"You guys know each other?" Asked the host, "that's great! Less awkwardness," he glances between me and Rosario, my glare was probably intense because the host decided he didn't want to have anything to do with this, "um... the waiter will be here shortly," he says before scurrying away.

"Friends of yours Elia?" Asked Teegan looking intrigued.

I break the eye contact with Rosario and shake my head, "No."

"More like his husband," Rosario corrected, and I feel my heart sink.

"Hus...band?" A wide-eyed Teegan asked in a small voice-like whisper, she turns her head a few times, looking between me and Rosario, "Husband?!" She asked again bewildered, "no, no, no!" She shakes her head, "I'm not ready, no!" She turns to me, "how? When? Why? Why didn't you tell me?" Tears started pouring down her face.

My words of comfort go unheard, "Teegan, Calm Do-"

"You said you weren't gonna get married, you said you'd tell me if you met someone worth marrying, was it all lies?" She asks before she starts to shake.

"Teegan, breath," I encourage, "I'll explain everything, I just need you to take a deep breath right now," my chest tightens, seeing how my words for the first time are not bringing her any comfort, "Teegan, please," I beg her, but to no avail.

"Tee-" I was about to beg her again when suddenly Teegan gets ice-cold water thrown in her face, by no other than Farah.

Teegan gasps and takes a deep breath, completely taken back by the sudden icy shower which seems to have worked in getting her to breathe properly again.

"I'm sorry, I read if you dunk your face in cold water it can help with panic attacks," Farah apologizes, putting down the glass and saying "excuse me," as she walks past the eyesores, then to Teegan's side, "you've to calm down Teegan, don't jump to conclusions and shut down on us like that, I'm sure Elia has an explanation, " she says while rubbing Teegan's back, calming her down, "now, let's go get you freshened up, we've made too much of an audience," Farah says as she helps Teegan stand up and walking her away from our table.

A moment of silence goes by as we and the other diners watch the two ladies walk away.

When they were out of sight I turn to address Rosario and his company, "what the fuck is your problem?!" I ask Rosario as I gesture to the host to bring me the check.

"What? It's the truth," he shrugs.

"Couldn't have kept your mouth shut, could you?" I sighed, "Anyway, what do you want?" I ask knowing that there was no way in hell him showing up here was a coincidence, Potenza's don't dine in the open public like this.

"I'm extending the marriage period," he says with finality, there is no room for discussion.

"Like hell, you're extending it," I said while giving my credit card to the host, "you signed the contract, two more weeks and I'm filing for divorce."

"The contract didn't have a set period of time, you just decided that on your own, and I didn't agree to it," he pointed.

I clench my jaw, "couldn't have told me that over the phone, the day after the wedding?" Seriously, where is his common sense at? why come and drop a bomb like this instead.

"No, that's a trivial matter," he waved off, "I'm actually here because your father wants to see you," He says as we stood outside of the restaurant.

"Don't care, I don't want to see him," I say before I turn around and walk away, only to be stopped by an arm around my waist pulling me back into Rosario's chest, I was about to fight my way out of his hold but the sight of Farah and Teegan coming back from the ladies room makes me freeze.

His cheek was touching my ear, "It's better if you do as I say, Elia," he whispered in my ear, then he takes a deep breath and his hold tightens as he brings me closer, his hold feels like a deep ocean, a little longer in his arms and I'd have probably sunk down, "come with me, or that kid's blood will be all over your hands," he threatens, then places a kiss to my cheek before letting me go.

I see Teegan and Farah halt in their place, a few meters away, Teegan's face goes red and she whispers in Farah's ear, I turn to face Rosario, "not now, I'll come by later," wiping my cheek, I negotiate instead.

"You have until midnight princess." He says before turning around and leaving with his best man.

Cinderella has until midnight to get home, and I have until midnight to get myself to the prison my dad calls home.

I watch him leave, I make sure of it before I turn around to face the girls, "did he leave already?" Teegan asked, "not going to introduce us to your husband?" She frowned.

"You should stop whatever fantasy you're writing in your mind about us, I'm not gonna introduce him to any of you-"

"Excuse me?! You lied to us about him, and now you don't want us to talk to him, do we perhaps embarrass you?" She crossed her arms, taking a step forward and getting in my face trying to intimidate me, a habit she picked up in the system.

Farah puts her hand on Teegan's shoulder, "calm down," she warned.

I glance between Teegan and Farah, sighing, "Like I was saying before you cut me off, I'm not gonna introduce him to any of you because he's a dangerous-"

She cuts me off again, "oh that's bullshit and you know it, you've never dated anyone the past three years we've known you, and now a man shows up and says he's your husband? We're not homophobic FYI." She argues, and I feel a vein in my head pop up.

"..." I don't say anything, and just stare at her.

"HELLO?! We're having a conversation here," she waves her hand in my face.

"You call this a conversation?" I asked, and her eyes blinks a few times as she steps away, "Since you don't seem like you're willing to listen and let me finish what I'm saying, I'm gonna leave and let you cool off, call me when you're ready to have a real civilized conversation" I know I'm being passive-aggressive here, but Teegan can be just like my dad, can't a get a word through when I'm with him.

At the beginning of our guardianship, a few months after the surgery and Tobias' death, when I took Teegan in, she and I had our difficulties with communication, we both had felt unheard in our previous environments, and we both had our way of saying things to get back at the other person, as an offense and defense mechanism.

I thought we had dealt with it and moved on from it, but I guess not telling Teegan about the marriage brought her walls and defenses back up.

I don't want us to go back to point zero, I don't want to say anything hurtful to Teegan just because I felt triggered, giving her the time and space to cool off is the best thing to do here, and it's better this way, I'll just go and deal with my dad sooner than later.