Oh. So this is the problem. "Why didn't you just say something if this is how you felt?" I lean forward, reaching for her hand across the table. Our fingers touch, and I wrap mine around hers, rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing would make me happier than getting married to you, Gianna," I say, my voice steady and full of certainty. "I want this. I want us. You have no idea how badly I want to call you my wife."
Her smile returns slowly. I raise her hand to my lips, planting a kiss on it before setting it on the table.
A chuckle escapes me, quiet but genuine.
She turns her head to me, brows drawn in curiosity. "What's so funny?" she asks, her eyes narrowing at me as she pouts, looking so cute. Moments like this remind me of when we were in college.
"It's just..." I smirk, eyes glinting with mischief. "The main reason we had sex that night at the chapel was because you didn't want to marry an Irish heir," I tease, remembering that was what led to that night, and of course, the fact that we liked each other but neither of us realized it yet.
"Looks like the act from that night is the reason we're here today," I add with a wink.
Gianna scoffs, popping the last slice of pancake in her mouth. "Is that your proposal, Finn Costello?" she teases, taking another sip of her coffee.
"Yes, Gianna," I reply, matching her energy. "Straight from the heart."
She laughs, shaking her head, but before the mood can dip back into playful banter, I let the smile slip from my face. My heart kicks up a little, but I move my chair closer, closing the distance between us.
I reach for both her hands, cradling them between mine. Her gaze flickers from playful to confused, then to something much softer as she senses the shift in me.
"Gianna Rosso," I say, my voice steady but full of emotion. "I love you with all my heart. And I promise to make you happy as long as I live. Will you marry me?" I ask with sincerity and love in my heart.
Gianna's lips break into a beautiful smile. "I will. I will marry you, Finn Costello."
CHAPTER 37
Gianna
"Hang it right,"Rina's voice echoes through the greenhouse as the decorator hangs a flower above the entrance. Other women from the Rosso family are by her side as she makes checklists of everything. She's thrown herself into this wedding the way she throws herself into everything—like the world might end if a single petal lands wrong.
"You should be resting for your big day tomorrow, sweetie," she says when she notices my presence.
"I'm fine, Rina," I answer. She's a perfectionist, and it's safe to say her excitement supersedes mine. Weddings are a big deal in my family, mostly because they're diplomatic. But this one isn't, and I think that's why she's been so determined to make it perfect.
Rina walks to me, wrapping me in a warm hug. I hold onto her so tight, like she might slip away, even though I know better. She isn't my mother. She'll never be. But she's been the closest thing I've had since Mamma died, and I don't think I realized until this moment how much I missed her these past months. Her touch, her steadiness, the way she always smells faintly like the lavender she keeps in her drawer.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispers against my head, stroking my hair, like I'm still the little girl who used to climb into her bed during thunderstorms. She pulls away slightly, one hand on my face and the other pushing a few loose strands behind my ear. Her touch is everything and more.
"Look at you. How did you become this woman in just a few months?"
"A lot of people have said that too," I say, realizing I truly have matured. I went from being a girl who had no idea what she wanted, who was scared of everything and everyone, to someone who knows exactly what she wants and would stop at nothing to get it.
Rina's face softens, then drops with regret. "I hated sending you there," she says quietly, her voice heavy with guilt. "I fought with Vito every single day to bring you home. But that man is as stubborn as the day I met him." She cups my cheek, and I lean into her touch, holding her hand to my face.
"I know, Rina," I say gently. And I do know. Vito would walk through fire for her, but he won't always listen, and she's paid for my exile in arguments I'll never hear.
She searches my eyes, her thumb brushing against my cheek. "Are you sure you're okay, sweetie?"
"I'm fine. I'm better," I say with a reassuring smile, so she knows I'm indeed okay.
"Good," she says, looking around. "And this... this is something you want, right?"
I nod, locking her hand with mine. "Yes. I want this."
"Okay..." she begins when she gets interrupted.
"We need you here, ma'am," one of the decorators calls.
