So while he was occupied with that, I texted Rocco.I know this is a long shot, but could you come to Taormina and talk to Constantine? I don’t know what happened between you two, and it’s killing me. He won’t share anything with me, but I can tell he’s hurting.I stared at the phone and waited for his three dots to appear. When I’d reached out to him in the past, he responded with lightning speed, just the way Constantine always did. But now, he was absent, gone like a ghost, gone like he’d never been real.
I continued to stare at the screen and hope for something.
But seconds turned into minutes, and I knew a reply would never come.
Chapter 21
Constantine
I dropped Aurelia off at work and then met up with my mom at the restaurant I intended to buy. There was no one’s opinion I valued more than hers in this regard. I walked through the street, then up the stairs to a small grouping of buildings comprising shops, apartments, and restaurants. Mostly where the locals went because it was away from the main road that was always flooded with tourists who didn’t know where they were going.
My mom stood there in white jeans and a bright-blue blouse, texting on her phone while she waited for me to show up.
I walked up the last set of steps before I joined her in the quiet courtyard. It was abandoned this early in the morning. “Hey, Ma.”
She immediately put her phone away and flashed me a big smile. “Hey, honey.”
I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then we walked to the front of the building. The real estate agent was already inside, talking on the phone with another client while he stood in the corner. The place was completely empty because everything had been removed, all the furniture, the ovens and stovetops, paintings that had been on the walls and left shadow marks behind.
Mom moved through the kitchen and examined the space with an expert eye, then walked through the lobby again before she came back to the kitchen once more. “It’s a little small, Con.”
“It’ll be mostly outdoor seating. Was going to build a canopy with flowers and fountains.”
“That could work,” she said as she looked outside. “There’s a lot of space out there. But you’re going to have to make it an outdoor-only restaurant because you’ll need more room in here to increase the kitchen size if you intend to serve that many people.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“But I do like it. It’s a nice spot. Quiet. Off the main path. What does Aurelia think of it?”
“Haven’t shown her yet. I don’t think she cares that much about all the details.” I knew she wanted to be a part of the business, but she wouldn’t have an opinion about the space or the specifics.
“She’s going to be your wife, Con. You’ve got to include her in everything.”
I grinned. “All right, Ma.”
“Great job on the ring, by the way.”
“Thanks. I know a guy in Paris.”
She stepped back outside, and the real estate agent continued to talk on the phone. “When’s the wedding?”
“She wants to do it in eight weeks.”
She nodded like that was easily done. “Let me know who you want me to call. I’m sure we can make anything happen.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
After I finished up with her and the real estate agent, I headed back home, hit the gym for an hour, and then jumped in the shower to wash off the rivulets of sweat that dripped all over my body whenever I worked out. I set the air to sixty-five degrees and had the fans cranked, but I was still soaked.
When I was done, I put on my sweatpants, made a cup of coffee, and then went outside on the terrace. I sat on one of the couches in theshade of the umbrella, and Medusa hopped up and sat beside me, her chin resting on my thigh while my arm rested over her body.
I was on my phone when Elio’s text popped up.
Rocco is at the gate. Shall I let him in?
I read the message three times before I reacted to it, before I felt my heart drop into my stomach with the weight of a brick. When Aurelia and I spoke about the wedding, his name popped up, and I knew his sudden appearance after that couldn’t be a coincidence. Aurelia must have said something to him. Must have asked him to come.
I just couldn’t believe he’d actually done it.
