by Lily Zante
“Me?” Ava moved her hands from her belly to the armrest. “Did you think that?”
“I’m happy for you. I really am,” Rona explained, wringing her hands together. “Nico’s a great guy and you couldn’t have found a more perfect guy. And everything else, the baby and the wedding, its all fallen into place for you.”
Was her sister jealous?
“All I had was the work you gave me—”
“And Tori, you have Tori, and you have Carlos too.”
“You don’t know what it’s like being married to someone who puts their work first. We see him in the morning for a while and then not until the rest of the day.”
“But he has a few days off—like most people.”
“And you have weekends!”
Not really, thought Ava. Owning your own business meant never switching off that was why Nico had forced her to come away with him. There hadn’t been much to look at regarding the infinity pools and the other treatment rooms he’d claimed he wanted her input on. He’d been smarter than that—knowing she would have made excuses not to go. But it had been the best thing for her. And of course, it had helped knowing that Rona was looking after things while she was away.
But this—this huge mess—they hadn’t foreseen this. She would have to revisit her plans about having Rona stay on and keep an eye on things while she and Nico were on honeymoon.
There was no way that Rona could stay until September. She would have to leave with Carlos, assuming Carlos calmed down.
“Did you say Lizzi’s helping out?” Now there was an idea.
“What?” Rona looked up. “Yes, Carlos wanted to spend the day with Tori and I didn’t know what to do with Lizzi. I told her she could help me for today but that I would need to run it by you.”
“It’s an excellent idea.”
Rona raised an eyebrow. “It is?”
“You can train her up. She can help out. She’s studying at university, but it doesn’t open until late September. She can help me.”
“I can train her.” Rona seemed to warm to the idea and Ava decided now was not the time to tell her that she wouldn’t need her after the wedding.
“And then?”
“And then?” Rona seemed to struggle to keep up with Ava’s train of thought. “And then I ran into him one evening, a few weeks after I got here.” She told Ava how they met a few times and then she confessed to the kiss.
Ava’s eyes widened as she stared at her sister in disbelief. “You kissed him?” Rona’s face turned red as she wrapped her arms around her body.
“He kissed me.”
“It doesn’t mean who did what to whom,” quipped Ava. “You both kissed each other and you should have known better.”
Rona looked away, as though she wanted to run out of the door. “I knew it was wrong. I knew the moment it happened that it was wrong. You could say I should have known all along. Hindsight is a good thing but when you’re in it it’s not so clear-cut. I felt he was there for me when Carlos wasn’t.”
“Carlos was in another country, working his butt off,” Ava retorted.
Rona swallowed. “I know,” she said in a small voice. “I know. You don’t understand, it sounds…” She stared at her sister. “You won’t understand.”
“I won’t understand. Ever.” Ava shook her head and let out a deep sigh. “What a mess. Two weeks before my wedding.”
“I’m sorry.”
Ava placed her palms over her face, as though the energy had drained right out of her body.
“I’m going to make it up to Carlos,” Rona insisted.
“He looks as though he doesn’t want to know you.”
“Don’t worry about me and Carlos. You have lots going on right now. And you need to have another dress fitting.”
“That’s the least of my problems,” said Ava wearily. She sank her head back into the headrest and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t even know where to start. Even if I forgot all of this,” she nodded at Rona. “There is so much to do and I need to meet with Andrea at some point.”
“At some point you’re going to have to stop working, and make it to the church for your wedding.”
“At some point, you and Carlos need to sit down and sort out your issues. Especially before Mom gets here. I don’t want this bad atmosphere between you both when she’s here. She’s not feeling the best as it is and returning to Verona is always going to be hard for her.”
“The way Carlos has been, I’m not sure we’ll be able to put on a good face in time for your wedding.”
“Try,” Ava told her.
Chapter 28
“It makes me happy to see you here before the wedding,” Nico said as they walked out. “We were under the impression that you would only be here for a few days.”
They hovered around the pergola with their hands in their pockets letting the awkwardness of the recent showdown between him and Rona seep away.
“I’ve been working too hard to take any time off.”
“Ava said.”
“I missed them being away. I missed Tori.”
“It’s been a big help having Rona around. Ava takes too much on and it has become too much for her, though she’ll never admit to it.”
“It’s been great to see how things have turned around for her this year,” offered Carlos. “You’re the best thing to happen to her.”
“No,” said Nico, “She’s the best thing to happen to me.”
Carlos grimaced. How fresh the first pangs of love were. He still felt the same way about Rona now as he had the moment he’d fallen in love with her. It had taken just a moment…no longer…but to look at them now…
Nico nodded. “It’s good to have you here, having family surround you especially with the big day approaching, it means a lot to have you here.” Carlos scratched his head then kept his hand on the back of his neck, thinking things through. He hadn’t known Nico for too long and hadn’t really spent much time with him but maybe it was easier talking to someone he didn’t know about all of this. Yet it felt uncomfortable—this, spilling his guts about his relationship. Carlos was a private man and he didn’t feel too comfortable talking about his personal problems.
