Niccolo's POV
I couldn't help it as I stared at her, watching her every move and interaction with the dogs. It was like the outside world became nonexistent to her. It was just her in her element being genuinely happy. When a part of her soul mistakenly escaped earlier, allowing me to see her true self again as she admitted nobody had ever done anything like this for her before, I realized this gesture was more than just a first date to her. This meant a heck of a lot more to her than I could ever imagine.
I wasn't used to having someone so unbelievably grateful for something so simple. I used to shower Veronica with expensive shit and she still was never satisfied. And heaven help me when I did something more meaningful and simple without the money, that was when she truly made her hatred known no matter how much purpose was behind my gesture. She never saw it. But this woman saw right through it, right to the core of my intentions bringing her here.
Last night I felt something inside me change. It was like the past finally lifted itself off my shoulders and allowed a space for me to take flight with someone else. But today it was like she had already filled up that void with everything she is. I was unsure of how to feel. Part of me completely terrified that I may not survive again if another woman breaks me, yet another part of me ready to take that risk because it was worth it. She was worth it all.
I stood, scratching Bentley, the labrador, on the neck while watching her. I have never seen anybody look as beautiful as she does now. Her heart and soul smile along with her lips. Her heart and soul laugh along with her mouth. Her heart and soul emerge when she is around dogs and they are pure in every essence... Pure, ethereal, eccentric, almost magical to watch. Which is exactly what I did. I watched everything about her in this moment, committing her to memory afraid I wouldn't see this side of her again. She loves to hide, she loves to run, especially when she is unsure of her own feelings.
She caught me watching her but I didn't care. In fact, I wanted her to know exactly how I saw her. I wanted her to know that I saw the real her, not the woman she tries to portray as her defense tactic. And I wanted her to know that I might actually be falling for the real her and admitting that, scared the shit out of me.
She was so caught up in watching me watching her that one of the golden retrievers managed to kiss her on her cheek, causing her to let out a giggle and smile in pure bliss. That fucking smile had the ability to stop me in my tracks and freeze time around us. She had me completely mystified by everything that is her.
She turned away from my gaze to speak directly at the golden retriever as he wagged his tail but landed up shaking most of his backside. I couldn't help but chuckle when he decided to fall onto her lap, relaxing in her presence as she tickled his side.
She looked down at him tenderly before hugging him in that position. I crouched down to Bentley that was still hanging around me, scratching behind his ears as he tilted his head back into my hand while looking over in Sierra's direction.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" I whispered into his ear while looking at her. He turned his head and licked my hand.
I looked up to catch her watching me but she turned away the second our eyes met before watching a slight rosy tinge form upon her cheeks. She grabbed onto one of the tennis balls beside her and jumped to her feet before throwing it into the yard. All the dogs ran towards it, bumping into each other playfully, tripping over their water bowls and barking.
I knew her tricks already. When she was placed in a situation that made her feel shy, embarrassed or awkward she would play it off. She would play it off with a laugh, a change in subject or a movement, like now. I walked over to her as she watched the dogs, wrapping my arms around her from behind and leaning my chin on her shoulder.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" I spoke sweetly into her ear.
"You have no idea how much." I could hear the honesty behind her words. She turned around in my arms, hooking hers around my neck and reaching my lips on the tip of her toes. She brushed her lips against mine before pressing them firmly down. They lingered a bit before pulling away.
"Thank you, Niccolo. Thank you so much." Her head fell down, looking at our feet.
I placed my fingers underneath her chin, pulling her face back up to look at me.
"You don't need to thank me. Watching you smile, laugh and be you in your element was all the thanks I needed." Her smile curved high up her cheeks while she held my gaze this time.
"Are you ready for puppies?" I asked her. I watched her eyes light up in excitement.
"Of course, I'm ready for puppies! What kind of question is that?" She exclaimed, grabbing my wrist and pulling me along. "Come on, let's go!" She kept pulling me with her as she practically skipped towards the fenced door like a child in a candy store.
"Oh, wait." She held up her finger at me before letting go of my hand and running towards the adult dogs. She crouched down when she got to them and patted each one on the head as she spoke cutely to them. She then made her way back to me, grabbed my hand and once again pulled me behind her.
We spent time in the puppy enclosure where she sat in between my legs on the ground and played with all the pups. I was struggling to keep my eyes off of her. Every now and then I would push her hair aside and plant delicate kisses on her shoulders while she cuddled onto a puppy. Eventually, I looked at my watch before whispering into her ear.
"It's time to go. We have a stop to make to collect our food before our final destination."
She pouted at me in slight disappointment causing me to chuckle and kissed her on the cheek. I got to my feet and held my hand out to her. She took it and we slowly made our way out. On our journey back to the main building we heard sounds to our side making her stop abruptly.
"Oh my God, Nico, they have horses!" She exclaimed as we watched one of the assistants walking the horse back to the stables. "May I?" She asked me excitedly, pleading me with her eyes.
