Page 81 of Bianchi

Chapter 53

Aurora

Brown wingtip shoes appear in my line of sight, and a hand lands on my back, rubbing in soothing circles. Immediately, I know it’s not Romeo. I’d know it down to my core if he was touching me. Hell, I’m so aware of him that I’d have known if he was in this house.

Daniele crouches in front of me, worry flooding his hazel eyes as they search mine. “Aurora?”

Standing straight, I squeeze my eyes shut and pivot away from him. If he’s going to tell me that Romeo’s gone, I don’t want to hear it. I can’t handle that. Shouldn’t I have felt him leaving, like I did with my mom?

Daniele follows me as I move toward the still open front door. His hand comes to rest on my shoulder as he forces me to face him. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

Shrugging him off, I cry out, a gut-wrenching pain ripping the words from my lips. “Why did you leave him?” Pointing to my chest, I shout, “I need him, Daniele.” Pain seeps out of every inch of my body, and I wrap my arms around my waist to keep myself together.

Solid warm arms pull me in, the act giving me the safety to let go. Daniele rubs his hand up and down the center of my back. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, Aurora. We didn’t leave him. He’s okay, he’s here.”

Pulling away, my eyes bounce around his face, searching for the truth. I want to believe him, but if that’s the case, then why isn’t Romeo holding me? My voice is hoarse when I demand, “Where?”

Daniele’s grip on my shoulders tightens a fraction. “He’s in the rose garden.” When I make to leave, he holds me still as a somberness coats his features. “It was a tough one, Aurora. We lost some good men. It always hits him hard and he just needs a moment to himself.”

I won’t disturb him, but I just need to see for myself that he’s really okay. Tugging free of Daniele’s grip, I brush past him as I race through the house and out into the garden, ignoring the throbbing in my thigh. I’m sure Doc didn’t envisage me running when he said I could get back to my ‘normal’ activities.

My lungs burn as I pound across the lawn and the harsh wind stings my eyes, making them water as I push through the pain. It’s only when I can see his stoic figure in the rose garden, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he looks out over the rolling hills, that I slow down. I approach him gently, like he’s a wild animal that I might scare away. My eyes catalog every inch of his back, taking in the stiff set of his shoulders and the dirt covering his jacket.

God, I’m so glad he’s okay.

Blowing out a relieved breath, I continue toward him. My body is drawn to him like a magnet, closing the distance between us. My sneakers crunch on the gravel and he looks over his shoulder at me, a streak of blood on his cheek. Without thinking about it, I step up to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my body into his back. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the hotness behind my lids to ease up.

I could have lost him.

“I thought you’d…” I choke on the words, a whimper leaving my lips as I cry softly into the fabric of his jacket.

Romeo rests his hand on mine. For a moment, his thumb smooths back and forth before he breaks the clasp of my hands. He turns to face me, cupping my cheek as he offers me a small, sad smile. “Mia amato.”

Never have two words sounded so loaded. There’s a wealth of hurt and apology in them. He drops his chin to his chest; the motion filled with defeat, and when he lifts his dark blue eyes back to mine, there’s a cocktail of acceptance and resignation swirling in the depths.

“I’m so sorry, amore mia.” He brushes his thumb over my cheek before dropping his hand and leaving me bereft. “We should have had this conversation a long time ago. I found the notes, and it wasn’t until I read them that I truly understood what you were willing to sacrifice for me. I’ve never had a love like that, Aurora.” He pauses, sucking in a breath and forcing out his next words. “It pains me to say this, but I’m giving you back your freedom. If letting you go is the sacrifice I have to make for you to live, and I mean truly live, then I’ll do it. You deserve so much more than what I can give you.”

His eyes grow glassy before he looks away from me and stares off in the distance, a muscle working in his jaw.

I jab my finger in his chest as I scream, “No!” The force of the word gets lost in the swirling wind.

Romeo crowds me, bringing his hand up to cover mine, flatting my palm against his chest. His warmth seeps into me, the steady beating of his heart a reassurance I didn’t know I needed.

Sadness hangs over us like a dark cloud and he closes his eyes before opening them and staring down at me. The emotion that was swirling in them is gone and his shutters are in place. “Just walk away, Aurora. Please.”

Turning away from him, I take three steps before I spin to face him again. He’s not looking at me, his focus on the flower bed closest to him. My words come out hoarse as I scream, “I can’t fucking walk away from you because I love you.” Emotion clings to my words as I continue, “Even after what you did—leaving me with those monsters—I can’t let you go. Despite everything that’s happened and how much I’ve tried to hate you, my heart always seeks you out.”

Shaking his head, he scrubs a hand over his jaw and walks through the gap between two flower beds. When he turns toward me, he shrugs. “It would be better for you to just walk away, Aurora.”

“And I’m telling you that I can’t.” My voice cracks, the weight of my emotions consuming me.

Romeo takes a deep breath before blowing it out. “You need to leave. I promise that you’ll be safe wherever you decide to go. We’re hunting her down and she won’t be able to hurt you again. You have my word.”

A breeze blows through the garden, lifting the strands of my hair and whipping them around. I wrap my arms around my waist as a shiver runs down my spine. There’s something heavy in the air, patiently waiting for a realization to dawn on us. “You hurt me far worse than they ever could when you told them to keep me, and yet, I can’t…” My voice breaks, clogged with emotion before I clear it and continue, “I don’t want to let you go.”

He’s the one.

“Letting you go is the last thing I want to do, mia amato. I don’t want to live another moment without you, but I won’t hold you prisoner. I won’t take away your freedom or your choices. If you stay with me, it has to be because you are choosing to.”

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