“Do you know what I think?”She looks up at him and pats his chest gently.“I think neither of us has any room to judge anybody else for who they get involved with.”
Is this only happening in my head?It has to be.There’s no way she’s this understanding.
Luca’s eyes dart over her face like he doesn’t know whether to believe her.“Do you hear yourself?After what he?—”
“I am tired of thinking about what he did to me.I’m not living in the past anymore.I’m not saying we’re going to be best friends or anything,” she mutters, snickering.“But I’m not going to use it against him, and I’m not going to use it against your sister.I fell in love with you when I was supposed to be building a case against you and your family.You fell in love with me when I was the enemy you were supposed to eliminate.”
She looks around the room again, wearing a sad, knowing grin.“And here we are.Married, a family.I mean, I was sure Dante was going to kill me for a little while there.”
Dante snorts softly, stroking his jaw.“I might’ve thought about it.”
She looks at Luca again.Her voice softens.“All I’m saying is, we are in no position to judge, especially when we love Giulia so much.”
This has to be a dream because nobody is this kind and forgiving in real life.Right?There’s no way.
“But I love you too,” Luca whispers, cradling her face between his hands.I see the love there.I see his determination to protect her no matter what.
“I know,” she murmurs.“It’s a complicated life you Santoros lead.”
Mama stands, silently weeping, and she throws her arms around the two of them.“You’re one of us,mia cara.Don’t forget that.”
I hear them, but only in the background of the happy confusion swirling in my head.She doesn’t hate me.It’s like she handed me the biggest, best gift ever.One I didn’t dare hope for.“Thank you,” I choke out before covering my face with my hands.
Just in time, too, because a massive sob bursts from me.It’s like the rest of my shock finally wore off, and now it’s time for the aftermath.
* * *
“Giulia,”Emilia whispers, nudging me gently out of my light, uneven sleep.I tried like hell to stay awake for him, but I was totally wiped out once I finally stopped crying and thought I would close my eyes for a few minutes, which, according to the clock on the wall, turned into an hour.
One of the doctors is coming in.My heart lodges itself in my throat.I want to stand, but I’m afraid my legs won’t hold me up.
“How is he?”Sophia asks, grabbing blindly for my hand and squeezing hard.
The longest three seconds of my entire life pass before the man nods his head.“We’re optimistic.The bullet came within centimeters of causing massive damage, but somehow missed any major organs.We managed to extract it and to stop the bleeding.He lost a great deal of blood,” he adds.Like I didn’t watch it pool on the sidewalk.“He should be settled in a room within the hour, here in the ICU.”
“But you think he’ll be okay?”I ask, breathless.
“The next several hours will be critical,” he explains gently.“But he is in good health and is in the best hands here.We’re going to keep a close watch over him.”
Sophia thanks him, followed by Papa, while Mama turns to me.“We should go home so you can get some rest.We can come back in the morning to see him.”
“I can’t.I just can’t,” I whisper.The idea of walking out of here without him before he’s even regained consciousness is unthinkable.My brain rejects it.
“We’ll both stay,” Sophia announces.“We can take turns sitting in there with him, or maybe they’ll let us stay at the same time.”
As much as I would rather stay alone, I see how having her here with me will make it easier for Mama and Papa to go home without me.
“That would be great,” I agree.
Dante doesn’t look thrilled, but shrugs.“I’m not going to waste time trying to change your mind.I’ll come back first thing and bring clothes with me.For you too,” he adds, looking at me.
“I can’t imagine anywhere we would be safer,” I tell Papa when he looks skeptical.“We’ll be fine, really.”
There’s a sadness to him when he cups my cheeks, studying my face while taking a slow breath.“There will be time to talk about this once everything blows over,” he murmurs.Love rings out heavily in his voice, and maybe a little sadness.“But you’re a grown woman now, and he risked his life for you.That earns him my gratitude.”
I wish the other men in my family were so quick to see it that way.They’ll have to come around, that’s all there is to it.Alessandro is going to wake up, he’s going to get well, and they’re going to have to deal with it.Because I’m not giving him up, and he is never getting rid of me.
We’re led to Alessandro’s private room within the hour.No matter how I tried to prepare myself, it’s a shock seeing him like this, hooked up to machines, pale-faced, and helpless in the big bed.“It’s better than the alternative,” I whisper to myself, slowly crossing the room before coming to a stop next to him.
