“It's because you believed in me that I could finally do it,” she said, following his lead and taking a step closer to him.
“I will always believe in you, push you to follow your dreams,” Alex said with that husky tone she loved.
“I want that, too. I’m so sorry I hurt you,”she whispered.
Bridging the last few steps between them, Alex grabbed her by her waist and swung her around, making her giggle loudly. Her feet dangled helplessly below her.
Whispering in her ear, he said, “I'm yours, Aria. My heart has always been yours. From the first day I saw you reading in the courtyard at school, you had my heart.”
Pulling back to look her in the eyes, his were deep pools of love and emotion. He kissed her passionately, their breath and heart mingling as one.
They lost all sense of where they were as the kiss deepened, but she was sure she heard someone gasp.
Alex sat her feet on the ground before he ran his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head.
“I’ve dreamed of doing this for months,” he said.
The intensity of the kiss had Aria reeling.
It wasn't until the sound of applause brought them back to reality that they let go of each other. Startled, they suddenly remembered that they were still in the middle of the cafe.
Susanna leaned over to her husband and said loudly, “Itoldyou, Louis. When those two ran into each other a few months ago, you could have seen the sparks from space.”
Louis nodded and kissed his wife’s cheek. “You were right, amore.”
Aria buried her face in Alex's chest, embarrassed but happy. She was home.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Leavingthe cafe with his arm snugly around Aria's shoulders, Alex led them out into the street, waving to the crowd in the cafe who had just been given quite a show.
Aria’s cheeks were still crimson red.
“Don’t be shy, cara mia. I want the whole world to know you're mine. Cancel everything you have the next few days. I'm not letting you out of my sight.”
They walked to a nearby seaside cafe, knowing they couldn't eat at the cafe after that spectacle. After finding a quiet table and ordering, Alex held her hand and kissed her palm.
“Tell me everything,” he said gleefully.
Moving her fingers along his jaw, Aria leaned in for a quick kiss on his lips before sitting back and speaking.
“At first, I was devastated. I still believe I did the right thing for both of us in the end, but those first few weeks were painful. But when I wasn’t annoying Santo, I was writing. Have you been to Madrid? It’s an amazing city.”
“I have and you’re right. I didn’t spend a lot of time there, but I remember the architecture was spectacular.”
Rolling her eyes, she answered, “Yes, I had to watch him geek out about it every time we went sightseeing. But itwasbeautiful. I spent a lot of time outdoors and wrote for hours every day. I could see my journal entries were becoming a cohesive story before I left, but something significant and wonderful shifted in me while there.”
Frowning, he asked, “You realized you didn’t need me in your life?”
Reaching for his hand and taking it in both of hers, she answered, “No, no, Alex. That’s not why I left. I realized that I neededmein my life. Does that make sense?”
“I think so.”
Pulling her chair closer to him, she continued, “You knew what you wanted to do back in university once you were introduced to photography. Honestly, I did as well. Nicholas didn’t and never would have kept me from writing, from my passion, but there was a silent understanding that it would have to wait.”
“So, you pursued his dream.”
Nodding her head, she said, “Well, at the time it wasourdream, so it felt right. But I recently discovered there had been resentment building for years. Feelings I pushed down and was ashamed to admit I felt.”
