My Italian Doctor

Chapter Twenty Two

I was taken aback. I had expected hostility from him. I just wasn't prepared for the way that it came out of his mouth like he was spitting thorns at me. I took a step back from him, not that he was remotely close to me. He had been careful to be far enough away to keep a separation between us, yet close enough that he could whisper his hate at me.

"I had to talk to you. It's important."

"Important enough to make it even more likely for me to be fired."

"Please, George." He sighed slightly, and I watched his shoulders slump. He placed a hand carefully on my upper arm and ushered me into a side room. I knew he was hoping that everyone outside would assume I was a family member in need of privacy. The room was small, with six single chairs dotted around and a box of toys in the corner. There was a window out into the corridor we had come from, but none looking out on the outside world.

I could see a couple of the nurses still watching us, but the majority had gone back to work. George didn't even attempt to sit anywhere near me, but if anything, it would make things seem stranger. I knew how he was with patients from experience and the nurses would know that he was acting out of character. If I had been a patient about to get news that needed privacy, he would have sat right by my side, ready to offer comfort as needed.

"What do you want that is urgent enough to risk my entire career?"

"There's no need for the way you are speaking to me."

"There is every need if you thought coming here was a good idea."

"I came to tell you that Amelia has rescinded her complaint against the hospital. The whole thing has gone away."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Luca dealt with it, but it should be easy enough for you to check."

I watched as he slipped his car key out of his pocket. "I'm in the main car park. Meet me at the car. I'll be out there in about ten minutes." He stood immediately and left the room, leaving me to sit there, not quite sure what to do next. I didn't know whether to sit there for a minute or to leave straight away. I slipped his key into my pocket and headed out of the room. The sooner I was out of the hospital, the better.

It took a few minutes to locate his car. The car park was very large. It probably would have been easier for him to meet me at Aurora's car instead. I settled myself in the passenger seat and had barely been sitting there a few moments before he joined me. He swept into the driver's seat like a hurricane and dragged me across the car towards him. The kiss was demanding, desperate, and full of feeling. It took me by complete surprise, but I wasn't complaining.

"Wow."

"You were right?"

"I know. Luca wouldn't tell me that it was sorted if it wasn't."

"I could f*****g marry you right now." I didn't say anything. I had no idea what I was supposed to say. It wasn't like it was an actual question, so strictly speaking, it didn't require any form of response. The swearing just made the whole thing stranger. I wasn't convinced I had heard his good catholic boy persona swear once since we met. "Sorry, I had just resigned myself to having to give you up."

"You seemed to find that concept easier than I did."

"It wasn't remotely easy. That's why I was so angry to see you here. It was nothing to do with the risk, although that was an obvious issue, but it was about me having to see you. Seeing you just made it all so much harder. Impossible. My anger was my defence against my own feelings."

"I understand. It was an impossible situation."

"Please, tell me that after all this, you have decided to stay in Italy. I don't think I can say goodbye to you. I've already lost you once. I don't want to do it again."

"I'm still going home next week..."

"Why? You just can't. I won't let you."

"Will you let me finish? I need to go back. I can't let Rylie go back alone and I will need to do all the same things she needs to do. Plus, I will need to speak to my parents. I can't imagine they will take the news well. I'll come back with Rylie whenever she is ready."

"I literally want to rip your clothes off here and now."

"I'm not stopping you and it wouldn't be the first time this car has seen action."

"I've got to get back to work. I shouldn't be off the ward at all. I'm the only peads doctor on call tonight. I get off first thing. I'll message you, but I really need to head back in before anyone notices I'm missing."

"I look forward to it." He started to get out of the car, but I grabbed his arm. "George. I can't uproot everything to come here unless we stop things from coming between us. Whether that be work or us keeping things from each other."

He reached over to me and dropped the softest of pecks on my cheek. "We can do this. I know we can. Just have a little faith. From now on, we will be a hundred percent straight with one another." I couldn't believe that, just like that, I had decided to uproot my life. It wasn't just for George. I wasn't quite that ridiculous. I had just gained more reasons to be in Italy than to be in England.

I headed back to Aurora's car and pondered all the reasons I had for making the decision. Not least because I knew I was going to need to defend the decision to at least my parents. The truth was that not only was George there, and I really wanted to know how things were going to play out between us, but also Rylie was going to be there. She was my best friend in the whole world and as much as she could drive me crazy, the idea of living without her in my life felt beyond wrong.

I had grown really close to Aurora too, and with both of them in Italy, I would have no close friends in England. Added to that, I felt like I belonged on the vineyard. Aurora trusted me and was more than happy for me to take a leading role in the warehouse. I hoped it could turn into something even more, especially with the plans she and Rylie had. There was room for movement there, which was something I was lacking at the restaurant.

Then there were the things I knew I was running away from, my parents. It was hardly the grown-up move and if escaping their drama was my only reason for moving, I wouldn't do it, but I had to admit it was an added bonus. I didn't want to be front and centre during their divorce. At least if I was in Italy, they would find it harder to drag me into the middle of their problems. They claimed they were on good terms, but I knew them much better than that. It might start out that way, but before long it would descend into arguments and game-playing.

The truth was, I had every reason to move and no reason to stay. Rylie wanted to make a life for herself and Jellybean in Italy, and I could see the attraction. She wasn't the only one who could see a life forming before her. I knew then and there that I would be making firm plans with Aurora as soon as I could.

The only thing I had any doubts about was where I would live. It didn't feel right living at the vineyard. Rylie was family even if she hadn't quite realised it, but I wasn't. I knew they would happily let me stay there with them and Rylie would probably let me live in the cottage with her, but it wasn't right. I needed to feel like I was standing on my own feet and I couldn't do that at the vineyard. I also wasn't remotely ready to be living with George, even if it wasn't for the complication of Amiee.

The only option was to find my own place, but that would mean living in Verona, most likely. It wasn't the closest place for daily commutes. I really needed to look at accommodation options, but I had a feeling it would be a difficult obstacle to overcome.

Suddenly, I realised that if I was staying in Italy, then I had to consider Amiee. I had gone into it thinking that she wasn't something I had to consider because I wasn't staying. With that change, I needed to consider the idea of having George's daughter involved in our relationship. George had made it clear he had Amiee most of the time and as such, they came as a package deal and I needed to make sure I was prepared for that prospect.

I was still considering if I was even capable of having a relationship with a single dad when I pulled up at the house. That was when George's words rang in my ears. I had to have faith. Faith that it would work out and that I could handle it.