“Are you worried about the big day?” he asked Nico.
“No,” Nico replied. “I just want to be married to Ava. It feels like there’s a huge stop sign in the middle of August for our wedding day but up until then and I’m sure after it, we’ll just carry on as normal. It’s full on, though and I worry about her. She’s doing too much. I knew she was passionate about her business, but she’s worse—she’s obsessed and it’s not helping her blood pressure.”
“Hers too?”
Nico nodded. “Who else?”
“Elsa.”
Nico nodded his head as though he knew. “She’s not doing too well is she? I know she tries to hide it from the girls. She puts on a brave face so as not to worry them.”
“She does,” Carlos agreed.
“The last time she came here she just—” he stopped and took a moment to collect himself, “she just fell into my arms and cried.” His voice lowered to a whisper. Carlos put his hand on Nico’s arm.
“Hang tight, man. It can’t be easy for her and I know it’s not easy for you. Ava said you and your father had a close relationship.”
“It had its ups and downs, but we were reaching this endpoint where we were coming together. Respecting each other’s decisions. I admired him. I loved him. But I don’t think I told him that as much as I should have.”
“I’m sure he already knew,” said Carlos, not wanting Nico to dwell on regret too much. “He was a man to be admired. I didn’t know him too well, or for too long, but I’ve heard stories from Ava, and Elsa and I knew he was a good man.”
Nico’s lips formed into a thin line and he looked away into the distance where Salvatore was digging into a border at the side.
“That’s the new gardener,” Nico told him.
“I know. Tori an
d I had the pleasure of introducing ourselves to him.”
Nico laughed out loud. “He’s not very friendly. He means well and I’m sure he has a good heart. He just doesn’t seem to bother too much with niceties.”
Carlos nodded. “That sums him up. Did he have a falling out with your father?”
Nico rolled his eyes. “His son and I are friends. We went to school together. They don’t live far from here and Salvatore lives a few houses down from them. He and my father were…” Nico stopped as if choosing his words carefully.
Carlos knit his brows together. “Here he comes now.”
Salvatore had turned around and seen the two men talking and now he was making his way towards them.
“It must be serious,” Nico muttered, “He usually doesn’t say a word to me.” Salvatore nodded at them both.
“You have problems with the lemon tree over there.” He pointed vaguely behind him. Carlos looked in that direction and saw a clump of trees.
“What do you suggest we do?” asked Nico. “I know nothing about lemon trees or gardening.”
Carlos snorted. “Me neither.”
Salvatore put his calloused hands on the spade that he had carried along with him. “I will try to treat it. But—” he shook his head as though this was an enormity that was out of his hands. “I don’t know if it will work.”
“You do what you need to, Salvatore and if you need anything, any…products or,” Nico looked helplessly at the man, “Or a spade, or something, you just let me or Gina or any of the other staff know. Alright?”
“I will do that.”
“How’re you finding this?” Nico gestured at the grounds.
“It keeps me busy. Two hours a day is fine.”
“That’s fine by me. Just keep this…” Nico looked around him, “Keep this as my father would have wanted it.”
“Si,” said the old man and wandered back to his work. They stood in silence and watched him.
“I’m sorry, for that fight in the parking lot. There’s blood all over the ground.”
“I’ll get maintenance to clean it up.”
“He said he’s going to sue.”
“Sounds like words to me. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Carlos wasn’t worried. He had bigger things to take care of.
Nico stared out into the distance. “Good to have you here, Carlos. Feel free to use the hotel grounds and the restaurant. If there’s anything you need at the pensione let me know.”
Carlos shook his head, he hadn’t told the man a single thing yet and it didn’t seem to matter. Nico was a perfect addition to the family.
“And anytime you need to talk or—”
Carlos nodded. “I know.”
Chapter 29
He returned to the pensione later with Tori, not wanting to wait for Rona. Rona said she needed to work longer since Ava was back and there was a lot to catch up on. Whether she had made a show of saying this to him because Ava was there in the room, or whether it was because she genuinely felt guilty, he wasn’t sure.
He wasn’t sure and he didn’t care. Except that he really did. He loved that woman despite what she’d done. His friends would be disgusted and he didn’t care.
Without knowing why or how, he knew she wouldn’t go and see that man again. He could see from the look on her face that she had regretted every moment of her indiscretion.
But nothing would take it away from him: Rona in that man’s arms, touching his lips. The pain was like a fresh knife wound, bleeding and doused in salt. He thought he had understood what pain was when Tori had her injections and screamed. But he realized now that he had no idea.
This was real pain; the feeling of deception and the idea of another man. He believed her when she’d insisted that nothing else, apart from the one kiss, had taken place. He knew his wife. She was flirtatious, and sure, she got attention, she was that type of woman. She dressed to get attention.
