Page 114 of Burn for You

I let out a chuckle. “No, I wouldn’t have.”

“I can see that she challenges you. In a good way.”

I nod, because I don’t know what’s left to say.

I know, Marisol.

I think she’s the one.

I’m in love with her.

I’m in love with her and I don’t know how to tell her.

“Leo came to the house today,” she says, switching the topic again.

“Did he now?”

“God, he looks different. I haven’t seen him since we were teenagers. I barely recognized him in Sorrento, and now, seeing him up close…” She shakes her head.

“Yeah, well, he’s still just as much of a dick now as he was then.”

Her grin widens. “That’s not hard to believe.” Marisol rests her head on my shoulder, and I realize my stomach hasn’t dipped since we’ve been sitting here. We haven’t sorted everything out yet, not even close. We still have a lot to talk about, but as I take a deep breath, I feel like this is a good enough place as any to start.

chapter thirty-nine

RAFAEL

“I can’t believeI’m standing next to the Rafael Deo in his kitchen.”

My face pulls into a confused frown. “Nico, you’ve stood next to me a lot of times now.”

“Yeah, but not in your kitchen!”

“Yes, you did.”

“Well, yeah, but it was shut down for renovations. It wasn't like this! You didn't have your coat on!”

Gianna snorts from where she stands on the other side of the serving line. “Careful, Nico. Don’t stand too close. Sometimes when it gets busy, he starts getting sweaty, and you don’t want to be around when that happens.”

I swat the hand towel at her, pulling a small laugh from her. It makes one creep up my own face.

“I don’t think I told you how much I love the new look,” she says.

I look up and around the restaurant. It truly looks like it was always supposed to be like this. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

“I meant you. I don’t know if it’s the restaurant, or the girl who made out with you in front of everyone at the opening, but it’s nice to have you back, boss.” She smiles as she walks off.

Something pulls at my chest. I didn’t realize it was quite that obvious, that feeling inside of me, or more like the lack of a certain feeling, a certain heaviness. I feel like I’ve been walking around with a spring in my step, my chest feeling lighter lately.

“She’s right,” Nico says from beside me. “You’ve definitely been frowning less.” I frown over at him, and he just breaks out into a cackle. This time I don’t even try to hold in the smile that slips onto my face.

Nico is working as my sous chef tonight, he’s only got a week left here, and then I don’t know where he goes from here.

“So, what are you doing after this?”

“Hm?” His focus is fully on the Bolognese he’s mixing up beside me.

“What's next for you?”

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