Chapter Two - Forever After

At the church backyards, the crowds were scattered everywhere with the kids running around in their mini suits and dresses. Both Selena and Sandro chose not to invite so many people and only those who are close to them were invited to come.

Seeing the nature of his relationship with his father, there were a few relatives that chose not to come out of respect for their father who was the patriarch of the De Rossi clan.

Unlike Sandro, his dad was a billionaire. Old money that hails from Italy 45 years ago and has brought up his family to live only in comfort and luxury after years of successful investments and business deals. Even at 70 years of age, he was stubborn to retire and let his son take over him.

Not that Selena could say anything to that seeing any trust or relationship (Not that it was ever good) he had with Sandro went down the drain and their marriage was a nail to that coffin. She would blame herself for being the ultimate reason their family has broken up but both Sandor and his mother had calmly assured her that losing Giuseppe De Rossi from their life was a blessing in disguise.

“Congratulations, Lena!!” Her cousin aka her best friend in the world ran up to her and hugged her tightly. She was much taller than her and only at the age of 26, ha downed a successful Italian restaurant around the corner. She even catered her whole wedding reception for free seeing they were the only girls on her side of the family and adamant about making sure she could spoil her on her wedding day.

“Thank you, Rosa. Thank you also for the delicious food you have prepared. Everything from the lasagne to the cannoli, no wonder people need to do bookings to go to your restaurant.”

“Oh, stop it, amore. You’re just flattering me but again, we are that good so I'm happy if my dishes can make you happy. Now, where’s that hunk of your husband again…”

“Right here, Rosalinda.” Sandro came out from behind Selena and reach over to hug Rosa.

“Selena was right. That cannoli was to die for. I ate like six of that cheesy, chocolate chip goodness. I’m trying so hard to keep my abs intact but you’re making it tough not to.”

Both Selena and Rosa laughed. “Well, we don’t want that now, do we? Don’t want to make our Selena here sad seeing her husband went from Stallone to Devito before the wedding night?”

“Oh stop it, Rosa. I love Sandro just the way he is. Even if he becomes fat or skinny as a twig, he’s Sandro. He’s perfect.”

Sandro laughed and pulls Selena closer to his side. He kisses her head and replies.

“My wife speaks fact. No wonder I love her so much.”

“Alessandro!” A deep voice yelled for Sandro near the entrance to the backyard. Selena’s gaze falls on the older man with thinning hair and she knows the guy. It was Sandro’s uncle, uncle Felix. She turns to Sandro to see him displaying an annoyed expression at his uncle and he turns his gaze back to Selena. Putting on a smile, he held both of her shoulders and says to her.

“I’ll be back, Tesoro Mio. Go ahead and have fun, alright? Love you.”

He kisses her lips and walks toward uncle Felix. Selena just stares at them feeling slightly bothered by Sandro’s expression before being pulled by Selena to meet the rest of the family.

…

Getting in the limo, she waved to her family and friends goodbye, followed by Sandro behind her. The car drove away and she turns back to face Sandro who was smiling the whole time. He runs his hands down her arm and even pulls her closer so he could kiss her lips to her cheek and down her neck. She giggled at the ticklish sensation and he pulls back for a second, looking deeply into her green eyes with so much intensity.

His blue eyes always seem to capture her every second. Just the lightness of it with flecks of the darker shade of blue made him so captivating.

“Why do you look at me like that, my love?” She asked him, gently running her thumb down his lips that was stained by her red lipstick. Something she has been doing since this morning seeing he can’t keep his hands off her.

A sudden vibration from the limo made both of them shake a little and Selena didn’t think much of it. It was probably a bump on the road but Sandro was looking behind the car and she too followed him. She notices a black Ranch Rover was behind them and nothing looks suspicious until she turns back to face Sandro.

Sandro felt a tug on his chest. A sudden sense of nausea and bitterness can be felt from the bottom of his throat. He had noticed the car since this morning near the church and now that it has been following them from every turn the limo made, he felt uneasy.

He turns back to face Selena's beautiful face and cup her cheek.

“Do you love me, Selena?’

Selen frowned at first then burst into a fit of laughter. She was so worried about Sandor at the moment and when he asks her this question, sounding like a little kid, she can’t help but find him adorable and oh so innocent.

“I wouldn’t be your wife today if I didn’t love you, Sandro.” She replied to him.

Sandro releases a long sigh of relief yet the concern tugging from his chest was still present, only barely.

“I just wanted to make sure, Tesoro Mio.”

“Why? Was it necessary? I’ve told you so many times about how much I love you. I would’ve thought you would get sick of it by now.”

“I know but… I just... I just want to hear it again. It calms me.”

Selena smiled and cup his cheek. Liking his warm skin against hers and she could almost feel him purring at her touch.

“If you could feel what I am feeling right now, you would know how much I love you, Selena. How much I adore you, God… You, my love, are a dream come true. We are soulmates, Tesoro Mio. I won’t ever let you go. I love you so much…”

Tears prick her eyelids and she nodded at him. “Me too. I don’t ever want to let you go, my love. Amore Mio, my heart. My life…”

Their moment was cut short when the only voice that could be heard as the limo turn over in a loud slam was Selena’s scream. She hears Sandro yell for her but they weren’t able to reach out to each other as the rolling of the car made their bodies slam against the seat, the ceiling, and the floor of the limo. Pain erupts through her body and she can feel her ribs snaps inside of her. She screams from the shock and blood blinds her left eye as she tried to look for Sandro.

The crash takes about 3 minutes until it stops and finally lays still on the road. Selena can feel her consciousness slowly leaving her but the need to find her husband made her push through her hazy vision.

She can feel the window of the car beneath her and blood flows down her face like an open tap. She was having the worst headache she had ever gone through and that’s when she knows that her head had made an impact on the car window. Causing the glass to break with her skull and leaving the tiny fragment of the window stuck on her flesh.

She slowly pushes her broken body to turn around and tears roll down her cheek, mixing with her blood to see Sandro lying on the floor unconscious. He too bleeds from his head with cuts and bruises marring his handsome face. Blood pools beneath his lips with the smell of gas and oil hurting her nose.

Crowds were gathering around the limo, some trying to get to her while removing the debris but Selena kept her gaze towards her newlywed husband.

“Sandro…oh God, please... Sandro…”

She could not fight her unconsciousness any longer so slowly, she closes her eyes, and the last words he had spoken to her echoed in her ear, erasing this bad dream with the hopes of a more beautiful one unfolding…

…I won’t ever let you go. I love you so much…