32. Casey #2
Adriano doesn’t move closer.
“You brought pastries,” I say finally because apparently my survival instinct has abandoned me entirely, and I’m reduced to small talk.
“You’re not eating properly.”
I blink. “How do you know that?”
His expression shifts slightly. “You looked dizzy yesterday when you came out of the coffee shop on Ninth.”
My stomach flips. “You were there?”
“I was across the street.”
“Adriano—”
“I know.” He drags a hand slowly down his face. “I know how that sounds.”
It sounds insane. It also sounds exactly like the man I fell in love with. Which is unfortunately part of the problem.
“I wasn’t following you,” he says quietly. “I just…” He exhales roughly. “I needed to know you were safe.”
Emotion twists painfully through my ribs.
Because I believe him.
And maybe that’s the thing I’m only beginning to understand properly about Adriano: for him, love and fear have always lived side by side.
“You should come in,” I say softly.
Relief flickers briefly across his face before he reins it back immediately.
Like he doesn’t trust hope anymore where I’m concerned.
He steps inside carefully, setting the pastries on the counter before looking at me like he’s trying to memorize something. “You’re wearing my sweater,” he says after a moment.
Heat crawls slowly into my cheeks. “It’s comfortable.”
“It looks better on you.”
God.
I look away first because if I don’t, I’m going to run into his arms and we need to talk first. For a second, neither of us speaks.
Then Adriano reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a thick envelope. “I meant what I said,” he tells me quietly. “Everything is in here.”
I stare at it.
“The investors. The companies. The investigations. What I pushed. What I influenced.” Shame flickers across his expression. “The parts I’m not proud of, too.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes,” he says softly. “I do.”
The simple certainty of it settles heavily between us.
Because this is hard for him.
Trusting me with the uglier parts of himself instead of deciding I can’t handle them.
“I liked hurting him,” Adriano says quietly.
The honesty of it shocks me enough that I look up sharply.
His gaze holds mine steadily.
“Not because of the cheating, although God knows he deserved what he got just for that.” His jaw tightens once. “But because he made you afraid and he made you feel shame for something he did.”
Emotion climbs painfully into my throat. “I don’t know what to do with that,” I whisper.
“You don’t have to do anything.” His voice roughens slightly. “I just needed you to hear the truth from me instead of anyone else.”
Silence settles softly around us.
Then finally I ask the question that’s been sitting in my chest since the warehouse. “Did you ever think about what I wanted?”
Pain flashes visibly across his face. “No,” he says honestly. “Not enough.”
That answer should devastate me. But then I remember what Matteo said to me yesterday.
Jasper went after ISM, too. That alone makes me wish I could punch Jasper in the face.
Adriano and his family have worked so hard to honor their mother and father and Jasper wanted to bring it down for no other reason than spite.
Adriano could have used that to excuse his lies and his behavior, but not once has he done so. He has held his worries close and hasn’t let me carry any of them. That should make me angry.
Instead, weirdly, it makes something loosen slightly in my chest. Because he could’ve defended himself. Could’ve justified it or hidden behind protection and fear and love.
But he doesn’t. He gives me the truth no matter how ugly, no matter what it might cost him, because I asked him to, and yet he still tries to protect me.
“I don’t know how to love halfway,” he says quietly. “I think maybe I convinced myself that it made the damage and the lies acceptable.”
My eyes sting unexpectedly. “Adi—”
“I’d still destroy anyone who hurt you,” he admits softly. “The difference now is I understand it doesn’t give me the right to lie to you while I do it.”
I stare at him standing in Bri’s kitchen, looking exhausted and terrified and completely unlike the untouchable man the rest of Manhattan sees.
Then, before I can overthink it, I cross the room.
Adriano goes completely still.
I stop close enough to feel his warmth. “You really haven’t slept?” I ask quietly.
Something almost helpless flickers through his expression. “You left.”
The raw honesty of it breaks something open inside me.
Because he says it like it’s a fact.
Slowly, carefully, I lift my hand to his face.
The second my fingers touch his jaw, Adriano closes his eyes briefly like the contact physically hurts him and heals him at the same time.
“I’m still angry with you,” I whisper.
“I know.”
“I still don’t fully trust you.”
Another flinch of pain.
Another nod, as his eyes land on my face with so much love. “I know.”
And God help me—
That’s the thing that finally makes me believe we might survive this after all. “I want to come home.”
His entire body vibrates with a shiver at my words and then he crushes me in his arms. “Thank God.”
“But you should have told me about Jasper coming after ISM and the FBI raid.”
His eyes widen in surprise and then he nods. “I didn’t want you to worry or blame yourself.”
“That’s not for you to decide. I love you, Adi, and part of being with someone is carrying each other’s burdens, not one person carrying it all.”
His hands reach for my hips, and he drops his forehead to mine. “I never want you to feel a day’s pain ever again.”
“I know, but life isn’t like that. What I need is to know I have someone by my side who I can lean on when the weight is too heavy. Someone who trusts me enough to carry some of their weight too. Can you do that?”
“Yes. Fuck yes.”
“Good, now let’s go home.”