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“Really?”
“Yes. I hate it too. I hate what it could mean for me. I hate that someone could take you away from me. The things I feel for you run deep, Delaney. They always have,” I admit to her.
“Do you love me?”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Love is when you can’t live without the other person. When all you can think about is them. You want them by your side no matter what. You need them like you need the air to breathe,” she speaks softly with tears in her eyes. What the hell does that mean? Did she love someone? Who? She couldn’t possibly have loved anyone without me knowing.
“Why do you think that’s what love is?”
“Because it is.”
“And you know from experience?” I ask her needing to know who the hell she’s talking about.
“Yes,” she says as tears fall down her cheeks. If she tells me she loved Cody, I will lose it. I will lose my shit.
“Who, Delaney,” I demand in a harsh tone. She cocks her head to the side to look at me as if I’m crazy, and maybe I am. Maybe I took away her love for that man.
“You.” Her words slam into me like a fist to the chest. She loves me? After all I’ve done to her? After all the things I’ve done to hurt her? This is how she feels about me? I open my mouth, but I don’t know what to say.
“For the first time in my life, I’m at a loss for words.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I didn’t realize you cared about me in that way.”
“Are you kidding me? As much as I wanted to hate you, I couldn’t, Luka. We were kids when we fell in love. We didn’t know what it was, but it was always there, wasn’t it?”
“If that’s what this is, then yes. It’s always been there.”
“And you feel it too?”
“Yes,Bellissima. I do.” Tears stream down her cheeks as I take another drink of my wine. I don’t know what’s happening here. I don’t know how the tides have turned in my favor. And I sure as hell don’t know when I started loving her, but here we are. I always knew that I cared deeply for Delaney but love? I never knew that was what I was feeling. And now I can’t imagine not loving her.
“I think you’ve come a long way, Luka.”
“From what?”
“The kid you were. I’ve seen you grow and change over the years. I’ve seen a different side of you, but I’ve always seen the caring in your eyes, making me wonder about you.”
“Wonder what?”
“How one man could hold so much hate inside him and yet love me.”
“You knew I loved you?” she nods, swiping at the tears that cling to her cheeks.
“I think I’ve always known.” I nod once, unsure of what to say to her. Maybe I’ve always loved her too and didn’t realize it. I’d burn the world to ash if that’s what she wanted me to do, and I’d do it happily.
“Are you ready to go out tonight?”
“You really want to go out?”
“You’ve never been to Italy. I want to show you around,” I tell her.
“I forgot you’ve been here.”
“Several times. And I think it’s a beautiful place. You should enjoy it while we’re here.” She nods her head, and heat spreads through my chest. Delaney’s finally coming around to doing things with me while we’re here, and I couldn’t be happier because I know once we’re home, everything will change. Hell, her feelings for me will probably change. I can hope and pray they don’t, but things aren’t going to be easy once we return.
