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They both believed they had time to do everything they’d planned. They wanted to have another child, to buy their own vineyard and start over, to watch Enzo grow up and become an adult, but they won’t be able to do any of those things now. If I were to wait until the time was perfect, I could miss out on the best thing that happened in my life.
“Touché.” Morgan shakes her head. “Now to begin the search for a new au pair.”
“Morgan!” I whisper, only loud enough for her to hear before checking over my shoulder. “Can we talk about this later?”
The last thing I want to do is scare Maya into feeling like she has to put a label on our relationship as soon as she walks out of the bathroom.
“I don’t understand what the big deal is, G. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that you’re crazy about this girl, but we hired her to take care of Enzo not as your personal sex toy.”
“Can’t she be both?” I ask as Morgan slaps me hard against the back of the head as she pushes off the couch and strides toward the door.
Morgan and I stare at each other for a few moments before she wraps her arms around me, pulling me tightly to her chest. “Don’t be an asshole, Giulio. Maya is in a foreign country and from what I know doesn’t know anyone here besides us. This might seem perfectly normal to you, but if I were her, I’d be terrified.”
“Okay, Don Juan. I’m leaving you to handle this. I’ll grab a plate of breakfast for Enzo and me before heading to the office. He can help me prep the winery for a tasting today while you figure your shit out.”
“What’s there to figure out?”
My brows pull down in confusion as I think back over everything that’s happened this morning, but I can’t think of anything out of the ordinary.
“The shower has been off for almost ten minutes and Maya is yet to come out.” She nods toward the door. “I have a feeling she overheard part of our conversation and got the wrong impression.”
My eyes widen in horror as I spin on my heels and stride toward the door and press my ear against it. It takes me a few moments, but I hear the faint sound of someone crying on the other side.
“Maya,” I croak, my heart breaking at the sound of her crying through the door.
I want to break down the door and force her to talk to me and let me explain what I meant. She is so much more to me than just someone to warm my bed, but I’m also not sure how to put into words how much she means to me without freaking her the fuck out at the same time.
I need to make sure she understands that I’m all in, that I’d get down on one knee and propose right this second if I knew she’d say yes. Every moment I’ve shared with her over the past twenty-four hours plays on repeat in my mind, as an insurmountable amount of pain fills my chest at the thought of her no longer being in my life.
“Don’t be an idiot, G. Tell her exactly how you feel before it’s too late,” Morgan whispers as I hear my bedroom door open and shut softly.
CHAPTERSEVEN
MAYA
Idon’t know how long I’ve been sitting with my back pressed against the bathroom door, alternating between soul-crushing sobs and numbness. I keep waiting for Giulio to come barging into the bathroom, begging me to listen to what he has to say, but I don’t hear a peep. He knocked once, saying nothing but my name, and then not another peep.
“I can’t believe that just happened.” I bury my face in my hands and sob, trying to make sense of the last hour of my life.
Everything was perfect when we woke up this morning. I was wrapped in his arms, feeling safe. Loved. Protected. And in blissful ignorance of the pain that was about to overtake my entire body. I thought I meant something to him, that he was falling in love with me the same as I was with him, but it was nothing but a lie. I was afraid of something like this happening the moment he asked me on a date. I’m hired help, the woman he brought from the States to help him take care of his nephew. It was just a bonus he’s attracted to me, making me the perfect person to warm his bed until he’s able to find someone better.
I bite my bottom lip to hold in the sob threatening to escape from my mouth. Pain beyond anything I could ever imagine rips through my body, but deep in my mind, I sensed this was going to happen. This isn’t a fairy tale. It’s real life. People don’t fall in love after knowing someone for twenty-four hours.
“I should’ve known this would happen,” I whisper, pushing off the floor and heading over to the mirror.
I wince in pain once I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. I tried to be careful and protect my heart from Giulio, but he broke down all my defenses, worming his way into my heart and becoming a part of me. A part that will remain broken until the day I die. Whether it had been a day or a year, the connection with Giulio was undeniable and unlike anything I’ll ever feel again. To him, it was just a game. A way to pass the time until he found someone else to occupy his attention.
I’m nothing special, I repeat in my mind as I hear the muffled voices through the door.
If someone had told me that my entire world would come shattering down before breakfast, I would have laughed in their face. But it looks like there’s a first time for everything.
Giulio
“Open the door, Maya.” I press my forehead to the door, willing her to open it and let me in.
“I don’t want to see you right now, Giulio.”
“If you don’t open this door in the next three seconds, I’m going to kick it in,” I warn.
