“But he lied, Gretchen.”I sniffle.“How can I get over that?”
The cab yanks to the right, coming to a stop.I pass the driver my card with tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Luca brought something out in you, Jem.This trip would never have happened if he hadn’t set things in motion.I think this is the most romantic story I’ve ever heard.”
The driver passes me my card, and as I’m tucking it into my wallet, he swings the door open for me.“For what it’s worth, I believe in second chances,” the driver says, with sympathy coating his vibrant teal eyes.“Plus, it sounds like someone up there wants you together.”A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he tilts his head back, eyes tracing an invisible line to the clouds.
I nod, offering a half-grin.
“See?Even that guy knows it, Jemma,” Gretchen says, pulling me back to our conversation.“So, what are you going to do?”she presses.
“I don’t know.Everything is an absolute mess,” I respond.“He’s a liar.I wish he could understand how much he hurt me.I trusted him.”
“Jemma, I’m so sorry.”
My body tightens.The words I hear don’t belong to the lecturing voice coming through the phone.I shift on my feet in one quick motion, spinning around, my tulle skirt flapping in the wintery breeze.
“Is that Luca?”Gretchen shouts in my ear.
The gorgeous specimen of a man who first caught my attention at the airport is standing on the sidewalk, tears building in his frosty blue eyes, making them shimmer under the night sky.He takes a shy step forward, arm reaching toward me.
I pull back, unsure.
“I didn’t expect to fall in love.”The words fall softly from his mouth.
My hand with my phone drops heavy to my side, weighing like an anchor, tethering me to his revelation.
“Y-you love me?”I stammer, my emotions whirling.
“Of course I do.I know I should have told you everything from the start.I wanted to.I really did, but things got out of hand.There was never a good time.I was falling for you hard and knew if I told you, you’d react—well, like this.”He softly chuckles.“I know it’s no excuse, but everything with my dad and my sister had my head all out of sorts.But one thing I do know is that I love you, Jemma Jones.”
“She loves you too.”I hear Gretchen screeching from the device that’s gripped tightly in my right hand.
I drag the phone back to my mouth.“I’m going to have to call you back, Gretch.”I don’t wait for a response before hanging up and slipping my phone into my purse.
“So, you love me?”I taunt.
A wide grin cracks over Luca’s stupidly handsome face.“You know I do.”
“But you lied to me,” my voice wobbles.
He takes a step closer, reaching for my hands.He clutches them tightly.“I can never regret what I did because it brought us together, but I’ll spend forever making it up to you if that’s what it takes.”He pulls me tight against his chest.“I’ve waited my whole life to find you, Jemma.You’re my person, and I think the universe knew that.We were bound to find each other one way or another.You can’t deny that.”
Hot tears roll down my cold cheeks.
Luca reaches up, runs his finger under my eye, wiping them away.“I never meant to hurt you.You must believe that.”
I study his frosty blue eyes, the eyes that captured me the moment we met.He’s telling the truth.
“I love you, Jemma with a J,” he whispers into my ear, his breath warm against my skin.“I love how brave, funny, and smart you are.I love that you fidget when you’re nervous.I love how stubborn you can be.I love everything about you.”
A joyful smile breaks across my face, sending a warmth to my heart.“Je t’aime aussi, Luca.I love you too.”
ChapterThirty
JEMMA
“It’s finally snowing,” I exclaim, twirling around Luca as we stroll along the Seine, the Eiffel Tower emerging as a frosted silhouette against the dusky sky.
