Chapter 14
Current Tides and Italian Vibes
MILLIE
This whole day has been bananas. I mean, who wakes up for a routine grocery run only to get invited to the water park by their hot, emotionally unavailable boss? And not just any boss—Gabriel freaking Sirolli. The brooding, gruff, hot-as-hell single dad who’s always had this unreadable vibe.
It’s like the universe threw this at me all at once to make sure I would not be escaping this crazy connection I’ve been feeling with him.
And let’s be honest. I stopped trying weeks ago.
So, after the awkward encounter at the store, things take an even wilder turn.
Gabriel accidentally bumps into me in the pool.
I’m not sure which was more startling, the accidental poke from his very noticeable length or the fact that my heart raced at the sight of him, looking flushed and almost…
vulnerable, even though he was mostly as broody as ever.
What the heck is happening today?
Did someone flip the switch on the Gabriel Sirolli emotional availability dial? If so, I’d like to speak to the manager.
There was something in the air today, something that made even the chlorinated water feel electric.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was seeing a new side of him—a side he rarely let anyone close enough to witness.
It wasn’t just about his chiseled jawline or the way his eyes crinkled when Aura splashed water at him.
It was about the way he looked at me. Like I mattered. Like I wasn’t just the nanny.
After his mom calls and Gab gets his confession out in the open, the rest of the drive is quiet. Gabriel doesn’t do feelings. He doesn’t do vulnerability. And yet, he is asking me to go on a family vacation to Italy.
I keep peeking back to look at Aura, but to no avail. She will not be saving me today. She is conked out.
Gabriel pulls up to my house, and there is a moment of silence before he says, “I really had fun today with you,” he mumbles, his voice betraying a hint of something deeper, something…
softer. “And I think Aura did, too. Take all the time you need to decide if you want to come to Italy. I won’t book anything until you tell me otherwise. ”
He says it like it’s nothing—like flying across the world with your nanny is just something normal dads do. Meanwhile, I’m over here rethinking every life choice I’ve ever made.
Like my heart isn’t lodged in my throat. This is the kind of ask that changes everything. It’s not just a vacation—it feels like a fork in the road. Stay where it’s safe, or take a leap into the unknown with someone who terrifies me in the most breathtaking way.
And of course, my phone rings.
Of course it does.
And it has to be Connor. The one person who never seems to get the hint. The same one who made me question my worth and left pieces of me shattered all over town like confetti no one bothered to clean up.
I stare at the screen, his name flashing like an unwelcome ghost from the past. Without hesitation, I decline the call. I don’t need to hear the voicemail—I already know what it’ll say. Some half-hearted excuse for the sudden texts, some weak attempt to claw his way back into my life.
I’m done with it. I’m done with him. And yet, the guilt gnaws at me. It always does.
Why doesn’t he leave me alone?
“You can answer that if you need to,” Gabriel says gruffly, his hands on the wheel, the car idling in my driveway. “Don’t let me hold you back. We’re sitting in your driveway. You’ve got every right to get out and leave this car whenever you want.”
There it is again. The cold, distant Gabriel I first met. The one who hides behind the walls he builds. It makes me want to cry out and ask him what happened to the guy who had been laughing and joking with me at the water park—the one who smiles at Aura in a way that makes my heart ache.
Why does he keep retreating like this? Every time we get close, he pulls back, like he’s afraid to let himself be happy. Like I’m dangerous. Or maybe… like he is.
And maybe I should walk away. But I’ve done that before—with Connor, with other guys, even my own damn dreams. Maybe it’s time I stopped running.
I hesitate before answering, my voice quiet but steady.
“Gab, trust me. I am not answering for a reason. It’s my annoying ex who will not leave me alone no matter how much I tell him I’ve moved on.
I haven’t gotten out of the car because I don’t want this day to end.
I have had the most amazing day with you and Aura. ”
His expression shifts. The wall doesn’t completely crumble, but it cracks. His shoulders ease. His jaw unclenches. For a second, I think he’s going to reach for my hand, but he doesn’t. He just looks at me with a quiet intensity that says more than words ever could.
“How long has this ass been bothering you?” Gabriel asks, his jaw hardening. “Have you told your brothers? Josh?”
“I haven’t told anyone,” I reply, my voice small. “Not even Harlow or Melanie. Please don’t say anything to Josh. I know he means well, and he’s like another brother to me, but I don’t want my brothers involved. It’s...complicated.”
