Sacred Promise

Julie's POV

I jumped a little feeling his mouth over me. He pulled away in an instant leaving the seal of this bond lingering on my mouth. I never knew that my first kiss will happen at my wedding. I wonder too how I have lived this much of a clean life.

The spectacles seemed to cover a lot of his emotions but I stared in his grey eyes to only find his gaze on my body making me freeze.

But then all the stares and hushed whisperings from the last three hours came haunting me. And, no matter how hard this wedding was for him I had to ask, "What took you so long?" My trembling voice told me how confused I was at the moment but it only got his eyes on me as we walked down to see our guests.

I gulped hard under his heated gaze while his words from the vows still rang in my head. Was he forced to do this? I wonder. And, what does it mean serving him? What that meant!

I looked at my huge diamond and knew that instant he didn't want this. His absence for straight three hours at his own wedding was seconding this fact. And, the heaviness in my chest tells me that I was expecting something from this wedding without my knowing.

It's just a job, Julie…just a job…and I know this but…why it has to be a job? I looked to my left to notice my friend Katelyn who smiled finding my attention on her. Katelkyn's wedding was nothing like this…her smile was the envy of the whole crowd.

I passed a smile to Sarah before looking at Anna and Rachael while I walked with a complete stranger who now was my husband.

I looked at my groom, who seemed least interested in me while I heard him say, "I am sorry but we have to leave. I have a flight in half an hour. Please, ask the guests to be flexible about it."

"Flight to where?" I couldn't help asking,

"To Italy where you will be serving me." He said making my eyes go wide but the moment he held my hand an electrifying pulse ran in my body.

Serving...I wonder but knew what his gaze meant. I understand what being his wife meant but aren't we supposed to know each other. Recalling I was leaving my place with him made me ask,

"We…we are going to live in Italy? Why?" Mr. Lucca never once discussed this with me and learning this reality only now was unsettling me and his raised brows weren't helping.

"Because I will decide where we live…" I felt his grip on my hand tighter before I felt his thumb grazing the back of my hand.

I wanted to look for Mr. Lucca but he seemed busy talking to some woman far away from me and Matt's grip only got tighter.

"I…I need to talk to Mr. Lucca." I barely whispered but knew he got me when his sharp voice followed.

"What you wanna talk about?"

"I…I…I need to tell my family...?" How much I wanted him to spare me some seconds away from him.

"We are leaving right now or you can stay here. I am a very busy person, Julie." I gasped realizing how embarrassing it would be.

"It's fine…I will call them."

I didn't look at my back but I knew Rachael and the girls will be disappointed that I didn't get to talk to them. Even I was a little disappointed knowing I didn't get to receive any wishes from any of them.

We walked towards his car with few people I didn't care to notice. "Thank you," I thanked the person holding the door for me before getting in. It was spacious and even had a bar that got my attention but before I could take notice of more things I found Matteo getting in.

The tension in my body reduced finding a kind smile on his mouth. "These were the pleasantries you used to get my father. Didn't you?" He asked making me narrow my eyes.

The car started moving while I asked,

"What?"

"For people like you, such words sure get you ahead but don't you think you are already a lot ahead of yourself. Even at the place, you should have not been," His eyes became serious at the end while I wonder what I have done wrong.

"You could have said no if you wanted to," I asked and saw something changing in his eyes. He removed his spectacles and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

And, the moment he opened them I swear I stopped breathing. He was the same man I found in Mr. Lucca's hospital room. I wonder how a person's demeanour could be so different with or without spectacles.

I gaped when the very next moment I found his hand on my arm that grazed up before resting on my shoulder with his thumb resting a little on my neck. "Don't worry…I don't hit…anyone. I…have people for that." He said coming dangerously close to me.

"…I don't care what you did to end up here…" He hissed while I was struggling to look right into his eyes. "…but do one thing…Never. Ever. Talk…without having my permission...I don't want a single thing in my life changed because of today…so you better be bearable ALL THE TIME without failing."

I blinked while moving my shoulder up and turned my head to look at his hand still resting on my shoulder.

"I…didn't want to marry you too…they…they said you are a kind person and…?"

"I am a very kind person love. You would have thrown you out of this car if I wasn't…and I swear this is the last time you will ever say that you didn't want to marry me…this…is the last thing I want to hear from your good for nothing mouth." I tried my best not to hiccup while it took everything in me to not end up in tears.

"I…can leave you if you want…I…I…I need to talk to Mr. Lucca…"

"No one ever leaves me…am I clear?" I held his hand to remove it from my shoulder to only get his other hand on my other shoulder too. I gulped under his heated gaze.

"But I want to…" I threw at his face.

"What kind of woman you are…" He whispered against my mouth. "…my father told me you are very tolerant and what not…I want to see that…actually, I want to see...all of you…as long as we are in this." His accent was a lot changed this time but I sighed when he let go of me and I held my arms with my trembling hands.

"I…"

"Stay quiet at once woman!" I jumped at his tone but he stared out of the window.

The car was pulled not long from a jet. And, before he could get out I added hurriedly, "I want to talk to Mr. Lucca." This did make him still for a moment but he got out of the car without sparing me a single glance.

A woman in the white dress was waiting at the end of the ramp stairs with a man who seemed quite uptight. I got out without my groom holding the door for me. I could already see him getting into the plane. I felt thankful for my dress not to be too long. I wonder if I wanted to get on the plane.

