"YOU STILL HAVE a chance to speak to her," Ludmila says to me.
"Doesn't mean I have to," I reply and she elbows me.
"Leon, I understand that both of you are hurt, but it has been four years. Both of you were the best of friends, and it is not worth losing a such a friendship over a failed relationship. You haven't even had a proper conversation with her yet," Diego says.
When I looked at her, part of me wanted to kiss her and another wanted to burst into tears. Nobody has ever had an effect on me like her. I admit, I was dying to speak to her. To find out why she became so unreachable.
I tell them that I will think about. We finish our lunch, that I prepared, and then Ludmila and Diego leave to consult with their wedding planner. I had always loved cooking, and not even Francesca's departure had changed that. She had always been a better baker than a cook.
Although it was Sunday, I get ready for work. However, instead of my normal suit, I put on a pair of jeans, plan blue golf shirt and some sneakers. My phone buzzes on my way to my car.
"Leon Vargas speaking, hello." I say with my phone pressed between my ear and shoulder as I unlock my car.
"Hello Leon." I freeze at the voice.
"Mr Caviglia, how are you?" I ask nervously.
He chuckles, "call me Christian. I was wondering if I could have a chat with you, perhaps over coffee."
"Is something wrong with the house, because I can sort that out immediately?"
"Quite the opposite actually. So, how about that meeting, if you are not busy?" He asks.
I glance at my briefcase on the passenger seat, "Not at all. I will meet you at the Double Bean cafe."
I cut the call and just sit in my car for a minute. It was difficult to decipher from his tone whether I was in trouble or not. It was probably dangerous to be meeting the father of the girl I cheated on in a place filled with steaming hot beverages.
However, I could never turn down Christian. He had always treated me well, and hopefully that will cross his mind before he decides to pour coffee over my head.
When I arrived, Christian was already sitting at a table. We exchange greetings before a waiter takes our order. Only after that do we start a proper conversation.
"I expect you are curious as to why I am acting so pleasant?" He asks, smiling in amusement.
"Just a little," I say with a demonstration of my fingers almost touching.
"I admit, when I arrived, I wanted nothing more than to make you pay for what you did to Francesca. I wanted to make you feel the pain that you caused her. I was so disappointed in you because I truly trusted you with her heart. I admired you, everything that you had achieved and the way you loved her. When I heard what you did, all of that vanished.
"When I saw you leave the kitchen in Ludmila's house, for a fraction of a second, I felt nothing but hatred, and then I saw your face. The only emotion in your eyes was pain, and it seemed to be written all over you. I realised that maybe the breakup was not easy on your either. When I went outside after Francesca, I saw you so unbelievably devastated in your car.
"Ludmila explained to me what you had been doing for the last four years. I came to the conclusion that you had taken the breakup even worse than her, and somehow I could not find it in me to hate you anymore. I could not believe that Francesca had moved on and you didn't. Furthermore, you kept the house and allowed us to stay there, despite the memories you and Francesca share. That act of selflessness is not unnoticed.
"I have ultimately come to the decision that I can't feel any abhorrence towards you. How could I, when it is still so clear that you are in love with my daughter? It is still one of the things that makes me like you, and I don't see that changing anytime soon," Christian says, and I am lost for words.
I say the only thing I can manage: thank you.
"May I ask, what has she been up to for the last few years?" I ask hesitantly. I don't think I really wanted to hear about her and her new boyfriend's sex life, but rather her new interests, has her laugh changed, does she still giggle uncontrollably at disgusting jokes, does she still love chocolate, is her favourite book still The Great Gatsby and does she still think of me?
"Wouldn't you rather ask her this?" He asks, raising his eyebrow.
I explain that I will probably have a heart attack if I talk to her. I already sometimes can't stomach the fact that I cheated on her, and if I saw her, the feeling would be tripled. I also don't think I can survive her gushing over her boyfriend in front of me.
"She hasn't done much. She is a senior partner in a lucrative firm in Rome, she met Tomas at a market and she has fallen in love with photography. She lives a more quiet life now, and I think she likes it." Christian says, and I nod, taking mental notes of everything he said.
However, after that short snippet of information, he stopped. Disappointment fluttered through me. I could have listened to him talk about her for hours. This barely answered any of my burning questions.
"If you want more, I suggest you speak to her. She is the only person who can give you an authentic recount. I know it must be scary, but I assure you that she is just as nervous. As soon as the both of you start talking, I am sure you will not be able to stop. You two always loved to talk about everything and nothing, I don't think that can change."
I hope not.
Okay, I admit, it's short. Leon and Christian will have a strong bond throughout the book. This will cause a major development for Leon and Francesca (but I can't tell you how). So this chapter basically introduces this relationship.
Also, if you haven't noticed, there will be an emphasis on Francesca and Leon's friendship because that started everything. If they are to get anywhere romantically, they need to form a solid friendship again.
I think the next chapter will finally be the big chat. Which means I will be dropping something HUGE in the next chapter. At least, I think it is.
Thanks for reading 🙈 Sorry for any errors 💚
~Lexy 😈