Chapter 47

Upon Luca's request, more like demands, the nurses at the hospital gathered a pile of extra blankets and made a bed for Daisy on the reclining chair beside the window. She was given a new set of scrubs to change into for the night, but Daisy declined and stayed in her cotton sundress. The hospital had an eerie silence after hours and the sound of the machines beeping kept Daisy alert, tossing and turning all night.

"Are you comfortable?" Luca asked in the darkness.

Clicking her tongue, Daisy sat up and rolled her neck, "No."

"Come lay with me."

"Suddenly, I'm very comfortable here," Daisy muttered under her breath. "Why are you up? You should be getting some sleep."

"I can't sleep if you're so restless," Luca sighed. "It's a habit."

Daisy leaned back against the window and shook her head. Luca watched her silhouette against the night sky outside. Her hair fell gracefully around her face like a sheer veil. Her narrow shoulders were tense, moving up and down slowly with each breath he took.

"Why did you go with Marco tonight?" Luca asked.

"Why do you ask?" Daisy arched her brow even though Luca could not see her.

"You're my wife."

"He's a friend."

"You barely know him."

"And I know you?"

"Yes, you do," Luca said stubbornly. "Marco is not a friend. Stay away from him."

"He's one of the only few people who have been remotely nice to me in this town," Daisy said. "Everyone else either hates me because I'm not Stella or hates me because I'm married to you."

"Nobody hates you."

"Are you blind?" Daisy laughed bitterly. "Or are you dense? I mean you yourself compare me to Stella."

"I don't-"

"Give it a rest, Luca," Daisy shook her head.

Silence fell beside the darkness in the room as someone in the halls passed by with a cart. The sounds of the wheels played out, masking the lack of words between the two.

"Why did you make me come with you today?" Daisy asked after a stretch of silence.

Luca slowly took in a deep breath. He let it out and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Because I'm scared."

Daisy waited for him to explain. She could make out his hands and profile as her eyes began to adjust to the darkness.

"I'm scared you're going to leave before I get a chance to explain myself," Luca continued. "I keep thinking that if I don't have you beside me, we're going to drift apart and you'll pull away from me."

"Why shouldn't I?" Daisy felt her heart contract and her throat tighten.

"I can't live without you," Luca said. "I keep going back to the night at the dock in my head. I don't ever want to feel that fear again. I've lived through a few of my worst fears but if I lose you, I won't survive it."

Daisy swallowed the lump in her throat. She controlled her breathing to even it out before opening her mouth.

"Is that supposed to repair all the pain you caused me?" She asked.

Luca's jaw clenched. His insides twisted and his heart stumbled.

"You've had a revelation, great," Daisy said. "But what about me? I'm still sitting here with my heart barely working. I let all my walls crumble and surrendered myself to you. I never put myself in the position I did with you for anyone else. Since we met all I've been doing is bending myself backwards for you. With Eric, with this marriage, with Stella...what have you done to show me you feel an ounce of the love I have for you?"

"I do love you."

"Can you please stop saying that?" Daisy pleaded. "It feels like a slap across the face."

"Why?" Luca asked. "Why can't you believe me?"

"Because you have given me nothing!" Daisy felt the first tear drop from her eyes. "Luca, I can do anything for you. I can be anything for you, without question. But you won't do the same for me."

"You saw me struggling to accept the history you have with Stella yet you did nothing to erase my insecurities," more tears rolled down Daisy's face. "You gave me no reassurance. You didn't even consider my position. What if the roles were reversed? What if I felt about Eric the way you feel about Stella? What if you constantly lived under Eric's shadow and heard me yell how I will always love him?"

"Daisy-"

"That's not the worst part," Daisy laughed, wiping her eyes with the heel of her palms. "No. The worst part was seeing all the physical proof of your love for her. It was easier to believe I was the problem and that it was all in my mind because I was fucked up head. But seeing the photos and the sketches....That was my worst nightmare coming true."

