Yeah, yeah,he texted back.
Suddenly, a beautiful voice startled me. “Already texting other girls, I see.”
I turned around quickly. “What?! No!”
Emilia was smiling as she lay there looking up at me.
“Relax, I’m just kidding,” she said playfully. “But whoareyou texting, exactly?”
“My boss,” I said as I held out my phone to show her the proof. She squinted as she looked at the screen, like her eyes were blurry with sleep. “I was asking for the morning off. He started busting my balls, but then Bianca jumped on and…”
I trailed off as I peered past her.
When I’d first woken up, I’d been lying down, and her body had been in my line of sight.
But now I could see the window without anything blocking my view.
I got up and walked around the foot of the bed in a daze, then knelt down to look at the windowsill.
On it was every single thing I’d given her those first few weeks I’d tried to change her mind.
Well – everything but the necklace, which she was wearing.
The silver swan, the red rose, the little bronze bear origami.
The troll doll.
The David keychain.
The tiny gemstone rings.
And half a dozen other tiny gifts.
I turned back to look at her.
She was blushing bright red, but she was smiling.
“You’re not the only one who wanted someone desperately,” she said softly.
My heart swelled with love.
I sure as hell wouldn’t have said that out loud, because I didn’t want to scare her off –
But yeah.
I was totally in love with her.
I got up, strode quickly over to the bed like a man possessed, took her face in my hands, and kissed her passionately.
“Oh Giorgio,” she moaned –
And I threw back the comforter and crawled into bed on top of her.
47
Emilia
Things were just about to get hot and heavy again –
