WHEN FOREVER FOUND ME

Chapter Eleven-Azul

I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Enzo.

His face.

His eyes.

The way he had walked into my house as if he belonged there.

The way he had sat at my family’s dinner table.

The way he had looked at my parents and calmly announced that he was going to be my soon-to-be boyfriend.

I still couldn’t believe he had said that.

My face burned just thinking about it.

And then there was the kiss.

I touched my cheek.

The exact place where his lips had been.

I immediately pulled my hand away.

Why had he done that?

Why had he kissed me?

I didn’t understand Enzo.

He was too much.

Everything about him was too much.

His presence.

His confidence.

His anger.

His possessiveness.

His certainty.

It was as if he had already decided what my life was going to look like without ever asking me what I wanted.

And somehow, the strangest part was that he seemed completely comfortable with that decision.

I wasn’t.

Not even a little.

The next morning, my mother found me at the breakfast table.

She looked at me carefully.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded.

She smiled slightly.

“You didn’t sleep well.”

I shook my head.

She reached over and touched my hair.

“Was it because of Enzo?”

I immediately looked down.

My mother laughed softly.

“I knew it.”

I shook my head again.

She raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

I gave her a grateful look.

I finished breakfast, grabbed my things, and left for the bakery.

I needed work.

Work made sense.

Flour made sense.

Dough made sense.

Bread made sense.

Enzo did not.

By the time I opened the bakery, I felt better.

The familiar smell of coffee filled the air.

The ovens warmed the kitchen.

My employees arrived.

Customers came.

Everything returned to normal.

Or as normal as it could be.

I was preparing a batch of pastries when the bell above the door rang.

A delivery man walked inside.

“Azul Bellini?”

I nodded.

“I have something for you.”

He carried a huge arrangement of flowers.

I stared.

They were beautiful.

White roses.

Deep red roses.

Small white flowers tucked between them.

Green leaves arranged perfectly around everything.

It was probably the most beautiful bouquet I had ever seen.

The delivery man handed it to me.

“There’s a note.”

I took it.

My fingers immediately recognized the handwriting.

I opened it.

Four words.

I miss you already.

I stared at it.

Enzo.

Of course.

My phone vibrated almost immediately.

I looked at the screen.

Enzo: Did you receive it?

I typed back.

Yes.

His reply came almost instantly.

So?

I stared at the message.

I typed.

Thank you.

A few seconds later:

You’re welcome.

Then:

Do you like the flowers?

I looked at the arrangement again.

I did.

They were beautiful.

So I typed:

Yes.

Another message came.

Do you like the note?

I stared at the screen.

I typed:

It’s fine.

There was a pause.

Then:

Really?

Another message appeared.

You don’t miss me?

I didn’t answer.

Another message.

Do you know how much I miss you right now?

I looked at the screen.

Then another.

I can’t even come to the bakery today. I have meetings all day.

Then:

And I miss you like crazy.

I lowered the phone.

I didn’t know what to say.

The truth was…

I didn’t miss him.

Not the way he seemed to miss me.

I didn’t want to lie to him.

But I also didn’t want to hurt him.

So I simply typed:

Thank you for the flowers.

His reply took longer this time.

Okay.

Then:

Have a good day.

I thought that was the end of it.

Then another message appeared.

And don’t let another man touch you.

I stared at it.

I sighed.

That again.

I put my phone away.

I wasn’t going to answer.

One of my employees came over and looked at the flowers.

“Wow.”

Another one joined him.

“These are expensive.”

The first employee smiled.

“Very expensive.”

I looked at the arrangement.

I had to admit…

They were beautiful.

I carefully placed them somewhere they wouldn’t get damaged.

Then I went back to work.

The rest of the day went surprisingly well.

Customers came and went.

We sold almost everything.

I spent hours baking.

For several hours, I managed not to think about Enzo.

Until a black car pulled up outside.

I looked through the window.

Raffaele.

The man Enzo had called earlier.

He walked inside.

“Good evening, Azul.”

I nodded.

“Mr. Vitale asked me to take you home.”

I immediately shook my head.

I pointed toward my scooter.

“I can take myself.”

Raffaele shook his head.

“Don’t worry. Someone will leave your bike here.”

I hesitated.

I looked toward the street.

Then back at him.

He wasn’t threatening me.

He simply stood there patiently.

Eventually, I picked up my bag.

I followed him outside.

The drive was quiet.

Very quiet.

Raffaele didn’t talk much.

I sat in the back seat, watching the streets pass through the window.

I wondered why Enzo had sent him.

He wasn’t even here.

Maybe this was simply another one of Enzo’s decisions.

When we reached home, I got out.

Before I reached the door, I noticed my parents looking through the window.

My mother opened the door.

“Azul?”

She looked at the car.

Then at me.

Then at Raffaele.

“Did Enzo drop you?”

I shook my head.

She looked toward the car.

Then at me again.

“Wow.”

My father appeared behind her.

He looked at the car.

Then at me.

“Huh.”

I gave him a tired look.

He smiled.

“Your future boyfriend is doing something.”

I rolled my eyes.

I didn’t have the energy to argue.

Then Mateo appeared.

He looked at the car.

Then at me.

“Now we’re talking.”

I stared at him.

He grinned.

“You’re riding in style now.”

I walked past him.

I was done.

Completely done.

I went to my room.

The house eventually became quiet.

I changed into comfortable clothes and lay down.

I expected Enzo to call.

He didn’t.

I checked my phone.

Nothing.

An hour passed.

Nothing.

Two hours.

Nothing.

The evening became night.

Still nothing.

I didn’t know why I kept checking.

I told myself it was because I wanted to know whether he was okay.

That was all.

Eventually, I fell asleep.

I don’t know how long I had been sleeping when my phone began ringing.

I reached for it blindly.

Two in the morning.

Maybe three.

I looked at the screen.

Enzo — Video Call

I hesitated.

Then answered.

His face appeared on my screen.

He looked exhausted.

His hair was slightly messy.

His eyes were tired.

He looked like he hadn’t slept all day.

“Hello?”

His voice was low.

I stared at him.

Then typed:

Why do you sound tired?

He gave me a small smile.

“I’ve been busy.”

I nodded.

I didn’t ask anything else.

He looked at me through the screen.

For several seconds, neither of us said anything.

Then he sighed.

“I just miss you.”

I looked at him.

“I didn’t see you the whole day.”

His voice became softer.

“That’s why I called.”

I didn’t know what to say.

Then he smiled.

“Go to bed, vita mia.”

I froze.

I had heard the phrase before.

Italian.

Vita mia.

My life.

My eyes widened slightly.

He noticed.

“What?”

I shook my head.

Nothing.

He smiled.

“Goodnight, vita mia.”

I stared at the screen.

My heart felt strangely unsettled.

Not because I missed him.

I didn’t.

But because nobody had ever called me that before.

Nobody had ever spoken to me as though I belonged so deeply in their life.

And that was what frightened me most about Enzo.

He wasn’t asking permission to become part of my life.

He was simply becoming part of it.

Little by little.

Day by day.

Until I wasn’t sure how to stop him.

The screen remained lit between us.

Enzo’s tired eyes were still watching me.

“Sleep, Azul.”

I nodded.

He smiled.

“Goodnight.”

The call ended.

I stared at my phone for a long time afterward.

Then I whispered silently to myself, even though no sound came.

What are you doing to my life, Enzo Vitale?