Vengeance

Chapter 60

Ava's POV

"You need to eat, sweetie." Rose insisted once again.
I sighed deeply. 

"The sooner you get better, the quicker those medicines go into the bin. And I know how much you hate them, so please eat the fruits? Mrs. Bianchi won't be as lenient as me." She tried to be stern. But even her stern face looked too cute to take her seriously. So instead, I gave her sheepish smile. 

She was the only one in the entire house who understood me. Since day one, she remained with me, by my side, took care of me, helped me with my wounds and held me when I cried. I felt free about sharing my feelings with her and promised not to tell anyone. Not even Enzo. 

I was happy for him. That he had someone like her in his life. She loved him dearly and I noticed that he did too. But they hadn't confessed their feeling to each other. Every time I saw them together, made me feel deep ache in my chest. Jealousy? Sadness? Whatever you wanna call it. But I couldn't hold it against them.

The night he asked me to choose between him and Ryan was the second worse night of my life. The first one being the night I was kidnapped, obviously.
I stayed up all night thinking about it. But more than that, since it was my first night back in my old room, I couldn't help but recall the incident. I tossed and turned into my bed, tried to keep my mind off those flashbacks but I just couldn't help it. Lorenzo and my brothers were everything to me, since the beginning. I had waited for them to come find me for 13 long years. Even the thought of leaving them seemed impossible for me. And even if Ryan came into my life like 2 months ago, I couldn't deny the fact that I loved him unconditionally and wanted nothing more than spending the rest of my life with him. 

But I knew I can't be selfish. I cannot leave brothers after everything they had done for me, even if it meant I had to sacrifice my happiness.
I decided to keep faith in Destiny. And if Ryan was my destiny, the universe would bring us together one day or another. I had waited for my brothers for 13 years. I could wait my entire lifetime for the love of my life.

I gave into her demands and took a bite from the apple she had offered.
"Brava ragazza." She grinned at me. (Good girl.) 

A cool breeze swept across our faces, blowing our hair away. I leaned back against the trunk of my favorite tree, the cherry blossom. I remembered how we used to sit under the same tree and have a family picnic. Mama used to carry pasta, sandwiches and orange juice in her basket and I used to help her serve into the plates while Papa and the boys used to play  football. After getting tired and hungry they would come to us, huffing and puffing. The twins always fought over food. While Dante used to put extra berries on my plate, since I loved it. Our parents used to sit there watching us have the time of our lives with big satisfied smiles on their faces. 

"Ava?!" Rose's voice brought me out of my reverie. 

"Sì?" 

"What thoughts were you so lost into?" She asked me curiously. So I told her about the memories of this place. 

"You are very lucky, Ava." 

I scoffed at her.
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You know the story of my life. You don't get to say that." 

"But you don't know mine." She said suddenly looking melancholy.
"Atleast you have a family. May it be few years, atleast you had parents. And you have wonderful brothers who love you to the moon." 

I narrowed my eyes at her.
"I never had a family. I never knew my parents. I've been brought up in an orphanage and then with the help of scholarship I studied fine arts. That's how I made my living, by selling paintings."  

I felt really bad for her. But I wanted to cheer her up.
"And then you met my brother." She looked up and blushed furiously. 

"Yes." 

"And then you fell in love. Enzo and Rose, sitting in a tree.. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" I teased her. She giggled. And it was the loveliest sound I'd ever heard. 

No doubt fratello is head over heels for her.
She is an angel sent from heaven. Naive, pure and innocent. 

"No matter what your past has been, Rose. I'm sure Enzo will give you all the love you deserve. Trust me. I know him. You just need to confess, mio amore." 

"I don't know.. I'm scared." She said looking at me. 

"Don't worry, it's going to be happily ever after for you." I said encouragingly.

"No. It's going to be happily ever after for YOU." She said looking at something behind me. I was confused. 

So I leaned to my right and looked behind the tree to see where Rose's eyes were locked.  

All the breath left my lungs and my heart stopped in that moment.
I got up that instant and placed my hand on my chest.
It was Lorenzo and along with him stood Ryan King.
My Ryan.
My love.
I could not hold back anymore so I sprinted towards him and jumped into his arms. He held my waist tightly and twirled me around in the air. 

"Ryan.." Tears trickled down my eyes as he put me down and hugged me to his chest.
The same cologne hit my nostrils, making my heart soar with happiness.
I felt him kiss the top of head several times making me tighten my arms around me.
I looked up to see tears brimming in his eyes as he looked into mine with adoration and relief.
He cupped my face and started planting numerous kisses all over my face. 

And then pulled me to his chest once again.
"I'm so sorry, love. Forgive me, please." 

I looked up from his chest and placed my index finger on his soft lips.
"Shh. You have nothing apologize for." 

He brought his hand upto mine, caught my fingers from his mouth and kissed them gently.
"I love you, Ava DeLuca. I LOVE YOU." 

I felt like my heart would leap out of my chest as I heard those words leave his lips.
"And I love you, Ryan King." 

And that's all he needed to hear, then he leaned in and kissed me like a man in love and I kissed him back fervently. It was pure and affectionate.

Someone clearing their throat made us pull apart. I blushed as I looked at my brothers standing there smiling at me. It wasn't just him, all the King siblings, Stefen, Mrs. Bianchi were standing there witnessing our reunion. 

Rose nodded at me, with tears threatening her eyes as well.
I looked at Enzo who looked very uncomfortable, but happy as well.
I looked at Ryan and he understood what I wanted, so he let me go hesitantly. 

I ran upto my brother and hugged him.
"Thank you, Enzo. Thank you so much. You have no idea what you've given me." My wet tears spilled onto his shirt. 

He kissed my forehead.
"I'm sorry for keeping you from your happiness, Sorellina. But there is one more happiness we want to give you." He smiled at me and made me turn around. 

"Even though I think it is too soon, but he convinced me otherwise on the way here."

I gasped and covered my mouth with both the hands when I saw Ryan kneeling on the ground on one knee, with a small blue velvet box in his hand, which had the most beautiful ring in the entire world.

"Ava DeLuca. I was spellbound since the day I met you. Your smile, your laugh, your eyes, your soul mesmerizes me. You've given me all the happiness I could ever wish for and I want to give you nothing less. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. But waiting too long to do this won't be one of them. It may seem I'm rushing with this decision, but trust me, it's the only thing I want in my life. And that is never to lose you ever again. This King needs his Queen, Ava. So will you let me be your world like you've become for me, love? Will you be mine forever?"

"Will you marry me?"