"I'm..." Luca stopped to give his heart a second to beat again. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't...." Daisy's voice cracked. "I don't believe you anymore. I don't believe in myself. I...I wake up and it feels like I've lost my mind. I have no idea who I'm going to be every morning. Will I be the Daisy who gets through the day? Will I be Daisy who puts everything aside and pretends like it all never happened? Or will I be the Daisy who can't keep her head above water anymore and finally drowns?"

"I'm so sorry you lost her, Luca," Daisy cried. "I now understand how you feel. But you will never understand how I feel because you don't have to mourn the love of your life while watching them stand in front of you."

Daisy's words caused Luca's eyes to shut tightly as he remembered the night Stella sat him down in his car and told him she was having someone else's baby. Back then he thought he know what it felt like to mourn a love. But he didn't.

Daisy was the love of his life.

She wasn't just his number two and three....she was his number one.

Stella had a place in his life. He thought she had a place in his heart too. She was all that he was used to. His childhood, his memories, his friends, his family...they all revolved around her.

But it was Daisy who he truly fell in love with. Luca thought he knew what love was until Daisy came into his life and shattered all misconceptions and illusions. She turned his world upside down because suddenly, all the years spent loving Stella meant nothing. It had no meaning, no purpose. It was just a sense of duty and responsibility Luca had grown too accustomed to.

But Daisy...

He would give up the world for her. He would do anything for her, be anything for her. Hearing her cry and knowing her caused her all that pain burned Luca's soul. He felt a panic rise up in his body as if all the time in the world was running out. The sand was slipping through his fingers and he was powerless to stop it.

"I'm so sorry," Luca said in the dark. "I'm sorry I fucked all this up."

Daisy closed her eyes, pushing out all the tears. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep her sobs buried. Her heart was ready to burst from all the hurt she held inside.

"How do I make it better?" Luca asked. "How do I fix this?"

"You can't," Daisy shook her head.

"I have to," Luca said. "I have to, my love..."

__________________

The sunlight at Del Mare always appeared brighter and happier than anywhere else in the world. There was a warmth to it that made even the coldest hearts melt. It ignited scents of lemons, flowers, and home that made Luca stop and appreciate the moments he was given.

But since he had been in Del Mare with Daisy, the sunlight was a bit brighter. The scents were a bit heavier and the moments were a lot more deeper.

Luca stared at Daisy sleeping on the recliner as the light from the window touched her feet and kissed her ankles. Her skin had never looked better. The tan she carried made her glow like a goddess. Her cheeks were a bit fuller and the soft curves of her ships tugged at Luca's heart.

"Luca?" Dr. Ford's voice pulled Luca out of his head. "Are you listening?"

Luca cleared his throat, "Yeah.....I am."

"I'm so proud of you for telling her how you feel," Dr. Ford said. "That wasn't easy but you pushed through."

"It's too late now," Luca's heart ached. "I hurt her so much."

"You can still win her over," Dr. Ford said. "She's hurt and upset. But I believe she still cares about you."

"I don't see how I can make this right," Luca confessed.

"It won't be easy," Dr. Ford said. "It'll take time but it's not impossible."

"Any suggestions?"

"Yes," Dr. Ford laughed. "Honestly. Communication and respect. Those are big in a relationship."

Luca's eyes flickered towards Daisy once more. She was fast asleep, looking like his saving grace.

"Tell her about your nightmares," Dr. Ford suggested. "Be vulnerable with her. I know it's a scary thought but it can show her how much she means to you. But don't overwhelm her either. Give her space and time. Let her know you're not giving up but respect her space."

Luca took a deep breath.

"Can you try that?" Dr. Ford asked.

"Yeah," Luca said. "Yeah, I can."

"Good," Dr. Ford said. "I'll be in Del Mare in a few days. Would you be interested in inviting her to one of our sessions? She can come with questions she has or we can all just chat."

"I don't know," Luca said, his eyes moving to Daisy once more. "I don't know if she will be interested in something like that right now."

"It's a suggestion," Dr. Ford said. "Think about it."

"Okay."

"Again, I'm proud of you for what you did," Dr. Ford said. "And we'll get her back. You're in a much better place now than you were a few years back. I see a different future for you."

