AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What happened?”
“Marina was growing more and more resentful. Depressed. She said she’d make me sorry for tossing her aside like a useless doll. For the life of me, I didn’t think she’d take things that far.”
No wonder the man behaved like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“The more she threatened, the less I listened. I thought she meant she was getting ready to leave me.” Vito rubbed his eyes. She couldn’t be sure in the dark, but she thought she saw his hand shaking. “I’m ashamed to say that didn’t bother me as much as it should have. I felt maybe a divorce wouldn’t be such a bad idea, given how bad things had become.”
“But that wasn’t what she meant, was it?”
“That’s just it, cara. I don’t know for certain. I’ll never know what she meant.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She stormed out one afternoon, said she was heading to visit her parents on the Amalfi Coast. I didn’t hear from her for a whole week.” He sucked in a deep breath. “And I never bothered to call and check on her.”
“Oh, Vito.” Maya felt the sting of tears in her eyes; the anguish pouring from Vito was nearly tangible.
“I got a phone call late one night that she’d lost control of her car while driving along the cliffs in Sorrento. I hadn’t so much as spoken to her in days.”
Maya wanted desperately to comfort him, to find a way to console him. But she knew there weren’t any words to address what he was going through and the guilt he still dealt with even after more than three years.
Nothing she could say would make a difference. Not only did Vito have to contend with his wife’s death, it appeared he would always question whether or not it had indeed been an accident.
And if he had indirectly been the cause of it all.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“YOU DIDN’T HAVE to walk me back to the hotel,” Maya said softly as they reached the entrance.
Vito had spent most of the trip back from Verona trying to determine exactly what he would say to her once they reached Venice. He found himself still at a loss for words now that they’d arrived. He reached over to tug a wayward strand of hair that had fallen over Maya’s cheek before he answered. “What kind of gentleman would I be if I left you to see yourself home?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that.” She bit her bottom lip and shifted from one foot to the other. There was something on her mind. Something she was debating whether or not to voice out loud. “I’m also not sure if I should invite you upstairs.”
There it was. He’d been wondering how this particular goodbye would play out. “Would you like to?”
“Me wanting to do something doesn’t always mean it’s a good idea.”
“If you were ready to do so, it wouldn’t be such an agonizing decision.” He wouldn’t push her. The decision was hers and hers alone to make. He knew she only had one more day in Venice. Then she was off to Florence. And making her way farther out of his life. One step at a time.
A weight settled in the area of his chest at that thought. But he knew it was for the best. She needed to move on with her life. Her days in his city were nothing more than a fun getaway for her. A nice little vacation that happened to come at a time of a major upheaval in her life. No doubt the hurt she was nursing from the scoundrel who’d betrayed her was clouding her judgment. She hadn’t even had time to really process the breakup. Now that her visit to Venice was ending, Vito needed to give her the time to do just that. He had no choice but to watch her walk away. They’d both known whatever they’d enjoyed together was to be finite.
“I know I’ve said it before, but your ex-fiancé is a fool, cara.”
She blinked up at him, a wealth of emotion behind her eyes. “You can’t say things like that, Vito. Not when you’re standing here trying to figure out a way to say goodbye to me. Forever.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t it?” She blew out a deep breath and looked away, off to the side.
“You still have one more day in Venice, do you not?”