"Of course." I think I would always give in to her if it meant seeing this kind of delight coming from her.
I watched as she made her way towards the assistant and horse. She stopped a few feet away, asking permission to approach. Once granted, she paced herself slowly towards the horse. She grabbed onto his reins as the horse neared her face. She placed a soft kiss upon his muzzle before he gently nudged her and placed his cheek upon her shoulder.
How does she manage to do this? Every animal I have watched her interact with trusts her. They give into her embrace and caress every time. She holds this pure aura around her that animals are attracted to and animals sense everything. Even those that falsely portray goodness, they see right through it all.
She handed the reins back to the assistant before making her way back to me. Without warning, she grabbed onto my hand and guided me back to the building. When we reached the reception I paused.
"Head on outside, I just have paperwork to finish up here for our visit." I kissed the back of her hand before she nodded and walked out to the front.
I turned to Karen who was standing behind the reception desk. I took out a checkbook, grabbed one of the pens upon the countertop and began writing out a cheque for the shelter. I handed it to Karen who took a look at the figures then snapped her head to meet my eyes.
"Mr. De Luca, you donate to us monthly already. There is no need for this and this is a lot of money, sir." She spoke with a shaky breath.
"That might be true, but I had never visited before to witness this all either. The work you do here is amazing and I know every cent makes a difference to those animals outside. So please, accept this extra amount as my gratitude for everything you did today. You made her day and for that, there is no price tag." I placed the pen down before exiting.
Sierra stood there facing me as I placed my wallet and checkbook back into my pocket. Her facial expression was a soft one, her eyes were looking at me differently.
"What?" I asked her a little confused.
She didn't say anything. Instead, she stalked over to me, grabbed my shirt and pulled me into her, crashing our lips together. It took me by surprise and I stilled a bit before reacting to her. I kissed her back with the same intensity, grabbing onto her hips and holding her in place. We pulled back and I rested my forehead against hers as I waited for her explanation.
"I saw what you did in there. What you said..." she trailed off.
"Were you eavesdropping on me, Princess?" I gave her a slight grin.
"I wouldn't call it that. You seemed to be taking a while so I came looking for you. Why do you hide this side to you, Niccolo? Why do you portray yourself to be this cold-hearted asshole?"
Her words caused me to chuckle as my head tilted back slightly.
"Story for another day, Princess." I leaned into her but she pulled away.
"I'm starting to hate that phrase you love to say so much. That day is coming, De Luca." She warned me as she shoved me lightly.
"Sure, if you say so." I smacked her ass before heading to the car as I heard her huff behind me.
We got into the car and I drove us to a quiet neighborhood where I parked up the driveway to a cozy and modern style house. I got out and made my way to the front porch as she followed closely behind me. I knocked on the door and shortly after the sweet lady I remember so well from my childhood answered with a welcoming smile.
"Ah, Niccolo! It is so lovely to see you. I was so happy when you called me this morning." She leaned in and gave me a kiss on each cheek.
"And who is this beautiful young lady beside you?" She turned to face Sierra who was returning the smile. I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to me.
"Zietta Rosa (Aunty Rosa), this is Sierra. Sierra this is Rosa, an old family friend who I grew up with." I introduced them.
"It's lovely to meet you." She held her hand out to Rosa but Rosa was having none of it.
"Please, my child, I am a hugger." With that, she pulled Sierra into her embrace which I could see she relished by the look on her face and the glassiness over her eyes. I think Rosa made her think of Abuelita.
"Come, darlings, I have your basket ready in the kitchen." She escorted us through the house as I closed the door behind us.
The instant we walked into the kitchen, Rosa's dogs came running in as I crouched down to greet them.
"Are you two menaces still hanging around?" I teased them and shook they heads with my hand. Sierra crouched down beside me, holding out her hand with the back of it facing them. They were friendly dogs so they didn't even bother smelling her, they instantly liked her. I watched as that capturing smile reappeared upon her lips.
"Niccolo, my boy, can you come with me, please? I have an envelope for your father." Rosa spoke above us. I nodded before looking to Sierra.
"I'll be right back," I said softly to her before giving her a peck on the lips.
I followed Rosa as she took me to her office and handed me an envelope, asking me to deliver it to my father. When we made our way back to the kitchen, the sight before us was another one, out of the many today, that yet again seized me entirely. Sierra was sitting on the ground with both of Rosa's dogs huddled over her trying to kiss her as she giggled. I watched her exchange with them before Rosa broke me from my thoughts.
"My boy, is she the one?" Rosa spoke quietly just for me to hear.
"Rosa, don't be ridiculous. We're just friends." I don't know how many more times I need to say this until I manage to convince myself.
"Oh, Niccolo. You cannot fool me. You De Luca boys hold all your truths within your eyes when you want to. You have the same look that your father had when your mother was around." She placed her hands on her hips as she shook her head slightly.