Don't cause the drama here, Julie. He doesn't seem much interested in this wedding. You will soon find yourself out of this. And, though my heart squeezed I knew I wasn't overthinking. He has done every possible thing to make me realize that it won't last.

The woman in the white dress and the man soon followed my husband too leaving only me and the driver of the car who was holding the door for me.

I take the stairs and turned back to look at nothing in particular. And, this is when I realized I had no one here. No matter how many sleepless nights or effort I put, there was no one here. I took a deep breath before getting in and found some flowers being given to me by the air hostess.

"Congratulations," I looked at the brunette woman who welcomed me. The only person who was welcoming me but I was too tired to reciprocate her gesture. I removed my veil and forward it. "Can you take this?" I asked to which she complied with a smile.

I turn to find four big seats and three were already taken leaving me with no choice but to walk to where Matteo was. I looked at my reflection in the mirror ahead. A little flower peeking from the corner of my side hair bun was mocking me.

I looked at Matteo in the reflection who was sitting with his one foot resting on his knee and had his head tilted in the window while a glass of Champaign was resting in his hand.

The hostess asked to fasten the seat belts and I complied before taking a deep breath. The plane started moving and made me curl my feet. It wasn't my first time boarding the plane but last time I was with my father. The person I wonder I was disappointed or indebted to. But those were good times. At least, I thought those were great times.

I looked away to find the woman throwing the daggers at me with her gaze while the person beside her was busy reading a magazine.

I held my seat and took little deep breaths without caring what others would think. I only realized I had my head low and eyes closed when the announcement was made for us to relax.

I opened my eyes to find Matteo staring out of the window the same way I last noticed him and only the woman staring at me before still had her eyes on me.

I leaned in my chair and started looking at Matteo in the mirror while all the articles I had read of him didn't seem to know anything about this person who is known as a philanthropist.

You have no right to judge him, Julie. He might be a generous man but only regretting finding a dad like Mr. Lucca.

But he was surely immature, and ill-mannered considering the way he talked to me without learning the whole truth.

But he might don't trust you and think you are some gold digger? I wonder,

Julie…it doesn't give him any right to talk to you like this. Nothing gives him this right. Not even you. You will never let this man run all over you. I inhaled when I found his eyes getting me in the reflection. I looked away but found his hand resting on my hand.

"You are soft. I want to know how you would feel under me." He whispered in my ear and took my hand to his mouth.

How? I wonder. This person didn't want me, right? I wanted to say something but then I recalled how he hates anyone talking back to him. So, I did what I was supposed to do. I got my hand back with a jerk and looked away. I heard him chuckle and not a second later I found him getting out of his place but what got my attention was how the woman sitting ahead of me followed him too. I looked back at them and though some instincts kicked in I held back and remained seated.

The person reading the magazine placed the magazine back on the rack and stood to follow the same route to where Matteo and that woman disappeared. I didn't want to admit it but it got me a lot less worried than before. It seems they had some job or something. Or maybe they are friends? I try not to think a lot about it when the hostess from before came to ask me if I needed something. I declined her offer gently before getting out of my seat to take the one where Matteo was a moment ago. Ordering the food without the rest of them seemed rude.

I have been out of my state and had visited four states in general but never been out of the USA.

"Italy," I whispered and imagined what this new place will be like.

He will get rid of you soon. Sooner than you think. A thought roamed while I recalled his words from earlier.

What if he tried on me again? I took a deep breath to relax my nerves. He doesn't know you, Julie. You are not any light skirt woman who will give into something that doesn't promise forever. My affection was supposed to be a gift to the man who will hold my hand forever. And, that doesn't include a husband who talks like this.

But didn't you take the vow? The thought made the real knots in my belly. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to break this sacred promise. But I was too tired. I was too tired of winning love. Can't I expect this without me putting in a lot of effort? A tear made the brink of my eye full but I wiped it before it could get past.

I recalled the time when I walked to him at the altar? How are you ever supposed to forget a memory like this? The last many nights that I spent to Google for his new pictures mocked me making my throat stuff. The sacred promise made me think deep.

It's fine. It's better now you are told from the very first day to not expect anything. It seems that hours passed but it's only been two hours since. I finished reading some random magazine and was getting to the second one.

The thoughts of that woman being something else to Matteo didn't stop roaming my mind but I tried not to judge. I didn't have any right over him. He had made it clear already. I don't know why but I expect him to respect this bond at least. Don't overthink Julie. He might be rude but doesn't seem like a sinner. Who would sleep with just any other woman? Only a very shallow person would do that. And, that woman? She seemed pissed but she doesn't seem like a woman who would do this.

Why don't you go and have a look? My throat felt parched and I found a glass of water resting on my table not later than two minutes.

"I think you should take it," The hostess smiled and I accepted the offer with a smile.

I got out of my seat to get to the same route and found two doors. So…they are resting. I knew I was overthinking. I felt bad for judging him. But I passed the doors to get to the back and it seems like another sitting area and the moment I found the man who was reading the magazine earlier I found it weird. I heard a door opening and found the hostess getting out from one of them. It seems it was the toilet. I looked at the only closed door and had my heart sinking when I took my feet in the direction.