27. LAYLA
27
LAYLA
Mattia is a match.
My prayers have finally been answered, and Vincent is on the road to recovery.
The past two weeks have been a blur. The fear that had gripped me so tightly for so long is finally starting to ease, but I’m still afraid to hope too much, to believe that we are truly out of the woods.
With my luck, you never know when something might go wrong again.
Mattia has been visiting every day since the transplant. He has been a constant source of support, something I never expected but am deeply grateful for. Today, as he steps into Vincent’s room, I find myself pulling him aside.
I need to thank him.
“He’s recovering well,” Mattia says, a small smile on his face.
“All thanks to you. You have no idea how much we were holding our breath, how terrified we were before. You saved him, Mattia.”
He shakes his head, brushing it off. “You don’t have to thank me. He’s my nephew. It was my responsibility.”
The word, nephew, feels strange, but in the best way. Like a missing piece of my world has suddenly fallen into place.
“No, really. Thank you. For everything. For being here when…” I hesitate, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “When Silvano wasn’t.”
Mattia’s jaw tightens slightly, his expression darkening at the mention of our father. “Silvano made his choices a long time ago. But I want you to know, you’ll always have a place in this family. You are family.”
His words shift something inside me.
Family.
The word has always been complicated, filled with so much pain and rejection. But now, with Mattia’s acceptance, it feels different. Like maybe, just maybe, I’m finally finding my place.
“Thank you,” I whisper, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Mattia smiles again, more warmly this time. “When all of this is over, we’re throwing you a proper party. You deserve it.”
For the first time in what feels like forever, I allow myself to laugh. “I’d like that.”
Later that day, as Vincent is taken in for routine tests, my mother gently pulls me aside.
“You’ve been here almost a month, Layla. You need to step away for a little while. I’ll stay with Vincent. You need to take care of yourself too.”
I shake my head. “Mom, I can’t just leave him—”
She gives me a knowing look. “You need to rest, child. You owe that to your son.”
I hesitate, torn between my exhaustion and my instinct to stay by Vincent’s side. But my mother is right, I’m running on fumes, and I need to breathe.
“Okay. Thank you, Mom. For everything.”
We haven’t spoken much about what happened with Silvano, but the anger I once held toward my mother has faded. A quiet understanding has settled in its place.
I realize now that, in many ways, I’m no better. I kept Valentino away from his son, believing I was sparing him from the hurt and chaos I feared would follow. Maybe that’s all my mother was trying to do, protect me from a pain I wasn’t ready to face.
I decide to visit my shop. The renovations were completed two weeks ago, but I haven’t made time to see them. Before heading out, I stop by home to shower and change.
The simple act of washing away the stress of the past few days feels almost cathartic. By the time I’m dressed, I feel lighter.
When I arrive at my shop, I’m surprised to see Valentino waiting by the door. He smiles when he sees me, and my heart flutters, just a little.
He looks different today. Lighter. As if a burden has finally been lifted.
Maybe it’s because Vincent is doing better, or maybe he’s finally allowing himself to breathe.
Either way, he looks… good.
He’s dressed in a dark charcoal suit, the tailored fabric hugging his broad shoulders and tapering down to his lean waist in a way that’s downright sinful. But it’s not just his clothes that steal my breath away. It’s him.
The way his dark hair, just a touch tousled, falls across his forehead. The sharp cut of his jawline, the way his five o’clock shadow only adds to his rugged appeal. And then there are his eyes, intense, deep, a storm of emotion swirling in their depths as he watches me with an unreadable expression.
A slow smile tugs at his lips as he lifts one of the glasses in my direction, his gaze never leaving mine.
I feel it then, the familiar pull, the magnetic force that has always existed between us. It’s in the way my pulse speeds up, the way warmth spreads through me just from the way he looks at me.
God, how does he always manage to do this to me?
Even after everything, even with all the heartbreak, Valentino Marchetti still has the power to make my knees weak with just a look.
I swallow hard, suddenly feeling too warm despite the evening breeze.
“How did you know I was coming?”
“Your mom told me you were finally taking a break.”
“But I didn’t tell my mom I was coming here.”
He shrugs. “I just know you.”
His lips curve into a knowing smirk, as if he can read every thought racing through my head.
“I thought we should celebrate.” He holds out a glass. “Your shop is finally ready. And we finally have something to look forward to.”
The deep timbre of his voice slides over my skin like silk, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.
I take a slow, steadying breath, forcing myself to keep my composure as I step closer.
“You know,” I murmur, reaching for the glass. “You’re awfully overdressed for this.”
He chuckles, low and rich. “Would you rather I take it off?”
The teasing glint in his eyes makes my stomach flip, and I hate how easy it is for him to unravel me.
I shake my head, feigning exasperation, but my eyes betray me as they trail down the length of him once more. Damn him for looking this good.
Valentino Marchetti was always trouble. And tonight, dressed in this suit, holding a glass of wine with that devastating smirk?
He’s absolutely lethal.
I look past him at the shop, noticing for the first time how perfect it looks. The windows sparkle, the sign above the door is freshly painted, and inside, everything is exactly as I’d envisioned.
“Valentino, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to make sure everything was ready for you when this was all over. I settled the bill, paid for the furnishings. It’s all taken care of.”
I blink back sudden tears. His gesture is so thoughtful, so kind.
“Valentino…” I whisper, my voice trembling. “You didn’t have to do all this.”
