Chapter 31
Elena
THE FEW MONTHS WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER HAS BEEN WONDERFUL.
Enzo has been making a noticeable effort to be home earlier and spend time with Angel and I.
He also finishes early on a weekend giving us more time to spend shopping, going out on dinner dates, watching a boring movie which turns into a make out session on the couch.
We’ve taken Angel to the zoo; he loved it and my heart swelled with pride when Angel fed the goats and held a snake. He giggled with glee, his obvious love for animals shining through.
We even spent an entire weekend, just the two of us at his family cabin.
It was breathtakingly beautiful. Cece was only too happy to keep Angel with her, insisting that we needed alone time.
She’s still holding on to hope that Tony will eventually settle down.
I hope so too, but it’s been a year now and I know for a fact that Tony does not date.
I always wondered why. Perhaps a great love broke his heart and he is unable to move on or commit to anyone.
It's Angels third birthday today and the birthday boy is sitting in his high chair squashing a cupcake in his chubby hands, when Tony walks in. I look up to greet him and he smiles his Tony smile, only it lacks the brightness he normally has.
“Hey big guy, what do you have there?”
Angel breaks off a piece of the cupcake and shoves it into Tony’s mouth, letting out a giggle as he does so.
“Mmmmm yummy. Did Ellie make these for your birthday?”
“Mmhmm.” Angel replies and then Tony is forgotten as he proceeds to stuff his face with his cupcake.
“These taste amazing Elena. My brother is a lucky man. A woman who bakes, cooks, cleans, adores his son… you could steal my heart.” He says dramatically but there’s a hint of sadness in his tone. He’s not his usual bubbly enigmatic self.
“You okay Tony?”
He smiles and nods his head.
“I’m fine Bella.”
“You know you can talk to me, right? About anything. No judgement. Just a friend being there for another friend.”
He smiles again, but his smile doesn’t reach his eyes so I do the only thing that feels right.
I go to him and wrap my arms around him in a hug.
He stiffens for a moment, but then he relaxes and his arms circle around me.
He rests his chin on my head, my ear to his chest and I can hear the rapid beating of his heart.
“You’re a special woman Elena. My brother is indeed blessed to have you in his life.” He kisses the top of my head and then we pull away. I look up at him again and smile.
“I’m here for you Tony, anytime you need to talk. Just let me know. Anything you say will be kept between us. I won’t say anything, not even to Enzo or Evie.”
“Not even to Evie?”
“Not even Evie.” I repeat.
“I might take you up on that offer then.”
“Okay.” That’s all I say. Then Tony breaks the moment with a pasted-on smile.
“Right! What can I do to help?”
“Can you take the cake out of the fridge and set it on the table for me?”
“Yes, mam!”
I laugh at him as he gestures a salute, then I turn to Angel.
“Alright little one, let’s get you cleaned up for your birthday. Your papa will be here soon.”
It was a pleasant party. Enzo and Tony showered Angel with toys and candy.
Even Evie showed up. I was surprised to see her, given the fact that she had called to say she won’t make it due to some unexpected work that came up.
She’s here now and that’s all that matters.
Cece made a beautiful quilt for Angels room and he absolutely loves the dinosaur prints on it.
I smile watching him prancing through the house dragging his dinosaur quilt behind him.
“He’s adorable, isn’t he?”
“He is. I love that little boy so much.”
“As much as you love his daddy?” Evie raises a brow at me.
“I am not sure if we’ve reached that stage in our relationship yet.”
“Aren’t you? I mean do I need to show you the photos we took? It’s so obvious Ellie.”
“Enough about me, I thought you weren’t going to make it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to have you here.”
“Nothing major, just a new project but I managed to shuffle some work around and now I’m here. Unfortunately, I must leave early in the morning.”
“That’s okay. I appreciate you coming at all.”
“Seriously though, how are things with you and daddy Marino?”
“They’re good; really, good. Is it always like this in relationships? He’s so attentive, so considerate, loving.
“Damned if I know. All the men I’ve ever known are complete assholes. Charming, gorgeous assholes.”
“Excuse me ladies.” My head turns towards Tony’s’ voice and I smile at him.
“Case in point.”
I turn away from Tony towards Evie, only to see her back retreating. My brows knit together in confusion. What was that about? I look back at Tony and he’s staring in the direction Evie just stormed off to.
“You wanted something Tony?”
He clears his throat.
“Uhm, yes Enzo wants to see you in his office. I just left there and he asked me to inform you. This is me informing you.” He gives me his charming Marino smile.
Knock!
Knock!
I knock twice waiting for a response. He doesn’t call out for me to enter but I can hear the shuffling of feet and then footsteps approaching.
I raise my hand to knock again just as the door is swung open and I’m pulled inside.
It happens so fast, it takes me a minute to realize that I am backed up against the now closed office door and Enzo is looming over me, staring down at me with an unknowing look in his eyes.
My stomach is in knots. The heat of his green eyes boring into me. But it’s not lust I see in them… it’s something else. Something warm, a look of… longing.
He dips his head, and the moment his lips brush mine, I’m lost in him. We kiss slow and deep for a while before he breaks away and rests his forehead against mine.
“Thank you.” His voice is raspy, merely a whisper.
“For what?”
“Everything. For being with me, for Angelo, for living here… with us. Thank you for the amazing day you planned, the cake you made, for making us feel special. For making my boy feel special.”
“Enzo I-”
He cuts me off with a kiss and I can feel him digging in his pockets for something.
“This is for you.” He pulls away from me, just merely inches of space between us. He has a small blue velvet box in his hand, it’s not small enough to be a ring. Looking down I accept the gift before returning my gaze to him.
“Open it.”
I open the box and smile. Inside lies the most beautiful bracelet I’ve ever seen. It’s white gold with a sun charm between every few links, the main pendant is a beautifully designed sun, it’s rays wavy, reaching out in all directions and in the middle sits a beautiful amethyst crystal.
“Enzo, It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“Let me put it on you.”
He removes the bracelet from the box and lifts my right hand.
With expert efficiency he secures the clasp around my wrist. His fingers linger, trailing the silvery scar on my wrist before bringing my hands to his lips and kissing the inside of each wrist. The gesture is so warm and loving, I melt into him.
Standing on my toes, I reach up to kiss him.
“Thank you.”
“I had it made for you. Each of the smaller suns has a single diamond in the middle and I’m sure you know the bigger one houses an amethyst.” The clasp has a small extension of chain that drops a few links to a tiny black stone hanging from it.
“This is tourmaline.”
“Why those specific things?” My curiosity gets the better of me.
“Amethyst for healing, to heal whatever you’ve been through, the tourmaline for protection.
I always want you safe. The sun… because you are our sunshine in the dark Elena.
A ray of light in our lives and I am so fucking grateful to have you here with me.
You have no idea how much you’ve come to mean to me. ”
“Thank you, I’ll never take it off.”