Catarina
I wake up alone, but not abandoned. As I sit up and survey my surroundings with a sinking heart, I find a tray of food on the nightstand—coffee, muffins, and fruit. How did he manage to bring this in without waking me? I must have needed more rest than I realized.
On the tray, there’s something else that catches my eye: a neatly folded gray T-shirt on Gianni’s pillow. As I search the floor for my old shirt, I realize it’s gone. He’s made sure all traces of Luciano are erased.
I can’t help but grin, stifling a smile as if it’s wrong to feel this happy. Pulling the soft shirt over my head, I inhale deeply. It smells like him—spicy, woodsy, with a hint of musk. I press the fabric to my nose and breathe in his scent.
I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy. I was so busy convincing myself my life was fine that I lost sight of the basics. There’s a lot of lost time to make up for, and I think Giannis might be the key to that.
Right or wrong, it doesn’t matter when we’re together.
I finish the food quickly and slip back to Tatiana’s side of the house, making sure no one sees me. I text Gianni:
Me: Thank you for the shirt.
And then, whispering to myself as I hit send: And I got the message.
He doesn’t want anyone in my life but him.