He stays staring out the window, back straight, shoulders squared.[]
“Look at me?“]
He turns. “You need to go,” he whispers.]
“Why? I don’t
I don’t understand. We had the most incredible night?” “I know.” His haunted eyes hold mine.
“Then why?
“Because I can’t give you what you want, much less what you deserve.”
Chapter 24
“It’s okay.” I take his hand in mine and lift it to kiss his fingertips. “We can work out this dating thing together.” I smile softly.
“I can’t marry you.“1
1.frown. “Well, we just got together.” I chuckle. “Who knows what will happen?“||
“I know.” His jaw ticks as it clenches, his eyes hold mine. “I am to marry an Italian girl.“]
“What?” I drop his hand.
“My heritage is very important to me. It is expected that I deliver a strong bloodline, my children’s first language to be Italian.” He thinks for a moment before adding. I need an Italian wife.“]
Is step back from him, the sting from his words cuts like a knife.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “1…” He pauses. “There is no excuse for my selfishness last night.“||
“It’s the twenty–first century, Gabriel. Why would you think that you need to marry an Italian?” I snap as my anger rears her ugly head. “Because I want to, Violet,” he snaps. “Because I want to.” His silhouette blurs.
“So… last night…” I screw up my face in tears. “Meant nothing?”
“It meant everything,” he whispers, his nostrils flare. “It was a gift that
we gave to ourselves. One that I will hold dear forever.” He pushes the hair back from my forehead. “You will never be forgotten.“]
to
And I feel it coming, the pain, like a tidal wave, as my heart shatters into a million pieces. I turn and march up the hall the bedroom. I rush into the bathroom and see my clothes folded neatly on the chair, and I put my hands over my mouth and sob. When he folded these….he knew.[]
He knew that we never stood a chance, all along. He knew.
I thought resigning had given us a solution to our problem, but I had no idea what was really going on in his head.[]
He doesn’t care at all, he never did.]
My god.
I’m such a lovesick fool.
I just need to get the hell away from him.]
I throw on my dress and shoes and rattle through my handbag for a pair of sunglasses. I put them on and walk back out.]
His eyes hold mine. “Violet…” he whispers as he reaches for me.
“Don’t fucking touch me.” I whisper. I march to the elevator and push the button.
ind me, unsure if I’m about to take a swing at him.
jen and we ride to the basement
silence.
gether.” I smile
on he can’t see my tears, but the lump in my throat hurts so bad as I try to hold them in.[]
parking lot, he strides in front, and I follow him as pieces of my heart drop onto the concrete like
cy car
and the lights flash twice as he pushes the button. I don’t even know what kind of car it is,
language to be
as my anger rears
in silence, and I pray to god that he’s going to change his mind once we get there.
are meant to be together.
: curb outside my building, and we sit in silence.]
e.“]
“Don’t hate me.”
ng on a full meltdown. “Goodbye, Gabriel.” “Goodbye,” he whispers.]
hrough the tears, but I know I need to get the hell out of this car before I start to beg for his love, I
ou will never be
door and as I walk up the steps, I hear his sports car roar up the road, he didn’t even wait until I got
ap up the hall to
Ich over my mouth
the foyer and into the elevator. After the best night of my life came the worst day in history. He’s
last box onto the truck and pulls the door down. That’s the last of it.”
heud licad
mille tomorrow?” he says.
rk from the truck. “Drive safe.
truck pulls out into the traffic and I look up the road.]
lays Ince Gabriel dropped me home, and for some reason, I thought he’d come back. In the back of my
it back bat was going to be a fairy tale romance, where the hero comes back at the last second to declare his love.
Dew out the night after we were together.[]
I know this because I checked his email that confirmed the flight. The next day he changed the passwords to everything. pushing the finality of our situation home.
I get a vision of him in Italy with all of those beautiful Italian women and my heart twists, he’s probably looking for his future wife right now that’s if he doesn’t already know who it is.]
Of course he knows, she’s not me.[]
about first thing in the
I drag myself back up to my apartment to start the final cleanup. I’m staying in a hotel and fly morning.
I can’t cry anymore, there are no tears left.
My heart is an empty vessel, broken beyond repair. And the worst part is that I miss him.
I miss him so bad that I can hardly breathe.
And I want to hate him, but I can’t even do that right.]
I look around my apartment and there are a few odds and ends on the floor, my red clutch purse is sitting on the counter. the mover found it under the cushion on my lounge when they were moving it.
I walk over
er and throw it into my suitcase. I’ve packed a bag of clothes to get me through the next few days. It clunks as it hits the side, what’s in there that’s hard? 1 pick it up and look inside to see the black box with silk ribbon. “Gabriel’s pen.” With all the heartbreaking. I completely forgot all about this. I quickly undo the ribbon. “Maybe he had it engraved.” I open the box and frown, there’s another felt box. I open that and gasp. I take it out and my eyes widen, it’s a diamond tennis bracelet. He bought me a diamond.
Not one diamond, but an entire bracelet.]
His words come back to me; I’ll only ever buy a diamond for someone I love.[]
“What?” I whisper. “The hell?”
There’s a small card underneath and I take it out of the envelope.]
To my Violet.
Forever yours.[]
Gabriel
XO
I screw up my face in tears as I hold the bracelet to my chest, he loved me.]
In his own messed up way, he loved me.
Six weeks later.
Greenville is new, different to New York. I’ve met a few people and have taken my time unpacking, trying to find a new normal
I still suffer from my affliction; I miss him every day.
I haven’t spoken a word to Gabriel Ferrara, he never called, and I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him now, even if I wanted to.]
He broke something between us that can’t be repaired.]
I wear my diamond bracelet all the time, I will never take it
It is my
most prized possession, and as messed up as it is, knowing that he did care makes me feel a little better.
I hope he suffers too,
I sit on the side of my bathtub and stare at the stick in my hand.
“Please be negative, please be negative.”
I’m late, and I shouldn’t be because I was on the pill.]
With my heart in my throat, I watch as two lines light up, and I put my hand over my mouth in shock.]
No…it can’t be.]
I do another test and get the same result.]
Oh my god….no, this can’t be happening.||
How? I was on I
How? I was on the pill. My mind rolls over the last few months.[]
Oh…the antibiotics for my sore throat, was that 117
It has to be.]
Gabriel’s words from that morning come back to me, loud and clear.
It was a gift that we gave to ourselves.
Did he know?
clear.
I put my hand over my stomach and look down at myself a baby.[]
What the…]
I’m having his baby.[]
