Then, Now, Forever (Heartbeat #2)

by Teodora Kostova

  The rest of the week flew by. Despite the cold, they managed to visit every tourist attraction, small village, museum and gallery nearby. Gia loved Wray Castle, the museum of LakeLand life in Kendal and the walk among the historic sites in Ambleside. They also hiked up England’s highest mountain – Scafell Pike, but it was so cold and windy that day, they didn’t reach the top. They did however marvel at the beautiful views of Windermere Lake from above. Of course, the next day Gia suggested they go to the lake. They booked a two hour cruise around the lake, and later on had lunch at a local pub, where they heard that a local company offered smaller, more private sunset cruises. They decided they had to go on that cruise, and deemed it totally worth the money spent. The sunset over the picturesque mountains and the crystal blue water of Windermere was so beautiful it took Gia’s breath away. She snuggled in Beppe’s arms and allowed the few remaining rays of sun to warm her bones. She wanted to keep that image and that peaceful feeling in her heart forever.

  The day before they needed to return to London, they visited the village of Near Sawrey where Beatrix Potter got married and lived with her husband William. The day before, Gia had found an article about the writer in a local newspaper and her curiosity had been piqued. So she did some research and it seemed like a romantic spot to visit. So, she set her mind to visiting the village and thought it would be the perfect finale to their romantic getaway.

  And it was. Near Sawrey was a charming little village with old houses scattered around lush, green valleys. They saw the water lilies in Moss Eccles Tarn which Beatrix had loved. There were so many that it was impossible to see any water between them. For the first time since her father’s funeral, Gia didn’t feel nauseous when smelling flowers. Somehow, the scent of the water lilies mixed with the very distinctive smell of the water tickled Gia’s senses pleasantly, instead of making her sick. The whole atmosphere of the place felt unique – it radiated tranquility, love and hope. Before they left, Gia wished she could take a piece of that energy and tap into it when she needed it.

  They’d been back in London for two weeks when Gia started getting restless. Max and Stella had taken them to every possible museum, gallery and tourist attraction; they had showed them the real London, the parts where the tourists didn’t usually go, but were just as much a part of that incredible city as Westminster Abbey. They had even taken them to the Ritz for traditional afternoon tea which included scones, sandwiches and champagne. Neither Max nor Stella had made them feel as if they had overstayed their welcome, but it had been almost four weeks since they’d left Italy. It was time to go back. Gia loved every second she’d spent in England with Stella and Max, but it felt like being suspended in a bubble and kept away from real life.

  Later that night as Gia and Beppe were cuddling in bed, Gia decided it was time to discuss returning home.

  “Beppe,” Gia whispered, turning in Beppe’s arms to face him. She knew he wasn’t asleep yet, because his breathing wasn’t as even and heavy as it got when he slept. “I think we should go home.”

  Beppe murmured a quiet mhm but didn’t open his eyes. Gia kissed his lips gently, sucking in his lower lip and grazing her teeth over it. Beppe pulled her closer and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Gia pulled away, determined to talk about returning to Genoa before she succumbed to her insatiable desire for this man.

  “Beppe!” she said, a bit louder. “Don’t try to distract me with kissing.” Beppe smiled, keeping his eyes closed.

  “Is it working?”

  “No. Come on, baby, let’s talk about this.” Gia propped her head on her elbow. Sighing, Beppe turned on his back and finally opened his eyes.

  “If you want to go back, we’ll go back. We’ll book the tickets tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s not what I want to discuss.” Beppe mimicked her pose and supported his head on his palm facing Gia. His messy hair fell into his eyes and Gia smoothed it back and caressed his cheek. “What are we going to do about Francesco?” They’d read online that Francesco had recovered enough from his injuries that he had been released from the hospital ten days ago.

  “Do you seriously think he’s got the time and energy to pursue any ‘revenge’ against us?”

  “I don’t know – I dated the man for three months and I never had a clue he was a psychopath. I have no idea what’s going on in his head. But I do know that I don't want to be looking over my shoulder all the time.”

