Savio
There was a natural breath of relief that seemed to sweep over everyone in the church. All eyes turned toward the entrance as footsteps echoed in the vast hall. They were there—and she was safe. My brother had retrieved Lucia, pregnant with the heir to the Cavetti name, unharmed. I was silent as Romeo lifted his head and smiled at her. He was still in no condition to move too much, but he was forcing himself up anyway. I tried to hold him down but released my hands from his bloodied dress shirt as my father stared daggers my way.
My father thought that Romeo could handle it. I wanted to believe he could, but the look on his pale face was worrying. He’d barely escaped death at the hands of Gianni, and now he was trying to stand up on his own, all so he could hold Lucia. I understood at that moment that my brother had actually fallen in love. I’d thought it was all a farce. Romeo, after all, was the dark horse of the family, and my father had loved him for it. Everyone else had feared and resented him for his ways.
But he’d changed—all with Lucia’s help. I hoped that, in time, we’d all change. I wanted the marriage between Lucia and Romeo to set the bar for each of us. Even the worst of my family could find meaning in love.
It brought me hope.
I returned home and waited at the entrance for Alessandra. Romeo was still healing from his wounds. He and Lucia had been married while he was still in bed, and I was glad for them. I’d considered their marriage to simply be a forced marriage for Lucia, but they’d proved me wrong in so many ways.
Now I had to do the same for Alessandra.
I knew that she was different, but I hadn’t realized just how different. She was strong. She was someone who I could see spending my life with. I knew I was being a little forthright and was definitely jumping to conclusions, but I had the feeling she was falling for me too. She’d gotten so upset by my behavior that I had to believe the only explanation for her reaction was her beginning to feel the same way toward me. I didn’t blame her for reacting the way she had. I’d have been upset if she’d done the same to me. I had to explain things to her.
I also wanted her again.
I needed to feel her skin against mine. I desired having her in my arms, her hair in my hands. My entire body tensed at the thought. Even when we’d been arguing, I could only think about how much I wanted her. It was hard to focus on anything else. At least, it had been until I saw her at the wedding. Knowing that I’d upset her so deeply was troubling. I knew I had to make it right again.
She entered through the front door, looking as exasperated as we all felt. There was no one else in the house—we were all alone. I wasn’t sure where my father had gone, but it didn’t matter. I had her with me, and I would do my best to make things right. It was the first time all day that she brought her eyes to mine as she closed the door behind her.
A cool breeze washed over me as I stood near the entrance, hoping that she would speak to me this time. We were both exhausted. It was written all over our faces that the shock from the day had yet to settle in. There was a numbness that had fallen over me after learning that Gianni had been alive the entire time. I still hadn’t figured out why he’d done what he had, but that was something I’d need to discuss with my family later.
Alessandra was the only thing that gave me any feeling at that moment.
“Can I speak to you now?”
She sighed and brushed her hair from her face. I felt uncomfortable as she lowered her eyes to my dress shirt, which was covered in blood. I’d managed to wipe the blood from my hands, but the rest of me was still awash in Gianni’s betrayal. I flinched as she reached her hand out, thinking that she might slap me. To my surprise, she didn’t. She simply touched my shirt, her fingers grazing along its surface. I drew a deep breath as the warmth of her fingers seemed to sear into my skin, leaving remnants of the feeling after her hand dropped to her side.
“Do you really think now is the best time?” she asked, shaking her head. “I just learned that my parents died for nothing.”
“I know. It’s just, I want to fix things.”
She wiped her fingers across her forehead, looking exhausted. “I don’t know what I want. I understand that you want to fix things, Savio, but it feels like it’s not the best time.”
“I’ll wait, then.”
She frowned. “You will?”
I nodded and brought my eyes to her, hoping that she’d see the sincerity behind them. “I will. As long as you need me to.”
My heart melted when I saw the smile appear on her face. I wasn’t expecting it. A smile during those hard times was hard enough to feign that seeing her genuine happiness at my words made me feel as though I were weightless. Her gray eyes began to fill with tears.
“Will you go with me upstairs?”
I took a step back, wondering if she was testing me. I wanted her. I would follow her wherever she needed me to, but I wasn’t sure if she simply wanted to see if I would cave. It wasn’t just physical for me. I had to have her know that.
“Not unless you really want me to.”
Her smile grew wider. “You mean that?”
Seeing her smile, despite everything that had happened, caused the warmth in my chest to feel as though it was overwhelming me. She was amazing, and I wanted her to know that. I would prove it to her in any way I could. It didn’t seem like her to test me, but that smile was proof that I’d passed. I was glad that I’d been able to do that much.
“Of course,” I said, smirking back at her. “I mean it.”
Her hand reached out toward me again, but this time to take my hand in hers. I felt a wave of relief as she walked by me, squeezing my hand in hers. I was silent as she led me toward the stairs. Her grip was strong as she led me up the winding stairs toward the second floor. I glanced back down toward the entrance, just to make sure no one was watching us. My father wasn’t likely to be understanding if he saw us together.
“Where’s your room?”
