an extra sugar, which is a total opposite of Lucca's. He prefers his coffee plain - no sugar and no cream or milk.

Once I was done with mixing two spoons of sugar in my cup I cut into the the freshly cooked french toast. I looked so deliciously that I didn't want to but I was hungry.

I take a small bite of the toast and it melts right into my mouth. It was so yummy that I resisted from rolling my eyes or moaning. Don't judge me, my  boyfriend just cooked for me for the first time.

"Omg Lucca it is so good." I say after swallowing down and shifting slightly to look at him.

He was still busy at the stove making more french toast for me and for himself. "Really, you liked it." He says with pure excitement enthusiastically as I take another bite.

"Really that good, let me try." Ciro says from across the table as he moves over the table to grab one of the slice. Before I could stop him, he is already biting on the delicious goodness "Ooh, it is good bro." He compliment Lucca.

"Hey that was mine." I say trying to sound irritated but I knew it was coming.

Ciro was like Joey from the Friends series. He loves food so much that I always wonder if he dreams about them too. He is constantly eating and he still looks like one of the GQ model.

"There you go angel," Lucca says from behind me as he slides three slices of toast on my plate before handing Ciro four.

I smile up at him as he pulls the chair next to mine and throws himself down on the chair. "Thank you." I say shy but get busy with eating. I wasn't kidding when I said it was delicious or that I was hungry. But before I could cut another slice off the toast, Lucca very posessively but carefully pulls my chair closer to his. And if that wasn't enough he throws his muscular arm over my shoulder and moves me closer to his warm body.  Like a love sick puppy I welcome the closeness and instantly move toward him.

"So what's the plan?" Ciro asks a couple of minutes later when he had all finished our breakfast.

I shrug both my shoulders " I just need to make some work calls regarding my sick leave and when I is my next shift." I say as I take a sip of the coffee. I was just going to check in with my roommate and then call my work to ask them about my leave status. The accident was a shock but Lucca told me he took care of everything including my leave. At first I wanted to ask what he meant by it  "Angel don't worry it is all taken care off" , but I had no energy to both argue or go back to work. I just needed some time to recover and now I am all good. I would like to catch up on my work email and see what's going on there.

"Angel, I told you I took care of everything?" Lucca says from beside me as Ciro chimes in at the same time.

"Oh buttercup you don't work until the next month."

"What??" I say a bit too loud as I sit up in my chair. I feel Lucca curse right next to me but it was too low that I wasn't sure what he said.

Ciro looks at me with a panic like realising just now what he said. His eyes flicker to my side at Lucca and double in size. Then ever so slowly he swallows and moves them back me.

I was about to ask him to explain himself. But before I could utter a single word. e quickly gets up and starts walking back with both his hands raised in surrender.

"Ciro," I say his name in a warning tone telling him no to flee away from the scene "What do you mean next month?" I ask again with a much calmer tone but I made sure to insinuating each and single word as I asked him.

If this was one of his prank, I was going to kill him. I was irritated a bit, it was my work and they can't just do whatever they want without my permission. Plus everytime I asked Lucca about it he avoided it. I should have guessed they were up to something.

"...ahhh.." Ciro stutters a bit noticing I was all serious and angry now. So he gets up from his chair quickly and raises his hand in surrender then he points at Lucca "He told me to do it. I don't know anything about it. Okay byeeeeeeee." He says rapidly as he starts taking few steps back and then runs out of the kitchen with a long and annoying bye.

I exhale before shifting my gaze back at Lucca. "Lucca what does he mean by that?" I ask him gently.

"Okay it is our time to say goodbye." Francesco mutter's from behind Lucca and I move my gaze to him.

Francesco stood as he helped Eleanore out of his chair and then my mother. They all were heading out of the kitchen and I was pretty sure they were going back to the houses.

After a second of silence I look back at Lucca. I didn't say anything and just stare at him, waiting patiently for him to explain the news that Ciro just announced.

"Angel," He starts his defense in a deep sugary voice that all my anger evaporates. "I wanted you to rest and to stay next to me. I nearly lost you that night." He says as he grabs both my hands and tugs me closer to him.

"But Lucca.." I try to reason with him as I stand up but he cuts me "Angel, you have no idea how it felt to see the love of your life lying in a hospital bed." He says still sitting and me standing.

His words and emotions slumps my shoulder and he notices that. Because he moves back in the seat pulls me to sit on his lap. I hesitate for a second before going right to him.

I sit sideways and look down at my fingers that were entwined with his in my lap.

"Angel, please look at." He says softly and I shift to look at him.

His beautiful eyes were filled with pain and I hated it. He always takes care of me and I do nothing in return. But I can't sit at home for one entire month. Been a paramedic was my passion, helping people and saving life is something I feel happy doing. And he needs to understand it.

"Angel, I am a selfish person and I won't deny that." He start this time causing a smile to slip my lips. "When I saw you on the hospital bed I promised myself that I won't let anything happen to you. And if that means keep you closer to me 24/7 for the rest of my life. I will do it."

I look at him and then shake my head "Lucca, I understand what you are saying and I can't imagine what you went through when I was in hospital." I know he looked broken when he was next to me and the worst I can't imagine seeing myself there in his place.

An involuntary shiver runs down my spine before I continue "But you have to understand. I can't just stay locked up in your mansion." I say and I swear for one second his eyes light up with an idea.

"Lucca," I say trying to stop his train of thought "I love you more than anything, you know that right?" I say and he nod silently "So understand this when I say, I know why you are acting all over-protective towards me."

"Why does it feel like there is a but coming soon." he murmurs close to me.

I smile softly before adding the but "But I have work and you have work and I don't want you to give up everything and start babysit me."

His shoulder deflates in disappointment "Lucca, I worked really hard to become a paramedic and then struggled to get a job." I explain him as I lift his chin up to meet my eyes.

"And I don't want one small incident to ruin our life forever. We can't hide in the house 24 hours Lucca." I say noticing the look in his eyes he understood my point "I know it might be difficult but we have to move on Lucca. We both can't stay like this, scared of him."

"I am not scared of him Angel." Lucca growls. "I just want you safe and after what your mother said the other night I feel like I need to protect you even more. Angel I am a mob boss and I have enemies who are are always out there to destroy me."

"Lucca I will take all necessary precautions that I need to, I promise you." I say as I kiss him gently. "But I can't quit my job and sit at home all day. I love helping people and saving their life." I explain and he groans in frustration before accepting it.

"Okay, but only under two condition." He says shifting under me and I look at him in questioning gaze.

"One- you will have a bodyguard with you all the time" He says as he raises his index finger and then raises his middle finger "Two - you are only allowed to go back to work starting next week. I need some more time to come to terms with this arrangement." He says in a sad tone causing my heart to melt at it.

I nod in agreement and his eyes light up. "Thank you angel." He says before he lifts me up and take me upstairs.

I wanted to argue but I know he has done so much for me and I could give him this. Plus I had some yearly leave left on my calendar, I will just use them.