“Alessio.” I wanted him to stop so I could tell him about my father.
“No. Let me finish.” He stood and started to pace. “All my life I’ve been treated like a prince. My father encouraged me to run wild and sow my oats. And I did.” He stopped and met my gaze.
“Alessio, please listen to me. My father is coming tonight to get me. He wants me to go back to Sicily.”
“What?” He sat on the bed next to me and took my hands. “But we are married. Our celebration is on Saturday. Valentine’s Day.La Festa degli Innamorati.It’s going to be incredible.”
“I don’t think I could walk in heels, which you seem to like.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cara wears spiky high heels. That’s what you like. And my body isn’t like hers.”
He grabbed onto his head. “No. No. No, Dolcezza. You are what I like. Only you. You can’t leave me.”
“I didn’t intend to leave you, but when I called Papà he insisted on coming for me.” I blinked away tears. “It’s dangerous here, Alessio.”
He swallowed his emotions. “Sì, it is dangerous. I won’t stop you. I will respect your wishes.”
I gasped, feeling punched in the gut. He wasn’t going to try to convince me to stay. Why would he? He didn’t love me. He only liked me.
It hurt to know my feelings were stronger than his. I’d only realized I was in love with him when I woke up and he wasn’t there. I’d freaked out and Marta had to calm me down and assure me that Alessio was okay and would be back.
I’d given him my body. Opened my heart to him. I was willing to sacrifice myself so he could get away and live. And he onlylikedme.
“I want what you want, Gia. You mean a lot to me. I don’t want to hurt you.” He shook his head, appearing ashamed. “Tonight, you could have been killed like Dino. The risk is too much, yes?’
“Sì.” I wiped a tear that had escaped out of the corner of my eye. “Do you want an annulment so you can marry someone else?” I choked out a sob as my heart broke. Never in my life had I cried so much. What was it about Alessio that made me feel raw with so many emotions?
“Oh, Gia. Don’t cry.” He hugged me. “I don’t want to marry anyone else. But if you want to be free, I will agree to the annulment.”
He was confusing me. He wouldn’t stop me from leaving but he wasn’t professing his love either. He didn’t want to remarry but would set me free so I could remarry. Whiplash. The man gave me serious whiplash.
“What do you want?” I asked him, desperate to hear his answer.
“Nothing. What you want, I want.”
“That’s not good enough. We must agree on the same things. I won’t force you to be my husband. Or push you back into Cara’s arms.”
“Cara is out of my life forever.” He kissed my forehead. “It’s late. Tomorrow will bring clarity. Good night, Dolcezza.” He stood and went to the door.
“Good night, Alessio.”
Well, that went horribly.
He was only being nice to me out of guilt for tonight. Where was his bossy, cocky persona? The one that called all the shots and seduced me in the bathtub?
I curled into a ball on my side and cried my eyes out. He was confusing me, and I didn’t like it. He should be straightforward.
Why, Gia? You didn’t speak your mind either.
No, I didn’t because I didn’t want to manipulate him and guilt him into being with me. I wanted him to choose me on his own.
Could he be doing the same for me because he cared more for me than he let on?
The events of the day left me spent. I yawned and let sleep take me. Tomorrow would come faster than I wanted, then I’d have to face Alessio, again.
My eyes flashed open feeling a heavy weight on my stomach. My bedroom was dark. Someone had turned off the lights and pulled the curtains closed.
