GIO
Then, an image flashed before me: the taste of Millie’s lips and her tantalizing tease the last time she had pleasured me. I recalled her burgeoning confidence in our intimate moments as the years passed, her scent, her flavor, her skin as smooth as silk. Screw it. I loved every fragment of her existence, every facet of her being. I still loved her, unequivocally. I cherished every inch of her but above all, her laughter, her smiles, and the way she looked at me with unwavering love and trust.
I recoiled from Alyssa’s fingers on my zipper, stumbling backward. She withdrew her hand, narrowing her eyes in disbelief.
“What’s the matter now? Don’t tell me you can’t betray your virtuous Millie.”
I clutched her arm with a vice-like grip, my fingers digging into her skin as if I could physically prevent her from uttering the name that burned like acid in my chest. “Don’t you dare let her name pass your lips. Don’t you even think it,” I seethed, my anger a tempest threatening to engulf me. In that searing moment, I shoved her away from me, consumed by a fury that seemed almost foreign in its intensity. Rage wasn’t a stranger to me, but this was different it was a furious maelstrom, directed as much at myself as at the world around me.
My own weakness gnawed at me, clawing from within, the very notion of it a torment I could barely contain. Weakness wasn’t something I had ever willingly displayed, and here I stood, a volatile cocktail of emotions and desires I could barely comprehend, let alone control. My internal struggle was like a hurricane raging beneath my skin, tearing at the foundation of who I thought I was. And so, in a bid to regain my sense of control, I turned on my heel and retreated back to the heart of the party, though it offered no sanctuary from the tempest brewing within me.
Sebastian’s presence materialized at my side with uncanny speed, his voice a peculiar mixture of amusement and something else, something I had no energy to decipher at that moment. “Well, that was a swift exit if I’ve ever seen one,” he remarked, his words a thread woven into the chaotic tapestry of my thoughts.
“I couldn’t do it,” I admitted, my voice heavy with a mixture of self-disgust and an overwhelming sense of defeat. “I couldn’t even let her touch me. Damn it all.” What had become of me? The question echoed through my mind, a relentless reminder of my own metamorphosis.
“Because of Millie,” Sebastian stated with a clarity that cut through the haze of my tumultuous emotions, crystallizing the heart of the matter.
My hands clenched into tight fists, the urge to annihilate something, anything, burning beneath my skin like a relentless fire. “I’m weak,” I confessed, my voice a mere breath that carried the weight of my self-condemnation.
“Weak?” Sebastian’s laugh held a tinge of incredulity, a mix of disbelief and camaraderie. “Gio, you slaughtered a den of bikers, left a trail of carnage in your wake, extracted hours of agony from our own blood, and you’d do it all without batting an eye. Weakness has never been your Achilles’ heel. It’s these emotions, these feelings for Millie, that have you in knots.”
A bitter chuckle escaped me, edged with the rawness of my own self-discovery. “I’m like a castrated dog,” I muttered, a grotesque analogy that captured the essence of my emasculation.
Sebastian’s exasperation was palpable, his glare sharp as he met my gaze. “You damn well know Millie has never betrayed you. That woman’s loyalty has been unwavering, Gio.”
“I know,” I ground out, my admission heavy with the truth that I couldn’t deny. I had come to accept the veracity of her fidelity, not just due to the evidence provided by the photographer’s account, but because I understood Millie’s character. She was not the kind to betray. Yet, even with this knowledge, my ire persisted, a stubborn ember refusing to be extinguished. I had comprehended her innocence quickly, yet my pride stood as a barrier against an apology I knew was warranted. “But that doesn’t erase the fact that she kept this from me.”
“She holds you captive,” Sebastian quipped with a mix of jest and understanding, reducing the complexity of my emotions to a single, crude phrase.
If only it were that simple. Millie held not just my pride, but my heart a heart I had always thought to be impenetrable. And now, it lay ensnared in her gentle grasp, vulnerable in a way I had never anticipated.
