“The boy long ago lost hope to find to his Angel. He thought it was a stupid idea. He refused to believe in Angels, for he believed that a monster can never have an Angel. And he was a monster.” His voice was low and gruff, almost pained.
Never once did he stop touching me while talking. And I never let go of him.
“Alessio, no.” I shook my head, trying to stop his agonizing story.
But it was impossible to stop him once he had started. He softly continued to caress my cheeks.
“But then everything changed when he found a broken girl hiding under his bed. She was dirty and so damn scared of him. But he was instantly taken by her. There was something about her that called to him and made him…feel. He hated it. He loathed the idea of feeling. He pushed until he couldn’t push anymore. He couldn’t deny the truth anymore.”
While speaking, he placed another kiss on the tip of my nose and then continued with his tale, this time taking away my breath yet again. Tears sprung in my eyes, and one single drop slid down the corner and disappeared into my hair, leaving a wet trail.
“She was the sweetest, the kindest, and so gentle. So beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was the true definition of beauty—inside and out. She was love, while he was hatred. She was kind while he was unlovable. She was sweet and gentle while he killed in cold blood and felt no remorse. She was light while he was darkness. He realized that he’d found his Angel. He couldn’t deny it any longer. Because he needed her. He couldn’t live without her. He didn’t want to imagine a world where she wasn’t in it.”
Alessio paused for what felt like the longest time, leaving the words hanging around us, our eyes connected together. We breathed together, our heart racing in unison.
Another tear spilled from my eye and ran down my cheek. Alessio caught it quickly with his lips, kissing it away. When another fell down my face, he did the same thing. Closing my eyes, I hiccupped back a sob.
“That little boy was me, Ayla,” Alessio whispered in my ear, his breath tickling me there. “And the broken girl he found under his bed, his Angel, she is you. You are my Angel.”
“I—” I started but then quickly snapped my mouth shut. I didn’t know what to say. His confession had truly left me with a mix of emotions.
I felt light, almost as if I was floating. My heart was beating as fast as the wings of a hummingbird, and it hummed just like a hummingbird. It sang with happiness and so much…love. I was filled with pure elation.
Alessio’s lips lingered on my cheeks before he slightly pulled away, looking down at me with his beautiful blue eyes. His expression was soft yet determined. “You are right. I did touch Sasha.”
I blinked away tears, my fingers digging into his shoulders painfully. He didn’t wince, not that I expected him to.
He instantly noticed my change in demeanor. He soothed me, caressing my cheeks yet again. “I touched her, but I didn’t kiss her. I touched her, but I didn’t fuck her. I didn’t do anything with Sasha.”
I only blinked up at him, confused and feeling slightly bewildered. “I’ll be blunt and honest. Yes, I was so close to fucking her. Yes, I had ripped her panties and had her bent over my desk, but no, I didn’t fuck her. I couldn’t, Ayla. You were all I could think about. You. Every single minute. All I could see were your eyes, beautiful smiles, serene expression as you played the piano and walked to the creek. All I could hear were your laughter and sweet voice.”
Alessio dragged in a harsh, deep breath before releasing it with a tired sigh. His expression was haggard, his voice filled with uncertainty and so much grief that my heart ached. It ached for his pain. “I was mad. At my father and at everything. My feelings. My weakness for you. And I was so scared. My mother died because my father loved her. An angel living in the world of the devils, and in the end, she got killed because of it. I am so fucking scared that I’ll lose you too. The mere thought of losing you drives me insane.”
“I didn’t do anything with Sasha,” he said again, his voice almost filled with ferocity as he willed me to believe him with his eyes. They begged me to see the truth. “Tell me you believe me, Ayla.”
My hands left his shoulders, but instead of pulling away, I palmed his cheeks. “I believe you,” I whispered.
I truly did. His words and face spoke honesty. It was right there for me to believe. Not once was I filled with doubt when he said he didn’t touch Sasha. If I had doubts before, it was now erased.