EMMA's POV :
The next morning, I woke up to a pounding in my head. Groaning aloud, I stirred in the bed and my hands went to rub my temples.
"Good morning," I heard Ian's chuckle and I felt the bed dipped.
"Mmh-ugh," I replied in incoherent mumbling.
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. I sighed and smiled lazily in response. On any other day, I would grab his gorgeous face and kiss the hell out of him, but not today. I was too weak and hung-over.
"How's your head?" he asked.
"I need coffee. Lots of it," I groaned into the pillow.
"I'll be right back," he replied and got up.
"You're a miracle worker," I mewled appreciatively. "Did I mention I love you?"
Ian laughed and strode away. He seemed completely fine even though we got back at 2 AM last night. I was such a lightweight. I puked my guts out only after two drinks, and I still woke up with the worst headache. Shouldn't the alcohol be out of my system by now?
And why is my neck hurting?
"Wait, why is my neck hurting...?" I muttered to myself as my hand reached the back of my neck. And then I remembered what happened.
Holy crap, that's right I got a tattoo!
I jolted out of my bed and the sudden movement made my head spun. I stopped my tracks and held the bed for support as I walked towards the mirror. Looking at my back's reflection, I saw the fresh tattoo on the back of my neck, and it really hit me. I really did get a tattoo.
Oh shit, what else did I do last night?
And then I remembered. I may or may have not sent a couple of angry emails to some very important people. With the last remaining shred of energy I had, I raced towards my phone and quickly checked my sent items. My heart sank to my feet as I read the email I sent to my boss.
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Dear Diana,
I'm tired of working and I hereby resign from the company.
Thank you for everything,
Emma.
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As if that wasn't bad enough, apparently I also sent an email to my mom and dad. I did it after I sent the email to Diana. When did this happen last night? And why did Ian let me do this?!
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Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm living in Italy now and I'm never coming back. I'm sorry that you can't accept my relationship with Ian, but that's not gonna change anything. I hope someday you'll understand. But until then, good bye.
And for what it's worth, I still love you guys.
Emma.
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My jaw fell to the ground as I read both these emails. Suddenly, air escaped my lungs and I was having trouble breathing. This was my worst nightmare coming to life. But the worst part wasn't the email I sent them, but the fact that I got a reply for each message.
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Emma, please call us.
Mom.
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Emma,
Call me as soon as you see this.
Diana.
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My hands were shaking and my brain went radio silent. What was I supposed to do at this point? My boss was gonna fire me and my mom was gonna kill me. This was it, This was the end.
Here lies Emma, 24 years of age. She died because of an email.
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IAN's POV :
"Good morning," Sergio greeted me as he entered the kitchen.
"Good morning, Sergio," I replied as I made coffee for Emma.
"You look exceptionally happy," Sergio commented as he poured some juice into a glass. "I assume last night went well?"
"Yeah, Emma loved the city. We had such a great time,"
"Good. I'm glad to hear Florence is making a good impression on you two," he chuckled.
"Hey, Sergio, can I ask you something?"
"Of course,"
"Do you know where can I find an officiant for a wedding?"
"You two are thinking about getting married?"
"Uh, yeah, we kinda decided on it last night. We're gonna get married in Italy," I shrugged, trying to play it cool. It was a futile effort though since I couldn't contain the smile forming on my face. Even just saying the words out loud felt surreal.
Sergio smiled right back at me and he said, "Well, you might be interested to know that I have been legally ordained to officiate a wedding. I happened to be the officiant for my best friend's wedding some years ago,"
"Are you serious?" I gaped at him. "Would you marry us?"
"Only if you two want to be married," he chuckled in response.
"That is so perfect! Thank you, Sergio," I lunged myself at him and gave him a hug. "Thank you so much!"
Sergio was frozen in shock for a moment. But once he pulled his composure, he let out a laugh and hugged me back.
"I'm just happy to help," he said.
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Climbing my way up to our room, I had Emma's coffee in my hand and the biggest smile on my face as I pushed the door open. Emma was outside on the balcony, and she was on the phone. Judging by the look on her face, she was talking about something very serious.
I decided to wait for her to finish the call. I put the coffee down next to the bed and sat down. I was waiting for about fifteen minutes before she finally finished the call. She let out a long sigh and her hand went to rub her temples. Moments later, she pulled her composure and turned towards the room. She gasped in shock when she saw that I was watching her the entire time.
"Hey..." she said as she stepped inside.
"Hey, I got your coffee," I motioned for the mug on the bedside table.
"Thank you," she went for the coffee almost immediately.
"So, guess what?" I asked her.
"What?"
I stood up and strode towards her. I held her in my arms and I said, "Sergio is a legal officiant. He can marry us. Anytime you want it, baby girl, we can be married to each other,"
"Oh..." her mouth formed an 'O' and her expression fell flat. That was not the reaction I was hoping for.
