The Temporary Wife: Luca and Valentina's Story(53)

Mom’s eyes flash with pure dismay, and I lower my gaze. We’ve only just walked in, and this is already going wrong. She looks like she has more to say to me, but instead she leads us into the living room, where Abuela is watching TV.

“Val?” Abuela says.

I walk up to her and hug her tightly, grateful to find her lucid. It breaks my heart when she doesn’t recognize me, and knowing that it’s going to start occurring more often kills me.

“Who is this handsome young man?” Abuela asks, grinning. She blatantly checks Luca out, and I glance back at him to find him looking somewhat flustered, his cheeks a little rosier than usual. My heart starts to race, and I bite back a smile.

He offers her his hand and smiles. “I’m Luca Windsor. It’s so good to meet you, ma’am.”

Abuela chuckles and looks back at me. “Lucifer? Your boss?”

My eyes widen, and I clear my throat awkwardly. “Luca,” I correct her. “It’s Luca.” For a woman who has been struggling with her memory lately, she’s very on point with her remarks today. How could she possibly remember that I have him saved as Lucifer in my phone? I’d better change that before Luca finds out.

Abuela looks between the two of us, and Luca wraps an arm around my shoulder, a questioning look in his eyes as he turns toward me. There’s no way he missed her Lucifer comment, and I’d better come up with a valid explanation. I clear my throat awkwardly and force a smile. “Abuelita, Luca… he is my boyfriend.”

She bursts out laughing and shakes her head. “I knew it,” she tells me. “Every time you called him the devil himself and cursed him, there was something more behind it. I’m surprised it took so long.”

Luca leans into me, his nose brushing past my ear. “The devil himself?” he whispers, and my cheeks flush instantly as remorse washes over me.

My mother places a tray with four cups of Café de Olla on the table and sits down next to Abuela, her expression aloof. She crosses her arms and motions to the sofa adjacent to her. “Sit.”

Luca follows my lead, his expression serene despite my mother’s obvious and sudden rudeness.

“How long have you two been dating?”

Luca grabs my hand and entwines our fingers, his downcast gaze a sign that he’ll let me take the lead.

“We only started dating very recently, but like Abuela said, it was inevitable. We realized we wanted to be together shortly after I quit my job.”

Mom starts to tap her foot, her face betraying her anger. “You. You’re engaged, aren’t you? What exactly is it that you’re trying to do? Are you trying to turn my daughter into your mistress?”

I should’ve realized this is what her concern would be. Perhaps it would’ve been better to admit we got married. That would put these worries at ease, but it’s too late to communicate that to Luca now, especially since I’ve already introduced him as my boyfriend.

Luca tenses and tightens his grip on my hand. “It wasn’t my choice or desire to get engaged, and that engagement has since been broken. Please rest assured. I will not be marrying that woman.”

Mom huffs and rolls her eyes. “How long are you going to string my daughter along with that story? It’s always the same tale, isn’t it? You’ll promise to leave your fiancée or wife, but you won’t. And if you do leave your fiancée, you’ll end up going back to her.”

I know Luca well enough to know when he’s getting angry, despite his carefully blank face. He glances at me for a moment, and I shoot him a reassuring smile.

“Mom, I’ve known Luca for eight years, and I promise you that he isn’t like that. His engagement really was broken. It just hasn’t been reported yet by the media.”

“I’m against this,” she tells me. “What are you thinking, Val? End this relationship immediately. This will impact your work and everything you’ve built. People will start to question whether you slept your way up, and in the end, he’ll want someone who has more to offer. He’s blinded by passion, but it’ll wear off, and he’ll abandon you. End it now, before you lose everything you worked for. You never should have gone to work for that family at all. I knew something like this would happen. Do you really believe you can overcome the differences between you? You can’t. You should have known better, Valentina.”

I start to tremble, unsure how to refute her words. I knew this conversation wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t expect her to act this way in front of Luca.

He wraps his arm around me and looks at my mother. “Ma’am,” he says, his tone polite. “First of all, I’d like to apologize for lying to you. The truth is that I married your daughter. She told you we were dating because she thought it would be difficult for you to accept us eloping, but it is what it is. Valentina is my wife. I agree that us being together would impact her work, and yes, the engagement that was forced upon me further complicates matters, but ultimately it comes down to one thing. I love your daughter, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, no matter the trials we might face.”

Abuela gasps, and then she chuckles. “Good for you, mi ni?a,” she says, her eyes sparkling. “It has been eight years. There is no need to wait longer. It’s good that you got married.”

Luca grins at her in gratitude, but my mother stares at us in shock and dismay.