My Italian Heart

Chapter Twenty Eight

The next morning, I headed down the stairs earlier than everyone else. I wanted to get into the kitchen and get a pot of coffee going before Mamma got herself in the kitchen cooking. Rylie had gone all out getting the living room ready for Isabella's first Christmas. Well, she had done a lot of bossing around while Luca did all the leg work. The Douglas Fir she had arranged was a little too big for the living room and there was only about an inch of clearance between its tip and the ceiling. It seemed wider than the average tree too. She had insisted on having an angel on the top and said it reminded her of a ballarina. She was desperate to find her way back to her childhood and ballet was a big part of that for her.

She had forced Luca to grapple with metres and metres of crystal clear twinkling lights. When they had turned it on, it was bright enough to light up outer space, never mind the living room. She had shopped for the decorations herself and the tree was rammed full of golden tinsel and bright red glass baubles. Then there were all the colorful parcels underneath. She really had gone a little over the top, but after everything they had been through, I got it.

I headed into the kitchen and was just popping a filter in when I heard a commotion on the stairs. I poked my head around the doorframe and watched as Luca and Rylie came down the stairs chasing one another. It was rather cute and Luca looked so happy and carefree. He almost looked like the carefree young adult he should have been at the time, but instead missed out on it. I might not have known what the issue was, but I knew there was something. I remembered back then and he grew up over night. No longer behaving like his friends at all and becoming too responsible and sensible for his age. I even remembered hearing Mamma and Pops discussing him with some concern. At the time when they had discussed him being in shock, I hadn't really understood, but as the years passed I pieced together that he had found his boss dead. He seemed to be doing so much better since Rylie.

I smiled to myself as they laughed and joked in the other room. Part of me had thought I would be resentful, but it was ridiculous, after everything they had been through, they deserved to be happy at long last.

Luca strolled in just as the pot was filling and I assumed he must have had the same idea as me. He looked surprised to see me but nodded when I asked him if he wanted a cup. "I'm glad you're here, I need to talk to you before the house gets too busy."

"Why, what's up?"

"When I picked you up the other day, where were you? You told Rylie you had been to see the bloke you had been seeing, but Em collared me about it. When I mentioned I picked you up, she said you had told her that you had come back with David. She said that you had spent the night at David's because he's so chivalous. Now, I know you well enough to know you don't lie for the sake of it. Which means both are at least some part true, but there is only one conclusion I can come up with for them both to be true and for you to tell the slight lie to Em. I'm just hoping, praying you are going to tell me I'm completely wrong." He was right, I hated lying. Keeping it to myself was one thing, even lying to Emily, I had justified it because David had left me little choice, but I couldn't keep it up.

"It's David. We were together."

"But, it's over?"

"Yep."

"Not your idea then?" I just wanted him to stop with all the questions, but if everyone found out it would be so much worse. If I was going to be honest, then I had to be prepared for them to want to know the ins and outs.

"No. It was his."

"Do I need to kick his ass?"

"No." I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped. His big brother routine was too much for me not to find it funny.

"I'm being serious. Emily is really worried about you. I'm guessing she doesn't know it's her dad who she hates for hurting you?"

"Of course she doesn't. I don't even know what is going on anymore. He left me a Christmas present and I don't know what to think. I need to speak to him but he's with Em, so I can't." Luca rubbed his chin and sighed.

"I don't approve at all, but I will ask Emily to nip up here later on after Rylie's parents have left. Rylie has a present for her anyway. You won't have long though and don't make me regret it." He turned and started to head towards the living room. "Oh, Aurora, either you two are over and it stays dead and buried or you are together and you tell everyone. This is too much for it not to cause massive problems and the longer it goes on the worse it will be. I won't keep this sort of secret from Rylie and we both know if I tell her she will have to tell Emily. It would kill her not to." I knew he was right, I had known for a long time that Rylie could never know, not unless I was happy Em knowing. It wasn't a position I would put her in.

The day passed quickly enough, but I was itching to go and see David. I had the necklace in my pocket, I didn't want to put it on until I was certain what it meant. I tried to stay in the background as much as I could, mainly because I was like a firework that hadn't quite gone off. Jittery and impatient, snapping at everyone over the slightest thing. I didn't know whether to be annoyed that no one seemed to have noticed or be grateful. Maybe I had been more difficult to live with in recent weeks than I had thought.

Luca gave me a nod to let me know that he had messaged Emily, he had changed his mind and told her she needed to be there for Rylie's present and then planned to delay her leaving. Mainly because I needed to be there for Rylie opening her present too. Luca had gotten her a key cut to the house, but it wasn't ready for her to see yet and it certainly wasn't livable. I kept telling Luca he needed to sort the kitchen out, but he just kept saying they could manage without refitting it straight away. I wasn't sure how, but it wasn't my house.

As I paced back and forth, I could see that Luca and Rylie had nearly gotten to the bottom of Isabella's presents. I knew Luca planned to give Rylie her present as soon as they were done, but there was still no sign of Em. I dutifully headed back into the living room, ready for the big moment. Not knowing if Luca would do it without Em or stall for time until she arrived. As soon as I could get away with getting out of that house, I would. The need to know for sure was growing with every passing second.

Adam had messaged me hours ago and I hadn't responded. I couldn't, not until I knew for sure. It wasn't like it was anything particularly profound, just wishing me a merry Christmas and asking how I was, as usual. Which was more than David had done. That was the issue: how could he leave me such a gift with the possible meanings it had and then not speak to me. Surely he knew how it would look, how it would make me feel that he had just left it on my bed and not bothered trying to find the words.

Which was all assuming that I wasn't reading way too much into it. Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe he had bought it and couldn't return it. Maybe it was just a cheap trinket he had picked up in Verona without a thought to its meaning. I had no way of knowing until I spoke to him. I might have been in the living room but I was still pacing and I could feel Luca's eyes on me as I did. I just hoped no one else had noticed it because I had no control over my legs at all.

"Merry Christmas, Em, David." I heard the words come out of Luca's mouth and paused my legs, still staring at the floor for a second. I knew he had said their names on purpose so I would know he was there. I slowly, cautiously looked up. Em was already scooping Isabella up into cuddles and fawning over Rylie, apparently obvious to my presence thankfully. David just stood there, just inside the doorway, only just enough that he had managed to close the door behind him. Staring right at me. Our eyes locked instantly and it felt like the whole room melted away. It was just the two of us. I watched as his gaze dipped to my neck, then back up to my eyes. As though my lack of necklace told him something, but he was wrong. It wasn't rejection on my mind, but clarification.