AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If he had lived, would you be alive?”
“I don’t know.”
“Which means that if you survived whatever horrors he had in mind, you probably wouldn’t have.”
“Enzo,” I say, hesitating momentarily, my heart pounding. “I can’t make sense of it.” My voice trembles, and I look down at my plate, ashamed of my actions.
“Look at me,” Enzo urges. I lift my gaze to meet his, finding kindness in the intensity of his eyes. “Eventually, you will. Give it time.”
“I hope you’re right,” I mutter, my voice barely audible.
A sharp pang of realization hits me as I watch Enzo across the table, his broad shoulders filling out the T-shirt he changed into. I study his strong hands effortlessly holding the wine glass and know that I can’t stay in the city and run into him and whatever Mafia princess he ends up marrying.
“What are you thinking?”
I ignore the ache in my chest and shake my head. “Everything. Nothing.”
“Is that woman speak for none of my business?”
“My mind resembles this plate of pasta. It’s jumbled up, and the last thing I want to do is try and untangle it.”
He holds my gaze. “Thefamigliais my life, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to make you a part of it too.”
I trace a tattoed letter on his finger. “I can’t recommend the odds of something like that working out.”
“I don’t need good odds.” He squeezes my fingers. “My will of steel is more than enough.”
“Okay, Superman.”
“It’s good that you finally recognize my superpowers.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “You saved my life and will always be my superhero…no matter where I end up.”
“We. End up.” He leans forward and presses our heads together. “Got to use the correct pronoun so God knows what you’re thinking. You and me…we’re gonna find a way.”
The weight of his promise hangs in the air like a fragile thread connecting our lives. My romantic soul wants to believe him, to trust that he’ll find a solution to the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. “I want to say something sharp and witty so I don’t have to deal with what’s happening between us.”
He lifts our joined hands and kisses my knuckles. “Retreating behind a wall of wit isn’t going to change anything.”
“But it might make it easier to handle.”
I press my face into his arm. “I’ve loved getting to know you…and will undoubtedly think of you long after you’ve forgotten me.”
“How will I forget the woman who lies beside me night after night?”
I don’t bother protesting since he seems invested in the fantasy of the Bianchis accepting me. I swallow my emotions and take comfort in the fact that I can see the future clearly. Before too long, I will be nothing but a distant memory to him.
“Abby—”
I kiss him firmly so he won’t make promises he can’t keep. “I should go.”
“Not yet.” He lifts me into his arms and strides down a short hallway. “We need to celebrate that you are alive.”
I press my face into his shoulder and decide to take one last moment of joy. No matter how fleeting.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Enzo
