Chapter 12
Twelve
MARISSA
I feel like I’m floating on air. This was the most perfect date of my entire life. I glance over at Luca, as he drives back to Cranberry Creek from the lake. He’s going to drop me back off at the library, so I can pick up my car. Just thinking about that brings me back to reality, and I remember how bad things were at the restaurant earlier.
“So things were pretty bad at the restaurant earlier,” I say, now wanting to talk it out, hoping maybe Luca will have some advice or insight.
“Yeah, you mentioned that earlier. Do you want to…tell me about it?” Luca asks.
He seems vaguely uncomfortable about the subject, and I can’t say that I blame him. It’s no secret that we’re treading on very tumultuous ground by seeing one another, and we both know that we are going to inevitably make things infinitely more complicated, now that we’re truly dating. I still think that it’s important to talk about now, though, regardless.
“There were just a lot of things going wrong all at once,” I say. Then I add, “And my dad really thinks that your family has something to do with it.”
Luca is quiet for a long time, and I start to worry that he’s mad at me. Then he sighs and says, “I get it. My dad is convinced that your family has something to do with the food poisoning at Venetian Dreams . I’ve tried getting him to see how absurd that is. I mean, seriously. Why - and even how - would your family have done that?”
I breathe a sigh of relief. He’s not mad. This opens up a whole lot of conversation for us. “Okay, I’m glad that you’re having a similar experience,” I say. “I was beginning to think that I was going crazy.”
“Oh, no- you’re definitely not crazy; but I think our parents actually might be,” Luca muses.
“I just don’t know what they’re thinking,” I say.
“I don’t know either,” Luca says. “And my father is dead set on getting revenge. Unfortunately, he has passed that desire on to my brother. I’m low key worried about what he might do. My brother, not my dad.”
“I feel like we need to do something to get them to put their differences aside. Is there anything you think we can do? There’s got to be something .” My mind is reeling, trying to brainstorm possibilities.
Luca sighs, as he pulls up near the library. “I just don’t know if there is anything we can do about them. My parents are pretty set in their ways.”
“Ha. At least they have that in common! You think yours are bad? Whoo. Wait ‘til you meet mine! My father’s temper can go from zero to one hundred at the speed of light!” I say, already dreading what’s to come. “But, I don’t know, Luca… I don’t feel like that’s enough reason to not try, you know?”
“What do you think we should do?” Luca asks.
Now that we’re parked, he turns and looks at me. I can see the sincerity and earnestness on his face. It doesn’t help, though. I can’t seem to put into words what I think we should do… because frankly, I don’t have an iota of a plan. I guess I was hoping that Luca would come up with one. But he seems as desperate and disheartened as me. No grand ideas have struck either of us so far.
“What if we just… got them together somehow?” I randomly throw out there as a last attempt at a suggestion.
“I think we’d see fireworks - and not in the best way,” Luca says, defeated.
I know that he’s right, but wouldn’t it just be more effective to get everyone together, face-to-face? There would be less chances for them to make up wild stories if they were looking at the enemy while making them up. At least, that would be my hope.
In my brain, it makes sense and I can imagine it all working out somehow. But in reality, they would probably just end up screaming at each other. Argh! There has to be something we can do. “I just cannot believe that we met like we did, and now we’re just doomed for a forbidden relationship? Luca, I can’t believe that’s God’s plan in all of this. I believe our meeting each other was destiny… and good must come from it, right? I mean… obviously a lot of good can come from it, for you and me. But we’re both so close to our families, and they’re important to both of us. I just cannot resign myself to the fact that we were brought together simply to be ‘star-crossed lovers,’ as Shakespeare put it.”
I must look as forlorn as I feel, because Luca reaches out and cups my cheek. “Hey, Marissa- we’ll get this figured out. I hear you. I believe we’re meant for more than a secret, forbidden relationship, without our families’ blessings,” he says.
“How?” I say. “Is there any future for us if our families can’t get along?”
The question hangs heavy in the air around us. This conversation is the first time either of us has acknowledged to each other that there is something more between us than just casual dating. I know that it hasn’t been that long, and that we’ve only been on two dates, but I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with Luca. I’ve been in love with him since we met at the ball. But I’m not ready to tell him that, just in case he doesn’t feel the same way about me.
“We’ll figure that out, too,” Luca says.
“How?” I ask. “My family is so important to me, and I love them. I know they’re acting pretty petty right now, but that doesn’t change the way I feel. If they don’t approve of our relationship, that’s going to put a huge strain on us.”
“I agree, but I think what we have is going to be strong enough to withstand anything,” Luca says, confirming my heart. He feels the same way I do.
I want to sit and bask in the joy that his words bring to me, but I know I have to focus on the problem at hand. My family is intensely loyal to one another, and normally I think this is one of the biggest strengths that we have. But that’s also why I feel like I am betraying them right now. But am I really? I can’t believe that following my own heart and falling in love is actually betraying my family!
“We are strong, Marissa,” Luca says with unquestionable conviction. “And I really think that our parents will be thrilled when they get used to the idea- eventually. For right now, I agree with you: we need to figure out a way to bring them together and stop this stupid feud.”
He leans across the center console, and kisses me again. It’s like our souls have found the missing piece that neither of us knew wasn't there until we met each other. I had a Luca-shaped hole in my heart, that could only be filled by him. And he is confirming that he feels the same with every word that passes over his lips. And now, this kiss feels like a promise, a commitment, to figure out a way, no matter what- come what may!
When we break apart, I am overwhelmed with a desire to tell him how in love with him I am, but I force myself to keep my mouth shut. I don’t want him to think I’m rushing things. And I would like to hear it from him first, anyway. I still have that old-fashioned, more traditional desire and notion that it’s always good to know you’ve been pursued by a man. Luca has definitely met that desire thus far, proving to be a sincere gentleman, not afraid to treat a woman with respect and chivalry.
“Try not to worry,” Luca says as he shuts off the car and climbs out.
A million worries flit through my head, as I wait for him to open the door for me. He walks me to my car and gives me another lingering kiss. Never wanting this moment to end, I solemnly get into my car. As I pull away from the curb, Luca pulls out behind me. When we get to my turn, I glance at him one last time in the rear view mirror and blow him a kiss. I don’t know if he’s able to see it, but I know in my heart that he can feel my affection.