A note from your author...To all of the readers and reviewers out there, I can't stress enough how much your continued support means to me. Thank you all so very much! This chapter starts the beginning of our Italy arc and is a bit short in length, but hopefully not in content. I realize how slowly some of the story lines seem to be progressing, but that's being done with purpose. I know there may be some details that seem a bit repetitive and others that might not make complete sense at the moment, but they will continue to be explored and developed. We are coming into the home stretch, with only a few more chapters to go until the end. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this next installment and thank you again!
Will's follow up doctor's appointment quickly became a follow up to a follow up - with the latter of the two scheduled for just the day before we left on our holiday to Italy.
Later that night, I crawled into bed next to Will. He was propped on his left side, and I laid so I was facing him.
"What's gotten you so giddy?"
I giggled at his playful query. "Just looking forward to our next adventure."
He raised a skeptical brow. "Two whole weeks with my family?"
"An adventure sure to send the average girl running for the hills, right?" I teased playfully, but Will's grin faded quickly. Worried I had offended him, I immediately set out to apologize.
"Well if that didn't do it, then surely the doctor's office discussion you were subjected to earlier today, would."
My expression softened. "I suppose I'm not the average girl, then."
Will's did the same and he actually cracked a small smile. "You most certainly are anything but average, Louisa Clark."
I grinned back, then reached up to cup his cheek. "And I am certainly not running anywhere, most of all up any hills - at least not without you." He leaned as best he could into my touch and nodded slightly. "Today was much of what I'd expected, Will. And while certain aspects seemed a bit daunting, it's nothing we can't handle. We now know our options and all that's left to do is figure out what works best for us."
"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Will muttered apologetically.
I was beginning to become quite accustomed to the many sides of the usually cheeky, always sarcastic man I loved so much - and while his soft, caring, compassionate side was appearing much more frequently, this emotionally raw, seriously self-conscious side still popped up every so often and always twisted something deep within me.
"I'm not," I replied reassuringly, my hand slipping upward into his hair. He gave me the most wildly incredulous look in return that nearly made me dissolve into a fit of laughter. "Okay, yes I do wish it could be a little easier for us, but I'm not sorry. It'll all be worth it."
"You say that now," Will scoffed softly and it was my turn to glare at him.
I moved in closer so I could press my lips to his. "It will be," I whispered between kisses.
Will remained silent for a few minutes after we'd broken apart. "I think we should go the medication route first."
I was a bit taken aback by not only his openness, but also his decision. "Are you sure?"
"It's the least invasive option."
"With the most potential risks."
We held each others gaze for a brief moment before Will's lips spread into a warm smile. "My hand, Clark, bring it up to your face." His request was soft and almost wistful and it sent a surge of emotion right through me. "So definitely worth it," he then murmured, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone.
"Just picked up the last of the supplies," Nathan called out as he crossed through the living area of the annex to meet me in the kitchen, then next morning.
I turned and shot him a puzzled look. "I already doubled checked, we're all good."
"Better to be safe than sorry," he replied, flashing me a slightly suggestive smirk as he loaded the additional supplies into the second of the two medical bags we were taking on this trip. "Two weeks is a pretty long time to be away."
I nodded and smiled, unable to argue with his logic.
It wasn't long before we boarded the plane, the same one we had flown on when we traveled to Mauritius. I waited patiently as Nathan and Mr. Traynor got Will settled into his seat, before taking purchase in the one directly across from him. A brief wave of deja vu washed over me, but I quickly dismissed it.
"Still excited?" Will asked, presumably to question the sudden change in my demeanor.
"Yes, of course," I replied, though still slightly distracted by my previous thoughts. I held his gaze, unsure of how to continue. "Have you ever found yourself in a situation and wondered how on earth you got there?"
"Um, every single second of every single day."
I shot him a mock glare of warning. "I'm serious, Will.
"And I'm not?" He returned, his playful smirk intensifying.
"A year ago, I had just celebrated six years at the Buttered Bun and seven years with Pat," I continued cautiously, even if Will seemed unfazed by the mention of my ex. "And now here I am, with you, on my way to Italy."
"Come over here," Will beckoned, his smile widening. I complied with his request, after first making sure we weren't about to take off, and carefully slipped onto his lap. "Do you remember what I said to you after our dance at the wedding?"
I nodded and smiled at the memory. Yes."
"I don't really feel that way anymore."
My heart nearly stopped. "Oh?" I muttered, unable to hide my rising confusion. On the verge of tears, and my bloody boyfriend was grinning at me.
