Chapter Eight
836 Words
Stefano
“I love you Lily.” I whispered the words to my reflection in the mirror. Trying them out. Had I ever told anyone I loved them? My family,sure. Maybe even a Luca at one point or another but a woman? I wracked my brain.
No I didn’t think so.
Not even in high school.
But there could be no denying it. I was in love with the girl. When I shouldn’t be. When I had no right to be.
She deserved so much better.
The last three weeks here had gone in a flash, each day waking up to her next to me made me smile. We might not have gone past the kissing and light fondling. I might even feel like I was going to combust at any second from my need for her. But it was enough.
Being here was enough.
The phone in my pocket rang and I watched as the tan I had been working on for weeks drained from my face.
Only one person had that number.
Luca.
“Stefano?”
“Luca.” I answered but I couldn’t help the wobble in my voice. I could tell nothing by his tone as usual. What the hell had been happening in New York and Vegas since Alice had made me take Lily and run?
Luca was obviously alive , which was great but what about Alice?
“What’s happened?” If Alice was dead, I would have to tell Lily. And not just tell her of her friends death but also tell her she could never go home.
If Alice was gone, her father would go after everyone she cared about and that included Lily. My Lily.
“It’s over.”
“Alice?”
“Alice is fine.” He sighed and there was so much feeling in it. “It’s over Stefano, you can come home.”
Home?
Frowning I leant my head against the cool glass. Home?
It would mean my time with her would be over. She would leave , and continue her life back in England. I would be limited to seeing her only when she came to visit.
I would be forced to watch her move on.
It’s what she deserved but no.
I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t had enough time.
“No.” I was mumbling into the phone, not even talking to him anymore. “No f*****g way not ready to say good bye. I love her man…I can’t.”
It was Luca’s sharp inhale that brought me back to myself.
“Shit.”
“So you guys are finally admitting it then? About bloody time. Congratulations buddy.” Luca’s voice was excited. “Alice will be so happy, she can’t wait to see you both… by the way I owe you for punching my wife.”
I grinned. I knew that would come up sooner or later. Yes I had punched his wife, but oh because she had ordered me too. We needed to make her psycho father believe our story. She needed that mark for our plan to work.
A plan Luca never would have agreed to but had no choice because he was fighting for his life in hospital at the time.
“Yeah I know.” I would take what ever Luca dishes out, gladly. Main thing was they were alive.
“So …” I knew what he was going to say. “I need you home as soon as possible. And Alice wants to see lily.”
“I can’t Luca.” Was this the first time ever I had told him no and meant it.
“What?”
“I am in love with her Luca. I can’t come home yet.” Even saying it out loud sounded strange but it didn’t make it any less true.
“I heard you but I don’t understand …”
I groaned, “she doesn’t love me, well maybe she does but if we come back now she will leave.”
“Shit.”Luca’s voice dropped as if he was now whispering. “What are you going to do?”
What was I going to do?
My fingers closed around the ring box in my pocket.
“I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything Stefano, and take as long as you need. I’ll explain to Alice.” The tone of his voice was strange to me. Difference. But then weren’t we both different men now? We had gone to Las Vegas for a working holiday and come back changed men. That’s what those English girls did.
“Anything.” He repeated when the silence had stretched on too long.
“I need a divorce solicitor.”
- Writer