Maybe all along she’d wanted to be told that she was the one for him? Maybe she’d needed the constant reassurance? He never claimed to understand women—not even Rona and perhaps that was where he’d gone wrong.
Despite what he’d said to her earlier he wasn’t ready to let her walk away and he wasn’t going to give up on her. Or them. Tori needed two parents. And he needed Rona.
But first he would let her suffer some more.
By the time she’d returned from the hotel, Carlos had already put Tori to sleep. Rona walked in to find him watching a film on his laptop. He looked up at her, unsure of how to acknowledge her, and then raised his chin slightly.
“Hey,” she said and waited for his acknowledgement. There was none. So he was going to play this game, was he?
“Is Tori asleep?”
He nodded, his eyes not moving from the screen.
“Have you eaten?”
He nodded again.
“Do you talk? Or do you plan on giving me the silent treatment forever?”
He glanced up. “Until the wedding.”
“Not too long then,” she said stiffly and disappeared into the bedroom. When she didn’t come out again Carlos became curious. He didn’t want to be the one to give in but all the same, he wondered what she was up to.
When almost an hour had passed and there was still no sign of her, he got up impatiently and put his head against the bedroom door.
And heard the sound of silence. He opened the door and walked in only to find her asleep on the bed.
She looked peaceful and yet he knew these last few days had been anything but peaceful for either of them. He sensed her guilt, sensed her desire to make up but he’d wanted to make her suffer. And now he felt bad. She probably hadn’t slept much either, he thought, and walked over to the cupboard. He pulled out a blanket and spread it over her.
He walked back into the living room again and started to watch his film again but his heart and mind weren’t in it. Unable to concentrate, he decided to go to lie down, too. He hadn’t slept much either last night. Without thinking too much about it, he walked back into the bedroom and lay down alongside Rona. Not too close, not touching, but not too far either. Close enough that he could hear her breathing. Nearby in the cot Tori lay fast asleep. It had been a good day; as good as he could make it.
Maybe he’d venture into the town center at some point.
The days crawled past in a mist of awkwardness. They were civil towards one another and any attempt she’d made to talk about that incident was met with cold silence from Carlos.
His blatant avoidance to discuss the matter had left them in a state of stagnation and now she couldn’t see a way to get around the problem.
“How long do you need to simmer in your rage?” she asked one morning, as she got ready to go to work.
She was met by his solid wall of silence again. He hadn’t shouted at her, or accused her of anything further since then but she could no longer take any more of his silent treatment. It would be better to have it all out in the open—the way they usually dealt with their problems. The fact that he had now retreated into himself only told her that she’d never hurt him this badly before.
“Carlos!” she hissed, mindful that Tori lay fast asleep in the cot. He had no reaction for her but calm rage. It would have been better if he’d said something. At least he’d gotten some of his anger out when he’d hit Ruben.
The allure of being in Italy had almost worn off and she was ready to return to Denver. At least there she would have her friends to talk things over with.
Here she felt alone, as though the others were siding with Carlos and everyone was against her. Even Gina who should have remained impartial seemed to be colder towards her lately.
This would not do. “Carlos, Ava, and Nico are getting married in a week. This is crazy, the way things are between us.”
“I didn’t cause this,” he said calmly. “You did. You and that man.”
“You’re my man.”
“I wish I was.” He said, his voice peculiar. She fel
t emboldened by his reply and by the fact that he was discussing this at all. It indicated that perhaps he was beginning to thaw, even though it had taken the longest time ever.
“You hurt me.”
“I know I did and I’m sorry, and I know words aren’t enough. I will regret this forever, Carlos.” She walked over and sat down by his side of the bed.
“You know what I can’t stop thinking about?” he looked directly into her eyes then and she saw the sadness in his. Her heart stopped and she held her breath.
“I can’t stop thinking about you in his arms. It’s like I’m running some sick film in my head, you and him, him and you, his hands all over you—”
“It wasn’t like that.” She wanted to stop those words before he tortured himself with things that had never happened.
“No? Well in my head it’s much worse. I can’t help it.” He raised his voice slightly, and she cowered seeing his rage up close and in her face. He hadn’t thawed one bit and now she wondered if she’d done the unthinkable and pushed him away forever.
“He doesn’t mean anything. He was a friend, nothing more.”
“Those texts didn’t seem like friend texts to me.” He was admitting the thing she had never asked him before.
“You deleted them.”
“What if I did?” He growled. “And you know what else kills me? That if I hadn’t come back early to surprise you, how much farther you would have gone.”
“Carlos!” she gasped. “I wouldn’t, I would never—”
“Don’t say that, don’t you say that. For better or for worse, remember—seems to me like you forgot. It takes two to fool around. He didn’t come onto you unless you asked for it.”
She didn’t have anything to say to that. She had done something stupid. But she had never planned to do it—it had just happened, and yes she should have stopped, but it had happened that night. She was caught in the moment, only realizing once it was over that it had been totally wrong.
Was he never going to let her forget it?