"It's been 3 years Zietta (Aunty). How can one woman come out of the blue in 3 years and just take over every part of me? It's not possible." I refused to believe it. I refused to believe everything inside of me pulling on my heart.
"Nico, every person is born with the love they are meant to have and the heart recognizes it when it presents itself. The heart will always want what it's meant to find. No matter if it takes 1 woman or 100, the heart wants what the heart wants. I stood by and watched your father go through 10 years worth of women but the instant your mother walked back into his life, all of that disappeared into nothing."
"I can see she tries to hide, Niccolo. She has secrets she is petrified of others discovering, but they are secrets she no longer wants to keep. She wants and deserves someone like you, my boy. And another thing..." she cupped my cheek to make sure I looked directly into her eyes.
"That girl over there is nothing like Veronica. She is not Veronica, Niccolo."
"I know that, Zietta. It doesn't mean the thought doesn't still linger. And you said it yourself, she has secrets." I kept countering.
"My boy, stop making excuses. You have your own secrets too. Have you told her about Veronica? Does she know who your father is? Does she know who that makes you in the future?" I looked at her blankly as I thought about her words.
"Precisely. Stop fighting everyone, stop fighting those feelings... Stop fighting yourself, Nico. Secrets do not define a person. Secrets are not the true essence of a person. See beyond that, my boy. Look deeper than that." With that, she brought my head down to kiss my forehead before letting go.
"Now, go give me babies before I die." She turned me around and shoved me into the kitchen causing Sierra to notice us and stand.
I shook my head at Rosa's antics before holding out my hand which Sierra took as we said our goodbyes to Rosa and left. The whole car ride I had my hand resting on her lap with our fingers fastened together. I pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. I got the food basket Rosa had prepared for us along with the king-sized blanket I packed into the trunk earlier on. Sierra followed me and held the basket as I lay out the blanket onto the sand. She set it down before sitting beside me as she looked out towards the horizon of the ocean as she took in the aromas.
I handed her a small glass of wine with that amazing roasted chicken Caprese sandwich that Rosa makes. She took a bite into it and her eyes grew as she moaned a little.
"Holy shit, this is delicious!" She exclaimed before taking another bite.
"Yeah, only Zietta can make it like this. She does something to them which nobody knows." I said while looking out at the ocean.
"Who is Rosa, if you don't mind me asking?" She spoke cautiously.
"Oh, she looked after my father and aunt when they were younger. She practically raised them. When my grandmother died she kept looking after them as best as she could. She used to cook the majority of the meals for them and also became Odette's caretaker when she was a child. She helped when I came along as well. But she retired basically. My father bought her that little house where she simply enjoys life." I turned to look at her as she listened intently to me.
"That is amazing that she was able to be there for them all. She seems like such a lovely lady."
"That she is." I looked down at the sand as I fiddled with its granules between my fingers. I was in a very pensive state and hardly ate anything.
"Niccolo..." Sierra's angelic voice grabbed my attention instantly as I looked up at her. She had set her plate down, along with her glass, on top of the basket.
"What's going on? You've hardly eaten, you're quiet and distant. Something happened at Rosa's house. Talk to me, babe." She scooted herself closer to me, taking my untouched plate and placing it down before locking her fingers with mine.
I sighed, struggling to hide my emotions this time. Or more, struggling to hide them from her. With her, I didn't want to hide anymore. I wanted to be found for once.
"She spoke about a few things that have me thinking about my past." I shrugged, looking away from her and at the sky just above the sea where the sun had just set.
"Would this be the same past nobody in your family knows about and the reason you fled the country?" She asked me calmly.
"Elena's been talking, hasn't she?"
"She just worries about you. Your whole family does, Nico. You can never heal if you don't let go of the past. Trust me I know. You hold onto something so tightly that you land up destroying yourself more than what that particular past initially did. You need to let it go, babe. And you can only do that by saying it out loud and allowing the wind to carry it away." She cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at her when I tried looking away.
"I won't force you, but know that I am here when you are ready. And I listen the only way I know how to now. The way Abuelita did. With no judgments."
She stared at me for a bit, waiting for me to say something... Anything. But I kept quiet, avoiding eye contact with her. She sighed with a small smile before letting go of me as she began scooting away. I remembered Rosa's words to me and shut my eyes tightly as a battled ensued inside me.
I grabbed onto her wrist, stopping her from moving away from me. She looked down at my hand before meeting my eyes and I could already feel the tears burning them. I knew she could see them and for the first time in my life, I found myself allowing someone other than my family to see me vulnerable. To see me broken. To see the damaged part of me. I was about to allow her to see the whole me and prayed she still wanted me afterward.
She knew without me saying it that I was ready to tell her my truth. She closed the gap she had initially created and sat with her head on my shoulder, waiting for me to begin whenever I was ready to do so. I took a deep breath before finally speaking about it after 3 years.
To be continued...