“Then hit me,” she spat. “Do it. You know you want to.”
His mouth twisted and then, breathing heavily, he dropped her chin as if her skin were scalding him and strode away from her. “Pack your things, Luisa. And put some clothes on. I want you gone within the hour.”
The coldness that filled her as Gennaro’s long legs crossed the suite seeped into every atom of her being. Atoms that only hours ago had been filled with the fizz of his lovemaking. Not hisfucking. That’s how it had started but not how it ended, and it slammed into her that this was really it, this was the end of them.
Gennaro was walking out of her life as if none of what they’d shared had happened.
“Youcoward!” She was on her feet with the words screamed out of her before she knew she was going to say them.
His steps faltered.
“Even after all that provocation… you didn’t even come close to hitting me. None of those rules you imposed on our marriage were for my sake: they were foryoursake because you’re too scared to let anyone in.”
His legs started again on their journey out of her life.
“You seduced me thinking you had everything under control but I broke through, didn’t I. I breached the distance you impose on everyone, and that terrifies you and so you’re running away.”
He reached the door and grasped the handle.
“I understand that fear, Gennaro – I’ve felt it the whole ofmy life, and it’s all been tied to you. My feelings for you. That’s what scared me – how you make me feel.” A tear broke free and rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and fought to hold back the rest. “And now I understand why. It’s because deep down I’ve always known they’re feelings you willneverallow yourself to return.”
His head jerked but his back remained firmly turned to her.
“You’ve spent so long containing your emotions for fear of being like your father when you arenothinglike him that you’d rather spend the rest of your life alone and lonely than take a chance on a real, human relationship. You’d rather throw my love back in my face than risk opening your heart to what we both know could be something truly special. And that makes you a coward. We could have it all, Gennaro. You know we could. But you won’t take it. You’re not even prepared to try.” Her voice finally broke, the tears she’d barely been holding back breaking free, and then her legs buckled beneath her and she slumped to the floor sobbing uncontrollably.
He left the suite without looking back at her.
Gennaro sat at the main pool terrace playing poker with his brother and a couple of his cousins. For the first time in his long amateur gambling career, he found himself on a losing streak.
Niccolo, with his monster hangover, wasn’t faring much better. Gennaro didn’t even have a mild hangover as an excuse.
He couldn’t rid his ears of the sound of Luisa’s sobs.
The relief he’d expected to find at ending things with her had failed to kick in.
The barbed wire-laced weight in his chest had grown. He took another large drink of his scotch in an attempt to numb it.
A hotel porter appeared from the direction of his suite, heading towards the lobby. He was pushing a trolley loaded with luggage.
The weight spread to Gennaro’s throat, making it difficult to breathe.
“I wonder who that belongs to,” Niccolo muttered.
Gennaro had another drink of his scotch without responding.
“Lucky bastard, whoever it is.”
He flicked his stare to him. Even with his hangover, Niccolo was more on edge than he’d been since Gennaro had reminded him of everything he stood to lose if he didn’t make an effort to play the happy loved-up groom.
Their father’s appearance at the table added another layer to the froideur.
After hovering a few moments, he cleared his throat and brightly said. “Can anyone play?”
Niccolo eyed him coldly. “Fuck off.”
Their cousins continued studying their cards and pretended not to hear anything, but the poolside was busy, and Gennaro noticed people on neighbouring tables turn their heads.
Seeing his father’s face turn red with embarrassment and outrage, Gennaro got to his feet and leaned into him. Speaking in a low voice, he said, “How many times do you have to be told? You’re not here because Nic wants to patch up nearly two decades of estrangement and play happy families with you. You’re here because Lorenzo demanded you be invited so he could make a friend of you, but no amount of sucking up is going to get you a seat on the top table at the wedding breakfast.”