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“I did what I needed to do. And I’d do it again.”
“But that’s the thing—you don’t need to do anything else. The crisis has been averted. We can now go back to our lives.”
“Elena, please don’t do this.”
“I can’t continue to live a lie. If we can’t fully and honestly communicate with each other, we can’t have a healthy marriage.”
“Listen, I’m sorry about not telling you about my family’s financial crisis as soon as I learned about it. But thanks to you, we have a plan in place to get us through this rough patch. I just came from talking to my father, Annabelle and Grayson. We are going to contract with Fo Shizzle Cafés for as much produce as they can take. And we spoke with Demetrius, who was able to give us a date for when the royal family will start taking on new contracts again. He said ours would be the first they considered.”
Elena shook her head. “You’re still not hearing me. I’m not talking about business.”
“But I reached out to my family for help. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Partly. But you still won’t let anyone know how you feel.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “And how do you want me to resolve that?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure it can be resolved. That’s why I’m going back to Paris in the morning.”
“You mean alone?”
“Yes. It’s best for everyone.”
Again, there was a coolness to her words. Her voice was almost monotone, and he noticed how her gaze didn’t quite meet his. He felt like she was blocking him out—like he was suddenly a stranger to her. And he didn’t like it. Not one little bit.
He wanted his Elena back—the person who made him laugh, who was full of emotion and tenderness. This aloofness wasn’t like her.
And then it dawned on him that this was how it must have been for Elena to deal with him all this time. It was as if he suddenly truly understood what his efforts to protect himself had done to those around him.
“Elena, I am sorry for blocking you out. I was afraid. Afraid of losing you from my life, whether it be an unexpected death or indifference or something else. I’m not afraid to love you anymore.”
She stood there much like a statue. She didn’t say anything. In fact, she didn’t react at all. Hadn’t she heard him?
“Elena, I love you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SHE’D HEARD HIM.
She’d tried not to, but his words penetrated her heart.
She didn’t react right away, because she was still processing this information. It was a lot to take in. And they had to get this right.
Elena lifted her chin. “Are you saying all this because you now feel that you have something to offer?”
“What?”
“The deal with the lemon grove. Are you willing to take a risk on us because you want your child to grow up on the DiSalvo estate?”
“No. No. No. Didn’t you hear me? I love you. I know it took a long time for me to get it all straight, but I’m here now, asking you to forgive me. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I never meant to hurt you.”
Her heart fluttered. These were the words she’d been longing to hear for so very long. A tear splashed onto her cheek. She swiped it away.
Luca got down on one knee and took her hand in his. “I did this once and I meant it, but I didn’t get it exactly right, so I’d like a do-over. Is that all right?”
She nodded as a smile pulled at her lips. At last, the wall around his heart had crumbled. Her heart pounded with love and joy.
“Elena, I love you. If I am honest with myself, I’ve always loved you. When something good happens, you’re the first person I think of to tell. If something bad happens, you’re the one I want to share my troubles. Yours is the last face I want to see at night and the first in the morning. I want to spend the rest of my days showing you just how much I love you. Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
