259

259
Allesio’s POV
Rosa was standing in the kitchen, by the stove and starring a pot with one hand while the other rested on her hip. Currently we were at her new condo she just moved into. She has this small smile on her face, so beautiful and so effortless that it struc me how lucky I was to have her in my life.
“You’re staring,” she said, glancing at me over her shoulder with a teasing smirk.
I leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “And if I am?”
“You’re distracting me,” she replied, though the smile playing on her lips betrayed her mock annoyance.
I pushed off the doorframe and walked over, wrapping my arms around her waist. “If I’m distracting you, it’s only fair. You’ve been distracting me since the day we met.”
She laughed again softly and warmly and leaned into me. “You’re such a charmer, you know that?”
“Only for you,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.
Moments like these felt almost too good to be true. The simplicity of being with her, the ease of her presence-it made everything else fade into the background. But I couldn’t stop the unease that was always in my chest, reminding me that I am betraying her. Deceiving her and doing a damn good job at it.
“Allesio?” Rosa’s voice broke through my thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“The sauce is going to burn,” she said, a playful note in her voice.
I stepped back with a chuckle, letting her return her attention to the stove. As she stirred, I watched her, the familiar pang of guilt settling in my chest. Rosa didn’t know the full truth about why I was in love with her. She didn’t know that I was keeping secrets from her-and from Alaric.
I told myself it was for the best, maybe I could stretch this out for as long as I could, and maybe Alaric will probably give up trying to find who killed his brother, but truth be told I was just delaying the inevitable.
“You’re quiet,” Rosa said, her back still to me.
“Just thinking,” I replied, grabbing a glass from the counter and filling it with water.
“About what?”
“About how lucky I am,” I said, the words coming out smoother than I expected. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either. God I was getting too good at this.
She turned off the stove and faced me, her expression softening. “You’re not the only lucky one, you know.”
Her words should have been comforting, but they only made the knot in my chest tighten. I forced a smile and reached for her hand. “Come on, let’s eat before your masterpiece gets cold.”
We sat on the couch about half an hour later, plates balanced on our laps as we half-watched some romantic comedy Rosa had picked. She laughed at the jokes, and then nudged me when I didn’t react.
“You’re supposed to laugh,” she said, her tone mock-scolding.
“Sorry,” I said, offering her a faint smile.
She set her plate down and turned to face me, her brow furrowing. “Allesio, what’s going on? You’ve been distant lately.”
“It’s nothing,” I said quickly, too quickly.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re a terrible liar.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It’s work stuff, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.”
Rosa studied me for a moment longer before nodding. “Okay. But you know you can talk to me, right? About anything.”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
She leaned over and kissed my cheek, her touch light but grounding. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”
I wanted to believe her. I wanted to tell her everything, to unburden myself from the secrets I was carrying. But I couldn’t-not without risking everything we had. God. If she ever got a whiff about why I got close to her in the first place, it could ruin everything for us.
Watching her fall asleep, I went to get a glass of whiskey for myself. The condo was quiet, save for the faint him of the refrigerator and the near silence of the television. I had reduced it to the lowest when she started falling asleep.
My thoughts drifted back to Alaric and the ultimatum he had given me. He trusted me and I had promised him I’d execute the job perfectly but now I was keeping him in the dark. But if Rosa’s family really knew about Dominic’s death and if they were involved in any way…
I took a long sip of the whiskey, the burn doing little to ease the turmoil inside me.
Rosa stirred in her sleep, her soft murmurs carrying through the apartment. I glanced at her on the couch, my chest tightening. She had no idea how much she’d come to mean to me, how much I’d risk to keep her safe and happy.
But the truth was a ticking time bomb. And it was going off even faster than I expected it to.
**
I yawned, turning around on the bed and opening one eye. I was just half awake, and of course, Rosa was awake before me. I got up and walked out of her room to the kitchen where she was now.
I watched her from the doorway, still groggy but unable to look away from her.
