Page 93 of Rivals
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s like he’s holding back the words he knows are the truth, yet he doesn’t want to say them because it would ruin the night. “Yeah, it probably was.”
The waiter returned with two more plates and a square of tiramisu. I’ve never had it before, but when in Rome.
We gobbled it down, and after we paid the bill, I used the new word I learned today. “Grazie,” I say, albeit poorly.
The waiter grins. “Si, si.”
I yawn as Lachlan and I walk down the street. I’ve seen a few signs, and it looks like we are close to the Trevi Fountain. “Should we go see it?” Lachlan asks.
“Sure,” I say, despite the exhaustion of the day weighing heavy on me. I ignore the feeling because I am way too excited to see it. We walk to the fountain as the sun begins to set. I realize how massive it really is as we come up to it. Oceanus stands proudly in the center of the fountain, flanked by figures and the sea horses that pull his chariot.
We spot a few people tossing coins into the fountain near the edge. It’s quiet this evening, and we easily reach the front of the fountain. Lachlan pulls out his phone and holds it up for a selfie. “We need pictures.” I smile. I never want to forget the time I spent with him. I stare at his profile and his beautiful, wide smile. He’s right. At this moment, I do feel happy. It wasn’t just the wine. “Should we throw a euro in?” he asks, turning his face to mine.
My throat feels dry, and I kind of want to plunge my face into the water. I think it’s clean enough. “Yeah,” I rasp. He digs in his pocket, hands me a coin, and gets one for himself. “I think we are supposed to make a wish. Or, the old tradition is if you throw it in, you want to come back to Rome.” Lachlan tosses the coin into the water.
“If you are like this when we are in Rome, then I will live here.” I still glance at him. He’s entirely serious, and there is not an ounce of sarcasm in his expression.
“I don’t think it’s Rome,” I mumble and toss the coin. I made a wish anyway. I doubt it’ll come true, but there is a tiny seed of hope in my gut that it will.
Lachlan grabs my hand, and we stare at the fountain. I know he’s loving it because of the magnitude of the sculptures. If he could climb up to study it, I know he would. He drags me to either side of the feature and tilts his head as he leans forward. It’s truly a stunning piece of art, but I keep looking at Lachlan instead. I like watching him study something he loves. His eyebrows are furrowed, and his eyes trace every line of the stone waves, the tritons, the figures, and Oceanus. It’s dark now, and for the first time in a long time, I’m comfortable in the dark. Maybe it’s because we are thousands of miles away from where I was attacked, but I think it’s because I feel safe here with Lachlan.
“Are you ready?” he asks. His eyes meet mine, and in the dim light, I swear they spark to life as he takes me in. He leads the way back in the direction we came. Most businesses are closed, but there are alleys and smaller streets off to the side that have activity. A little restaurant and a guitar player sit outside amongst the little tables. Some are sitting and listening, while others slowly dance to the music.
The guitarist plucks his strings, and it stirs something in me. I pull Lachlan down the street. “Dance with me?” I ask him.
He smiles. “Sure, baby.” His hand goes to my lower back, and my hand is clasped into his as he spins us slowly. I step closer to him so there’s little space between us. The ice around my heart begins to melt.
He grins and kisses my forehead. His lips linger briefly, and I close my eyes to soak it in. We dance and dance until my feet start to hurt, and there are only a few couples left. One is talking quietly with their glasses of wine and heads close together.
“Do you want to go home?” he asks.
“I do,” I sigh.
When we return to our apartment, I stand in the dark for a moment. The fatigue hits me in a wave, and the bed calls me. Lachlan’s hand slides around my hip as he steps around to my front. I tilt my head up, and he grasps the back of my neck with his thumb at my pulse, controlling the kiss. I can taste the words on his tongue as they glide against mine. I stand on my tip toes and wrap my arms around his neck. Pulling away, I take a deep breath, and he grabs my chin. Our teeth click, and the kiss turns sloppy and desperate. I feel his hands back on my hips, and he lifts me into the air. I wrap my legs around his waist without a second thought.
He carries us to the couch and sits down, so I’m straddling him. His arms wrap around my ribs, and I tilt my head back, giving him more access. He doesn’t hesitate and takes every bit of it. The heat grows between us, and I bite back a moan as he trails his lips up my neck to the shell of my ear. He groans, and his hips jerk against mine. Owning my desire for him, I trail my hands through his hair and gasp when he bites my lower lip. I pull back, and his longing is bright and consuming as it tears into my gaze.
“As much as I would like to continue this,” he says, pecking my lips, “I know we are both tired, and we have to be up soon.”
I nod and rub my thumb against his growing beard. “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep?” I ask him. He shrugs. “I like this,” I say while drawing circles on his beard.
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you want me to keep it?” he asks. I don’t know why something so silly or trivial would make it click, but it does. I know if I asked him to shave it off, he would. If I asked him to keep it, he would. I think I finally believe him. I finally believe his actions are not trivial. He is showing me wholeheartedly what I mean to him, and now I can finally see it.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Ok.” He smiles and kisses me again. “Let’s get ready for bed. I’m beat,” he says softly. I nod, trying to hold back the tears that want to come. He may give himself to me completely, but I’ve failed him in return. Iwantto give him my heart, but self-preservation tells me to hold it close. Because no one will care for it but yourself.
Chapter 56
Lachlan
Neitherofuswantedto get up this morning, but there was a light buzz of excitement in the air because we were about to see the art that has changed the world. Our first stop is the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The era of the Roman Empire is in ruins but still intact. It may not be High Renaissance art, but the architecture has stood the test of time and is certainly something to be inspired by.
I grabbed coffee for us at the store for the Moka pot I found in the cabinet because I knew Revna would want some. I even found little espresso cups to pour it in.