"Thanks," Luca sighed.

"Talk to you soon."

"Yeah," Luca said before disconnecting the line.

Daisy shifted in her bed and immediately caught Luca's attention. He pushed the sheets off of himself and swung his legs over, groaning silently from the pain he felt shoot up all over his body. Holding the side of his stomach, Luca walked over to the recliner and lowered himself onto his knee.

Daisy's brows were furrowed and a small v appeared in between them. Luca raised his hand and swiped his thumb over it gently until she relaxed and sighed. A smile appeared on Luca's face, feeling Daisy's warmth and inhaling her scent. He leaned forward and pressed a small kiss on her cheek before pushing some of the hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

I would give up the world for you, he thought to himself. Just say the words and it's done.

_____________________

Daisy knew she needed to get up before the sunlight beaming down on her legs gave her a bad sunburn. She hid out in her slumber as long as she could before letting her eyes flutter open. Her throat was dry and there was a strange pain in her lower abdomen.

"Good morning," Luca said from where he sat on the edge of his bed.

"Morning," Daisy croaked. She placed her hand against her throat and cleared it before trying again. "Morning."

"How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby," Daisy groaned and lowered her legs to the floor. She pushed herself up to her feet and rolled her neck to try and get the knot out. Her hair fell around her shoulder and face, making her look messy and adorable to Luca. He wanted to comb her hair back when Daisy beat him to it and pulled her hair back into a bun.

"Speaking of babies..." Daisy paused in front of Luca.

"Yes?" Luca arched his brow.

"I have to go home and see Theo," Daisy frowned. "You're a big boy. I'm sure you don't need me to stay and babysit. I need to go home to my actual baby."

"Aaron will drop you off," Luca smiled.

Daisy nodded. She turned towards the bathroom and quickly pulled on her sandals. Once inside, she leaned herself against the sink and let her head hang. Every muscle in her body ached. She felt too exhausted to keep her eyes open. Her thoughts were scattered and she could not stop yawning. Any time she tried to stretch or stand up straight, the cramps in her lower stomach made her nose scrunch up in discomfort.

Wanting to wash away the tears from the night before, Daisy splashed cold water against her face. It did little to wake her up as she used one of the toothbrushes in the toiletry basket to brush her teeth and then brush her hair out with her finger.

For a few minutes, Daisy stared at herself in the mirror. Her skin looked strange against her new dark hair. Her eyes were puffy but her cheeks were rosy. The tan did bring out her freckles but the sight of them made Daisy frown when she remembered the freckles she had seen on the sketches against Stella's face. When she stepped out of the hospital, Luca noticed the frown right away.

"I'm going to go downstairs and get some coffee," Daisy said before Luca could say anything.

"I'll call Aar-"

"No, thank you," Daisy headed towards the door. "I can do it myself."

"Why are you taking your purse?" Luca asked, noticing her picking it up.

"Doesn't really make a lot of sense for me to come back up here," Daisy shrugged.

"So you're leaving?" Luca asked.

"Do you not want me to?"

"No," Luca gave her a small half smile. "I never want you to leave."

Daisy rolled her eyes, "You seem better. You'll be fine. I'll send Carla to babysit you."

"Go straight home," Luca said, shaking his head.

"No," Daisy sassed. "I was going to zig zag my way through town and find all the other Stella items on the menus."

The small smile on Luca's face dropped.

"Yeah, I know about the Stella bouquet and coffee and cupcakes," Daisy said. "And I also know you ordered the Stella gelato for yourself the day we went to that ice cream shop."

"Dai-"

"The combination of moca and nutella gelato is terrible by the way," Daisy said. "You would think it would make a good pairing but I guess things aren't always what they seem, right? Not everything belongs together, no matter how much we might want them."

"It is a bad combination," Luca said.

"But you still went back for it," Daisy said. "Knowing it was bad for you."

"I messed up."

"And now you will never know what a good combination could taste like," Daisy said.

"I intend to find out," Luca said.

"It's a lost cause," Daisy turned towards the door. "Your taste buds are already ruined."

