She asked how our trip was and if her son was behaving himself.
I thought that it was very kind of her to avoid the sketchy parts of why we were here.
Anyway, after about ten minutes or so, she ordered me to go clean up and meet her in the kitchen.
I stood in front of my part of the closet.I wasn't sure what to wear.Something comfortable enough to cook in.But not sloppy.I wanted to make a good impression.
“My brother likely called her.Even though I specifically asked him not to.”
I looked at him over my shoulder and grinned.“Actually, it was Elio and Olga.They told her about our visit to their store.And then your mother called Carlo and gave him an earful.”
His eyebrows rose as he nodded.“Ah.Okay.That makes sense.”
I turned back to the rows of clothing and hemmed and hawed over what to wear.
“There's something you should know.Something I haven't told you.It'll come up,” he sighed, “and my mother will think something's off if you don't know already.”
When I turned around, he was leaning against a dresser.His arms were crossed, and his eyes were focused on the closet floor.
I wandered up to him.“What is it?”
His gaze traveled up my towel-covered body to my face.“My father died a while back.It's nothing fresh or new.But they were married forever.And if you didn't know that she'd think it was weird.”
I bit my lip and felt a deep stinging behind my eyes.Which was ridiculous.I didn't even know the man.There was no way I should be crying for him.
“I'm sorry, Stefan.”I didn't ask him why he hadn't shared that with me sooner.
He had his reasons.
We all had our reasons for things we did—or didn't do.
And I wasn't mad at him, or even disappointed.Not at all.
But I was sad for him.And Carlo.And especially his mother.
“Thank you.He was—” Stefan started saying before he cleared his throat.Probably getting choked up from emotion.
I moved forward into him and laid my head against his chest.“You can tell me about him later.Okay?”
He let out a long breath and circled his arms around me.“I love you.”
I lifted my head and looked up into his eyes.
His wet eyes.
And that broke my heart.
So—I lifted up on my toes and kissed him.
“I'm going to get you all dirty,” he muttered against my mouth.
“I hope so,” I whispered with a smile.And then I stepped back and undid my towel, letting it drop to the floor.
Stefan's eyes dragged all over my body.“Fuck.”
That only made me smile wider.I knelt down in front of him and reached for his belt buckle.
“No.”His hand covered mine, and he shook his head.
