Chapter 16 (After Wedding)

Odalis and Nico had been married, so now what? Both of them wondered. They had received orders to move in together within a week, marriage ceremony was over just a few hours ago. Nico broke the silence, asking from beside her, standing next to him.

"So... we need to talk about the moving arrangements," he said, his voice a little nervous.

She just nodded at him. He sighed, then straightforwardly said, "To be honest, you should move into my place. Mine is bigger, so we'll have more space. Obviously, your house... well, it's a little bit tiny for us to live together."

She looked at him and just nodded again.

"Shit," he muttered silently. "Does she have any other emotions or words? She's always got that freaking poker face." The thought of living with a woman like this seemed like an impossible mission to him. He sighed again.

Meanwhile, Odalis's mind was filled with thoughts of how she could live with a stranger, especially one who was now going to be called her husband. She was already tired of all the sighing. It hadn't even begun, and here she was, exhausted by this weird arrangement.

Odalis almost forgot that Maddie and Ronan were still standing next to them.

Maddie spoke up, breaking the silence. "So, now what, you two?"

Ronan chimed in, "Let's have dinner at our place, Mom. How does that sound?"

Maddie nodded enthusiastically. "You guys are married, you should have a nice dinner with your guests."

Nico nodded, but his mind wasn't as excited. The only question running through his head was how he would manage it.

"Let's go then," Maddie said, gently pushing Odalis's back. Nico and Ronan followed.

"Nico, you better go with her," Ronan said to him.

"What's the other option?" Nico muttered, frustrated.

Later, Nico and Odalis were driving to Maddie's house together, nothing but silence between them. Then he broke the silence again.

"So, do you agree with my arrangement about moving to my place?"

She was staring out the window, watching the streets pass by, people rushing and running on their way somewhere. Nico repeated his question. "Do you hear what I said, Odalis?" His tone was a little frustrated.

She looked at him and sighed. "What choice do I have? You're not gonna live in my place. I don't even need to ask, it's obviously written all over your face."

"Well, that's not going to suit my reputation," Nico said confidently. "I'm the owner of Neon Shadows, the biggest nightclub in the whole city, with many branches, by the way just for your information."

Odalis smirked, mocking him. "Well, that's great," she replied dryly. Nico cursed to himself. Shit, this is going to be a long ride, he thought.

Dinner at Maddie's was full of delicious food. She had prepared all sorts of great dishes, from roast chicken to fresh salad, and even a fancy dessert. Maddie was in her element, smiling and chatting as she served everything.

Everyone else sat at the table, eating and trying to make the best of it. Odalis and Nico, though, didn't seem to enjoy themselves. They were just going through the motions, pretending to have fun. They looked kind of happy, but it was clear they were only smiling because Maddie was doing her best to cheer them up.

Despite their quiet mood, Maddie kept talking and laughing, trying to make the evening feel light and fun.

After dinner, they said goodbye to Maddie and Ronan, then Nico drove Odalis home. As they arrived, Odalis couldn't help but feel a little sad. She stood in front of her place, thinking about how she would soon have to leave it behind. The idea of moving was heavy on her mind, and she felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

Nico was driving home, his mind stuck on the wedding and everything that had just happened. He barely noticed his phone ringing. When he saw it was Kira, he answered.

"Hey, Nico!" Kira's voice sounded happy. "How's it going? How are you?"

Nico didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to talk about the wedding or Odalis. "I'm fine," he said, his voice a little flat. "Just tired."

"I get it," Kira said, her voice soft. "It's been a long day. I was thinking, maybe you could come visit me? It might help you relax."

Nico thought for a moment. He liked the idea of seeing Kira, but he wasn't in the mood to go anywhere. "I'm not really feeling it," he said, sounding distant.

Kira understood. "Alright, no problem. Just take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah, you too," Nico replied, running a hand through his hair.

There was a short pause, then Kira said, "If you change your mind, just call me."

"Thanks, Kira," he said before she hung up.

Nico sighed deeply and focused back on the road. His mind went back to the future that awaited him tomorrow.

When Nico got home, he went straight to the shower. After he was done, he stood by the window, looking out at the city below. He took a sip of whiskey, the ice clinking in the glass. His thoughts were a mess, but he tried to focus on the view. His mind wandered, thinking about the future about living with Odalis. Everything felt uncertain. He didn't know what to expect, how things would go with her. Living with Odalis felt like a big question mark, and he wasn't sure what would happen.