AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Yes, they most certainly do.’ Nodding as if reminding herself of the fact, she watched the seagulls playing above the gentle sea. ‘I really do love this place.’
‘Well, why don’t you and Chiara move back here?’
Deep sadness etched into her pretty features as she shook her head. ‘I can’t.’
‘Why not?’ Morgan asked, feeling desperate.
Jess turned to him, tears brimming in her eyes once more. ‘Because I can’t keep running away from my problems, Morgan. My life in Florence is complicated, but it’s still my life. I can’t just up and leave it behind, as if it never meant anything to me. Besides, my nonno is there, and he needs me too, now that Nonna is gone.’
Even though he totally understood her, Morgan felt a wave of frustration wash over him. ‘So, what? We’re just supposed to give up. Not even try?’
Jess shook her head. ‘I’m not saying that. I’m saying that we need to be realistic here. We can’t just ignore the obstacles in our way, hoping they’ll magically disappear. We have to face them head-on, no matter how difficult it may be.’
Morgan’s heart sank. ‘And what if we can’t? What if it’s just too hard?’
Jess took a deep breath, her gaze flickering towards him. ‘Then maybe it’s just not meant to be, Morgan.’
He felt like he’d been hit by a ton of bricks. He’d been so sure they were meant to be together that he was willing to fight for her. But now, hearing her words, he felt defeated. ‘But I love you,’ he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.
Jess turned to him, her eyes softening. ‘I know you do, Morgan. And I love you too. But sometimes love just isn’t enough.’
He felt like he couldn’t breathe. ‘What are you saying?’
Jess took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m saying that maybe it’s time we let each other go. For both our sakes.’
Morgan felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Letting go of Jess was the last thing he wanted to do. But as he looked into her eyes, he saw the truth in her words. They were both stuck in difficult situations, and maybe it was time to accept that their love was not enough to overcome it all.
He let out a deep sigh, trying to hold back his tears. ‘I don’t want to let you go,’ he said, his voice barely above a whisper. ‘But I don’t know what else to do.’
Jess squeezed his hand tighter. ‘Maybe we just need to take a step back and focus on ourselves for a while.’ Her shoulders lifted ever so slightly. ‘Who knows what the future holds?’
He nodded, feeling a sense of resignation wash over him. He knew she was right, but it didn’t make it any easier. ‘I don’t want to lose you,’ he said, sadly.
Jess leant in, pressing her forehead against his. ‘You’ll never lose me completely, Morgan. Even if we’re not together, you’ll always have a piece of my heart.’ She placed her hand over where his was breaking beneath her touch. ‘Trust me on that.’
With no words left to say, he pulled her to him, allowing his embrace to anchor her to him one last time. He was out of his depth, and so was she. He had to be the one to stop them drowning. He had to let her go. The hurt was going to happen all over again.
Heaven help him.
* * *
And just like that, the following morning, with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets, he stood on his driveway and watched her leave with Annie, two days early. And just like the last time, a piece of his soul went with her. Loving her the way he did meant having a broken heart. Again. As the car disappeared from view, he let out a deep sigh. He knew this was the right thing to do. He couldn’t keep holding on to something that was never meant to be. It was time to move on. To try and forget their love. Just how he was meant to do that, he hadn’t a damn clue, but he was going to do his very best, for her sake and for his own. He wondered if Annie was going to tell her the secret they’d been keeping on the way to the airport.
At least now he didn’t need to put himself in the middle of it.
Jess’s life was her own.
And his was his to deal with.
CHAPTER
21
Oh, how things could change in what felt like the blink of an eye. One minute she and Morgan were making love all night long, and the next they were agreeing to let each other go. And it was all her fault they couldn’t find a way forward. Because she was too terrified to tell him the truth, at least not until she knew for certain. Why put him through such a thing, when she might not have to? So she’d given him nothing, when he really deserved everything. She could’ve handled it all differently and told him the dilemma she was facing. Maybe he might have helped her, been there along the way. But instead she’d done her usual trick. Retreated. Run.
Coward!
One sleeping tablet, washed down with three glasses of wine, had allowed her to sleep most of the way back to Florence. Although she still felt like death warmed up, and then some. With her luggage now safely loaded into the boot of the taxi, she settled herself in the back seat. Making sure her seatbelt was snapped in tight, and her feet were firmly planted to the floor, she readied herself for the typical Italian driving that would have her holding onto anything in arm’s reach for dear life until she made it home safely. Squeezing past other cars, down laneways almost too thin for cars, let alone pedestrians too, the driver navigated his way while shouting at any crazy person that got in his way. But even the chaotic driving couldn’t distract her from the guilt that gnawed at her insides. Guilt for running away from Morgan when he needed her the most. Guilt for keeping the truth hidden all these years, and guilt for the inevitable pain and heartbreak that would come when the paternity test came back.
