“Good morning,” I say with a tight smile.
He smiles back. “Good morning, ma’am.”
Ma’am? That’s new.
I walk into the church and find the dressing room. My dress, a beautiful sleeveless gown with a long train, hangs on a hook next to a full-length mirror. I look like a mess, but in a couple of hours, I’ll be beautiful.
I toss my purse on a side table and walk to a mirror, ready to get started.
A knock sounds on the door, and I startle. I spin toward the door and put a hand over my heart. It’s probably just Paolo.
“Come in.”
The door opens, and my heart stops. I let my hand fall to my side, and my lips part.
Settimo steps into the room, a bouquet of red roses in hand. He smiles, but it has a nervous tic to it.
“What are you…” I clear my throat when it clogs. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Hello to you too.”
Settimo walks farther into the room, leaving the door open behind him. He comes up to me, and I take a step back.
He holds out the roses to me, and I don’t move to take them.
“You never took the other bouquet, so I thought I’d try again.” His voice is a little shaky, and it’s beyond strange to see him this way. So nervous.
I take the flowers and set them on the sink behind me, next to a mountain of makeup. I spin to face him and concentrate on breathing as quietly and evenly as possible so he doesn’t know what he’s doing to me.
“Thanks for the wedding gift… Seriously, Settimo, you need to leave. Do you have any idea how disrespectful this looks? It’s myweddingday. How many of those guys outside saw you come in here?”
“All of them. They’re my guys.”
I open my mouth then close it, squinting at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve been here for a while, waiting in the sanctuary.”
“Why?”
He swallows and touches my face, and I recoil. He lowers his hand, and I swear I watch his heart break.
“You told me this was over.Yesterday. You can’t just show up in my life when it’s convenient for you and kick me out when you’re—”
“I know. Alex, I…” He reaches out to me again but puts his hand back down. “I know. I fucked up and I never should’ve talked to you like I did yesterday. I was just…” He takes a breath and dips his gaze, taking in all of me before meeting my eyes again. “I was scared.”
“Scared?” I scoff, but I don’t mean it. My insides are melting as I hang on to his words.
I love you. Fuck, I love you so much it hurts.
Settimo nods. “I was afraid this thing with us would go too far and I wouldn’t be able to dig myself out of it… You’re not Italian.” He lowers his gaze, and now I realize what he’s looking at. My stomach. “Our child won’t be full blood Italian.”
“I’d say you dug yourself out of it just fine.”
“No,” he says, his gaze shooting back to my face. “I didn’t.”
I open my mouth, but he takes my face in his hands and it pulls my breath from me. I don’t pull away this time, and he steps forward so we’re inches apart. “I am so sorry I ever cared about your blood, Alex.Sofucking sorry. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. I don’t care about any expectations that may get in the way of us, and I never will again.”
I turn away, and he pulls back.