"You see, Clark, there is no longer a 'pretty much' anywhere to be found in that statement," he began slow and calculatingly. "You have become the single most important, the only thing that makes me want to get up every morn-"
My lips were on his before he could finish.
The villa was absolutely stunning. Massive and open and invitingly warm despite it's age and the sheer number of windows surrounding it.
"Does this place belong to your family?" I leaned down to whisper into Will's ear as the luggage was being unloaded.
He gave a small chuckle in reply. "No, this one belongs to David's family. Ours is a bit too small for us to all fit comfortably, but more importantly, it doesn't have first floor accommodations."
I could detect the slightest hint of irritation in Will's tone that usually surfaced whenever there was any mention of the special modifications required to meet his needs. Luckily, he didn't have too much time to dwell, for as soon as the words left his mouth, Mrs. Traynor's voice rang out. "Will, you and Louisa will take the Master suite," she instructed, then paused to glance between us as she backpedaled, if not to seem too presumptuous. "Unless of course you would prefer your own room upstairs, Louisa."
I blushed only slightly, then smiled. "No thank you. I'd rather be down here with Will."
She nodded curtly, though I was certain I could see the beginning of a smile ghosting at her lips.
"Is there anything down here for me, Mrs. T?" Nathan asked next.
"Yes Nathan, there is," she replied, frowning apologetically. "But I'm afraid it's on the smaller side, used for the hired help I assume. You would, however, have your own bathroom."
"I'll make do with whatever," he returned with a grin. "Just as long as I can be close by."
"Hopefully not too close," Will grumbled teasingly under his breath as he side-eyed Nathan and smirked.
Mrs. Traynor continued on with the agenda she'd planned out for the entire weekend - we would finish out today with dinner at the finest restaurant in town, then Sunday brunch with the family in the morning, followed by a trip to the local vineyard later in the afternoon.
It wasn't the easiest task, convincing Will to rest some before we had to leave for dinner, but Nathan eventually got him to agree to some stretches.
"You know we don't have to follow every single detail of my Mother's itinerary," Will stated, somewhere in the middle of the condensed version of his exercise schedule.
"I don't mind," I reassured him with a smile, as I continued rotating his wrist. "Everything she has planned so far, sounds amazing."
"Still," he replied without further detail and I suddenly got the impression that maybe Will had other reasons for not wanting to follow his mother's agenda. "I know you usually attend Sunday services with your family. There are quite a few churches nearby. One of them is bound to have a time you would be able to make - if you're interested, that is."
Tears nearly sprung to my eyes at his thoughtfulness. "I am, thank you, Will."
I leaned in to place a soft kiss on his cheek, when he took me by surprise once again. "I'd go with you if you didn't want to go alone."
While his simple act of chivalry made my heart swell, I couldn't help but tease him a little. "You? At church?"
"It's not completely unheard of, you know," he scoffed in mock defense.
"Right," I chuckled. "So when exactly was the last time you actually went willingly to any sort of religious service? And don't say Alicia and Rupert's wedding, that doesn't count."
Will played along, pausing for thought. "Do last rights count?" While I knew he was teasing, his words still stung. "Though I didn't originally go into that willingly."
I slipped my hand into his and entwined our fingers together. "They gave you last rights?"
He nodded. "After the accident. They didn't expect me to make it through the surgery."
I tried to suppress the shutter that ran through me and even managed to replaced it with a smile. "But you did make it through."
"And the two additional practice runs."
"Jesus Will," I scolded with a playful swat to his shoulder. "How could you even joke like that?" He flashed me that mischievous grin of his and I simply shook my head. "Alright you, time to get some rest."
"You're not going to join me?"
I blushed at the suggestiveness of his tone, but didn't back down. "I've got unpacking to do."
"It can wait."
My grin grew wider as I leaned in to kiss Will's cheek. "But meds can't," I countered, glancing at my watch. "I don't want to fall off schedule, especially with the hour time difference. I'll be right back."
As I was unzipping the first of the medical supply totes, I realized I could have simply taken Will's medication from the pill case in the bag on his chair. Instead, I began the sorting process as I set out to collect his afternoon dose. One bottle struck me odd, and I did not immediately recognize as one in Will's daily regimen. It was new, filled earlier that morning, and packed along with the additional supplies. I was a bit confused at first, since Nathan hadn't mentioned anything new being prescribed, until I read the dosing and usage on the label. A flush of heat simultaneously crept up to my cheeks and fluttered deep within my belly when my thoughts drifted back to our conversation the previous night. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my lips as I dropped the bottle back into the bag, and zipped it shut.
And suddenly, the outlook of this trip took on an entirely other level of interesting.
