She searched my face. “Are you going to be okay?”
I nodded, though the ache of missing my parents lingered. “Iwill. I just… miss them.”
“I understand,” she said softly. “If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
“I know,” I whispered, “That means more than you’ll ever know.
We lingered in the quiet, neither of us wanting to break the moment. I brushed a stray curl from her face, my fingers lingering at the side of her jaw. Her breath caught, and I could feel the electricity between us, soft but undeniable.
I kissed her gently, and she returned it, a little longer this time, her lips warm and insistent. When we pulled back, our foreheads rested together, breaths mingling.
“Goodnight,tesoro,” I murmured, my voice husky with emotion.
“Goodnight,bello,” she whispered, her eyes shimmering. “Thank you… for today.”
“Thank you for being here,” I said, my thumb brushing her cheek. I couldn’t let go yet, even as the moment demanded it.
Finally, I watched her step inside and lock her door, my hand lingering in the air where hers had been. The day replayed in my mind—the laughter, the warmth, the closeness—and contentment settled over me as I drove to my hotel.
I changed into comfortable clothes and collapsed onto the bed. Before sleep took me, I pulled out the picture of her from my wallet—a candid shot of her laughing. A swell of love and gratitude filled me.
“I got my heart back,” I whispered to the empty room. “I’ll never lose her again.”
Chapter Forty-nine
NINA
Present Day
ITALY
Sleep eluded me.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, memories swirling in my mind.
With a sigh, I threw off the covers and slipped out of bed, the sunlight casting a yellowish glow across the room. I made my way to the closet, knowing exactly what I was looking for.
In the corner, beneath a stack of old sketches and forgotten dreams, was a small, ornate box. My fingers brushed over its delicate carvings before lifting the lid to reveal a single photograph. The edges were worn from the countless times I hadtaken it out, stared at it, and tried to decipher the maze of my feelings.
In the picture, Ronan and I stood together, caught in unguarded joy. Taken on our first trip to Lake Como, the backdrop was shimmering waters and lush greenery. We were younger then, untouched by the complexities that would later shadow our relationship.
I sat down on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest, and let the strains of “Fix You” by Coldplay drift through my mind, each word resonating with my emotions.
I closed my eyes, the lyrics unraveling memories I had carefully tucked away. I thought of the good times—the laughter we shared, the adventures we embarked on, and the dreams we whispered to each other in the dead of night. I remembered how Ronan would look at me with an intensity that made me feel like the center of his universe.
How he still looks at me.
Lights will guide you home,
And ignite your bones,
And I will try to fix you.
But with the good came the bad. I remembered the arguments that left me feeling hollow, the misunderstandings that built walls between us, and the nights I cried myself to sleep, wondering if we would ever find our way back to each other.
And high up above or down below,
When you’re too in love to let it go.
