Page 154 of Matteo

“I'm going to Soave. Now.”

Now?

My breath catches in my throat. I set down my wineglass with trembling fingers, afraid I’m going to drop it.

He's leaving.

He stands up and grabs his phone.

“Goodbye, Elizabeth,” he murmurs quietly, before walking away.

None of the others realize what's happening, and why should they? The couples are laughing and chattering and enjoying their meal. I sit there, momentarily stunned. The words don’t make sense. Around me, the reception continues as though nothing has happened. Someone laughs. Chatter fills the air. Glasses clink. I hear the sound of cutlery on plates. Candlelight flickers softly.

And in all this, my world is collapsing.

Nobody notices.

He can’t leave. Not like this. I push back my chair so hard that it nearly topples over, and I rush after him, my heart thrashing against my ribs. Panic claws my insides with every step.

This feels worse than an argument.

It feels final.

I catch up to him near the edge of the terrace. He looks devastatingly handsome in his black blazer, dark jeans and fitted black shirt. The sea breeze lifts his hair as he turns towards me, breaking my heart all over again.

“You're leaving? B-but you said—” My voice cracks.

“I changed my mind.”

He can't bear to spend another moment with me. The rejection feels like a whip against my face.

“But you said—”

“Doesn't matter what I said before. Things have changed.”

Things have changed.

His words slice through me.

He’s breaking up with me. I almost grab his wrist. Almost, but I manage to find my dignity and resist.

“I can’t stay here any longer. The wedding’s been great, and everything. Please give Vlad my—”

“Do you have to go right now?”

He gives me a look that makes me shiver. A look filled with loathing.

“I do, as it happens.”

He's leaving me because he believes the lies. Because whatever we had wasn't enough for him to trust me.

“Please, Matteo. Please don't do this. I'll explain everything.”

I place my hands on his chest, desperate enough to beg. Desperate enough to stop caring about my pride.

He flinches, and my heart cracks a little more.

I'll tell him everything. Every ugly, embarrassing piece of my past. And if he tells his father and I lose my job, so be it.