"Oh?" I asked her.
"Ian... I..." she started to speak, but she couldn't bring herself to continue.
From that look on her face, I could already tell what she was gonna say. She wasn't actually gonna go through with this. Last night, she was too drunk. Even though she didn't wanna admit it, it wasn't her talking last night.
"I... I can't do it. I'm sorry. I can't marry you in Italy," she said finally. "Last night... It was such an impulsive decision,"
I knew she was gonna say that, I was expecting it, but I still couldn't help feeling disappointed. I really was hoping she'd go through with it. Getting married and living in Italy with her would have been amazing.
"You're not mad at me, are you?" she asked cautiously.
"No," I breathed softly and reached for her face. I let my thumb caressed her cheek gently as I said, "I knew it was too good to be true,"
"I'm so sorry," she said lowly. "I still wanna marry you... But it just has to be at the right time and place,"
"I know," I nodded, forcing out a smile. "So, I'm guessing we're not gonna be living in a farmhouse anytime soon? Having our own winery?" I wanted to say it in a funny way, but I could taste the bitterness in my own words.
Emma's shoulders fell as she said, "I have to go back. Diana's mad at me enough already for that email I sent her," then she smacked my arm a little and said, "I can't believe you let me do that!"
"How much trouble did you get into?"
"A lot," she sighed. "But she still wants to see me in the office next Monday,"
"Next Monday?" I felt my heart sinking at the thought of only having her around for a few more days. "You're really leaving, huh?"
"I have to. I was only supposed to stay for four weeks. I've stayed here for a month and a half already," she said with a sad smile.
I've always known that this day was coming. I just thought that if she was having such a great time in Italy, she might postpone returning back to New York City. Last night was almost that.
"When are you leaving?" I asked her.
"In three days," she answered. "I just re-booked my flight,"
Three days? Three fucking days? Damn.
Emma noticed how upset I was. She reached for my face with her hands and said, "I'm so sorry, I wish I could stay,"
This was the deal from the start. She was only staying here for a month top, and I'd stay for another two months and go back to New York once the summer classes were over. It just sucked that she had to leave while we were having the best time of our life.
"No, I get it," I let out a deep sigh. "You have your work,"
"And it's not just work," she said suddenly. "I talked to my mom on the phone. She said she's coming to the city and we're gonna talk,"
"Oh?"
"Yeah. We might be heading in the right direction. I hope,"
"I hope so too,"
This was a big deal. Her mom finally responded to her calls. Does this mean they're finally coming around?
"I'm really gonna miss you though," she sighed into my chest and hugged me tighter.
"I'm really gonna miss you too," I said as I kissed the top of her head. You have absolutely no clue.
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Later that night, I held Emma in my arms as we lay in bed. We were supposed to be sleeping, but none of us were. We weren't talking either. We were busy in our own thoughts.
"I really wish I could stay," she said after a while of silence. "This past month with you was probably the best time of my life,"
"Mine too," I replied and held her tighter in my arms.
She turned her face to the side to see my eyes and said, "It's just two months... We're gonna be okay right?"
Nodding my head at her, I said reassuringly, "We're gonna be okay,"
She let out a smile and sighed in relief. She was taking this goodbye as hard as I was. Neither of us wanted to be apart, but we didn't really have a choice.
It's just two months, suck it up you big fat baby.
Technically, two months weren't a long time. We did long distance for years, so this should be a cakewalk. Now if the wedding had gone off without a glitch, perhaps parting ways wasn't gonna be so hard. But since the wedding turned out to be a disaster and we were coming back to more uncertainties in New York, being apart felt so much harder.
There's nothing I can do about that. All I have is right now. And at least I still have her right now.
Knowing that I only had three days left with her, I was determined to make the next 72 hours count. With this newfound conviction, I let go of my arms around her, and I climbed down her body and started trailing kisses all over her legs and thighs.
"Ian...?" she gasped in shock and looked at me quizzically.
"Relax, baby girl," I said as I pushed her stomach flat on the bed. "I just wanna make sure you're not gonna forget about me in two months,"
Stripping her out of her nightdress and panties, I lay her down on the bed and made love to her with my mouth. I held her legs apart as she squirmed and bucked under my thirsty licks. She clutched at my hair, making small, choked, gasps as the tip of my tongue flicked between her soft walls. Running my tongue on her clit, I serviced her sensitive bud in a rapid darting motion, sending her over the edge.
Her whole body flexed and arched forcefully as the climax pulsed through her. Her hips thrust against my face as she squirted a warm, sweet flood that drenched my chin and chest. I lapped my tongue all over her and drank her sweet juices. I licked every inch of her clean, making sure I was gonna remember her taste.
Because I'm definitely not gonna forget about you either.
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- - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -