What exactly did I think I was running from? My entire life is in Phoenix and I’m in Denver- hiding from the real world in my childhood bedroom. It’s been nearly a month, but it feels like a thousand years since I’ve seen Enzo’s remarkable face.
Tears start to trickle down my face. I made the wrong decision. I don’t feel better. I told Enzo that we were a team no matter what. I told him that we would go through life together and handle any obstacle, but I left. I stood in front of God and everyone and said my forever vows to him but I was weak. I simply couldn’t take it anymore and I fucking left him.
I know it was the talk with Francesca last night that finally knocked some sense into me. I don’t know what made me turn my phone back on and answer it when I saw her second call but I felt like I had to. I listened and I almost lost it. I couldn’t bear to hear that I was breaking Enzo’s heart. He trusted me and I left him when he needed me the most.
“Yes, Ava, this is your sister, you must talk to me,” Francesca’s voice was shaky as I answered the phone. I knew she was choosing her words carefully, afraid I would hang up. Something in her voice had my attention.
“I’m listening, Checca.”
“There are a few things you need to know about what happened and what I believe. You just need to listen to me at least, please.”
“Okay.”
“First of all, I want you to hear what I saw that night in Vegas.” She takes a deep breath. “One moment we are sitting at the table talking about the hotel. Enzo goes to the bathroom but he was gone a long time.”
I nod my head although I know she can’t see me. This is hard to hear and even though I saw the footage from the hotel, Checca is the only one who saw anything that happened in the room.
“After some time, maybe thirty minutes, I get up to go find Enzo. I looked everywhere. My heart sensed something was wrong, I knew he needed me. I immediately went up to his hotel room. I tried his phone and just beat on that door. I was about to go get the hotel manager when he finally came to the door and what I saw was…” She stops and my heart races.
“Please continue, Checca,” I say, even though I really don’t know if I can take it.
“Something, it was not right, he could barely stand up alone. He leaned against the door and I could tell he was struggling to make sense of his surroundings. He was wearing just his pants, his shirt was off. I pushed my way in the room and Anna, she came from the bathroom. When she saw me she panicked. I admit I didn’t know it was her at first. I started yelling at her, asking her how she got in the room; Enzo was married, etcetera, etcetera. She tried to tell me that Enzo wanted to come up to the room, he wanted her, but Ava, I looked at Enzo sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face in his hands, so confused. I thought there is no way he came here willingly. I know my brother and I know how he feels about you. There was no way.”
“I’m still listening, Checca.”
“Before I knew it, I was slapping the bitch and shoving her out with her clothes. She expected me to believe in less than one hour she lured my brother up to his hotel room, took his clothes off and had sex with him. I didn’t buy it, Ava. Not for one minute. It was very obvious that Enzo was under the influence of something.”
“You slapped her?”
“More than once. I called her a puttana and slapped her face. Then what she said made me realize it was Anna.”
“What did she say?”
“She said I should mind my business and that Enzo was hers and you took him from her.”
“Well that’s a wonderful story,” I say sarcastically, “But obviously something did happen if she’s pregnant.”
“Ava, listen to me. I know in my heart that the baby she is carrying is not Enzo’s. I just know. Enzo doesn’t believe it either. Yes, we need to prove it. Enzo will have a paternity test when it’s born. I’m positive she is lying.”
“What if she’s not, Checca?” The tears start to fall from my eyes.
“Ava, cara Ava, I know this hurts but Enzo, he loves you so much and he is dying without you. He said…” Her words stop short again.
“He said what, Checca?”
“He said without you he would rather stop breathing. He said it would be easier to die than live without you.” Checca begins to cry, breaking my heart just a little bit more. “He stopped all work on the hotel and he won’t leave the house. He spends every minute of the day trying to find Anna and trying to contact you. He hasn’t shaved in weeks and Cassie says he won’t eat.” She sniffs and continues.
“His heart is broken on so many levels. I know yours is too but it’s not either of your faults. Enzo did not cheat on you. He is not capable of wanting or loving anyone but you. Anna is a conniving, deceitful bitch. She must be stopped, but he isn’t strong enough to fight her without you. You have to come back, Ava. Without you Enzo will just give up. He has no fight left in him. It’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. Nothing is right with you two being apart. You are the most wonderful couple I’ve ever known. The most meant to be, the two people God made for each other. You must come back, Ava,” she sobs.
“Checca…” I start but my tears cause my voice to shake. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to face this. The baby- it’s just too much.”
“I don’t believe her. It’s a lie. I’m sure of it. You have to come back and help Enzo prove it. He needs you. We all do.”
We sit on the phone crying together for several minutes until Francesca speaks again.
“Do you still love him, Ava?”
“God yes.” I answer without hesitation.
“He loves you too, Ava.”
“I know.”
“He’s trying so hard to give you space. He bought a plane ticket to come and get you then he told me he was afraid you wouldn’t come back with him and he couldn’t bear to see your face again if he couldn’t have you. It’s so sad.”
Yes it is sad. This is the saddest I’ve ever been. I don’t know if I’m ready to face all of the shit waiting for me back in Phoenix, but I do know that I miss Enzo and I don’t want to spend another day not in his arms.
“Do you think he can forgive me, Checca?”
“Forgive you for what?”
“For leaving him,” I say, through my sobs.
“Oh, Ava, you don’t need forgiveness. You just need his love. He knows why you left and as much as it hurts him, he understands. The only thing he’s worried about now is that you’ll never come back. He’s afraid all of this is just too much and you won’t want to be his wife anymore.”
“Checca, the only thing I want in this life is to be that man’s wife. I love him so much I can’t even think straight.”
“Come back to us, Ava. Come back to Enzo.”
“I just need a little more time, Checca. Tell Enzo for me that…tell him I love him.”
“You need to tell him, Ava.”
She’s right. I need to look in his eyes and tell him how I feel. I need to be the one to ask for his love and his forgiveness. I’ve been so selfish, not seeing how much pain this is causing him too. I am going to go home and when I get there, I’m going to hunt down that bitch and get her out of our life once and for all.
“I’ll be home soon, Checca. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell Enzo. I want to handle this my way.”
“Of course. I love you, Ava.”
“I love you too, Checca. Thanks for calling.”
I walk back in my bedroom and open my laptop, booking the first ticket I can find out of Denver. I have to pay a ridiculous amount of money for it and I don’t care. The only thing that matters right now is getting back to my husband. I pray we can get past this mess.
I go outside and tell Danny that I’m going back to Phoenix and if my husband finds out before I want him to, I will have his ass. I use my best ‘don’t fuck with me’ voice that is surprisingly effective. I have his assurance that while he will be following me, he won’t report to Enzo.
“Good morning,” I say to
my parents sitting at their dining room table. My mom looks up and smiles and my dad sets the paper down. “I’m going back today. It’s time.”
My mother bursts into tears and my dad stands, pulling me into an embrace. “What changed your mind?” he asks.
“An angel,” I whisper.
“Good. It’s the right thing to do. You need to stand by your husband,” my dad says. “I’ve known since the first day I spoke to him that he loves you and only you. I admit this situation is upsetting but if anyone can get through it intact, it’s the two of you.”
I lay my head against my dad’s strong chest and feel my mother’s arm wrap around me. It’s definitely time.
SITTING ON THE plane to Phoenix, I pull out Enzo’s letter to me. I’m finally ready to read it knowing I’m just a few hours away from seeing him. The sudden clarity I feel is welcome. I’ve always known that Enzo’s love for me is true and pure, but I’ve finally realized that we can’t possibly fight this battle alone. He needs me and I need him.
I peel the envelope open and unfold the paper slowly, taking a deep breath as I start to read.
Amore,
I wish I could say these words to you in person or at least on the phone, but you won’t talk to me. I understand why but you have to know it is killing me not hearing your beautiful voice. Since you left, my life has lost its meaning. Your absence is felt by everyone. Even Maximus walks around the house looking for you.
Sometimes at night I sit at your piano and run my fingers over the keys, wishing somehow you would walk through the door and play me a song. I long to hear your voice speak my name, your lips say that you love me, and your laughter filling my ears.
I am nothing without you. There is no happiness. No laughter. No joy. There is nothing to look forward to. No reason to get out of bed. You are the person I share my news with. You are the person I share my dreams with. You are the only person that matters to me and you’re gone.
I hope you haven’t forgotten me. I hope it’s not easy for you to go on with your life without me. I pray every day that God will return my angel to me. Ava, everything I do is for you and since you’re gone, I do nothing. If you come back, I will spend my days doing anything I can to make you smile. I will be worthy of you again. Please come back to me.
I love you, Ava.
Your Prince- Enzo
I wipe away my tears and tuck the letter into my handbag. I’m coming home, my prince, and I have something very important to tell you when I get there. Something I’ve thought long and hard about. The plane begins its descent into Phoenix and my heart practically leaps out of my chest knowing I’m less than an hour away from seeing my beloved. I wore a floral dress that I know he loves and took the extra step to put makeup on. I want to look as beautiful for him as possible. Another tear escapes my eye as I watch the plane touch down at Sky Harbor. The last time I took this flight, I was sitting next to the most magnificent man on the planet. My man.
The sun is setting and the sky is a mass of dark, stormy clouds. I rush to the rental car counter deciding I will get my own car to drive. If I let Danny drive me, Enzo will know. As I walk to my car, I stop at a kiosk with beautiful floral arrangements. I buy a bouquet of red roses, knowing that if the situation was reversed, that is exactly what Enzo would do. Danny approaches me and I tell him that while he can follow me, I want some distance when I get home. This has to be a surprise. Climbing into the Audi I rented, I turn on the headlights and taking a deep breath, start my drive home, just as the sky opens up unleashing a torrential downpour.
I drive carefully, the whole time my heart feels like it’s going to jump right out of my chest. I smile at the irony of the song on the radio. Bruno Mars croons It Will Rain, as I near my home. This feels right. This is where I belong. Finally, I pull up to the gate and enter the code. The gates open and I drive slowly up the drive, stopping in front of the garage doors. Glancing behind me, I see Danny pull up outside the gates. I pull out my phone and turn it back on to text Enzo.
Me: I sent you something. Open the door.
I barely press send before the front door of our home swings open and Enzo steps out on the front step under the portico, looking around. I stay in my car in the driveway and see him squint in the rain at the unrecognizable vehicle. Grabbing my flowers, I step out of the car into the light of the headlights, as rain pours down over me. I’m so excited to see him I don’t care that I’m getting soaked. My heart skips a beat as I see recognition wash over Enzo’s face and his hand go to his mouth. He rushes towards me, pulling me into an embrace.
“Ava!” He holds me tight, so tight I can barely breathe. “You came back to me.”
“Enzo,” I say, pulling back enough so I can see his face. “I’m so sorry I left you. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, amore. I’m just so happy you’re back,” he kisses me and my body relaxes into his. How did I survive for so long without his touch? “You’re back for good?”
“Enzo,” I say in between kisses, “Enzo, I love you. I’ll never leave you again.”
“How did you get here?” he asks.
“Danny is there by the gates. He’s been with me the whole time.”
Enzo looks at me, his eyes a shade of blue I’m sure I’ve never seen. The warm rain falls down over us, as we stand in the driveway, illuminated only by the headlights of my car, staring into each other’s eyes.
“Ava, my love, you are my entire life. I can’t live without you. I’m ashamed of everything that has happened. I hate that I’ve hurt you and you have my word I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
“You don’t have anything to make up for. What happened isn’t your fault. It’s the act of a very desperate and unbalanced person.”
“You forgive me?” he asks, his words tugging on my heart.
“I do. Do you forgive me?”
“For what?” he asks, brushing my soaked hair out of my eyes.
“For leaving. I said I never would and I did.”
“Ava, this was too much to bear. I would have left too if it was the other way around.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think you would have. I was weak and…”
He grabs my shoulders. “You are not weak. You are the strongest person I know. The shit you’ve been subjected to because of me is enough to push even you over the edge. All of this is entirely my fault.”
“No it isn’t, Enzo. Nothing with Anna has ever been your fault. The only thing that makes me angry is that I actually felt sorry for her and we took it so easy on her during the hearing. I assure you I won’t make that mistake again. I won’t rest until she’s behind bars or buried six feet under.”
Enzo’s eyes widen at my sudden outburst of hostility. He pulls me close again and I know that I have something else to say, something he really needs to hear. I thought about it the entire flight back and I know it’s the right thing to do.
“Enzo, you need to know something.”
He looks at me with pure fear in his eyes and nods.
“I will be here with you from now on, no matter what. If that child she’s carrying is yours, then you and I will make sure that we get custody. We’ll prove her unfit and we’ll raise that baby. If it’s not your baby, well then God show mercy on Anna’s soul when I’m done with her.”
“Ava, do you think I would ask you to raise a child that came from her? It is unacceptable. I think adoption would be best.”
“Enzo, please. Do you think you would ever rest easy knowing a child of yours is out in the world? It’s not the baby’s fault that the mother is a lunatic.” I stroke his cheek. “I’m with you now, forever, per sempre, amore. I love you and I know it more now than ever before. You have me and we will do what is right and we will do it together.”
“Oh, Ava,” he says, kissing me passionately. “Ava, I love you so much. You are such a blessing to me and I thought you were gone. I thought you might not come back to me. Nothing matters without you.”
&
nbsp; I run my hands through his wet hair, reveling in the feeling of his slick strands tangled in my fingers. He looks so different with almost a complete beard on his face. The darkness of the hair covering his cheeks only makes his eyes pop even more. “Enzo, I was always going to come back. You and I share the same heart. I couldn’t survive without you. Without a doubt, this was the hardest month of my life.” I lift the bouquet of roses and show them to Enzo. “These are for you, tesoro.”
He smiles and his face lights up as the rain continues to fall on us. “You brought me roses?”
“I did. I wanted to do something I knew you would do for me.”
Enzo takes the flowers and pushes me back against the hood of my rental car. “Ava, I missed you. It felt like a part of me was gone. Every morning I wake up and pray that I will see your beautiful face next to me. There is nothing I need in this world but having my arms wrapped around you.” His hands slide up my bare legs as his lips press down on mine, his tongue slipping inside, swirling around deliciously.
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his body into mine, overwhelmed with joy to be back with him. It’s the most incredible feeling. We continue kissing, this glorious rain shower falling down on us, lying against the warm hood of the car. It’s heaven.
“Ava,” Enzo whispers against my lips, “can I make love to you?”
“Of course. You’re my husband.” I start to sit up, but Enzo pushes me back down gently.
“Here.”
“Outside? In the rain?”
“Yes,” he answers, as a huge grin graces his face.
“What about Cass and Chris?” I ask and look nervously back at the house.
“What about them?” Enzo grabs the front of my dress. “I always loved this dress.” He pulls at the fabric until the first three buttons pop open, revealing my pink lace bra underneath. I gasp as his hands run across my exposed cleavage. Closing my eyes, I lean back against the car, absorbing the feel of my husband’s hands and mouth roaming over every inch of my body. At this moment I could give a shit about my housemates. He pushes my dress up above my waist, and I respond by wrapping my legs around his hips.
Turn Towards the Sun: Book Three- Forever in Bloom (The Sunflower Trilogy) Page 17