I ran a hand through my hair. “I hope you’re right,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.
Lucio paused, as though considering something. “You sure you’re okay being out there alone?”
“I will be. Thanks for picking up, Luc.”
“You’re my brother. I’ll always be by your side,” he said, and I could hear the raw honesty in his tone.
After saying goodbye, I slipped my phone into my pocket, releasing a breath. The stillness of the night wrapped around me, the ancient buildings casting long shadows in the dim street lights. I let my gaze wander over the arched windows, the cobbled streets, and the faint hum of distant traffic mingling with the scent of espresso lingering in the air.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I stepped forward and felt my shoulder brush against someone. I staggered back, blinking in surprise.
I caught a glimpse of her before I even registered my own footsteps slowing.Nina. The name slipped from my lips in a breath, a whisper that barely reached her. She stood there, dressed down in sweatpants and a cropped top, her hair pinned up hastily. She looked tired, drawn. And most of all, she was beautiful.
“Nina.”
She froze, her eyes locking onto mine with a mix of shock and something colder, something hardened.
“Ronan,” she said, and the word sliced through me, flat and hollow.
She turned to leave, her movements brisk, but instinct took over, and my hand reached out, catching her arm, pulling her back.
“I—I…” Words stumbled on my tongue. Her gaze was like ice, yet all I could think of was how to make her stay. “I’m proud ofyou,” I whispered, barely louder than a breath.
Of all the things I could say, that wasn’t what I’d planned. But it was what came out.
What the fuck was I doing?
Her eyes narrowed, her shock shifting to a guarded glare. “What?”
I swallowed, my voice stronger this time. “Your show… everything. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, her voice edged with restraint, her eyes never lingering or meeting mine.
“Nina, I’m—” I tried to find words that might touch her, reach through those five years, but she pulled her arm free, stepping back as if to put as much space between us as possible.
“I’m not doing this, Ronan.” Her voice cracked, laced with exhaustion and something sharper—pain, maybe, or the ghost of it.
“Please—”
“Please,what?” Her voice rose, and there was anger now, rising like a wave. “Five years of nothing. No calls, no messages. Just… silence.” She shook her head, her eyes glassy and fierce. “You walk back in, spending millions for my fashion show, expecting… what?”
I could only look at her, feeling each word like a stone sinking into my chest. “I had to,” I said, voice raw. “I had to leave, Nina.”
She scoffed, turning away, her shoulders squared. “Youchoseto leave. Youchoseto break my heart. Youchoseto ruin us.”
I stood there, her stare forcing me to swallow the words caught in my throat. She looked at me like she was staring at a stranger—a cold, unyielding stare I’d brought upon myself.
“Nina,” I began, the word barely a breath. “I’m… I’m sorry.” It sounded empty even as I said it, but I couldn’t think of anything else, any words that would undo the pain I’d left her with. “I know I don’t deserve anything from you. I don’t expect… I don’texpect forgiveness.”
She laughed then, a sharp, bitter sound that cut through me. “Forgiveness? That’s what you’re asking for?” She took a step back, her arms crossing over herself, like she needed to protect herself from whatever I’d say next. “Do you have any idea what that heartbreak did to me?!”
I clenched my fists, my gaze falling to the ground, unable to face the anger and hurt blazing in her eyes. “No, I don’t. I mean… I can’t. I… Fuck.” My voice was rough, cracking under the weight of my guilt. “I made a mistake. I know I hurt you, Nina. I know I don’t deserve even this—standing here, talking to you. I know I don’t.”
Her eyes narrowed, that guarded, distant look hardening even more. “Youdon’tget to say that now! Youdon’tget to come here and just… admit to hurting me, like that makes it better!”
“It doesn’t make it better.” The words left me hollow. “I know I don’t get to walk back in and expect anything from you… closure, kindness… nothing. You have every right to hate me.”
She blinked, something vulnerable flashing in her eyes before her expression closed off again. “I used to tell myself it would be easier if I hated you, but hate would mean I didn’t… forget it.” Her voice wavered, her jaw tight as she fought to keep her composure.
