His Twisted Heart by Ellie R Hunter

Chapter Forty-Five

Victoria

I’ve been on the end of the couch for the last forty minutes, and my mom is yet to run out of steam. Alannah sits on the arm of the couch, staring out of the window. She hasn’t moved in half an hour.

And me? I’ve sat here watching Mom’s hands fly around at the speed of light. I couldn’t even get a word in if I tried. As soon as the words, “Luca and I are getting married!” were signed out to her, her face turned red, her eyes pinched with a scowl I’ve not seen her wear before, and she’s been kicking off ever since.

Her disapproval is so strong, I can almost taste it. I started to wish twenty minutes ago Luca and I did this together. I wonder how he’s getting on with our dads and my grandpa?

Alannah moving and retrieving the notepad and pencil from the coffee table gets my attention, and I watch her scribble across the paper.

Mom strikes like a snake and grabs me by the chin so I’m looking at her.

“This isn’t happening…”

She’s repeating herself again, and I’m actually grateful when Alannah passes me the notepad.

Do you love Luca?

Do you trust him?

Do you see yourself being with him for the rest of your life, understanding that it won’t always be happy and full of love?

And most importantly, do you forgive him? Because if there’s still a small part of you that doesn’t, it will fester, and you will come to regret tying yourself to him.

I answer yes to each of her questions and hand it back to her.

She writes, You have my blessing, then, my beautiful girl.

Since leaving Luca, seeming like that was hours ago, this is my first real reason to smile. However, it infuriates my mom even further as she rips the notepad from me and reads the conversation between Alannah and me.

Alannah looks over my shoulder, and I sense a shift in the room. Following her line of sight, I see Luca standing in the doorway, bloodied and bruised, with Cas and my dad coming in behind him. Rushing over, he slides his arm around my waist. The level of support coursing through me just having him at my side is another reason I know we’re meant to be together.

“What the hell?” I mouth to him.

“Later,” he mouths back.

Mom gets in his face before I can draw a breath.

I don’t try to keep up with her lips as she yells at Luca. It’s probably nothing she hasn’t vented over the last hour. Luca tenses beside me, and I watch his lips, waiting for him come out with some shitty retort, but he doesn’t. He takes her anger and disgust for our plans, surprising me to no end.

Dad goes to Mom, trying to put space between us, and Luca signs, “Everyone gave us their blessing.”

At least that’s something, but I need my mom on my side. Though her blessing means everything to me, it won’t stop me from marrying him.

Clearing my throat, no one pays attention as I step away from Luca.

Tugging on my mom’s shirt, I say, “I love him, Mom, and he loves me. We’re getting married, and I want you to be there. I want you to be happy for me.”

Her eyes widen, and if I could still hear, I would’ve heard her sharp gasp. Everyone in the room is looking at me like I’m some sort of alien.

“He broke your heart,” she mouths.

“And if I can forgive him, you can too,” I physically say.

The fight leaves her. Her shoulders sag and her lips loosen.

“Sweetheart, everything in me is screaming you’re making a huge mistake.”

“Then it’ll be my mistake to make, but I don’t think I am.” Moving closer to her, I take hold of her hands. “Please, Mom.”

It’s a long minute before she wraps her arms around me, and I cling to her. It’s another long minute before she pulls away.

“I love you so much, and I just want you to be happy. If you feel Luca can do that, I’ll trust you.”

Luca tugs my hand from behind and pulls me to his side.

“When will this wedding be taking place?” Mom asks, a subtle tension still in her voice.

We didn’t discuss when, only that we’d tell our families.

As I look to Luca, he smiles and tells her, “A week this Saturday.”

I don’t argue, I’d marry him today if it were possible.

“Eight days?” Mom’s face blanches, but she recovers by the time she looks at me.

“Yes. Eight days.”

Looking to my dad, he’s smiling, and it hits me that he’s truly okay with me getting married. Or is he hoping I’ll be safer having Luca around me all the time?

“Tonight, we’re having a party to celebrate,” Alannah announces.

When Luca leads me to the door and away from our families, I’m all too happy to follow. We walk around the back of the bar, and I shriek when Luca tugs my hand and brings us crashing down onto the grass. Luca lands first, taking most of the impact.

Lying on his side, he rests his head on his hand. “It’s really happening. We’re getting married.”

Reading the words from his lips, I giggle. It really is happening, and in eight days. I have no doubt the old ladies and I can plan a wedding.

“I’d like to know your explanation before the wedding as to why you have a bruised eye, a swollen jaw, and a slight limp I noticed when we walked out of the house.”

He gently touches the spot under his eye and sits up. I heard he fought with my brothers to pay for how he treated me in the past. Sometimes, I really do love the hell out of my brothers, but if they touch him again, I’ll kick their asses.

“Do they look like you?”

“Sure as shit they do,” he claims, making me laugh.

“You wanna hope the bruises are gone by next week. I don’t want you looking like this in the wedding photos.”

I don’t hear it, but he laughs, and leans back down and kisses me. I’m so fucking turned on, I’m urging him to climb on top of me when he breaks away and looks off into the distance.

Craning my neck, I see my mom and Alannah standing by the edge of the grass, and I look to Luca for an explanation.

“Why did you stop kissing me?”

“Our moms want you to help with the party tonight.”

“I thought your mom was covering that?”

“Seems not, but it’ll work out for me.”

“Always for you,” I mutter sarcastically.

Cocking his brow, my comment slides right off of him.

“I have to go into town. You help plan, and I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

With one last kiss, he jumps up and helps me to my feet. Hand in hand, we make our way over to our moms.