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Love made you stronger, but equally it made him weak.
‘Why did you make her come back?’ he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.
‘I owe you no explanation.’ I shook my head at him, starting to get riled at his questioning, but admiring his nerve in equal measure. ‘But just because you’re Serafina’s brother and are standing here, asking mesonicely, I’ll answer you. I didn’t make her come back… She came back of her own accord.’
‘She was free of here, of you. Why the fuck would I believe that?’
‘And the fact you don’t believe that, would bother me because?’ I took a step nearer to him and watched him stand himself taller on instinct.
For a few minutes, the breeze around us fell still, unable to flow freely through the middle of us. Stopped by the hate trapped amid the two of us, as we faced each other.
‘It wouldn’t bother you.’ He spoke with resignation in his voice and shrugged. ‘I hate the fact my sister, who has so much to offer, only hasyouto devote it to. She has so much to give than just this,’ he released and opened his arms up wide.
Somewhere deep down inside me I felt his pain. Feeling uncomfortable, I broke eye contact and looked down at the pink shells around my bare feet. I thought back to a time when his sister, my wife, hadn’t a care in the world. When she used to stroll on the beach to collect the same shells, and the thrill I used to get at watching her from a distance.
Her carefree attitude, her freedom and her delight had been so obvious. The lightness that surrounded her then had disappeared with the death of our only child.
More than anything I comprehended that I’d love to see it return.
I thought back to mine and Serafina’s earlier conversation. I wanted, no needed to keep her safe, because my own survival depended on it. But right that second, I knew I had to let her in. I also knew that to keep my little bird, I had to let her spread her wings and watch her fly, or I stood the chance of watching the woman I loved become a woman I didn’t recognise.
I loved?
Fuck!
‘I hear you, Dante.’ I lifted my gaze back to his and saw surprise flicker across his face, ‘but if this conversation is ever brought up again, I’ll deny it.’
He nodded at me just the once and poised himself, waiting on what I was going to say next.
‘She came back because she wants to be with me, and I will do whatever it takes to keep the sister you and…’ I paused for a second, making sure I held in what had nearly left my mouth, because if I was going to say the words out loud, she… my little bird, had to be the one to hear them first. ‘I will keep her safe and most of all I will make sure she’s happy.’
‘Well, fuck… you care for her.’ His eyes brightened, nearly matching his sister’s.
Unable to answer him, I carried on. ‘I will protect her with everything I have and am, and you Giordano can ask no more.’ I deliberately used his name to put us once again on the footing we were supposed to be on.
‘You’re right De Luca, I can’t. I will say one more thing, though. If you ever put my sister at risk or threaten my family in any way, I will hit you where it hurts.’
I couldn’t help the loud laughter that left my mouth.
Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and left to go back up to the place I’d vowed never to set foot in, the Giordano villa.
‘Yeah?’ I called out. ‘And just how would you do that?’
He never even glanced my way, and my words were left floating on the breeze around me.
In my peripheral view, I could see the small figure of Serafina hurrying quickly towards me. With all thoughts of Dante shelved, I turned and walked to meet her, ready to embrace what I knew I had to do to save us both.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
SERAFINA
Four Weeks Later
I lookedmyself over in the full length mirror that my mum and papa had given us for our wedding day.
‘Not too bad.’ I said the words out loud and laughed. ‘If only everything was as easy as buying a dress.’
I shrugged my shoulders at myself and carried on getting ready.