“Yes, I did. Because I love you.”
My breath catches.
He takes a step closer, his fingers brushing over mine before he fully laces them together.
“I love you, Layla Gallo. I’ve loved you since the day I met you, and I never stopped. Not once.”
Emotion swells in my chest, too big, too overwhelming. “Valentino, I—”
“I don’t care about the past anymore. I don’t care about the mistakes. I just want this. Us. You. Vincent. I want our family. If you’ll have me.”
Tears spill down my cheeks, and this time, I don’t fight them. I don’t fight any of it.
“I love you too,” I finally whisper. “I’ve loved you all along.”
His eyes darken with something intense, something raw, and before I can say another word, his lips are on mine.
He guides me into the shop, closing the door and drawing the curtains back.
Our kiss is filled with every emotion we’ve been holding back, longing, relief, love. His hands cup my face, his thumbs sweeping gently over my cheeks as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear.
I melt into him, my arms winding around his neck, pulling him closer. He kisses me like a man starved, like he’s been waiting for this moment forever. And maybe he has. Maybe we both have.
I sigh into his mouth, parting my lips for him, letting him deepen the kiss. A shiver runs down my spine as his hands slide down to my waist, holding me firmly against him.
We break apart only when the need for air becomes too much, our foreheads resting against each other as we catch our breath.
“I don’t want there to be any more distance between us,” I murmur.
“There won’t be. Not anymore.”
Without warning, he lifts me effortlessly, his strong hands gripping my ass tightly as he carries me to the counter near the back.
As I wrap my legs around his waist, his heart pounds against my ribs.
He sets me down on the cool surface, my back pressing against it, the wood hard beneath me.
His gaze is intense, he brushes his lips against mine, softer this time, but no less hungry.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” His breath burns hot against my skin.
His hands slide up my thighs, spreading me wide, his fingers brushing against my core.
He groans softly when he finds me already wet, my body betraying my eagerness for him.
A smirk plays on his lips as he hikes up my dress, his fingers hooking into the waistband of my panties. With deliberate slowness, he slides them off, his eyes never leaving mine.
Before he can take me, I reach down, my fingers tracing his thick cock through his pants.
“You’re so hard for me,” I whisper, my voice thick with need.
My hand traces him through the fabric, feeling his thickness, his heat, my thumb brushing against the damp spot that has formed.
Valentino groans, his control slipping. “Fuck, Layla.”
He shoves his pants down his thighs, freeing himself, his length throbbing in my hand.
I squeeze him gently.
“Fuck.” His voice a low growl.
But I don’t stop. I stroke him slower, my hand gripping the length of him, and my thumb swirling around the sensitive head. “I like seeing you like this.”
Precum leaks from his tip.
“So hard, so needy for me.”
His breath hitches, his hands gripping the edge of the counter as he fights for control.
“Tease,” he mutters, but not stopping me.
Instead, he positions himself between my legs, his cock pressing against my entrance.
And with a single, powerful thrust, he buries himself deep inside me, the sensation overwhelming.
I gasp, my head falling back against the counter as he fills me completely.
“Valentino,” I breathe, my nails digging into his shoulders.
He begins to move, his hips snapping with raw, unbridled passion.
The counter creaks beneath us as he drills into me, the rhythm relentless, primal.
My moans fill the shop, echoing off the walls, mingling with his ragged breaths.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” he whispers, his voice hoarse.
His hands grip my hips, holding me steady as he thrusts deeper, harder. The walls of my pussy clench around him, as my orgasm builds, a coil tightening in my core.
“Valentino, I’m—”
“Cum for me,” he demands, his voice a command. “Cum on my cock.”
And just like that, his words push me over the edge.
My body shakes as my orgasm crashes over me, waves of pleasure rippling through me.
I cry out, my inner walls tightening around him, milking him, drawing his own release.
Valentino growls, his pace quickening as he chases his own climax, his breath ragged against my neck.
“Layla,” he groans, his voice breaking.
With one final, deep thrust, he spills into me.
His forehead rests against mine, both of us breathless, our hearts pounding in unison. For a moment, the world outside the shop ceases to exist, leaving only the raw, intense connection between us.
Valentino pulls back slightly, his eyes searching mine, his expression a mix of satisfaction and longing.
A small, almost lazy smile tugs at his lips. “I guess we christened the place..”
I laugh softly, the sound surprising even me as it fills the quiet space. “I guess we did.”
My hands slide down to grip his ass, pulling him closer.
His cock still throbs inside me, still hard.
“Think we can christen the place a bit more?”
“You’re insatiable.” But there was no denying the hunger in his eyes.
“And you’re not complaining,” I shoot back, my voice laced with challenge.
Valentino’s smirk widens as he leans in, his lips ghosting over mine.
“Not at all. But next time, I’m taking you against that wall.”
I nod. “Next time.”
We stay like that for a long moment, wrapped in each other. But even as peace settles around us, there’s still one last thing we need to do.
I shift slightly in his arms, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes.
There’s a softness there, a tenderness that reflects the unspoken bond between us. And in that moment, I know we’re ready. Ready to face what we’ve been running from.
“We’ll tell Vincent the truth. When he’s fully recovered, we’ll take him to meet his new family. We’ll do this together.”
Valentino nods, his eyes filled with a quiet determination. “Together.”
And just like that, the painful distance between us is gone. Now, all that matters is ensuring our son is happy, safe, and loved.
Together.