  “So what do you think we should do?”

  “Well, I know you’re not going to like it, but I think you should call Sergio and ask for help.” Gia hadn’t even finished her sentence when Beppe drew his brows together and started shaking his head.

  “No.”

  “Why not?” She sat crossed legged on the bed. “He said you could call him any time, about anything...”

  “And what am I supposed to say? Hey, Sergio, this guy I beat up may or may not want to beat me up in return and I’d like protection around the clock so that I don’t piss my pants every time I leave my flat?”

  “No, smartass.” Gia slapped him on his bare chest. “During our time together, I’ve seen things and heard hushed conversations... I know you warned me about Francesco's alleged mafia association, but I didn’t want to believe it so I kind of ignored everything going on around me.”

  “Gia...” Beppe tried to interrupt but she placed her hand on his mouth.

  “Please. Let me finish,” she said. When he nodded, Gia removed her hand. She sighed as she said, “I never told you this, but remember that night when we went to ‘M.D.O’?” Beppe nodded. “A girl came to me in the bathroom and warned me about Francesco's violent streak. She said she used to date him and he beat her up so badly she was put in the hospital.”

  “Gia...” Beppe sat up straight in the bed, his eyes sparkling dangerously. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

  “Because I didn’t believe her. I thought she was jealous of me because Francesco dated me publicly while he’d kept her in the shadows. And besides, I hadn’t picked up on any violence in Francesco – he was always put together and polite and calm.”

  Beppe opened his mouth to speak again, but Gia didn’t give him the chance.

  “I’m not telling you this so we’ll argue or so that you’d say how stupid I am for not seeing right through Francesco, despite the warning signs.”

  “I would never call you stupid. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

  “My point is, Francesco has a lot of secrets. Whether he’s got any dealings with the mafia or not – I don’t know. But he’s got a lot of skeletons in his closet – like that girl Carla – and I bet he owes money to someone he’s afraid of. You can call Sergio with that information. You can say that you have reason to believe Francesco is after you and you want him to back off. I bet Sergio can find out who he’s involved with and use it to make him leave us alone.”

  Thankfully, Beppe didn’t immediately reject Gia’s suggestion again. He went quiet for a while, as he thought about she'd said.

  “OK. If that will make you feel safer and stop worrying, I’ll do it. I’ll call Sergio when we get back to Genoa.”

  Gia threw herself at Beppe, unable to keep the smile off her face, and planted small kisses all over his face. She knew that would work.

  It had to.

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  When they returned to Italy, Beppe refused to let Gia return to her mother’s house. He insisted that since they were engaged now, she should officially move in with him. He was not spending another night without her in his bed. Gia didn’t put up a fight – she spent most nights in Beppe’s flat anyway. Now that Max had moved to London and Elsa was working in Venice more often than not, there was no point in staying in an empty house. It was a house full of memories, but not much else.

  At Gatwick airport, when she’d hugged Stella and Max goodbye, she’d made them promise to visit soon, hinting at Christmas. It would be so heartwarming to have her entire family together during the ho
lidays.

  “And besides, we'll have another reason to celebrate, right?” Gia had said, winking at Stella. She was referring to Stella’s final results of the surgery which should be out a week before Christmas. Stella had nodded, doubt clouding her eyes for a second. But, Max sensing her discomfort, put his arms around her. Stella immediately smiled at him and hope flooded her, making her radiant.

  When Gia walked into Beppe’s apartment, it felt different. She’d always felt comfortable and at home here, but now it felt somehow better, more peaceful, more like this is where she belonged. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was now engaged to Beppe and everything to do with Gia’s mental state. She felt calmer, not as tormented by raw feelings from the past, and happy that her old, monotonous life was over. Gia was looking forward to starting her new life, in this apartment, with the amazing man who circled her waist from behind and laid his chin on her shoulder.

