Page 87 of Crazed

His face stays neutral, but the blue in his eyes swirls like a twister gaining speed. He doesn't answer me.

"Massimo?"

He deeply inhales then pecks me on the lips. In a cautious voice, he suggests, "Maybe we should never come back to New York."

I stare at him, surprised he would ever leave the city. Massimo thrives in New York. Anywhere we go, he makes heads turn. Being around him, especially on his arm, is like an injection of energy. I blurt out, "You love New York. It's your home."

"What if you were my home?"

I hold my breath, blinking hard again, attempting to harden my expression so I don't lose it. I reply, "What do you mean?"

Several moments pass. My heart feels like it's going to explode out of my chest. Massimo keeps his cool expression on his face, responding, "I don't know. We're happy together, aren't we?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Okay. So we could go anywhere. Escape all this chaos."

My stomach flips. "What chaos? Did something happen with your family?"

An expression I'm unsure about crosses his face. He sniffs hard then smiles. He traces my lips with his thumb. "Nothing happened. Just thinking out loud."

I tilt my head. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

He nods. "Yep. I guess I'm in la-la land. You can't be on vacation forever, right?"

A mix of relief and sadness fills me. I'd run away with Massimo in a heartbeat if I could have a guarantee Leo wouldn't hunt me down. But I know that's not possible. If Massimo told Alicia we were leaving, then Leo definitely will know. Yet a new thought appears.Maybe it is possible to disappear.I question, "Does Alicia know where we're going?"

"Yeah. I told her. Stop worrying about work," he orders.

All my hope dissolves. I look away and blink as hard as possible to stop the disappointment from flowing down my cheeks.

I'm never escaping Leo.

Massimo and I will never be able to be together.

I'll have to betray him.

"Katiya, what's going on?" Massimo asks, moving my chin toward him.

I breathe through my emotions and shake my head, fibbing, "Nothing is wrong. Thank you for talking with Alicia. This is going to be an amazing adventure. I love you." As I say the words, I cringe inside. My heart belongs to Massimo. But what kind of cruel person hurts the person they love?

He pecks me on the lips. "I love you, too, dolce."

There's a ding, and the pilot says over the loudspeaker, "Please buckle up. We're ready to start our journey."

I give Massimo another kiss and slide off his lap. We fasten our belts, and the jet moves forward.

Different nerves expand in my gut. I put my hand over my belly.

Massimo leans into my ear. "Are you a nervous flyer?"

"I've never flown before," I admit, then bite my lip.

He arches his eyebrows. "Never?"

Heat creeps into my cheeks. "No."

"Wow."

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