If they weren't in a hospital, Daisy would have slammed the door shut. She had too much current in her body for her own good. She grinded her teeth together and held her tongue as she stepped into the elevator and rode it down to the cafeteria. Her stomach was growling as the scent of fresh coffee and pastries were pulling her faster then her feet could move.

At the counter, Daisy grabbed a bowl of cut fruits, a chocolate croissant and a cup of coffee. She paid and made her way over to one of the tables far away from everyone else. Finding a small table by the large glass window, Daisy sat down and stabbed a piece of melon with her plastic fork. She quietly munched on it and texted Aaron to find her in the cafeteria when he arrived.

As Daisy ate her breakfast and drank her coffee, she began to wonder if Luca would be okay on his own. She knew staying back with him wasn't an option. She needed to go home for Theo. Plus, she was pretty sure she would smother him with his pillow if he didn't stop talking to her. But his condition the night before had her pretty concerned. If anything happened, the doctors would take care of him, right? There were so many nurses and Carla would be there too.

"Are you hiding?"

Daisy looked up as Marco stepped towards her table.

"Trying to," Daisy sighed.

"Rough night?" Marco asked.

"What makes you think that?"

"Your eyes are red," Marco said. "And I may have also heard you crying last night."

"What?" Daisy arched her brow.

"I wasn't trying to," Marco held up his hands. "Just wanted to see if you needed anything but then I heard you and Luca talking."

"That's not very polite."

"I left as soon as I realized it was something personal and you were in no danger."

"Why would you think I was in danger?"

"Hmm, let's see," Marco chuckled without humor. "Maybe it was Luca's murderous glare last night."

"Luca would never hurt me," Daisy said with a deep frown.

"Really?" Marco frowned. "Physical pain isn't the only type of pain."

"What do you want, Marco?" Daisy asked, her heart suddenly not interested in the conversation.

"I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Why?" Daisy asked. "You don't even know me."

"No, but I once knew someone in your position."

"Oh god," Daisy rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse. "I can't talk about this right now."

"Daisy, wait," Marco followed her to the trash cans. "I need to tell you something."

"If it's about Stella then I am not interested," Daisy said, throwing out her half eaten food.

"I think it's important for you to know," Marco stayed on her heels. "I don't want to see you get hurt like her. You don't know Luca."

"What are you saying?" Daisy asked, not stopping as she exited the cafeteria and turned towards the lobby.

"You don't know him," Marco insisted, his voice full of urgency. "You don't know what he's capable of. I've seen what he did to Stella."

"What are you talking about?" Daisy paused.

"He broke her," Marco said, coming to a stop in front of her. "And from what I heard last night, I think he's doing the same to you."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Daisy said.

"Daisy please," Marco blocked her path when she tried to step around him. "I don't want Luca to drive you off a cliff too."

Daisy felt a chill down her back as if someone had poured water on her, "W-what?"

"He wasn't good for Stella and he isn't good for you."

"Stella drove off the cliff," Daisy said. "It was a suicide."

"Who pushed her to that point?" Marco asked. "Happy people don't kill themselves."

Daisy stepped back but Marco followed.

"If Luca hadn't called off the engagement, Stella would still be here," Marco said. "He killed both Stella and their unborn child."

Daisy's heart was in her throat. She shook her head as if it would make Marco's words go away.

"You have to leave," he said. "You have to leave before you have the same fate as Stella."

"I..." Daisy flinched as Marco flashed forward and grabbed her arms.

"Daisy, please," he pleaded. "Please. It breaks my heart when I look at you. He has replaced Stella completely by putting you in her place. Can't you see that? You need to get out of here before it's too late."

"Marco, stop," Daisy tried to pull back but his hands tightened around her. "Marco, st-"

Before Daisy could finish, the unmistakable sound of a gun unlocking appeared beside her. She felt Marco jerk her closer as his eyes widened.

"Take your fuckin' hands off of my wife," Luca threatened, his eyes dark as midnight.

Daisy looked over her shoulder and found him standing a foot away murder written all over his face. When she turned back, Marco had released her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly.

