Letters To My Ex-Jerk
Chapter 26- La Bella Italia
"Damon Guiseppe Salvatore, do you take Bonnie Erikah Bennett to be your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?" The priest at the small church in Italy that we'd booked for our tiny wedding party. Luckily we found a priest who spoke good enough English.
Damon looked over at me, and his eyes strayed across me in my little white dress that I'd bought from a store here and my hair was all straightened and I had put on the best kind of make-up- the designer kind that Caroline had bought me for the actual wedding. He smiled at me, and nodded. "I do,"
The priest turned to me, a small smile on his face. "Okay now, Bonnie Erikah Bennett, do you take Damon Guiseppe Salvatore for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?" He asked.
I smiled at him, feeling the blush come to my cheeks "I do,"
The priest then handed us our rings because we didn't have a best man and turned to Damon, handing him a ring. "Okay, repeat after me, young man, as you place the ring on her finger: With this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment."
Damon nodded, taking the tiny silver ring and slipping it gently onto my finger. I noticed how handsome he looked in his black suit with the blue tie that made his own baby blue orbs glow with intensity and I knew I loved that man and I always would. "With this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment." He repeated and I felt like I was going to cry with happiness.
The priest then turned to me and handed me the ring I was to place on Damon's finger. "Now, it's your turn, Ms. Bennett. Repeat," He told me in a kind voice.
I took the ring from the priest and placed the ring on Damon's finger with a flourish, "With this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment." I said, loudly and clearly.
The priest smiled at us both then, "Damon Guiseppe Salvatore and Bonnie Erikah Bennett, I now pronounce them husband and wife. You may now seal the promises you have made to each other with a kiss," The priest informed us.
Damon neared me almost cautiously and brushed a strand of hair from my face. He kissed me then; the kiss was full of commitment and passion and I knew I'd made the right choice marrying Damon. The few guests who'd showed to watch clapped and cheered, even though we knew not a single one of them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the newly wedded couple Mr and Mrs. Salvatore," The priest announced.
Damon took my hand and we stood with our hands raised as the visitors cheered. I was laughing so much I thought I would cry. From now on, I was a Salvatore and I was the happiest person in the world.
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"So today was fun, huh?" Damon asked, a few hours later in a restaurant that was on a cruise boat. I had changed my clothes and I was dressed in a light green dress that reached my knees and had a cute sweetheart neckline. My hair was tied back. Damon had changed too into a modest gray dress-shirt and some dark jeans.
"I'll say," I responded, happily, as I put some of the best pasta I'd ever tasted into my mouth. It was filled with soft parmesan and tasteful chicken and I thought I'd never be able to eat Italian takeouts back in New York again. "Though dodging Caroline's million phonecalls wasn't fun at all,"
"She is not going to be pleased when we get back, but I don't really care," Damon said, smirking, as he took a bite of pizza. He leaned forward and brushed some hair from my face, before he planted a butterfly kiss on my cheek.
"Hey, don't kiss me with your tomato and cheese lips," I teased, as I brought my glass of sparkling water to my lips.
Damon rolled his eyes at me, "You love my tomato and cheese lips," He responded, as he took another bite of pizza before he kissed me on the forehead. I shoved him playfully in the chest.
"Stop it," I complained as he continued to eat his pizza and then kiss me.
Damon looked at me for a few seconds with a fathomless expression on his face then he shrugged. "Fine," He said, with certainty, and he leaned back away from me.
"What do you mean fine? What did you decide?" I asked him, because it looked like he'd made a decision.
"No cheese and tomato lips for you," He responded, in a childish voice.
I just watched him trying not to burst into laughter as he huffed and continued eating his pizza. I finished my food too, and noticed he hadn't spoken again.
"Are you going to like ignore me for the rest of the day?" I asked.
"No," Damon responded.
"Then why are you not talking to me?" I asked, in a slow voice as if I was talking to a child.
"I am." He said, but his eyes didn't meet mine. I saw a spark of mischief in his blue eyes and I decided to win him at his own game.
"Fine," I responded, and I called the waiter over, "Cameriere, Io… La torta Nectarine Amaretto, Per favore," I smiled sweetly up at him and he smiled back at me, all dark hair and warm brown eyes and tan skin.
"Immediatio, Bella," The waiter responded, winking slightly at me before he hurried off.
Damon glared at me the second I looked back at the table. "What the hell are you doing, Bonnie?" He demanded, aggravated, as he stared at me with blue accusing eyes.
