AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He puts his hands on his hips. “You don’t want to stay, do you? Not after everything that’s happened.”
“You do know that Lou held a gun on me, Elena, and Lucy, right? It’s not like scary shit hasn’t happened to me around you.”
He shakes his head. “Look, you don’t feel well. When you’re better?—”
“When I’m better, what? You’ll send me home and lock me away? Or maybe you’ll send me to some remote place in France or England. If you’re going to lock me up, I’d much rather that.”
“What is wrong with you? Did you get hit on the head?”
“So now having an opinion on my own life is the result of a head injury? Do you know how insulting that is?”
He stares at me like I’ve gone mad.
“What do you care, anyway?”
He gapes. “I beg your pardon. I’ve done nothing but look out for you since you were ten.”
“Right. Look out for me. You shipped me off the first chance you got. First to boarding school, then college. Then?—”
“You had a good life.”
I nod. “Oh, sure. Money. Fun. But no friends. No family.” I shake my head. “If I hadn’t come home, I’d have never known you were married. Not known about the twins.”
At first he looks like he’s going to deny it. “That was an unusual situation.”
“Your life—this life—is an unusual situation. One where you ship me off for my quote-unquote safety. But really, it gets me out of your hair. You should have been happy that I left. You can live your life and not think of me… deal with me.”
He sighs and sits down. “That’s not true, Aria. I love you.”
“How would I know that?”
He takes my hand. “I’m sorry you feel abandoned. That wasn’t my intention. When you get home, I’ll do better. I promise.”
I pull my hand away. “You don’t need to wait for me.”
“Of course I’ll wait.”
I turn over in bed, away from him. “I don’t want you to.”
“So, you want to stay here? With the man you not so long ago begged me to get you away from?”
“I don’t know what I want, but I do know that I don’t want you bossing me around. I don’t want you making decisions for me that are simply convenient for you and your happy little family. Go away.” I’m so tired. I want to go back to that netherworld where I drift in oblivion.
“I’ll send for you when you’re feeling better. We can discuss your future when you’re home.”
I ignore him. When the door closes, I relax and will the darkness to come. Moments later, the door opens again.
“Go away, Niko.”
“It’s Luca.” A moment later, he’s lying behind me, spooning his body around mine. “Rest, Mio Angelo.”
I settle against him and give in to sleep.
Niko left. That’s what I learn later that night when I wake, still in Luca’s arms. I want to keep emotional distance from Luca, but it’s not easy. When I first got here, I barely saw the man. Now I can’t do anything without him hovering like I’m fragile glass. It’s annoying, and yet at the same time, sweet.
When I sleep, Luca works, apparently in a room next door with a monitor so he knows when I wake. Except at night, when he comes into my room and holds me. Our quiet night time conversations remind me of the times we spent in New York. Of the letters we secretly exchanged. But I understand now that while this is one side of Luca, he has many facets, and I can’t let myself start dreaming of a fairy tale.
For the next few days, I rest and slowly get stronger.
