‘You chose to think the worst,’ Lazzaro pointed out.
‘So do you…’ It was the hardest thing she’d ever said, offering a fact that was only based on her feeling. ‘Lazzaro, surely it’s something we should talk about—?’
‘Not today.’ He silenced her with a kiss. ‘Let’s just enjoy today.’
There were only a few hours till they headed back to Australia—and though she’d braced herself for coldness, for distance between them, it was anything but. And once breakfast was over, he’d suggested they spend the day wandering Rome.
They stopped in tiny cafés, where Caitlyn practised her appalling Italian and Lazzaro winced in apology at the waiters. She took her camera out at every turn. She ate chestnuts out of the bag, and, even though they were possibly the most disgusting thing she had ever tasted, somehow she finished the lot.
‘You should get a memento…’ Lazzaro was steering her towards shops with names that were more likely to be represented by fakes in her wardrobe. But even though she’d probably rue it later, even though her friends would never understand, and even though they were the most glamorous she’d ever seen, the boutiques around Piazza di Spagna held little interest for Caitlyn—even when Lazzaro prompted her to choose a bag, ‘or shoes, or whatever it is that women like.’
‘I like walking.’
So they did—moving away from the shops to the Spanish Steps themselves, where Caitlyn, just a little bit shy, pulled out her camera again and asked Lazzaro to take her photo. Blushing, she shook her head when a cheerful tourist offered to take the camera and take a photo of the two of them.
‘Thank you, but no…’
‘Why not?’ Lazzaro laughed at her blush as they walked on. ‘Don’t you want to remember us together today?’
She would always remember today—with or without a photo—would always remember walking around the most stunning of cities with the most stunning of men. Would always remember the thrill of the feel of his hand slipping into hers. For a little while they were just another couple—another pair of lovers wandering the streets talking about nothing and everything, watching the world go by—and for today at least it was a nicer world with the other there.
She didn’t need her tourist guide to know they were at the Trevi Fountain—didn’t need to ask what Lazzaro was doing when he rummaged in his pocket and offered her a coin.
‘You know the saying…’ His hand was absolutely steady as he offered her the coin. ‘If you throw in a coin, it is guaranteed you will be back—take it.’
Only she didn’t know if she wanted to.
No matter how beautiful the city was, it could never be as beautiful as it was today—and Caitlyn truly didn’t know if she wanted to come back if it wasn’t with him. She wanted to remember it just as it was.
Oh, today they were fine, between the sheets they were fine—when it was just them, just the two of them and nothing else came close, then there was nothing better—only somehow she knew it couldn’t last. Their world was a fragile bubble that somehow couldn’t survive the elements.
‘Take it.’
And finally she did—watched as it sank to the bottom and joined a million other wishes—closed her eyes as he put his arm around her—leant on him for just a little while longer—tried to convince herself they were really okay—that the little bit they had was enough to sustain them in the real world….
CHAPTER TEN
THEYdid have enough to sustain them.
As long as they were careful—as they long as they weren’t greedy and lived solely in the moment—didn’t look at the past or glimpse the future. As long as he made love to her at night and kissed her in the morning—as long as they didn’t address the issues—then they were okay.
‘Hi, Mum!’ Sitting at her desk a week after they returned, Caitlyn couldn’t keep the happiness from her voice. But she checked it a touch as the thought of her mother’s problems brought her rapidly back down to earth. ‘How are things?’
‘Great!’ Her unusually effusive responsive had Caitlyn frowning.