Daisy raised her hand and rubbed her arm. Her skin burned from where he had gripped her like a snake. As Luca came to stand beside her, she looked up and found him examining Marco's handprint on her arm.

"Luca, n-" Daisy tried but she was too late.

In a flash, Luca had the barrel of his gun pressed against Marco's temple. He had a fist full of the guy's shirt as he shoved him back against the glass door.

"You got some nerve touching my wife," Luca snared. He tried to control his voice but people around them still heard. They hurried up to their feet and scurried away.

"Give me a good fuckin' reason why I shouldn't blow up your hands right now," Luca continued to jab his gun into Marco's temple. "Huh? Talk! Come on. You had a lot to say to her just a minute ago."

"I wasn't trying to hurt her," Marco tried to explain.

"Oh I think you're smarter than that," Luca laughed but Daisy's heart quivered in fear. "You wouldn't dare think of hurting her because you know I would wipe out every last trace of you and your family."

"Luca, please," Daisy grabbed his arm and tugged.

"But are you not smart enough to know that nobody, and I mean nobody touches my wife!" Luca didn't budge no matter how hard Daisy pulled. "Stay the fuck away from her or I will make sure you're buried six feet right where you stand."

"Luca, stop. Stop!" Daisy squeezed in between him and Marco as she watched his finger glide over the trigger. "Please. Stop!"

Using his free hand, Luca pulled Daisy to him and buried her head against his chest. He kept her pressed tightly against himself with his hand at the back of her head as he let the gun fire right next to Marco's head.

Daisy's scream was muffled by Luca's shirt as the glass behind Marco shattered and fell to the floor like snow. Her hands flew to her ears but Luca was already blocking out the sound with his shoulder and hand against her ears. He stepped back and carried her weight with him.

"The next bullet will be in your head," Luca warmed as Marco lowered his hands from his ears. "You have two seconds to get out of here before I fire it."

Daisy couldn't see what was happening but by the sounds of it, she knew Marco had run off. The glass crunched under his stumbling feet and spread all across the lobby. Luca's heart pumped overtime in his chest as Daisy waited for him to loosen his arm around her. When he did, she looked up with tears in her eyes.

"What happened?" She asked, her bottom lip trembling.

"What?" Luca didn't understand what she was talking about.

"What happened between you and Stella?" Daisy asked. "Why was he saying you're responsible for it?"

"What else did he tell you?" Luca's face was grim and dark, yet his eyes had softened for her.

"He said you made her drive off the cliff," Daisy sobbed. "Why would he say that? What happened?"

"Not here," Luca pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. His eyes scanned the crowd gathering around the lobby to inspect what had happened.

Daisy began to sob harder in his arms as Luca turned them towards the exit and made their way to his car. He helped her into the back seat and got in next to her. Aaron quickly started the engine and they were on their way out of the hospital grounds.

"Did he say anything else to you?" Luca asked, holding Daisy against his chest with his arm around her.

"He told me to leave," Daisy said. "He said he didn't want me to end up like Stella."

"Son of a bitch," Luca muttered under his breath.

"What happened to Stella?" Daisy asked. "And the baby. Did you know about the baby when you called off the engagement? Why did you call off the engagement if you were and are still so in love with her?"

Luca's breath caught in his throat. The pressure building behind his eyes and head was hard to ignore. His first instinct was to tell Daisy he didn't want to talk about it. He had been saying that for years and so far he was able to keep Stella's secret close to his heart.

But he couldn't keep secrets from Daisy any longer. One had been enough to push her away from him. Stella's reputation did not matter against the possibility of losing Daisy further.

Luca swallowed the pressure inside of his chest and nodded, "I knew about the baby."

"Why...?" Daisy lost her breath. She pushed away from him and almost fell off the seat. Luca grabbed her quickly and helped her sit back down. "Why would you..."

"I wasn't the father," Luca said.

"What?" Daisy's head began to spin.

"Stella....." Luca pushed himself to speak the words he thought he would carry to his grave. "Stella was in love with someone else. She told me to call off the engagement so she could be with her baby and their father."

