Chapter 72 - Seventy Two

'I fell for you the very night I met you.'

She stood silently gazing into his eyes after hearing his confession not knowing how to proceed. 

"Wha—," she cleared her throat, "really?' She found that hard to believe. His behaviour never gave away any of his feelings.

"Yes." He sincerely answered. "I do not know what it was, whether it was how you trusted me to protect you or the eyes I found staring back at me with hope."

What? That's what made him fall for me?

"I am not finished yet," he said looking at her facial expressions. She was doubtful of his answer.

"Oh, sorry," she gave him a go on gesture. She seemed to interested in this and that was something Angelo hated. Talking about emotions and feeling.

They happened. What was there to discuss about them?

"You look surprised when I told you what I fell for but trust me when you live a life where the expression of people is fear, surprise or... I don't know but they know that death is coming. Your expressions made me want to protect you.

"You could have done that from afar.," she mumbled. "You didn't have to chuck me up out of nowhere and then uproot my whole life because you felt the need to protect me." She whispered. Her voice was firm, his eyes were accusing, she was showing all of those feelings that she felt and within the boundaries of reflecting set by him. She had learned and now she was careful.

"I know and I'm sorry." He apologized.

"What did you just say?" Aghast by that, she wanted it to hear it again.

"You know what I just said," he countered.

"I know I just wanted to hear it again." She confessed.

"Well, I am not repeating it."

"Why not?" She frowned. "You know that you did all of that to me and you just admitted it. What is the harm of repeating it? You have already admitted guilt."

Angelo did say anything. He just silently stared into her eyes trying to make a decision.

"Fine," he eventually relented. "I apologize for everything I did to you but do I not regret it." He admitted. "You were going to end up with me anyway, I just accelerated the process."

Alexis did not say anything. She wanted to previously but look at how that turned out to be. He again had ended this in a threatening statement. Her mind mimicked what he had said just now.

'You would end up with me anyway.'

'I just accelerated it.'

Bloody son of a b—, damm, Isabelle was not a bitch.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

"Alright," she sighed. Maybe she was not ready for this talk. But then again, nothing could ever make her ready for this talk. Anything said could never justify what he had done.

"How about we leave it?" She offered. "We can talk about it some other time." She turned around to leave and have h follow on the pursuit.

"I want to say this though," he stopped her by grabbing her arm. Turning her around he looked into her eyes, "I don't regret it because I wanted it to be with you. I never wanted to regret it or have you hurt in any way so I did what I had to. I became harsh with you so that you knew and never crossed the line which would have you killed."

"I love you and I will give you everything. But everything I want is with you."

Alexis heard every word of his. She didn't know what to say and what was she to say anyway? Nothing could ever rectify any of this.

So she did what she could this of.

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. A simple kiss and told him that she was over it.

She wasn't but forgive but not forget was a motto to live by.

Pulling back she smiled at him. "Wanna take a walk?"

Smiling, he answered, "I'd love to."

************

They were driving again. Well, this time Angelo was not. He had passed the keys to the man and now he was drinking them to the restaurant.

Alexis had wanted another glass of wine but Angelo told her that the hotel would have the same wine.

He confessed.

And if these were anywhere near normal she would have blushed and squealed.

But right now these felt like an excuse. An excuse for everything that he had done which did not sound pleasing at all.

She never wanted to talk about it again. It seemed like she was running away from her problems but she was not. She was simply avoiding it and there was a difference.

"You all right?" He asked. "You seem to be thinking hard about something."

She looked at him and he looked concerned. "I am fine," she smiled, shaking her head to rid of the remaining thoughts on the matter. "Just reminiscing about the monuments."

"Ah, they were beautiful." He smiled.

He knew that she was thinking about what he had said or rather how he had out his words to use.

He let it go. She did not have to understand everything. He was there for that.

He got out of the car when the man parked it. He didn't wait for him to open it and when forward to open his wife's door. Taking her hand in his, he led her straight into the restaurant where a woman stood and let them straight to the table he had reserved for him.

Everyone was aware of who he was.

"Here are your menus. A waiter will be here shortly to take your orders." She smiled down on them. Professionalism reeked from her.

"Actually," Angelo took the menu from Alexis's hand and handed both of them to the waitress. "The chef knows what I want for tonight. Bring wine first."

"Yes, of course," she nodded in respect and then walked away.

"Ho—when did you think about all of this?" She asked him, leaning back into the chair.

"Yesterday, today." He answered.

"All alone?" She raised an eyebrow with doubt.

"Yes," he looked into her eye and answer back.

His tone was defensive.

"Be honest with me who help you?" She asked again with a smile on her face.

"My mother did." He revealed. "She is a hopeless romantic." He said with a grimace. 

"You say that as if it's a bad thing?" She frowned yet there was a smile on her face.

"The life we live had guns and action in it. There's no romance for us because we don't hope for seeing each other every time we come home."

The waiter came and placed the bottle of wine on the table and poured in into the glasses.

After he left, Angelo continued, "Every day, when we wake up to another day, is a luxury. A delay from death because it will eventually. So we live but don't love it. Yet at times we find it."

"..and you don't let go." She completed his sentence. "Like you did with me."

"Correct." He smiled. "You are getting a hand of it."

"Why thank you," She smiled and took a sip.

"And you can complete my sentences already. How fortunate to kidnap the woman I love and who turned out to be my soulmate." He teased.

"Okay buddy, that's a bit far now." She pointed at him. "Too far and too soon." 

"Is it?"

"Yes," she said firmly but broke into a smile at the end.

"I enjoyed it." She lazily told him. "I didn't think that you would make such efforts for me."

"That's ..."

"Hurtful?" She guessed with a cringe.

"No." He denied. "Quite understandable actually."

"I have never made any such efforts for anything. Even for a deal, I wanted."

"Now I feel special." She smiled. And what a beautiful view it was.

The waiter came in again and he placed down five to six plates of dishes.

"Here; Caprese Salad with Pesto Sauce, Panzanella, Bruschetta, Focaccia Bread, Pasta Carbonara, Margherita Pizza, Mushroom Risotto, Pasta Con Pomodoro E Basilico. Enjoy your meal." He walked away.

"Angelo," Alexis looked wide-eyed at the table. "I can't eat this much!" She exclaimed.

"And it's not all for you," he replied. "Back in the states, you must have tasted these. Once or twice but this is from Italian hands. You should try all of these."

And she did.

Alexis ate every dish heartedly. She enjoyed it thoroughly. The flavours would dance in her mouth and her tongue would want to taste more.

And by the end, she was stuffed. So he had to carry her to the bedroom. The restaurant we as a part of the hotel.

"I can't believe it," she said lying under the stars as Angelo had arranged a mattress outside. "It's so unreal."

Looking at her as she looked up at the sky, he agreed.. "yes, it is."