Married to the Rebellious Mr. Salvatore

Chapter 22: Waking up by each other's side

Madison turned to adjust properly in bed, the warmness of sleep kept pulling her in and she didn't want to wake up. How could she wake up when she was having the best dream ever. She saw herself in Robert's embrace as they both laid on the bed, he was shirtless so she could feel his skin on hers, enclosing her. She was awake but she didn't pull away, instead she watched his peaceful face while he slept. She was right where she wanted, by his side.

A sudden jerk pulled her from her beautiful sleep, her eyes fluttering open to see Robert's shocked ones. And then her brain jumped up in alarm. This was real, not a dream.

She had truly woken up by Robert's side.

Memories of last night came rushing in almost immediately and she remembered how she ended up here in a second. Robert who jumped up from the bed in shock when he saw Madison lying beside him, regretted instantly as a bout of dizziness attacked him. He was having the worst hangover from overdrinking the night before, he quickly sat back down but not on the bed, on the small couch by the side.

He held his pounding head with his hands and eyed Madison, “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked in laboured breath.

“I… ” Madison stood upright and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. From his question, she could tell he didn't remember what happened last night but she didn't know how to explain to him. How could she tell him that he was the one that told her to stay with him? Or that he kept looking for his mother so she lied to him so he could go to his room?

“You can't talk?” Robert questioned begrudgingly.

“Uhm, you came home drunk and I brought you to your room to lie down, I was too tired from work that I slept off. Sorry” she apologized like a kid caught stealing.

Robert grunted in reply, his deadbeat body and pounding head didn't let him remember what had happened but he was sure nothing intimate happened between them. He waved for her leave while he proceeded to return to his bed.

“You must be having a terrible hangover, there's this hangover soup I learnt from my mum, I'll be right back with some aspirin” Madison said, her voice filled with concern.

“No, no, don't worry , I'll be fine. Don't you have to go to work today?”

“Today is my off day so it's not a bother at all, I'll be right back” Madison said hurriedly, rushing off before Robert could refuse.

She instructed Gabriella to get the aspirin while she got busy preparing her mother's hangover soup. She used chicken, cutting it into small chunks and seasoning it with with salt, pepper, soy sauce and onions. She boiled it with water and chopped some curry leaf in it, she made sure to add in extra chopped peppers to make it spicy before letting it boil for a few minutes. Once the chicken was done, she served it with the broth in a deep plate.

She brought it to Robert's room along with the aspirin that Gabriella bought. Entering his room, she saw him still in the same position on the bed, whining and groaning.
The steam from the food teased Robert's nose and brought him out from his half slumber, he turned to see Madison place a tray beside him.

“I told you not to worry” he protested even though he was already salivating from the mere sight of the soup.

“Well, I already did. Sit up and try it, you will feel much better afterwards” She encouraged.

Robert grunted and pulled himself to sit, he was not his usual self at the moment and was not in the mood to refuse. He carried the plate of soup and brought it closer to himself, he knew it smelled good but he was still skeptical about the taste so he took the spoon and brought the broth to his lips for a little tasting.

He almost moaned as the hot liquid slid down his throat, he felt his sinuses clear up a little from that small sip. The spiciness helped the food go down his throat without threatening to come back up. Everything tasted so good that he couldn't stop himself from asking, “what type of soup is this?”

Madison broke out in smiles because she saw his reaction and knew he liked it. “It's called chicken pepper soup, my mum said she learnt it from a Nigerian friend. It's good, isn't it?” she inquired.

He nodded admittedly and kept eating unashamedly. He expected Madison to leave but she didn't and for some reason he didn't want her to. She watched him finish the meal and asked for more to which she was very delighted to hear. She told him to take the aspirin while she went down to bring another.

She had dished the soup for the second time and was about to head up when a knock came at the door, Gabriella went to answer it while Madison paused to see who it was.

“Why do I smell the delicious chicken pepper soup in this house?” The door opened to reveal Madison's mother and sister.

Madison's eyes widened in pleasant surprise, “Mum, Mandy, how come you are here?”

“I came to see where my sister has been living with her husband and oh my god, Maddie, this place is freaking huge” Mandy exclaimed in shock.

“Language, Mandy” Joyce scolded her to she stuck her tongue out playfully.

“Also, guess who we met on the way here?” Joyce asked with a smile before moving to the side to reveal George and Helen, Robert's parents.

“Hey, daughter in law, it smells amazing in here” Helen said as she walked in. George followed after her with a welcoming smile. Oh wow, what are the odds?

Oh my! It was going to be a full house …