  “Welcome home, bellissima,” he said and placed little kisses along her neck. She smiled and turned her head so that she could capture his mouth in a kiss. It started gently but, as usual with Beppe, it turned deep, and hot, and needy very fast. Before she knew it he’d scooped her up in his arms and taken her upstairs to their room.

  “So what did he say?” asked Gia as Beppe returned to the kitchen. She’d made breakfast even though it was almost noon, and was placing eggs and toast and three different kinds of salami on plates.

  “He said he’ll look into it and that I have nothing to worry about. He’ll take care of it,” Beppe said, sitting down and accepting the plate Gia brought to the table.

  “Good. See, it wasn’t so hard asking for help, right? Sergio is very fond of you, I’m sure he appreciates the fact that you turned to him. I know Paolo would have.”

  Beppe nodded and started eating his breakfast in silence. Gia didn’t push him anymore – it was more than enough that he’d called Sergio. For a proud, independent man like Beppe it must have been very difficult to make that call, and Gia knew he'd done it for her.

  After breakfast, Gia took a shower and got dressed, getting ready to go out.

  “Where are you going? I thought we were going to stay in, watch TV and have sex!” Beppe said when he saw fully dressed Gia walking down the stairs.

  “I never said that.”

  “It goes without saying – we’re engaged and living together.”

  “As much as I love your logic, I called Lisa and we’re meeting for coffee. I need to talk to her,” said Gia and laughed. She bent over the back of the sofa to give Beppe a kiss. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”

  Beppe quickly reached up to draw her closer when she started moving away. He invaded her mouth with his tongue, the warm, wet texture of it sending shivers down Gia’s spine and melting her knees. Mustering all her willpower, Gia withdrew from Beppe’s delicious kiss and stepped away. Beppe groaned and opened his glassy eyes. God, the man was so sexy when he was aroused. He smiled seductively at her, stretching his body on the sofa and moaning. The muscles on his bare chest and stomach contracted and Gia’s mouth watered as she imagined tasting his skin.

  “Stop it! I need to go, I hate being late,” Gia said and took another step back.

  “Your eyes are a gorgeous, sparkling green, baby. You want me as much as I want you. The question is, can you resist? Can you wait until tonight?” Beppe locked eyes with Gia as he slowly moved his hands to caress down the front of his abs, his fingers rippling over every indent until he reached the top of his unbuttoned jeans. He then moved his hands back up, crossing them behind his neck. He closed his eyes and rolled his hips in a seductive, shameless move that broke the little resolve Gia had.

  “Bastard,” she said as she came around the couch. She sealed her lips over his and straddled his stomach, feeling the vibrations of his chuckle all the wait to her tummy.

  Already fifteen minutes late, Gia tried to text Lisa and apologise, but taking the phone out of her bag she realised the battery was dead. She’d completely forgotten to charge it. Oh, well, she’d have to apologise to Lisa in person – the coffee and cake would be on her today. Picking up her pace, Gia half walked half ran through the park. The coffee shop where they were meeting was all the way across the park and it would be at least another ten minutes before Gia could get there. She’d opted for walking instead of taking a taxi because it would be much faster to cross that park on foot than drive all the way around it in all the traffic.

  It was freezing – not Cumbria freezing, but still it was the middle of November and winter was in full swing. There was no one around the usually busy park. Not too surprising, given it was a frigid day in the middle of the week. Gia tightened the scarf around her neck and continued walking briskly.

  She never knew anyone was following her until it was too late. A strong hand clutched her face from behind, covering her mouth, while another snaked around her waist pulling her roughly backwards. Then she felt the distinctive sting of needle penetrating the skin on her neck and the world went black.

  It was the pain in her wrists that forced Gia to wake up. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, her eyes wouldn't focus clearly, and her muscles ached like hell. She had to blink a few times before she could make out her surroundings. The room she was in looked some cheap office with dingy grey walls, thin carpet, and a flimsy desk. Behind that desk sat Francesco, flanked by two huge men. Gia was tied to a rickety chair, with her hands behind her back and her feet in front of her. Fully awake now, panic settled in and she tried to wriggle free of the restraints, but the sharp pain in her wrists forced her to still.