He nods softly, but the worry doesn’t entirely leave his eyes. “Okay, but please, for the love of all that is holy, tell me if he keeps bothering you. If it gets any worse, I will file the restraining order for you. Don’t let this shit slide.”
I swallow, nodding silently, feeling a knot form in my throat.
I can’t explain how much I appreciate Gabriel going to such lengths for me.
No one has cared for me like this besides my family.
But I know he’s serious, and that scares me a little.
I don’t want to burden him with my problems, even if he is offering to help.
“Thank you,” I murmur softly, finally opening the car door. “I’ll keep you updated, I promise."
When I step out of the car, I feel oddly calm. It’s a weird contrast to the chaos of my thoughts, especially with Connor’s texts relentlessly pinging my phone.
If I had been alone or hadn’t spent the entire day with Gabriel, I would’ve been spiraling by now, my anxiety through the roof. But something about being with Gabriel—his presence, his easy care for me and Aura—has me feeling…safe. More confident, even.
And isn’t that the wildest part? Not the Italy invite, not the hard length pressing into me in the pool—though, yeah, that was a moment—but the fact that for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m not holding my breath.
I watch the car pull away, Gabriel waving from the driver’s seat. I walk into my house, still processing everything that just happened. It feels like the weight of the day has been lifted off my shoulders—though I know it’s still lingering, just out of reach.
I can’t believe the day I’ve had. I spent hours with Gabriel—at the water park, holding Aura, laughing, and talking.
And then, he asked me to come to Italy. Italy!
That question has been swirling in my mind, even as I sip my hot chocolate and try to ground myself in reality.
Is this happening? Am I really considering this?
I glance at my phone and see a stream of texts from Melanie and Harlow. They’ve been trying to get the details out of me all day. I pick it up and scroll through their messages.
Melanie
Hey Mills!!!! What are you up to today?
Harlow
Yes, what are you up to? Or should I say who? I heard from a little birdie that you were cozy with Officer Hottie in the convenience store today.
I can’t help but laugh out loud, shaking my head.
Me
First, I was NOT cozy with Gabriel. Second, I may or may not have spent the entire day at the water park with Gabriel and Aura.
Harlow
YOU WHAT!
I can see it now—her wide eyes, wine glass mid-air, probably pacing her kitchen in fuzzy socks while Melanie screams in the background.
I take a deep breath and keep typing.
Me
I was in the convenience store picking up some things, and he was there. As I was leaving, he asked me to come with him to the water park, only to clarify.
Melanie
Annnndddd did anything happen?
I pause for a moment before replying. How much should I tell them? Should I tell them how Gabriel reacted to being near me in the pool, how he was hard the entire time, or how my heart almost stopped when he invited me to Italy? Probably not. I’m not ready for that…oh, screw it.
Me
Well, he was hard the entire time we were in the water. And on the way home, he asked me to go on their family trip to Italy.
Harlow
Wait–he asked you to go to ITALY with him?!!! What did you say?
I take a moment to think. The words I’ll think about it feel right, but they don’t fully convey everything I’m feeling. I’m dying inside to say yes, but there’s so much I haven’t processed yet.
Me
Well, I said I’d think about it. I don’t want to get into anything more tonight, girls. I’m going to head to bed.
I’m not really going to bed yet—it’s only nine—but I don’t feel like dealing with their interrogations right now.
It’s overwhelming enough as it is. I need a moment to breathe, to think, and to let my heart catch up with my brain.
How do you even process something like this?
How do you even prepare for something like this?
I’m not just deciding whether to go on a trip. I’m standing on the edge of something that feels huge. Something terrifying. Something… real.
I close my phone and take a deep breath, my mind racing. Gabriel asked me to go to Italy. It feels like a dream, but is it? Do I really want to leave everything behind just for a chance at something…more?
I know one thing for sure. I am going to Italy.
There’s no other option. How could I turn down an opportunity like that?
It’s not really about the trip. Or even Italy. It’s about him. About Aura. About this life I’m slowly falling into—the one that feels more real than anything I’ve ever known.
And maybe—just maybe—it’s about me, too. Choosing something for myself for once. Letting go of the past. Saying yes, not out of fear, but out of hope.
My phone dings again, and I glance down. It’s another text from Connor. I ignore it, letting it sit there unanswered.
For the first time today, I don’t feel the pressure of his existence in my life. For the first time, I can only think about what comes next.
And what comes next? Italy. Gabriel. Aura. And the chance to be a part of something bigger than myself. A new chapter. A new life.
Maybe I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I’ll get there. And somehow, I know that this—whatever this is—is only the beginning.