My eyes canvassed the crowd, a relentless search that eventually bore fruit as they settled upon Millie, flanked by Harper who seemed to provide a steadying presence. Millie appeared pallid, her fragility a stark contrast to the strength I had always associated with her. Our gazes locked, a charged connection that conveyed more than words ever could. In that shared moment, a truth passed between us she had seen me leave with Alyssa, and the unspoken questions hung heavy in the air.
This was the crossroads. The pivotal juncture where I had the power to exorcise the vulnerability that Mathias had exploited, the very vulnerability I had loathed in myself.
“Apologize,” Sebastian’s voice, a plea tinged with exasperation, penetrated the haze of my thoughts. “For all that’s sacred, Gio, apologize to her.”
The decision lingered on the precipice of my mind, the balance between pride and humility swaying precariously. And then, with a profound finality that seemed to reverberate through my entire being, I uttered the words that would change the course of our destinies. “No,” I declared, the weight of my resolve unwavering. “We’re through.”
MILLIE
I prepared myself for the chilly morning air by donning my thickest coat, wrapping a scarf snugly around my neck, and slipping on gloves. As I stepped onto the terrace, a gust of wind greeted me, but I pressed on, making my way down the sloping path toward the water’s edge. The promise of witnessing the sunrise over the vast ocean horizon spurred me forward, and the cold air invigorated my senses. I stood there for what felt like an eternity, lost in the beauty of the moment, my breath visible in the frigid air.
However, my solitude was short-lived, as the distinct sound of footsteps echoed behind me. Anticipating Harper’s presence, I turned around, only to be met with the unexpected sight of Sebastian approaching. He seemed undeterred by the freezing temperature, dressed in nothing more than sweatpants and a shirt. We hadn’t exchanged more than a handful of words over the past four weeks, our interactions strained and distant. Unsure whether I welcomed his interruption of this serene moment, I shifted my gaze back to the water, torn between preserving the tranquility and engaging in conversation.
The restive sea held my attention until Sebastian came to a stop beside me, his breath creating small clouds in the icy air.
“Thank you,” I murmured softly, my gratitude sincere. “For your efforts in finding the photographer, even if it ultimately proved futile.” With the passage of these weeks, a growing realization settled within me this was the reality I had to accept. The love that I had once taken for granted was slipping away, an irreversible loss.
Sebastian’s voice, rough with traces of sleep, broke the silence. “Three years ago, you kept a secret from Gio on my behalf,” he began, his words carrying a weight of memory. “That single act changed the course of things for me, and I owe my presence here today to that choice.”
I turned my gaze toward him, a mixture of emotions stirring within me. The events of that day had remained largely unspoken between us, an unspoken understanding of the significance it held. “I did it for Gio,” I replied, the truth of those words resonating between us. A bitter ache accompanied the mere mention of his name, a testament to the emotions that still lay raw.
Sebastian’s gaze locked onto mine, his brown eyes probing. “And now, I’ve done what I can to find that photographer for Gio, too. Because he needs you.”
A sad smile graced my lips, tinged with a touch of resignation. “The past four weeks have shown me otherwise,” I admitted, a sense of finality creeping in. “Gio has resumed his former lifestyle the parties, the fleeting companionship. He’s unburdened himself, free to indulge without restraint.” The words weighed heavily, a reminder of a reality I struggled to accept, a wound that seemed impossible to heal.
Sebastian’s response carried a knowing smirk. “He hasn’t succumbed to that temptation. Not once in these four weeks has he surrendered to the allure of other women.” His words pierced through the uncertainty, weaving a thread of hope. “If he truly had moved on, he would have sought solace in the arms of countless others by now. But he hasn’t. Because, as it turns out, that cold and guarded exterior he wears conceals a heart that beats only for you. He’s simply too stubborn, too blinded by his own pride to admit it.”
Relief surged within me, a fragile glimmer of hope amidst the shadows. Yet, I grappled with the significance of his fidelity. Could this newfound revelation mend what was broken between us? Could it revive the love that had been strained to the point of fracture?
“Go to him,” Sebastian implored, his voice carrying an urgency born of understanding. “He’s burdened by his own stubbornness.”