  “Let me go you sick bastard!” she yelled, her voice coming out rusty. Her throat was dry and every word scratched painfully.

  “Oh, look who’s up,” Francesco said, fixing his cold eyes on her. “We thought you’d miss the show and we wouldn't want that.” He stood up and moved towards her. “Congratulations on your engagement by the way. Slut.” His lips pulled back in a snarl. “What a beautiful ring,” Francesco continued, his voice going back to light and pleasant as if they were discussing the weather forecast. He played with something between his fingers and as Gia’s eyes managed to fully focus on the small object, she realised he had her engagement ring.

  No! Not my ring!

  “You get engaged to that piece of shit a few days after you break up with me? You’re an even bigger whore that I thought.” His eyes became almost colourless as he looked at Gia with venomous disgust, before pulling his arm back and throwing the ring at the opposite wall.

  Tears Gia had managed to hold until now sprang into her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. The guy was crazy, absolutely insane! What would he do to her? What about Beppe? Had he managed to get his hands on Beppe as well? Panic must have shown in Gia’s eyes because Francesco smiled – an evilly deranged smile. Gia had never seen this expression on his face before. She felt a shudder of pure unadulterated fear run through her as he strode to the desk. Francesco picked up an iPad and taking another cheap, plastic chair, came to sit right in front of Gia. She winced involuntarily.

  “You see, I don’t like it when people are ungrateful. I spared your life, letting you go with a few minor bruises. I could have easily killed you. And how do you repay me? You go blabbing to your boyfriend. Then the swine comes and attacks me from behind like a coward. He put me in the fucking hospital. Now, how is that fair?” Francesco kept his tone conversational as he switched on the iPad and started typing.

  Hysteria rose in Gia's chest, choking her. Francesco was going to do something to Beppe.

  No! NO!

  What could she do? Reasoning with a maniac wouldn’t work. She was tied to a chair entirely at his mercy, how could she stop him?

  “Let me tell you what’s going to happen in the next five minutes,” Francesco smiled grotesquely and turned the iPad so that she could see the screen. It showed the entrance of Beppe’s building. Francesco must have planted a camera somewhere across the street. “I’ve just sent your
precious Beppe a text saying that unless he’s in front of his building in five minutes, you’ll die. I'm willing to bet he’s gonna come.What do you think?”

  “No! Stop this! Please don’t hurt him. Please! I’ll do whatever you want...” Gia said, her voice breaking on the last words as she saw Beppe exit through the entrance doors, looking frantically around.

  Beppe. God, Beppe. I love you so much...

  Tears streamed down her face, clouding her vision but she didn’t care. She continued begging and pleading with Francesco to stop his mad plan to hurt Beppe and just take all his aggression and revenge out on her.

  “The best way to punish you will be to have you watch the man you love die and not be able to do a damn thing about it,” Francesco snarled.

  Gia’s heart broke into a million pieces. No. No! This couldn't be happening. This could not be the last time she’d see Beppe. He was still standing on the sidewalk, looking left and right, his face drawn with worry. Gia’s hand itched to touch him, even through the screen, to tell him how sorry she was for dragging him into this whole mess. For being so stupid. For dating Francesco and never seeing what a twisted maniac he was. For not throwing her arms around him when he’d come back from Tuscany and telling him much she loved him. Instead, she’d wasted three years of their lives trying to run away from her feelings for him.

  This was all her fault.

  Movement on the screen brought her attention back to the present. Lisa, in all her vibrant, blond glory, had just run up to Beppe. They were starting to talk, gesturing wildly.

  God, no!

  Lisa must have waited for Gia at the coffee shop and when she hadn’t showed up or answered her phone, Lisa must have gotten worried and gone to look for her at Beppe’s. Horror must have shown on Gia’s face because Francesco turned the iPad slightly towards him to take a look at the screen.