Arielle
Antonio dropped an invitation earlier along with a package. The package contains a dark blue dress which I adore a lot. There's a note attached with it.
—Dinner at eight. Wait for me in your patio.
The dress is elegant and if Antonio choose the dress then he has a good test of choosing dresses. This is the first time he will be taking me on dinner for a date. He is returning in the evening. I'm desperate to meet him, I know its been a day since he left but I can feel the urge of hankering.
The truth needs to be out, I'll have to tell him everything, his reaction will be describe his feelings. My inner senses tells me he will be furious.
I took a long shower then get dressed for supper. The dark blue dress embraces every curve on my body. I let my hair loose and don't apply too much makeup on my face. I complete the look with a nude color lipstick.
Taking my purse I check the tube. Yeah, I took the test from the doctor's place, I will show it to Antonio. I make my way downstairs, Hazel is sitting in the lounge and Bella is reading magazine.
"OMG." Bella snaps, "you look gorgeous."
"Wow, Ary." Hazel smiles, "you're dazzling. My cousin's lucky enough to get you as his wife." A smile appears on my lips then the taught about hiding such huge information from them hits me and it startled me.
"Thank you." I force myself to smile then ample to the patio.
My eyes widen when I spot Ric standing by the entrance, "what are you doing here?"
He half smiles, "Antonio asked me to drop you at the hotel. He'll join you."
"Okay."
"I'll escort you by foot." He gestures toward the beach and I nod my head with a grin.
I can barely see the ocean under the dim lights of the hotels. The weather is calm but I feel a little cold. Wrapping my hand around my chest I make myself warm as we walk on the sand. The hotel is not too far from the beach house, it's in the same square.
"My duty ends here. Good luck for telling him, Arielle." Riccardo smiles at me holding a supportive eyes.
"Thank you." I whisper. He turns to leave, "Ric." I shout with puzzling thoughts in my head.
"What?" He asks me, making small judgy eyes.
"Thanks for being a diverting and precise friend."
He gives me a smirk then nods his head. "Welcome." He whispers then strides to the beach.
I amble through the passage then two women greets me, "is your name under reservation?" The woman asks with a pleasant smile.
"Yeah, Giordano."
"Right this way ma'am. Come with me."
I nod and follows her lead. The hotel restaurant appears more elegant with amber lights. There are not much people in here. As we advancecloser to the tablets my eyes lands on Antonio. He is wearing a dark blue suit, his face is cool and the coldness has deducted, he does not seem to be furious or worried. He is has ordered a table facing the beach, I walk to the restaurant veranda where Antonio is sitting.
I wonder why he is being nice to me. He does not love me then why, Antonio?
"Good evening, Mrs. Giordano." Standing from his seat, Antonio pulls out a chair for me. I whisper thank you to him after sliding down on the chair.
"Good evening, Mr. Giordano." I smile at him after he sit in front of me.
His intense eyes meets mine and a soft relief emerges me, remembering how worried I was when he was away and now he is here—it feels good to have him before my eyes.
His hand brushes mine gently on the table and I watch them, I flicker my gaze back to him, "you owe me a conversation."
He nods and sighs. Gazing at me he half smiles, "I don't know where to begin." A chuckle escapes his lips.
"Is it about your past?"
"Yeah." He looks at me then to the beach.
The waiter comes in with wine, he pours us two glasses then left. Lifting the glass we both take a sip from it then places it back on the table.
"I'm listening, Antonio. Whatever you have in heart—just spill it out. You don't have to bury it. Things are changing now, you'll have to tell me before another crisis falls at our door." I frown. My voice is soft and low.
"What do you mean by things are changing?" He lifts one of his brow in questioning motion.
Shaking my head I chuckle, "tell me Antonio. I have something to tell you about...just let your secrets out. I know you want to tell me and that indicates your trust for me."
He glances me and silence dwells admist us for some minutes. Somehow I can feel the current pain he is going through and it hurts to see him weak for the first time. I've never seen this side of Antonio.
"Years ago I brushed against a girl, she looked exactly like you, same eyes, hair and face shape. I'm not comparing you to her." He half smiles. "She was nice to me and supported me during my hard days, after the war with the Bratva, she used to be there for me and comfort me in ways no one has ever done. Our encounter was not common, something between us was intense and affectionate. It was then I gave love chance..." he pauses looking puzzling, broken and weak. I remain quiet with my anguish eyes darting at his.
"She adapted flawlessly to my family. Dad was happy to have her around the house. She was the joy who bond our broken family. Rocco found himself a best friend when she was there but then..." he sighs.
My hand reaches his on the table and squeezes it firmly, "then what, Antonio?"
"She disappeared the day prior my father's death. We came to New York and it all ended here. I lost my father, Sera and myself." His broken voice almost broke me but I pulled myself together and dared to glare him into the eyes.
"It's okay to cry." I whisper. He gazes at my lips when I speak then flickers his eyes to mine.
"I can't fall weak knowing the people I loved are gone." The coldness in his tone makes me shiver.
I shake my head while glancing at the obscure beach under the dim moonlight radiance. "Can I know the reason why you bought up this conversation to me?"
"For you to know that I can't love anyone. I'm heartless, Arielle. You didn't see at the graveyard, I never cried for my father's death. Every peace of my humanity is gone. I'm the dead man." He says under emotionaless expression.
It hurts to know he doesn't love me but he is a liar if he thinks he doesn't feel anything for me. We both know how we feel for each other and its fondness.
"You know what?" I utter and he gazes at me with cold eyes. "All I see when I look at you is a human who lost his father and girlfriend who feels sorry for his lost. I've seen you dejected at the graveyard, Antonio and I felt your pain that moment. Your grieves were unexplainable, the sadness in your eyes showed the hurt send to your sould and I felt it...I felt everything you've went through. If your father died my father sold me and I should've been dwelling on the darkest days too but I'm not, because I'm trying to move on." I clean the leaking tears on my cheeks with my knuckles.
“Do you think...do you think you could ever love me? Be honest."
He stares at me for a long time. His dark eyes boring into my blue ones. “I...I don’t know,” he answers honestly.
“Oh,” I blink back a tear. I use the heel of my hand to quickly wipe it away but it’s no use, he saw it fall.
“Ary…” he sighs.
“No, no it’s okay. I get it. In the Famiglia love is weakness and if the Bratva knows you love me then they will kill me to get to you.” Just how their system works.
My stomach churns, not because of sickness, but because I think I love Antonio and bringing his child into the world, I want his love more than anything.
I don’t want to be in a loveless marriage knowing Antonio has never confessed his love to me.
If he can’t love me...then who is to say he can love this child. I don’t want our son or daughter to think their father doesn’t like them. I don’t want them to feel like how I did in my childhood.