Page 43 of Taking His Heart

When I go to get up again, my dad’s voice stops me. “Don’t move. You look like shit.”

“I need to go and find her,” I tell him.

“I’ll go.” Dad walks out the door, leaving me alone with my mother.

“What?” Mom asks when she sees the now pissed-off look on my face.

I take a breath and count to ten in my head. I will not cuss out my mother. “She’s not pregnant. We got married because we wanted to. That’s it,” I say. “And she’s not going anywhere. I love her, Ma, and it would make my life a hell of a lot easier if you were nicer to her.”

“She’s not going anywhere? You sure about that, CJ? Because I was here last time she left. I saw the destruction she left behind. I don’t ever want to see you hurt like that again.”

“You know, it takes two people to make a relationship work, not just one. Daniella leaving wasn’t just on her. It was both of us. You can’t hate her for that.”

“I don’t hate her. I love her. I just don’t want to see you hurt again, CJ. A mother’s heart can only take so much. One day, when you’re a parent, you will understand that,” she says.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I’m not going to be a parent. I’m okay with that, but that’s not my thing to tell. Daniella has kept this secret for years. I’m not going to be the one to tell anyone.

“I need to find my wife,” I grunt as I try to sit up again.

“The doctor’s here.” Daniella walks back into the room, with my father behind her and the doctor behind him.

“I don’t need a doctor,” I groan.

“Yes, you do,” Daniella and my mom say at once.

“I’m fine, Doc.” Ignoring them, I look to the doctor, who is opening his bag at the end of the bed.

“Really? Because you look like shit, CJ,” he replies.

“That’s what I told him,” Dad says.

“He’s going to be okay, though, right? You can fix him?” Daniella asks.

“I’m sure it’s nothing serious, sweetheart,” the doc says.

“You think you’re getting rid of me already? We haven’t even been married a day. Trust me, Dani, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Some things are actually out of our control, CJ, like infections because you do stupid shit like jump in swimming pools while you’re healing a bullet wound.” Daniella scowls at me.

“You went swimming?” The doctor raises a brow at me.

“I went in a pool. I wasn’t swimming,” I tell him.

“What were you doing in a pool?” my mother chimes in.

I can’t help the smirk that forms on my lips, and when I see Daniella’s cheeks flame red, I smile wider. “Nothing you want to know, Ma.”

“Seriously, CJ? I swim in that damn pool,” Mom grumbles. “Carlo, have the pool drained, the entire thing disinfected. Actually, maybe we should just rip it out and have a new one put in.”

“Antonia, come with me.” My dad takes my mother’s hand and attempts to pull her out of the room.

“I’m not leaving until I know what’s wrong with my son.” Mom snatches her hand out of my dad’s grip and turns back around.

“It’s an infection.” The doctor looks at my exposed abdomen. “I’m going to set you up with some IV antibiotics. You need rest and absolutely no more swimming pools.”

“Is it serious?” Mom asks.

“He’ll be fine,” the doc tells her. “The antibiotics will fight the infection. Give it a couple of days. I’ll stick around until tomorrow to monitor your progress.”