Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Nothing is ruined, bella mia.”
Her eyes search mine. “You don’t hate me?”
My head jerks back. “No,” I rasp. “Never.”
Her mouth trembles, and I lean down, pressing my mouth to her forehead before pulling her back into my embrace.
I’m sure as fuck not going to let a night from years ago come between us. Maybe I would’ve reacted differently if I had found out before Rosie was taken, but everything changed after I almost lost her.
When she stops trembling, I pull back so I can look into her eyes and say, “I love you, Rosie.”
A chuckle bursts over her lips, and finally, happiness bursts over her face, and it’s so strong it chases the shadows from her eyes.
“Are you sure?” she asks. “This isn’t because I was gone and you –”
I press my finger to her lips, stopping the rest. “I’ve always loved you, bella mia. I was just too much of a dumbass to do anything about it.” My voice turns rougher as I hold her gaze. “I was so scared of losing you that I kept myself from having you, and all I did was waste the time we should’ve had together. Losing you didn’t make me love you. It made me stop pretending I could live without you.”
Rosie starts blinking faster, and for a moment she just stares at me, then she whispers, “Oh wow. That’s romantic.”
She actually looks like she’s in shock.
When I brush my hands over her shoulders, I feel how cold she is and snap, “Get dressed right now. Something warm.” I walk to the door and add, “Then come down to the kitchen. We’ll talk some more while I make you an early dinner.”
“Okay.”
Giving her privacy, I head down to the kitchen. I stop by the island and press my hand to my chest. My eyebrows lift as the realization strikes again.
I took Rosie’s virginity.
Hold up. Rosie’s had a crush on me since she was fifteen… sixteen.
Has she even been kissed?
Chapter 25
Rosie
Well, shit, that just happened.
And it didn’t go at all how I expected it would.
Earlier, when Enzo left, I felt on edge and struggled to focus on anything Gianna was saying. Eventually, I lied and told her I was going to take a nap. I couldn’t sleep, either, and thought a shower would ease the tension in me.
I didn’t expect Enzo home so soon, but it turned out okay in the end.
Jesus, I thought my heart was going to stop dead in my chest when I saw him staring at my back. Panicking my butt off, I just blurted it all out.
Thank God, Enzo reacted the way he did, and I didn’t destroy our friendship.
Holy shit. Enzo knows I was the virgin. It’s out in the open now.
It feels as if a mountain is lifted off my shoulders, and letting out a relieved sigh, my mouth curves into a smile.
He loves me, and I don’t have to pretend it doesn’t matter. Because, boy, does it matter. This is a dream come true for me.
Dropping the towel, I quickly pull on a pair of soft sweatpants and a T-shirt. As I walk to the door, happiness, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, courses through my veins.
Okay. Deep breaths.
What do I do next?
Are we dating now?
“Well, you’re not going to get any answers standing here,” I mutter while leaving the room.
On the way down the stairs, I marvel at how well Enzo took the news. It tells me just how hard it must’ve hit him to lose me.
Rosie, the man dug through fire for you.
With his bare hands.
He also jumped off the overhead metal walkway to kill Kirill.
If that doesn’t show you how much you mean to him, nothing will.
It’s only as those thoughts flit through my mind that I realize Enzo really loves me, and it fills my heart with so much warmth I can barely contain it.
As soon as I see him in the kitchen, I try to walk faster, and when he notices and darts toward me, I lift my arms. His body slams into mine, and he engulfs me in such a tight embrace that the air bursts from me.
I hold onto him and press my face to his neck, taking deep breaths of his scent.
We cling to each other for the longest time before Enzo pulls back and brushes his palm over the left side of my face. Feeling his rough skin, I turn my head and press a kiss to some of the scars on his palm.
“How are you holding up?” he asks, his tone deeper than usual.
My eyes meet his. “Very overwhelmed. But in a good way.”
“Come sit, bella mia.”
He pulls me toward the island, and when I take a seat on a stool, he continues making crispy honey-glazed chicken tenders, fries, and his very own homemade ranch I can dip everything in.