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Rose
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I stare at the glaringly empty spot in the corner where my little Christmas tree stood just yesterday. For such a tiny thing, it sure brought a lot to the sprawling living room. I curl my legs under me and pull the fluffy pink blanket up to my chin.
Dante moves around the kitchen, slamming cabinet doors. The clang of glasses and mugs hitting each other make me wince. Loud noises still make me jump. He hasn’t left my side since he carried me out of that container yesterday. Now, he’s trying to make me hot tea, but clearly has no idea what he’s doing.
We’ve both been quieter than normal, tiptoeing around the discussion that must be had but we’re both too chicken to start. After Nico Rossi’s guys grabbed us, my first thought was Dante. I could imagine how the guilt would eat him alive if anything happened to me. How he’d blame himself for all of it. And that fear for him was strangling.
So in that instant, I forgave him. He may have never known if I had been killed, but at least it cleared my conscience. But now, here I am, not dead, and the dreaded conversation still looms between us.
Soft footsteps compel my eyes up to meet a pair of anxious dark orbs. Dante hands me the mug of tea and folds down beside me, the scent of Earl Grey soothing the mad flutter of my heart. Dante’s thigh nearly brushes mine, but not quite. I miss his arms wrapped around me, the safety only his strength can bring. He held me all night in bed, pressing chaste kisses to my forehead or to the top of my head. It was the first time since we’d started having sex that he didn’t even try anything.
Dante’s pensive gaze lifts over my head to the vacant spot in the corner, and a rueful grin curls his lips. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually miss that scraggly little tree.”
“I was just thinking the same thing!” I spin around to face him, crossing my legs on the cushion. “Dante…”
“No,” he cuts me off. “Let me go first.”
I nod, a flare of anxiety coating my insides.
Dante drags his hand through his wild hair and heaves in a breath. “Cazzo, Rosa, yesterday was the worst day of my life, and I’ve had a lot of shitty days.” His lips thin as he pauses. “Besides the fear of losing you to thatbastardo, which there was no way I was ever going to let happen, what frightened me the most was that you’d never be able to forgive me for Stella.”
Yesterday, Dante admitted he’d bugged my phone, so he knew where I was the whole time. I should’ve been enraged, but mostly I was only thankful. If he hadn’t, who knows what would’ve happened.
“What I did to her,merda, Rosa, you don’t know how often I wish I could go back in time and re-do that entire day. It was the first time, the only time in my life, I’ve ever laid my hands on a woman. Papà would have disowned me if he were alive. Hell, he would have cut off my hands.Never touch a womanwas one of his cardinal rules. I just lost it that day. I was so sure Stella was working for Bo, and Luca was too blind to see it. I went too far, but I swear to you, I never would have raped her. Never. I only wanted to scare the truth out of her.”
“But Luca walked in instead and beat the shit out of you,” I interjected.
He nods slowly. “And I fucking deserved it. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to Stella.”
We remain silent for a long moment as I try to process his words. After really getting to know Dante, it seems completely in line with his character. He’s impulsive, reckless, and protective to a fault. “I just wish you would’ve told me,” I finally whisper.
“It wasn’t my story to tell, sweetheart.”
I get that, I do. After what I went through with my uncle, the idea of having my story out there felt like forcing me to relive the horrible event over and over again. And when I finally did tell someone, my mom, the worst happened.
“My mom killed herself a few weeks after I told her about my uncle.” The confession comes out on a sharp exhale. The secret I’d been holding onto for years was finally out, and almost immediately my heart felt lighter.
Dante reaches for me, tentatively, but I gladly accept the warmth of his hand around mine. He squeezes, and I can practically feel his strength seeping into me. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry you had to face all of that alone.”
Hot tears prick my eyes, and I blink quickly forcing them back.
“But if you’ll let me, if you can find it in your big, beautiful heart to forgive me,” he whispers and inches closer, his warm, calloused palm cupping my cheek. “I swear to always stand beside you from this day onward. You’ll never be alone again.” Those dark, bottomless irises lance into me, and I’ve never felt so bare before him.
Or filled with so much love.
I draw in a deep breath and fix my gaze to his. “If Stella can forgive you, then so can I.”
A beaming smile flashes across that handsome face and he drags me into his lap, his arms crushing me to his chest. “Grazie a Dio,” he whispers against the top of my head. Thank God is right. “I love you, Rosa, and I swear, I will be a better man for you, the type of man you deserve.”
I frame his scruffy cheeks and press a kiss to those perfect lips. “You already are,” I murmur against his mouth.
Then we get lost in fiery kisses, a tangle of limbs and can’t tear off our clothes fast enough.
* * *
The doorbell rings and I sprint across the living room, tugging down the indecent hem of the new sweater dress Dante bought me. I swear he only likes it because it sticks to my curves like spandex. Much like my yoga pants.
“I’ll get it.” Dante barrels by me and reaches the door a second before I do. His overprotectiveness has been on full throttle since Nico Rossi appeared in our lives, and I can’t even blame him now. He whips the door open, and Maisy stands in the corridor with Tony just a few steps behind her.
