Page 201 of Valentino

22 months later.

ANNA

“This is delicious.” Emilio smiles across the table.

“It is.” I continue to cut into my steak.

“Do you realize what tonight is?” he asks.

“Umm.” I rack my brain. “Saturday night?”

“It’s our fourth date.”

“Ah.” I force a smile. “That’s great.” I continue eating in silence. But it isn’t great, it’s as far from great as it could possibly be.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Emilio is smart and handsome and everything I ever wanted in a man.

But he’ll never be Valentino.

And if I were a normal human being that would be a good thing, but as the months tick by and still my heart belongs to him it has become very apparent that I’m nothing more than a masochist.

Carlo is in prison for life, that’s if he lives that long. There have been many attempts on his life, he’s now under protection in there.

But I know it’s just a matter of time before they get him.

And by they, I mean Ferrara.

He never tried to contact me ever again, and I didn’t want him to. But damn it, it hurts to know that I threw away Val’s trust for someone who never gave a damn about me.

Back then, I wanted to believe that I was the doing the right thing and protecting both men.

But one of those men is a murderer, I know that now for certain.

If only I knew it then.

I wish I had a time machine, so I could go back and do it again. Make the right decisions and do the right things. Ones that made me happy.

Instead, I live alone on the other side of Italy to all of my family, because if I go back it will be with my tail between my legs. And I can’t think of anything worse than sharing air with Valentino Leone.

He’s dead to me….

Let me rephrase that, he should be dead to me…. Instead, he’s alive and well and in my every dream.

My heart remembers what I want to forget.

I wish I hated him half as much as I hate myself for still loving him.

After all this time, even when absent…. He lingers.

26 months later.

“Are you excited to see all of your friends tonight?” Mom asks.

“I am.” I smile as I put my earring on.

A complete lie, I don’t even want to go, let alone be excited about it.