Chapter Twenty-Three
Twenty-Three
The night before I left, Quint and I had dinner together. After the conversation with my grandfather, I realized that we’d been given a gift. To leave each other with everything said and no regrets. But with Quint? I’d run out of time. And as the hours ticked down to my departure, I began to get angry.
Quint treated our last day like every other. Instead of asking many questions about my intentions or our relationship, he remained quiet. I got up early to pack, then joined him at the beach. We ate lemon ices and swam. We kissed on the blanket and walked the shore hand in hand. We grabbed lunch at a café. Later, we cleaned up and changed, then headed for dinner.
And not once did he say anything about his feelings.
Not once did he seem worried about my departure or figuring out what the hell we were doing together.
By the time the food was served, I’d grown quiet and very pissed off.
Maybe I’d been completely wrong about us. The man didn’t seem the least bit concerned about me taking off across the planet and not seeing him for weeks or months. We’d made no promises; we hadn’t declared our feelings. And right now, I was afraid to admit maybe I was getting played.
Maybe I had fallen in love with someone who didn’t love me back. Or want any type of future together.
Maybe I had assumed my emotions matched his.
The panic and unease built. The silence that fell between us during dinner wasn’t comfortable. He asked me several times what was wrong, and I said I was distracted by having to leave. Then he’d just nod, saying he understood and that things would work out.
But how? How would things work out exactly?
Even worse? This was all my fault. I’d fallen in love with him, and there had been no clear rules.
I hated it.
Finally, we paid the bill and walked out. When he tried to take my hand, I shook it off. “Aurora? Talk to me, bella . What is wrong?”
I spun around to face him. “I don’t understand what we’re doing,” I said. Frustration bubbled up and leaked into my voice. “Are you my flirty friend? A supportive honorary kissing cousin? Or something else that I can’t seem to define?”
A glimmer of amusement sparked in his eyes. “I don’t think we have kissing cousins in Sicily.”
I glared at him, not in the mood for humor. The lightheartedness was slowly extinguished, replaced by a tiny frown. “Is this important to you? To define us?”
“Of course! We’ve been circling around each other for weeks and I’m confused. I don’t know what you want, so just tell me. What are we to each other, Quint? An affair? A really good friendship? Nothing?”
Quint reached out, burying his hands in my hair and tilting my head up to face him. “You can never be nothing, mia bella . Not to me.”
My heart beat so hard against my chest I figured he heard it. The spicy scent of his cologne drifted to my nostrils, and the sound of music from the streets weaved a spell in the air. I swayed toward him, caught between yearning and fear, wanting to lean into his hard, muscled body but afraid it would be another mirage. I’d begun to think of myself as a gaping hole that needed desperately to be filled, which made me feel weak. I’d looked to satisfy the yearning with work, and success, and then Jason, but I always came up short.
“I can’t do this.” My voice broke and I turned, desperate to flee from this horrible vulnerability and need for another person. It couldn’t be healthy, this type of hunger. It would be best if I walked away with my independence and strength and returned home alone. I was enough by myself. Wasn’t that what I consistently lectured on and tried to convince my clients? I choked out a half laugh. “I’m going home tomorrow and you don’t seem to care. Maybe we can be pen pals.”
“I’m so sorry, Aurora. I thought you knew how I felt—it was so clear to me I thought we needed no rules.”
Oh God, he was gently trying to let me down easy like Jason. I needed to get out of here with my pride intact. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine. We’re good, let’s just leave things the way they are. I had a wonderful time with you. I won’t ruin it.” I tried to break out of the embrace, but he muttered something under his breath and held me closer, wrapping his arms tight around me in a full-body hug. His husky voice rumbled against my ear.
“I am very bad at this. I scramble my English words sometimes. What I am trying to say is you are everything to me. From the moment you walked into the bar, I knew you would be part of my life; I just did not know how. I did not want to move too fast because of your boyfriend. I wanted to respect your space.”
“Ex-boyfriend,” I automatically corrected. “And I understand, Quint, we can just be…” I trailed off as his words registered in my brain. “Wait, what did you say?”
“I said you are my everything.”
Shocked, I tilted my head up to meet his gaze. Heat and gentleness poured from him, filling me up. He shook his head slowly, his palm caressing my cheek.
“Aurora, I prayed for you every night. I knew you were out there, but I had no idea when we’d meet. I have been lonely without you, but I kept my faith, and you are finally here, amore . And now you have my heart for whatever you want to do with it.”
The cold lump that had been stuck in my chest since my mom died suddenly crumbled and broke apart, releasing my breath and all the emotion built up. It came in a messy rush, filling my eyes with tears and my throat with a sob, but it was too much to tame. As if Quint knew, he murmured my name and kissed me tenderly, over and over, brushing his thumbs over my wet cheeks, patiently waiting until I realized he wasn’t going anywhere. That he was mine.
“I love you, too,” I whispered against his lips, burrowing myself against him and allowing pleasure to overtake my body in waves, making me feel alive again. “I was so afraid I’d mess up. That you didn’t care I was leaving.”
“Never. I did not want to pressure you, bella . You have many decisions to make, and I did not want to make you confused. Mi dispiace. I have always been yours, since the moment you smiled at me.” He gave me a crooked smile. “I was waiting to give you this, but I think now is the perfect time.”
He took out a small wrapped box from his pocket. “You got me a gift?”
“Yes. Something I know you will like. Open it.”
I got all melty inside as I unwrapped the box and opened the lid. My breath caught as I gazed at the coral ring I’d loved from the shop. The dark orange-red stones gleamed with high polish and the diamonds sparkled. “Oh my God. It’s gorgeous, Quint.”
“Try it on.”
He pushed it onto my index finger, nodding with satisfaction at the fit. It was a ring for royalty. Bold and sophisticated and unique. “I can’t believe it. I love it. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted you to have something to look at and remember when you got home. To know how many people love you.” His voice caught. “To know how much I love you.”
I shook my head, a bit shaky at the rush of emotion from such a heartfelt gift. “What are we going to do? How will we make this work?”
“We will do what is necessary to be together. It may take some time. You have things to do.”
I nibbled my lower lip. “But you want to open up a restaurant here and Carmella still needs you. And I’m not sure how I’m going to rebuild my job.”
He smiled with a patience and knowing that immediately calmed me. “I will visit New York. You will come back here. We will write and talk every day.”
“ Sì. ” I looked into his eyes and realized that there was one last thing I needed. One last lesson to learn.
Faith. Right now, we both needed faith to take the leap.
“I am yours, Quint,” I whispered.
And then I kissed him.
The next day, I got on the plane and returned home.