Daisy opened her mouth but no words came out. She stared at Luca in complete shock and disbelief.

"The night she died," Luca continued. "She was on her way to go be with him and convince him to marry her. But....I guess, whoever he was, he didn't dance to her tune so she...."

"She...." Daisy felt the words slip out of her like wind. There was a strange burning sensation building in her system that was looking for a way out. Her toes curled and her hands opened and closed. "She was in love with someone else?"

"Yes," Luca nodded.

"She left you...?"

Luca nodded again, "Yes."

"And you still love her?" Daisy exploded. The pressure inside of her erupted like a volcano as she pushed away from Luca with all her might. "You still love her after all that?"

"Daisy, sto-" Luca tried to calm her as she yelled.

"What is wrong with you?" Daisy screamed and sobbed at the same time. "What is wrong with me? You're willing to love someone who left you but you won't love me? I'm still alive, Luca! And I have left everyone for you!"

"I do love you!" Luca pulled her hands down from tugging at her hair to hard. "I love you so much."

"Stop the car!" Daisy turned towards Aaron.

"What?" Luca asked with concern. "No. Where are you going?"

"Aaron, stop the car!" Daisy yelled. "Or I'll jump!"

Aaron looked at Luca in the rear view mirror, "Boss?"

"Stop the car!" Daisy cried in hysteria. She began to struggle with the locked door handle and bang her hands against the glass.

"Luca, please," Daisy cried. "Stop the car."

"Aaron," Luca gave the order and the car came to a halt in the middle of the road.

Instantly, in a mad dash, Daisy threw the door open and jumped out. Luca cursed under his breath as he followed her, scared out of his mind a car from behind might hit her.

But the wide road was completely empty. The tall grass on either side swayed in the early morning wind, tossing Daisy's hair up and then down. She hurried away from the car aimlessly with Luca following her, calling her name over and over.

"Daisy, listen," he said, catching her hand.

"Don't touch me," Daisy moved away.

"Where are you going?" Luca asked desperately, trying to make sense of what her plan was. "Where do you want to go? I'll take you. Please, just get back in the car."

"I want to be away from you," Daisy sobbed, her words breaking.

"Take the car," Luca said. "Aaron will drive you home."

"No," Daisy shook her head. "That's not my home. I want to go back home. To my house. I want to go back to New York."

"Okay, okay," Luca said. "We'll leave."

"No, I'll leave!" Daisy shook her head. "With Theo. And you'll never see us again."

"Don't say that," Luca's heart broke in his eyes. "Please, don't say that. I can't live without you two."

"Oh fuck off!" Daisy backed away. "No, I can't stay. I can't do this anymore. Theo deserves better. I deserve better. I'm not going to let you make him anyone's replacement. No, not my baby."

"He's no one's replacement," Luca said. "He's my son. I love him so much."

"No, you don't," Daisy broke down once more. "You don't!"

"Daisy, please-"

"She didn't love you!" Daisy yelled. "Yet you're so hung up on her that you can't see how much I love you! But I can't wait around and watch you do this forever. Just waste your life and our life away for some girl who didn't even think twice about you. You're throwing all this away for her!"

"I'm not throwing anything away," Luca said. "I promise her chapter is closed. Please, let go home and we can talk ab-"

Daisy shook her head once more and stepped away from Luca's outstretched hand. Her head began to feel light headed as her stomach churned and pushed up to her chest and then her throat. She lunged to the side of the road as her breakfast came back up and she began to regurgitate.

"Shit!" Luca jumped forward and grabbed her before she fell over. He quickly gathered her hair up and held it back as another wave of nausea came over Daisy. "Aaron? Bring me some water."

"N-no," Daisy shut her eyes. She couldn't stop herself from swaying and stumbling into Luca. He caught her and held her against himself.

"Look at me," he said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Look."

Daisy screwed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"When was your last period?" Luca asked.

Daisy's eyes snapped open. Her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed to form sharp daggers.

"Get your hands off of me," she said, pushing him away and turning towards the car.  

Oh boy 0.0