I sat there, stunned.
We had reached the outskirts of Florence –
And I was terrified of what would happen when we got to her place.
“So, what… we’re through?” I asked in disbelief.
“I didn’t say that,” she said dully.
“But if you won’t marry me if I stay with them, and if I won’t leave them – then this is it.”
She stared out at the road ahead of us. “…I guess it is.”
“Jesus.” I shook my head. “And to think, just this morning I was sohappywe might get married someday – ”
“We still can,” she said, desperation in her voice.
“Yeah, if I change everythingaboutme.”
“Not aboutyou.All I need is for you to quit a job. That’s it.”
“And I’m not going to,” I said. “Ican’t.”
She started to cry.
I didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything to say.
“Please stop and let me out,” she said between sobs.
“Em, we’re nowhere near your apartment – ”
“Giorgio,please stop and let me out.”
There were shops on the street around us. It wasn’t unsafe –
And yet, all I could think about was the face of Cesare Caproni in that mugshot on the TV.
“Emilia – ”
“GIORGIO, PLEASE STOP AND LET ME OUT!” she cried, her voice panicked.
I knew her fear wasn’t about me.
It was about Maurizio…
And the Rosolinis…
But I realized, if I didn’t let her go, then her fear reallywasabout me.
I pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car.
“Thank you,” she said as she wiped away her tears.
“Emilia,” I said, my heart breaking, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
“Please don’t go. I would do anything for you – ”
