“Okay.”
“You okay?”
“I’m on edge. I feel we should be helping my brother.”
“We’re all working on it the best we can and if we win the war for him, he’ll never be respected. That’s how it goes.”
“It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“True.”
Massimo parks on a narrow side street in Pranzano with narrow streets and only local residents out and about. We walk towards the butcher shop and it’s in the early afternoon when we arrive.
Motorcycles are racing through the hills as the motors hum in down shift and whine in high gear. A row of them come through the town, slower due to the pedestrians and then they rev the engines into high gear as they roll out of town.
Walking through the center we pass by a monument of a blue cow and then the butcher shop that has a charcuterie board out and tiny cups of wine for sampling.
Massimo waves at Dario, who is always talking to someone as he wears his apron and oversees his workers. We walk through the store to the restaurant that is equipped for lunch. We get the last table on the rooftop with plexiglass to break the wind coming in from the hills.
The view is amazing. We order wine and calamari before our beef burgers arrive, the ones he’s famous for aside from his upscale restaurant across the street.
“This is divine,” I mumble after my first bite.
“Yes, it is, so are you.”
I can’t trust my ears. He tells me I’m beautiful, but he never mentions love.
“Mm.” I pretend I’m occupied with my food.
We drink wine and finish our burgers when he suggests we take a walk. He slips his hand in mine and we make our way through the town to the church at the end of the street. On the way back, we pause to overlook the scenic view down into a valley below us that is a vineyard in winter and the sun peaks out as if on cue.
I look up to Massimo, and he’s holding a small box in his hand.
“I should have given this to you before.” He pulls out a ring and takes my hand to slide it on.
I want to pull my hand away however that would be rude. I don’t want to piss him off.
“Why bother? I don’t need a ring.”
“You’re mine, I even had it inscribed inside the band with our names.”
“You bought me, but you can’t buy my heart Massimo.”
The ring is on my finger, gorgeous, matching the necklace he gave me. But the magic is broken. I was a fool to think he’d fall in love with me. I might be a principessa and someone can pay for me, but it doesn’t mean he owns me. He needs to learn the difference even if it comes at the cost of my lonely heart.
We return to the car and I storm past him and climb into the SUV with Savio and Micro. They look confused, but don’t ask any questions other than what music I want, and if I need anything.
We arrive homeand it’s late so I drink plenty of water and go to bed with the TV on. Massimo arrives late and smells of alcohol. I pretend to sleep.
“Remember, you have your interview at the hospital tomorrow, and Micro will take you. Savio and I have work to do.”
“Fine.”
It’s the first time we haven’t touched since we first slept together.
27
Valentina