Rocco held a piece of Roman pizza in his hand by the waxed paper. He took a bite as he examined it in silence. “How it should have been.”
“Yeah. She cleans up good.”
“Took a year to clean all this shit up, but it was worth it.”
Anyone who was caught trying to graffiti the walls again would get a worse punishment—and lose a hand. That way, if anyone thought we’d relaxed our security, they would be sadly mistaken. And then they would fear what we would do next if they tried again ... and they might lose more than a hand.
President Barsetti wouldn’t agree with that measure, but we’d cross that bridge when we came to it.
Rocco stared at the monument in silence, just eating and appreciating the beauty before him. Other locals got used to the Roman landmarks and forgot their power, but for people like Rocco and me, we never did. We treated this city like it was our own home. Appreciated it every day.
“Heard from Aurelia?” he suddenly asked.
It’d been over a week since I’d dropped her off at her friend’s house. I hadn’t heard a peep from her. “No.”
He took another bite of his pizza, chewing quietly.
I’d hoped I would have heard from her by now. I’d rejected all the offers that had fallen into my lap in the hope she’d call. In the hope she’d return to my bed where she belonged.
He moved his hand to my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Sorry, man.”
“I haven’t given up.”
“A week is a long time.”
The longest week of my fucking life. “She’ll reach out.”
He gave me another pat on the shoulder then finished his pizza. “We’ve got a long night. Let’s get moving.”
Chapter 15
Aurelia
It’d been a rough week.
The shit hit the fan, everyone knew what had happened, and all my friends told me I was better off without him. They took me out for dinner and drinks a lot, let me air my grievances in a way only girlfriends could. I lived out of my suitcase because I couldn’t muster up the courage to go back and get the rest of my things. I wasn’t sure what I would see when I got there. Evidence that she had moved in the second Enzo returned from Taormina, probably. Evidence that I’d never really mattered at all.
I also had a lot to do at work. I’d already booked the photo sessions long before we’d left on our planned vacation, and since my clients were relying on me for their special events and their weddings and their headshots and whatever else, I couldn’t cancel.
And in the moments between all that chaos, I missed Constantine.
Missed him like crazy.
Our lives in Taormina were so easy. It was all sex and food and fun. We didn’t have a care in the world. He was a man I’d known for a week, but by the end of that trip, I felt like I’d known him all my life.
I really fucking missed him.
But until I got my stuff back from Enzo and moved in to my new apartment, I felt like I wouldn’t have closure. I wasn’t in the right headspace to start something new with someone that I already cared so much about.
I was at my friend’s apartment and she was at work when Enzo texted me.When are you coming to get your stuff?
It was the first time we’d spoken since he’d left me in Taormina. Since he’d walked out of our hotel room while I sat alone on the bed and watched him leave. He spoke to me like he was one of those coworkers I’d never gotten along with. Like we’d never been friends, let alone two people in love.I can come today.It was time to get this over with. Just face it and be done with it.
Alright. Let me know when you’re on your way.
Why? Was it because he was going to be there?
All I had to do was ask, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction that I cared. That his presence would make me uncomfortable. That I was worried Luna might be there, that cunt who smiled at me at the Christmas party while she was fucking my boyfriend behind my back.
