Her Home
Chapter 3 — Meeting Again

"Becs, are you ready?" Rebecca heard Joni yell up the stairs at her. She heard the door close a minute later and assumed Isaac was with her. That meant one thing. Rebecca was running behind schedule. Isaac was late most of the time, which drove everyone crazy.

Sighing, she spun around giving herself another look at her dusty pink dress. Joni had brought it over the day before telling her that the lace looked classy for the event and the off the shoulder neckline with ruffles added "just the right bit of sexiness." She wasn't sure if that was what she wanted tonight but she was wearing it anyway. She sat on her bed to slip on her gold strappy heels as Joni reached the top stair. "Thanks for answering me."

"Sorry," Rebecca said, standing up. She heard a gasp from Joni and looked at her with a raised brow.

"If I wasn't married. I would totally do you," she said covering her mouth with both her hands. Rebecca looked down at the dress again. She didn't think it looked that good on her. "Vince is going to lose his shit!" Rebecca's head flew up her eyes widened.

"What?" Joni laughed and swung her hand in Rebecca's direction waving her off.

"Don't act like that dress doesn't hug every curve you have and isn't going to attract attention. Why do you think I got it for you?"

"I should have known you had something up your sleeve." Rebecca ran her hands down the front of her dress on more time. "Let's get this over with," she sighed. There wasn't anything she could do about the dress or the impending situation. She followed Joni to the first floor and said hello to Isaac before grabbing her clutch she looked at Joni who was standing at the open door, Isaac having already walked out. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can," Joni said walking to her and holding each of her hands in her own. "You got this. Whatever happens, happens. But I know you are strong enough to do this." Rebecca nodded as she took a deep breath. Joni sucked at pep talks and they got worse the more she tried. Not wanting to hear how bad it could get she decided to agree with her friend.

"Let's go," she forced a smile and walked to the door.

Rebecca heard Joni gasp from beside her when they walked into the room. Rebecca rolled her eyes and looked around. The room was beautiful. The tables were covered with grey tablecloths that sparkled. The centerpieces were made of silver boxes of roses surrounded by candles. The lighting was perfectly romantic. Rosalina did an amazing job.

"There you two are," Rosalina scolded. Both of them smiled at the bride as she threw her arms around them.

"You look beautiful," Joni said when they all separated. The dress she wore was amazing. Stopping just before the top of her knees. There were ruffles everywhere except where the neckline plunged low.

"Why thank you," Rosalina smiled as she spun around. The girls laughed together for several minutes before Rebecca excused herself to go to the restroom.

Vincent had been watching Rebecca since she had walked in Gio and Ant suggested that he go and talk to her several times but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. She looked amazing. The pink dress she was wearing looked amazing against her just barely tan skin. She was as beautiful as she was that day he walked away from her. He knew that at some point he was going to have to talk to her. Rosalina, of course, had them walking together and she was insisting on a dance at the reception. Domenico had assured him that she wasn't trying to force them together but the look on his face told him that those two small details may have been all Rosalina had allowed Domenico to help with. He watched the door that led to the hallway from the ballroom the party was in. Rebecca had walked out at least five minutes ago and she hadn't come back. Just as he was about to go check on him, she walked back in. "I have to admit she looks beautiful," came a familiar voice. Vincent turned to see his sister, Lidia.

"She is always beautiful," he said looking back at her. He watched as his parents walked up to her and started talking. He slowly moved closer in an attempt to hear what they were talking about.

"It's so great to see you, Rebecca," Nadia said giving her a tight hug.

"It's great seeing you both," Rebecca replied when she pulled back from the hug. She smiled at both of Vincent's parents. She noticed Vincent standing with his sister trying to act like he wasn't watching her but not doing a great job of it. "What have you been up to lately?" Francesco asked her. She could tell that he was genuinely interested and that made her feel good. Even though she didn't get the chance to spend time with them beyond the night of the gala and she was not with their son anymore, they still cared. Gio was right when he had said they weren't as bad as the media made them out to be.

"Actually. I have been pretty busy," Rebecca smiled. "I am opening a free clinic downtown."

"Wow. That is very commendable," Francesco smiled.

"Thank y-," Rebecca started but was cut off by someone squealing her name. Turning in the direction of the voice, she saw the youngest Bellandini sibling barreling toward her.

"Oh, Rebecca. I am so happy to see you," she shouted as she threw her arms around Rebecca. "I am so sorry that my stupid big-headed brother decided to be so stupid," Roxana rolled her eyes. "I don't know what he is thinking. He is never going to replace someone better than you. To be honest with you, he has been completely lost witho—"

"Okay, Roxy. That's enough," Vincent cut off his little sister before she could finish telling Rebecca just how miserable he had been since they saw one another last. "Why don't you go see if the bride needs anything," he placed his hand on her shoulder and tried to push her in Rosalina's direction.

"Why would I... Oh. Right," she smiled and ran off.

Vincent turned toward Rebecca, catching his mother sending him a wink as he does. He sends her a tight smile quickly before looking at Rebecca. "Sorry about my family," he says before coughing awkwardly.

