Page 69 of Daring Enzo

His face contorts and his eyes darken. He’s visibly upset. I brace myself for a barrage of hurtful words. I had hurt him so he would want to hurt me back. No. Instead, his face lightens, and he sighs once, although the hurt remains fixed on his face.

“Okay, if I wanted a relationship, would you be okay to have one now?” he asks boldly.

His question catches me off guard. It wasn’t what I had expected him to say when he opened his mouth. Not the Enzo I knew.

“I am not sure, we can try,” I answer truthfully, my heart beating fast in my chest. Is this what I think it is?

“I want to be a good father to our son and an excellent partner to you."If you give me a chance, I will prove it to you." His honesty shines through the simple words; yet, it’s difficult for me to trust him after all has happened.

I nod and utter, “Okay.”

“Okay?” He cannot believe I have agreed to take another chance on him. The excitement is evident in his gaze although he keeps calm. There’s still a sadness to him, however, brought on by the amazing revelation.

“Alright!” he stands up. “I am leaving for now, to process what I have learned so far. I can't wait to date you again. what do you say ”

*****

"Enzo called me," Alessia says, her voice heavy with emotion. "Hearing how heartbroken he was just broke me too. It's going to take him some time to get over this. What hit him harder was he thought Michael knew, yet kept it from him. I hurried to clear the air, though—it was hard to convince him, but Michael was clueless about the baby." She pauses, her face disappearing from the screen for a moment as she collects her thoughts.

"When I told him Michael didn't know, he seemed a bit relieved. And though he was shattered, he understood why I hid the truth. He said he would've never sought help or let me go if he'd known about the baby back then. Surprisingly, he wasn't as upset as I feared. It seems he's more inclined to move forward rather than dwell on what happened. Part of me feels guilty, yet it also reassures me that keeping this secret was the right thing. We both know how he would've reacted three years ago."

I can't help but wince. "Alessia, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess. I didn't expect Enzo to turn up; I couldn't keep lying to him, so I told him the truth."

She waves away my apology as I stand up to tuck my baby into the crib. "Honestly, it's okay. Our talk was long overdue, and it helped a lot. Your lie, in a weird way, pushed him to seek the help he desperately needed. I should be thanking you. It might sound like I'm making excuses for him, but Enzo has genuinely changed for the better. He has every reason to be angry, but he's handling it with such maturity. Now that you both are working on yourselves, maybe your relationship will come out stronger in the end."

I nod, agreeing with her. “I understand exactly what you’re trying to say, Alessia. Honestly, I’m looking forward to the date and have high hopes, despite my doubts.”

Jenna snorts from beside me. “Normally, I would be the one against this, outlining reasons it is a bad idea, and yet, even I can’t think of why this shouldn’t happen. From all you’ve said, it’s clear he’s changed.”

Rachel coos, “Aw, I’m so happy for you both. I can’t believe you both found your way back to each other despite the years.”

“Well, nothing is set in stone yet. This could go wrong, and I could somehow return to running away from him,” I say, trying not to get ahead of myself, despite their reinforcement of what I’m desperately trying to believe.

“Hmm. I doubt. You’ll both go on this date and realize just how much you both miss each other… you’re better off together than apart and you’ll live happily ever after,” Louisa offers, sipping on her alcoholic beverage.

I look at the screen filled with the faces of the women who have been here for me through everything and smile gratefully.

“Thanks, guys. You’ve all been so wonderful through this.”

“Anytime, Kelly.” they all reply, laughing at their collective responses. I join in, suddenly feeling light and happy.

“Alright, I only have a few hours until the ‘date’. It’s time you guys help me pick a dress. How about this one…”

The girls and I talk for a few minutes before I hang up the call. I hurry into the bathroom and sit in front of the mirror, looking at my face. It’s been a long time since I’ve dressed up, and I’m a bit nervous.

Relax. This is Enzo you’re going out with. You’ve been on multiple dates.

I puff my shoulders repeatedly before running through my makeup routine, just as Jenna comes in the room with Camillo in hand.

“Are you doing alright?” she asks.

I sigh, setting down the brush. “Just a little nervous, I guess. It’ll take more than just words to fix what is broken.”

She nods in agreement. “Yes, it will. I meant it when I said I can’t think of a reason this shouldn’t happen. You have come a long way from the way you were, and so has he. I’m proud of the progress you’ve made, and I know everything will work out fine. Now, go on your date and fix whatever needs fixing so you both can go back to being the sexy couple you were – albeit improved. Camillo and I will be here waiting to hear about everything when you return. I’m sure the rest of the girls will be on their phones, expecting your call as well.”

I laugh, losing a bit of the tension in my shoulders. “Thanks, Jenna, for everything. You and the girls have been wonderful. And thanks for agreeing to babysit.”

“Of course,” she says, batting off my apology. “You deserve to have some fun after years of just being a single mom. Besides, every time spent with Camillo is fun for me.”

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