"I'm not doing anything. Niente," I murmured, teasingly, leaning forward and twirling a strand of his hair between my fingers.
Damon looked back at me, then pulled his hair out of my fingers. "You were flirting with that dick waiter," He complained, angrily.
I smiled at that one. "I don't know how to flirt in Italian, Damon," I murmured.
"Well he looked turned on. God knows I was," I heard him mutter back.
I grinned sweetly. "Are you jealous tomato lips?" I whispered, and I looked out over the dark waters behind Damon and then back at him again. I could see the little stores with their lights on in the background. Florence, where we were staying, was such a beautiful place. I'd never seen a city with such beauty before.
Damon grumbled something I couldn't make out under his breath. "Me? Jealous? Ha…" He told me, in an overly confident tone of voice.
"You are jealous, Innamorato," I murmured, putting the little Italian I knew to use.
"What does that even mean?"
"Sweetheart," I blushed a little as he looked at me, studying me intently, before he leaned forward and my breath caught in my chest. I thought he was going to kiss me, actually I wished that he would kiss me, but instead his lips just curved into a smile.
"I like that, Bon-Bon. I like it when you talk Italian, it's sexy," He murmured, and I smiled back at him.
"I took a few courses of Italian back in High School, you know," I said, feeling a little smug.
Damon nodded, just as the Cameriere brought my cake over. He placed it between me and Damon.
"Grazie, Signore," I told the waiter, who bowed his head slightly and then rushed off to see to another order. "You want some cake?" I asked, turning to Damon, who was watching me, his cheek on his hand.
I smirked a little at him as he nodded. "Sure." He gestured to the glazed cake in front of us, and I picked up my knife and split it through the half. "Your plate?"
Damon handed it to me and I slid his piece of the cake onto it. He started to eat. "This is good, what is it?" He asked, a few minutes later.
I swallowed my mouthful and said: "Nectarine cake,"
Damon nodded. "I'll pretend to know what nectarine is," He smirked up at me as he ate some more cake.
I was about to explain what a nectarine was when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I checked it and saw it was Elena's number.
"Caroline again?"
"Nope, it's Elena," I responded to Damon, "Should I take it?" I asked. I knew that they were probably worried about what happened to us. I mean, we totally disappeared into the blue. I wondered if it was Caroline using Elena's number so we would pick up.
"Whatever," Damon wolfed down some more cake and looked like he didn't actually care.
I took the call, deciding to hang up if Caroline started yelling at me. "Yes, Elena?"
"Bonnie! Oh my god, where are you? You were supposed to be at the party 7 hours ago. Caroline is freaking out, man," Elena told me, in a relieved tone of voice.
"I'm in Italy. Damon and I…eloped," I murmured, and Elena's gasp filled the phone.
"No! Bonnie but you're so safe and boring.. I'd never expect…Whoa.." Elena burst out, sounding like she couldn't believe herself.
"Don't tell Caroline okay? Just tell her we'll be back in a few days or something," I pleaded with her.
"I won't. She'll be mega pissed at you. So are you then?" She asked me.
"Yes, as of a few hours ago,"
"Well, I was hanging out with Stefan today. He's mega nice and I really like him. Who knows? I might be the next Mrs. S," She laughed then.
"It's a little early to be thinking like that, Ms. Elena," I teased her, and she laughed again.
"Whatever. God, Italy? That's so romantic, Bon. I'm happy for you. Honestly, I didn't think you had the guts-,"
"Okay, Elena you made it clear that you think I'm no fun," I replied, and I could practically see her smug face.
"Hmm, I don't know now that you pulled this one on us. Genius. Anyway, I know you're busy and all that. Have fun, and give Damon my best," She sang.
"I will. And you'd better keep this a secret, Elena Gilbert," I muttered, in my most threatening tone of voice.
"And you'd better stay safe, Bonnie Bennett. Well, see you when you get back then," Elena said, brightly.
"Okay, see you," I murmured, before hanging up.
Damon looked at me expectantly. I noticed that he'd finished his cake already. He seemed to have quite an appetite. "Well?"
"It was Elena. She thinks I'm a bore, basically," I replied, slipping my phone into my bag and taking a bite of cake, nibbling it. Damon was right. It was awesome.
"And?" He shot me a teasing look. "What's new?"
