‘I wanted to protect you.’
Lucia swallowed and her eyes narrowed. ‘From what?’
At first Lucia didn’t know if Alex was upset with her, or with himself. But watching him drop in a deep squat, catching his head in his hands, persuaded her to believe the latter. ‘I know about the book deal, Lucia.’
Lucia’s breath hitched and she stepped back a few paces. ‘How?’
‘I came to see you a couple of weeks ago. I was going to ask you and Foscari to come for a walk. I stepped inside. No one was by the desk. So I waited. But then I heard your voice coming from the apartment, and Foscari was barking. I overheard your conversation with that woman. Your agreement to the deal.’ He looked up and caught her eyes. ‘I’m so sorry. It wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop . . . but then I just panicked . . .’
Her eyes widened. ‘You listened to a private conversation. A business deal.’
‘Lucia, I did what I did tosaveyou.’
‘I don’tneedsaving. And I don’t need anyone else spying on me. I’ve had twenty years of that.’
‘I never meant to. It was an accident.’ He rose to his feet and walked over to her. ‘No one could ever understand what you and I have experienced, Lucia. It’s something we have to relive day after day on repeat. It’s a unifying history that has tethered us together.’ Catching her cheeks in his hands, which she didn’t fight, he said, ‘You don’t need to sell your story now. You can keepthissafe.’
The warmth of his rough palms against her skin quelled some of the frustration that had lit her eyes alight. The way his gentle touch soothed and comforted her drew her in. She knew that Alex had done what he did out of care for her. She could understand that. But all she felt in that emotional moment was a sense of detachment. As if these past three months of planning had been pulled from under her. As if his grand gesture had stolen her agency and independence – even if that wasn’t his intention.
It took her a moment, but Lucia eventually found her voice. ‘Alex, I don’t want to owe you or anyone anything. It’s that simple. I wanted to do this my way, in a way that made sense for La Scuo—’
‘You owe me nothing, Lucia. Iwantyou to have the school. It’s yours. I don’t need the money back. It was part of my inheritance from mynonni’sestate. Venezia meant so much to them, I know they would have wanted it put towards something like this. Something so meaningful.’
‘As if I –me, of all people – could ever accept it under these circumstances.’
‘Please. Lucia.’ He reached out and took her hand, and that same warm, calloused comfort drew her in.
But it was not enough.
Exhaling, she said, ‘I . . . I need some space to process all this.’
Alex nodded. ‘Certo.’
‘It still doesn’t make sense. It’s just . . .’ Alex nodded again, just as she pulled her fingers from his grasp. ‘I have a signed publishing contract across the road that’s due to be returned. I have to think about it. This was never my plan.’
She slipped from La Commedia, leaving Alex alone among the ruins of their shared past, with only the tainted fragments of his good intentions to keep him company.
Later that night, Mariella and Francesco sat propped on Lucia’s bed, eyes wide and mouths hanging open in disbelief.
Francesco was the first to break ranks, turning his head in the direction of thecalle. ‘This is like a scene from a movie.’
Lucia’s hands tensed mid-air out of frustration. ‘And you can imagine how delighted I am about it.’ Reaching for Foscari she gave him a little squeeze.
‘But what do you mean he doesn’t want the money?’ Mariella removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes tiredly. ‘It doesn’t make sense.’
‘He must have plenty to spare,’ Francesco added with a raised eyebrow.
‘I don’t care in the least about his financials. I just hate the position I’m now in.’
Francesco raised a cautious finger. ‘Hate is a very strong word to use, I think.’
‘I’m . . .disappointed, then. To have to choose between the original plan – sell my face and story and deal with whatever follows and use the money to pay Alex back – or, tear up the publishing deal and surrender to Alex, and be forever in his debt.’
Mariella’s expression was contemplative. ‘And did he give you a reason for doing this?’
‘He overhead my conversation with Benedetta when I accepted the book deal. And he wanted to save me from it.’
Again, a pair of incredulous jaws dropped almost comically. Lucia shrugged. She had to admit that Alex’s decision had helped her. His actions, albeit a force of the hand, had given her the freedom to choose her next move.
