I reach for a washcloth, but Gio takes it from my hands. “Here. Let me.” He scrubs the blood off my feet. “I never wanted you to see what happened,Donnina.”
“But I did.”
“Don’t let it hurt your kind heart.”
I don’t say anything else. I just let him wash me. I could fall asleep right now. His touch is comforting, not asking anything of me.
He runs soap through my hair as my head falls back. “You can stay in here, but I am going to bring you some clothes. Will you be all right?”
How many times is he going to ask me that?“Yeah.”
I stay under the water for a couple more minutes before I shut it off. I step out, looking down at my feet. I don’t think the memory of today will ever leave my mind.
I look back up and see Gio holding up a towel for me.“Sei bello.”
He wraps the towel around me, and I fall into his chest, my head caving to the heat that is Giovanni Genovese.
I walk out of the bathroom and find a pair of boxers and a black T-shirt on the edge of his bed.
“You don’t have to stay here,amore mio. When you’re ready.”
I nod, taking the clothes from him, and slowly walk out of the room. I want to stay, but I don’t think I am ready to be his completely.
28NINA
The smell of bacon and eggs fills the air as the morning light shines in my eyes. The door is cracked open, so Gio must have checked up on me during the night.
It was hard to fall asleep after what happened. I stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours as I tried to figure out the meaning behind his words. If he really wanted me, why didn’t he just have his way with me?
My phone is plugged in on the bedside table. I have three missed calls from my sister, probably worrying her ass off. I find her contact number and call her back. The line rings a couple times before she finally picks up.
“Finally! Are you alive?”
I laugh into my phone. “Yes, I am.”
“Okay, good.” Ana sighs. “Well, how is it?”
“He has a really nice place. But things are kind of strange around here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, a lot happened yesterday, and I just don’t know what to think anymore. I don’t know. I don’t want to put all this on you. I just wanted to call and let you know that I’m okay, but I have to go now.”
“Let’s talk soon?”
“For sure. Maybe we can get coffee tomorrow morning.”
I hang up and get out of the bed. I open the door slowly and peer around the corner.
Gio is standing in the kitchen, cooking.
The place is a lot lighter with the natural light falling through the windows.
“There’s coffee.”
His words make me stop. The man has great hearing.
He is wearing suit pants but no shirt. I really like the look on him.