"I'm not a bore," I responded, immediately insulted. "I'm not,"
"Hmmm," Damon murmured and I hit him across the table.
"You've become very violent lately. It can't be good for your health," He responded, in a wise sort of voice.
"Shut up, cheese and tomato lips," I muttered, bitterly, and Damon just rolled his eyes.
"You won't get any action from these cheese and tomato lips," He warned me. "Even when we get back to the hotel,"
"I don't care," I lied, and I turned back to my cake.
"We'll see," Damon responded.
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A few hours later, we were in the hotel room and lying on the bed, watching TV. We were dressed in our pajamas: Damon in some black pajama pants he'd bought and me in a flimsy black nightdress I'd bought to match his. I was longing for Damon's kiss, but he'd kept true to his words: he hadn't kissed me a single time.
My eyes darted to his side of the bed and I realized he was smirking. I huffed and folded my arms across my chest, pretending not to care. "Stop smiling, cheese and tomato lips,"
Damon just laughed at me, "You won't last," He murmured.
"I will," I responded, stubbornly, and I burnt a whole into the wall in front of the TV. I was barely watching to the Italian movie with English subtitles in it. I was going to make Damon snap and kiss me if it was the last thing I did.
I hopped off of the bed, and started for my purse before I stood in front of the mirror on top of the dresser and started to apply lip gloss to make my lips look extra delicious. They were all soft and pink when I was done with them: utterly kissable. Damon looked like he didn't even notice though as I climbed back onto the bed.
I smacked my lips together and I caught him looking at me and shot him an innocent look. "What?"
"Nothing," He replied, and I bit my lip, a little provocatively before I placed my finger in my mouth innocently. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Damon was still watching so I gently raised the hemline of my nightgown so that more of my thigh was exposed and leaned towards Damon. I thought I looked ridiculous but Damon was looking away, trying not to look at me, so I guessed I was being seductive.
"Can I have the remote?" I asked, reaching my arm out.
Damon nodded, and placed it into my hand. Our fingers brushed against one another and that was when I knew I wouldn't be able to hold myself. I threw the remote away and pulled Damon towards me, placing my lips onto his and kissing him deeply.
He smirked up at me, "Cheese and tomato lips huh?"
"Shut up and kiss me," I muttered, bringing my lips to his one more time. He kissed me back hungrily, pinning me across the bed. I could feel the passion and love in his kisses as he made me long for more. I leaned up towards him and he played with the spaghetti strap of my nightgown. I pushed it aside and whipped my hair over to my side and kissed him once more, trailing kisses down his neck.
He groaned and then he ran his hand through my hair gently. I sat up and he murmured that he loved me. "I love you too," I promised and he played with the strap of my nightgown one more time. There was a question in his eyes. I nodded and kissed him more passionately.
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The next morning, I woke up to the sight of Damon by my side and a smile played on my lips because I hoped every morning he'd be there. I climbed out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, grabbing a robe to wrap over myself then brushing my teeth so they were minty fresh.
I noticed that Damon was still sleeping so I left him alone to get some rest and walked over to the small kettle. I heated some water and made some coffee before I added some milk to it. I grabbed the mug and walked over to the balcony which you could get to by a sliding French door. I opened it and stepped out, taking a seat and carefully closing the door behind me.
I looked out of the balcony onto the small hotel's garden in front of me. I could see the little winding road that we'd taken to get here and the little cobbled roads leading to other gardens you could walk to. The place was a gorgeous vacation place and I was glad we'd chosen it for our sort of honeymoon.
I took a sip of coffee and smiled, feeling more serene than I had for a while. I felt a pair of arms slip around me and Damon was there, his blue eyes glinting. He was in his pajama pants and a gray tee-shirt. He had his own cup of coffee in his hands. "Good morning, Beautiful,"
"Hey," I smiled at him and he took the seat opposite me. "Are you talking to the scenery or me?" I asked, cheekily.
Damon smirked, before he looked out at the garden too. "I was talking to you but the scenery is pretty darn gorgeous too," He informed me, taking a big gulp of coffee.
"It is," I murmured, "so what's the plan for today?"
"Well, I was thinking of taking you to Venice to spend the day. There's a small square called Saint Marco's, I believe, that has a spectacular view. We'll have gondola rides and all that too and then we'll choose another hotel to spend the next night in," He murmured.
"You sound like you know Italy pretty well," I informed him, taking a tiny sip of coffee and gulping it back.
