The Unbreakables (BWHM)

Chapter 36

The days that let led up to the party seemed to fly by, until it was eventually upon us. We moved together but separately, each being a bottle of nerves. My dad was silently trying not to strangle the General, mom trying her best to avoid nana, Antonio brooding silently about not being able to talk me out of going to the party, me trying not to think of my pending doom, and Ruby and Big John looking down on the whole sorry lot of us with pity.

Everything was in place for tonight, the General was able to find out who was catering the wedding party and arranged for me, Antonio, and ten of his men to be a part of the wait staff for the caterers. Nana being the reigning queen of European high society that she was, was able to obtain invitations for herself, mom, dad, and the General.

All the preparations were in order and now all that remained left to do was for the curtain to come up and for us all to perform our parts flawlessly. I sat in my room staring out of the window thinking back on the last six months and how much my life had changed since Miah was taken. It's funny how a set of circumstances can throw you so far out of your comfort zone that you hardly recognize the person you have become and don't know or remember the person you use to be. I guess life is funny that way, just like my father said to me the night he told me about his time in Africa.

Life is never meant to be lived unchanged. Meaning, there are bound to be twist and dips along the way and how we learn to adjust or navigate them is what determines the person we become. Two weeks ago I was dead inside, cold from losing the only light in my life that kept me warm for the last four years. Then along came Antonio, who set a fire inside me. Those flames promised to burn for the rest of my life, which more than likely will end in twelve hours.

So is life a tragedy or a gift? Most would say it's a gift. It allowed me to experience love from a man who truly loved me. Which is priceless. Especially after being with someone who loved the idea, while not actually loving me. Yet, then again some would life is a tragedy. After years of searching, one could discover a soulful completion ushered forth by another person or an ideal situation only to have it plucked away before having the opportunity to watch it grow. Which brings me to the whole, is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, dilemma.

The light tap on the door stirred me from my silent reflection. The object of my thoughts slipped quietly into my room eyeing me with the longing that had become my trigger.

"Hey, can I come in?" Antonio asked. A hint of a grin teased his attention slaying lips.

"Of course," I said, returning his grin with one of my own.

"Just thought I'd ask since iron lady warned me about being in your bed chambers." He laughed.

"Antonio, you do remember the iron lady you're referring to is still my grandmother, right?" I replied, while pursing my lips to suppress my laughter.

"Well your grandmother's set are bigger than mine and I'm not about to give her the chance to prove it." He said stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

"Well I guess you better get to the point before she catches you," I bit the corner of my lip as I allowed my eyes to take a tour over every hard inch of him.

"We have a few hours before show time, you wanna ride off for a second and see the city?" Antonio questioned.

"You think it's wise?" Did I really care? It had been days since this man had thoroughly loved me and withdrawal symptoms had begun to set in. "I mean I don't want anyone from the Son's to spot us. That would ruin everything."

"No worries, Angel. We'll be incognito." Antonio said with a very coercing sexy smile that always made him hard to resist.

"Alright, but this had better not be a trick to keep me away from the action tonight," I said seriously.