Blossom in Winter (Blossom in Winter #1)(67)
She’s sporting denim shorts for the first time. Her skinny legs look so smooth that I wonder for a brief instant how it’d feel to caress them. Her makeup has been wiped off; she looks so beautiful without it. Heck, even her long salty hair fluttering in the breeze looks beautiful. I want so much to lay her down, move my body on top of hers, and devour her mouth madly... My mind goes wild as I think about removing her shorts, feeling her skin against mine, touching her clit, and giving her the pleasure I’ve wanted to since Rome. Then, eyes looking into eyes, I’d tell her how much I… Damn it. I shut my eyes, forcing such thoughts out of my head and these stupid feelings out of my heart. But it’s hard. So hard that I can barely breathe.
“Are you okay?”
I blink at her question.
My eyes finally lock with hers. C’mon, just tell her the truth. “Petra… I…” Tell her. “I have to go. See you tomorrow at the wedding.”
I stand up and walk away. The pain of not possessing her is too much to bear. She’s a terrible temptation, but worse than that, it’s not sexual, or at least not entirely. It’s something deeper, more terrifying. Something I’ve got no power or control over. Fuck. How did I let that happen?
I reach the pool again where Roy, Paulo, and Rafaela are happily chatting and drinking caipirinhas.
“Hey, what’s going on? Are you alright?” asks Roy, seeing me.
“You should talk to Petra—she’s alone on the beach. I’m sure she is feeling lonely.”
“Very well. I’ll be right back.”
Petra Van Gatt
No one can see my tears falling. I’m sobbing but I couldn’t care less. At least here at Copacabana Beach, no one knows me. And there’s no one nearby to judge. He left abruptly for no reason whatsoever. As soon as I confirmed I would be fine at the wedding, he didn’t bother to stay any longer. Maybe that’s all that matters. Maybe I’m just here for the sake of showing a happy, united family for the media and guests, while he’ll be entertained by Rafaela. Ugh! The simple thought of them being sexually involved is repugnant.
“Hey, darling. What’s going on?” asks Dad, seeing me in tears. “Are you sad to be here? Do you want to join us by the pool?”
He sits beside me and gives me a hug.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” I sniffle before wiping my tears. “I’m just a bit emotional lately… Must be because of the wedding.”
“Oh dear, of course. I understand.” You can’t understand, no. “It makes you think about your mother and me, right?” I smile internally. “The doctors warned a wedding could be challenging for you…”
“Exactly. It’s harder when your parents are divorced. Why is Paulo getting married for a second time? Love never lasts anyway.”
“Don’t say that. There are plenty of couples who stay together and are happily married.”
“Do you know any?”
“Well… Let’s say it’s fifty-fifty.”
“Sounds ridiculous—getting married to have a fifty percent chance of splitting up.”
“I know… Adults are like big kids, Petra. They like to dream and believe they’ll remain together forever.”
“Do you think that’s why Alex never settled down?”
“I don’t know. Your godfather is quite pragmatic, so maybe he never saw the point. At least, he’s smarter than me,” he replies with amusement.
“Sounds wise. I should follow his example.”
But suddenly his smile vanishes from his face. “He’s not like you, Petra.”
Dad takes a deep breath while staring intently at the horizon, thinking something through. “Look, one day very, very far away, you’ll meet a man who’ll love you unconditionally. He will want to make you the happiest woman in the world, even if that means sacrificing himself, his own desires, and his own happiness to make yours shine. When you meet someone like that, you should be on the safe side and can marry him,” he jokingly replies. “Your godfather has never been this type of man with any of his girlfriends, and I think he knows that.”
Chapter 16
Parque Lage, October 19, 2019
Petra Van Gatt
It’s an evening wedding. I’m surprised to learn it’ll start only after sunset, at six thirty p.m. But as I step out of the car, I look at the beautiful Parque Lage, 148 acres of pure green scenery, with the famous Corcovado Mountain and Christ the Redeemer in the background. The gardens are all lit by soft lights, and a blanket of bright stars are slowly settling in. On the roundabout, white flowers are floating on the waters of a large marble fountain. Anabela was right—the setup for the wedding has blown everyone away. Located just twenty minutes from Copacabana, the park has a romantic story of its own, dating back to 1859 when Brazilian businessman Henrique Lage decided to buy the land and build a replica of a perfect Roman palazzo with sumptuous gardens in order to hold his own wedding reception with his future wife, the Italian singer Gabriella Besanzoni.
The palazzo is right in front of me, just above the stairs, covered with a white carpet and flowers on each side.
“Wow, Petra!” Luiz can’t contain his excitement. “You look like a Hollywood actress from the fifties!”