For Angelo(28)

She would leave him.

Just like Jaike had.





****





Angelo left Lane’s bed at the crack of dawn, moving silently and carefully so he wouldn’t wake her up accidentally. After a quick shower and breakfast, he provided instructions for his staff, ensuring that last night’s incident would not be repeated.

Before leaving for his meeting, he headed back up, wanting to check on Lane. His phone vibrated in his pocket on his way to her room, and when he saw who it was, Angelo became still.

He answered it after several rings, saying simply, “Jaike.”

“Hey. Angelo.” Her voice was the same sweet melodious sound he remembered, but unlike before, all it did now was resurrect the most painfully bittersweet memories.

There was a long pause, and her unease was evident even over the phone.

Finally, she said, “I’m sorry for calling you out of the blue.”

“I don’t mind.” Angelo surprised himself by managing to speak levelly.

“Ever since I found out you accepted the mentorship in CU, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

He heard himself say, “I hope that drove your husband crazy.” Because that was what she was now. A woman married to the only man who owned her body and soul, even when she had been wearing Angelo’s ring.

Jaike chuckled. “Yes. It did.”

“Good.”

And then it became awkward again.

Suddenly, she said, “We haven’t talked for years.” Her breath hitched. “Since I left your house. You r-remember?”

“Err…yes. I remember.” A humorless laugh escaped him. Was she f*cking kidding? Did she really think he would forget? She might think that he had not loved her the way he should, but he had loved her the only way he knew how.

“I always felt…” There was another pause. “I don’t think it’s fair or right for me to say this on the phone. Can we meet? And before anything else, I’d like you to know Derek knows about this.”





****





Angelo entered Lane’s room just as quietly as he had left it, and for a long time he simply watched her sleep. Sunlight filtering from the window turned her hair into gold, and looking at her now made him think about how she described him.

A fallen angel, she had said.

If he was a fallen angel, then she was what angels were at their purest.

An angel who had enthralled him, so much so that she had only spent one night under his roof and she had already started turning his life upside down.

An angel, whose wings were clipped like a wounded bird—

Just like Jaike Hepburn when Angelo had first found her.

He whitened at the thought, but it was a truth that he was powerless to deny. Was this his fate then, he wondered dully. Was it his inevitable, inescapable fate to want wounded birds like Jaike…and Lane?

Would he never find a woman he didn’t have to piece together to stay with him?

His gaze returned to Lane’s tear-stained face.

Would you leave me, too, tesoro, once you’re whole again?

The answer to this might still elude him, but he also knew he had the choice not to wait for it.

And that was what he was going to do, Angelo thought grimly.

He would not let himself hope.

He would not let himself lie.

This time, he would not pretend that he was someone worth loving.





Chapter Nine





“Buon giorno, signorina.” A tall, curvy girl with beautifully feline features came to Lane’s room to wake her up, the girl’s bright tone in complete contrast with her intimidatingly all-black grunge attire, which consisted of a ribbed top, skull necklace, and leather pants.

Rubbing her eyes as she pushed her up, she stammered, “G-good morning.”

“Signor V told me to wake you up at nine.”

Signor…V?

She asked uncertainly, “Do you mean Angelo?”

“Yup, that’s the boss, but I like calling him Signor V to annoy him.” At Lane’s bemused look, Julieta explained with a grin, “We share the same hometown in Italy, so he’s also something of a big brother.” She wrinkled her nose. “And like most big brothers, I hate him more than I’m fond of him. But he’s also my boss, so I need to pretend I’m respectful of him, si?”

“Umm…si?”

Julieta chuckled. “You’re as adorable as Fico and Umberto said you were. Che transparente!”

“Um, t-thank you?” She smiled weakly even as a part of her remained caught up with the fact that Julieta was a childhood friend of Angelo. Did the other girl really just see Angelo as a brother? What if—

“Oh my God” Julieta was grinning again

“What is it?”

“You’re jealous, si?” The girl laughed. “Molto carino!”

“Umm—”

“You are so cute,” Julieta translated helpfully then with another wrinkle of her nose, she muttered, “I promise you, I have zero attraction to Signor V. Just the idea is…” Julieta shuddered.

But still Lane hesitated.

Julieta started laughing. “Diiiiiiiiiio. You are so unbelievably cute. You really like him that much? Maybe you’re much more ill than I thought.”