Rebecca could feel the blush rising on her cheeks. "They are amazing," she smiled.

Vincent looks at her with the same smile that always got her and she had to look away. He wanted more than anything to talk to her like they used to when they were alone but the way she was shifting from one foot to the other and looking anywhere but at him told him she didn't want to talk. He opened his mouth to tell her he would speak with her later but a woman that was the same height as Rebecca and had the same hair but longer.

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"Rebecca. Why don't you introduce me?" The women said looking at Rebecca with a coy smile.

"Momma. This is Vincent. Vincent, my mother, Roslyn."

"So nice to meet the women who's responsible for raising such an amazing woman, Ma'am." Vincent held his hand out for Roslyn to shake. Behind Rebecca's mother, he caught his own mother and younger sister watching the interaction. They both smiled wide, his mother sent her a wink and Roxana slapped a hand over her mouth to hide her laugh. Her shoulders shaking up and down gave it away though.

"Rebecca," he heard a man's voice. He turned his attention from his crazy family and looked at Rebecca who was hugging a man that he guessed would be another family member. He hadn't thought about the fact that not only would he see Rebecca again but, that he would meet her family too. Rosalina and her and been friends for a long enough time that their families were close.

"Vince," Rebecca called his name turning to him. He raised his eyebrow. "This is my father, Gordon," she introduced the man to him.

"Sir," Vincent shook the man's hand. Rebecca found it funny that Vincent was using such good manners. The time she had spent around him, he had been giving orders to others. She was grateful that he was showing respect to her parents, she was just shocked also.

"How do you know my daughter?" Gordon asked him.

"We meet a few months ago. Vincent is Dom's cousin," Rebecca answered before Vincent had a chance. Did she really think he would tell them exactly how they met? He tried not to laugh at the thought.

Rebecca smiled at him and he opened his mouth to speak but saw Ant waving him over. "If you will excuse me," he said turning and giving a nod to both of Rebecca's parents before turning back to her. "Rebecca."

Ant met him halfway with a big smile stretched across his face. "How's it going with our beauty, beast?" Ant handed Vincent a glass with a dark colored liquor in it. He sent Ant a glare over the edge of the glass as he drank it all. "You only think you're funny. Just because we are cousins, doesn't mean I won't kill you." Ant couldn't contain his laughter. He held up his hands in surrender as he laughed loudly. "I just saved her from my family it was nothing," he growled at him.

"Yeah. Then you met hers," Ant laughed again but stopped when Vincent sent him a glare that could kill. "Look, just remember what I said... You may want to make her mind up before you lose her," he said pointing behind Vincent. Vincent turned around to see Rebecca talking to a man that he didn't know. He had never seen him but, it seemed that he was able to make her laugh and that set Vincent off. He stomped his way to where they were standing and grabbed Rebecca by the arm. "Excuse her," he said to the man she was speaking with. He didn't wait for the man to respond he just pulled her out of the ballroom.

"Let go," Rebecca shouted and ripped her arm away from Vincent when the door closed behind them. Vincent let go and turned to look at her. She saw the furry in his eyes. "What the hell was that?" she crossed her arms over her chest waiting for an answer.

Vincent began to pace. "You... You were laughing with that... that...-"

"Cousin," Rebecca finished for him. She watched him stop and looked at her with a shocked expression.

"What?"

"Jamie. Is. My. Cousin." She said slowly before laughing. There was a hint of sarcasm in her laugh though.

"Well... How was I supposed to know?" He yelled at her.

"You don't get to talk to me like that. Or act like that," she turned and stomped to a set of chairs placed against the wall. She sat in one and looked down at her feet.

"How are you?" Vincent asked her sitting beside her.

She sent him a glare. "Don't your dog's report to you daily or something?" Vincent wore a shocked look on his face again. "Yeah, I'm not stupid. I know why I can't get a second date and why my car always is full of gas. Not to mention, the skinny one is really bad at hiding." Vincent couldn't help but laugh.

"That's Markos. He's one of my youngest cousins. He wanted an assignment. I thought watching you at work would be a good first job for him," he shrugged. "I'm you're extremely mad at me..." he trailed off hoping that she would correct him. She only nodded her head. Vincent placed his elbows on his knees and held his head. "I'm sorry."

"You should be. You left me and I'm not allowed to move on?" Rebecca whisper yells.

Vincent lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. "I just want you to be safe." Hearing this infuriated Rebecca. She stood up and looked down at him. The look Vincent shocked him because even he was a little afraid of her.

"If I am safer not being with you than why the hell are your dog's still following me around? If you trust them to keep me safe why not trust yourself?" She screamed at him gaining attention from the few people that were standing around the hallway that she hadn't noticed until now. She felt tears welling up in her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall in front of Vincent. She turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him.

He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to do. So, he pressed his lips to hers. He loved her. It hurt a little that she wanted to move on but he knew that is what she deserved. Tonight though, he felt like being selfish so he asked her the same thing he did the night of the gala. "Any chance I can convince you to spend the night with me?"