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A cry of anguish tore from her throat before she could stop it. There was nothing more to say, no way she could respond to all the things he’d just said to her. So, he saw her as nothing more than a weakling who’d spent her life trying to appease others. He had no idea. He had no right to make such judgments about her.
She’d been made a fool of. Again by a man. Only this time her heart would never recover.
Maya pushed away from the table on shaky legs. She had to leave before she did something stupid like weep or grovel. She couldn’t let him see her do either.
The sooner she got out of there, the sooner she could break down.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BY THE TIME she checked into her hotel in Florence and went up to her room, close to forty-eight hours later, Maya felt as if an entire lifetime had passed since she’d left Vito’s studio. She had a voucher for a late lunch in the hotel restaurant but couldn’t summon the will to eat alone yet again. Though it was something she needed to get used to. She’d be spending the rest of this journey by herself.
He could have come with her. Instead, he’d chosen to watch her walk out of his life.
Dropping her bags in the middle of the floor, she willed herself not to cry again. This felt wrong. Totally wrong. A stunning view of the Florence skyline sat before her through her hotel window. She couldn’t enjoy it. Instead, she yanked the curtains closed and leaned her forehead against the wall.
This felt worse than the first morning she’d arrived in Venice, alone and heartbroken over a man she’d thought she’d been in love with.
How mistaken she’d been.
Now that she found herself really and truly in love with Vito Rameri, Maya realized how empty her feelings toward Matt had been in comparison. Matt had never made her insides quiver; he’d never sent desire pulsing through her whole body with a simple smile. He’d never made her want to weep with abandon at the thought that she might never see him again.
Only one man had ever made her feel that way.
And he’d asked her to leave.
The sob she’d been trying to hold in finally escaped. Vito was right. She had to admit it to herself. She’d spent her whole life making sure she never let her immediate family down. Even her decision to get engaged had been made with thoughts of how it would impact her aunt, uncle and cousins.
Maya grabbed the silly burner phone. Calling up the keypad she dialed a familiar Boston number.
But the call didn’t connect. Instead, a robotic voice came over the speaker telling her something in Italian. Maya tossed the phone aside and dropped down onto the bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark.
She had no idea what to do next. Her cell phone was useless, she was alone in a strange city and her heart was shattered. What was supposed to have been the trip of a lifetime had turned into nothing more than a source of anguish.
She had no one to blame but herself.
Maya allowed herself a good hour to wallow in sadness and self-pity. Then she sat up and grabbed the hotel phone. Pressing the button for the front desk, she waited.
A friendly female voice answered after the second ring. “Buongiorno, Signorina Talbot. How can I assist you?”
“I’d like to make an international call, please.”
Zelda’s familiar voice came on the line after a series of long beeps.
“Maya Papaya!”
The use of the silly nickname her cousins had tagged her with years ago pulled a smile from Maya’s lips. “Hey, Zeezee.”
“About time you called. Good timing, too. Lexie is here with the baby.”
Longing pulled at Maya’s heart. She’d missed them. All of them. Her aunt, uncle, Zelda and Lexie.
She missed the tiny little infant she considered her nephew more than a little cousin. A deep feeling of homesickness rushed through her core, surprising her with its sudden intensity.
“Here, I’ll put you on speaker. Say hey to Lexie. And to little Owen.”
“Hey, Lex. Hello, little O-man.”
“Hi, cuz. We miss you.”
“You can’t hear it, but he’s cooing at you, Maya.” The image made her smile even more.
“So, tell us. How is Italy treating you? Were you unable to call until now ’cause you were busy with a hot Roman lover?” Lexie asked, her voice teasing.