"My mother is Italian, Bon. Did I not tell you before? I lived here for the first part of my life, except in Rome. Mother still lives here," He told me.
"You never said that," I told him, excitedly. "Wait a second, can we go visit your Mom? I'd love to see the place where you grew up,"
Damon looked uncomfortable. "Are you sure? If you want, we can do it the day after tomorrow," He suggested.
I smiled at him, "That would be favo-loso," I muttered.
"There you go with your sexy Italian all over again." Damon sang, "I'm going to have to kiss you,"
I put on a shocked face as I placed my coffee down on the floor. "Oh no, the horror," I laughed.
Damon glared at me before he gently cupped my cheek and brought my lips to his in a sweet kiss. "You're sometimes still annoying, Bennett,"
"And you're sometimes still a jerk, Salvatore," I complained, and Damon grinned at me.
"That's part of my charm." He informed me.
I nodded. "I guess it is," I murmured, "So what time did they say the Breakfast buffet was at?"
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"This is so cute!" I exclaimed, later on that same day when we were riding a gondola in Venice. It was incredible how a city could exist floating like that with the rivers all around it. I'd always heard of how amazing Venice was and I was psyched that I'd gotten to experience it myself and with the man I loved. I'd be happy forever if I could just remember this moment.
"I know," Damon murmured as the gondola driver weaved us through the small, adorable streets. There were markets selling jewelry and clothes and stuff. Damon had stopped the gondola and bought me a little silver bracelet with light blue decorations on it. They reminded me of Damon's eye color. I decided I'd never take it off again. It was incredibly special to me.
"Thanks for the bracelet again." I told him.
Damon smiled at me and slipped his arm around my shoulder, hugging me to him. "I'm glad you like it," He murmured.
"Can you tell him to stop the gondola? This is our stop, Saint Marco's square," Damon informed me and I looked up and nodded.
"Arrestare!" I called, hoping it was the right word. It must have been because the driver stopped the gondola. Damon paid him and I shot him a smile: "Grazie,"
We stepped onto the street and Damon looped his hand through mine. "Flirting again," He muttered, gritting his teeth.
"Oh come on, I was just saying thank you," I complained, as we made our way through the people through a cobbled road. I thought Venice was just as beautiful as Florence, if not more beautiful.
"That's how it all starts," Damon murmured and I ignored him though his jealous behavior actually made me feel a little special.
"So where's this square?" I asked, as Damon led me up this path.
My jaw dropped as soon as I saw the square. White birds were everywhere in the giant square. The sun was shining brightly and the blue sky just completed the beautiful picture. I took Damon's hand and we walked up to towards the birds. I noticed that people were feeding the birds.
"Let's feed them." I told Damon as I noticed a stall selling bird seed. I bought two packets and gave one to Damon and we started to feed the birds.
I laughed as I placed some seed onto my hand and then leaned down and let the birds eat from it. A few flocked over to me and Damon smiled too, gently leaning down beside me as not to scare them. He kissed me on the cheek and the birds flocked away.
I watched small children run after them and then smiled. "This place is spectacular, Damon. Thanks for bringing me here," I told him, shooting him a genuine smile. We walked side by side over to a bench and sat down, still watching the beautiful scenery.
"I used to play here as a kid with Stefan, actually. Mom used to bring us here sometimes," He said and I could just imagine the Salvatore's running after the white birds like the little children they used to be. I imagined the older one with black hair and blue eyes making fun of his younger, green eyed sibling and smirked to myself.
"I can't wait to meet your mother," I assured him, "I hope she has some family albums!"
"That's what I'm afraid of," Damon murmured, and I placed a kiss to his cheek.
"This has been the best vacation of my life." I promised him, and he turned around and caught his lips with mine.
"Mine too," Damon murmured, and then we kissed in the middle of Saint Marco's square and I felt giddy because I knew I was going to treasure this vacation in my heart for a long time.
A/N: I know this was supposed to be the epilogue but I couldn't let Bonnie and Damon go without meeting his Mom and stuff. The next chapter will feature that, then the whole Caroline confrontation(:
I hoped you liked this little romantic chapter between Bamon! I loved writing it..
REVIEW and tell me what you think!
Oh and by the way, I don't really speak Italian so I used a dictionary so if anything's wrong, that's all on me… And the places they went to are real places in Italy, I went to them before when I was 11, so if you were wondering , yes they are real…
Lily xx
Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.