“Morning,” she said brightly when she noticed me.
“Morning,” I replied, leaning against the doorframe.
She poured me a cup of coffee and handed it to me, her smile infectious. “Big plans today?”
“Not really,” I said, taking a sip of the coffee.
“Good,” she said, reaching for my hand. “Then you can spend the day with me.”
I couldn’t say no to her, not when she looked at me like that.
“Fine,” I mumbled with a frown and she rolled her eyes.
“Go get cleaned up and look nice,” she ordered, turning back to the pots. “Also put on a big smile, I can’t have you scowling around and scaring off men.”
I shot her a glare and she laughed as I turned around and headed back to the room.
An hour and half later, we were out in the city and she was practically bouncing as she walked, her hand intertwined with mine.
“You always this eager to drag me around the city?” I teased, letting her lead me onto the bustling sidewalk.
“Yes,” she said with a grin, looping her arm through mine. “Because otherwise, you’d just brood at home with that ‘serious mafia man’ face of yours.”
I chuckled despite myself. “Serious mafia man face? That’s what you call it?”
“Exactly,” she replied, her tone teasing but her gaze warm. “And today, we’re wiping that face away. No brooding allowed.”
We wandered through streets lined with boutiques and cafes, the air alive with the mingling scents of fresh coffee, baked bread, and blooming flowers from roadside stands. Rosa darted in and out of stores, wasting money on things she wasn’t going to use at all.
“Look at this!” she exclaimed, holding up a bright red scarf in one shop. She turned to me, wrapping it around her neck. “What do you think? Too much?”
“It’s bold,” I said, tilting my head as if considering it. “But it suits you. You’re not afraid to stand out.”
She beamed at me, a light blush coloring her cheeks. “Good answer.”
She bought it and added it to the bags I was already carrying and dragged me to another store where she found a set of quirky earrings shaped like tiny teacups. “Aren’t these adorable?”
“Adorable isn’t the word I’d use,” I said, smirking.
“That’s because you have no taste,” she quipped, holding them up to her ears. “But I like them, and that’s what matters.”
I shook my head, laughing softly. “You always find a way to win, don’t you?”
“Always,” she said with a wink.
**
By the time we reached a small, tucked-away cafe, my arms were laden with bags of Rosa’s purchases. We settled into a corner table, the rich aroma of coffee wrapping around us.
“Alright, Mr. Taste Expert,” Rosa said, sliding a menu toward me. “What do you recommend?”
I glanced at the options. “The black coffee. Simple, classic, no frills.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course you’d say that. Meanwhile, I’m going for the caramel mocha with extra whipped cream.”
“You mean sugar disguised as coffee,” I teased.
“Exactly,” she said, grinning as she flagged down a waiter.
As we waited for our drinks, Rosa leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “So, if you had to pick one thing in the world to do for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
I blinked at her, caught off guard by the question. “That’s… a big question.”
“Come on, Allesio,” she said, nudging my foot under the table. “Don’t overthink it. Just answer.”
I hesitated, then shrugged. “Spend time with you, I guess.”
Her expression softened, her teasing giving way to something more serious. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice quieter now. “You’re the only thing in my life that feels… normal. Good.”
“I’m Mafia too, you know,” she reminded me quietly.
“It’s different.”
She stared at me for a few minutes, then reached across the table. “You’re good too, you know. Even if you don’t always see it.”
I gulped. If only she knew all the things I was hiding from her.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering in and out of bookstores and art galleries. Currently we were in a bookstore, Rosa flipping through a collection of poetry, her lips moving silently as she read.
“You’re really into that stuff, huh?” I asked, watching her.
“Poetry?” she said, glancing up. “Yeah. It’s like someone put all the things you feel but can’t say into words for you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Sounds deep.”
“It is,” she said, smiling as she slid the book back onto the shelf. “But I get it. Not everyone’s a fan.”
“What about this one?” I picked up a different book, its cover adorned with an abstract painting.
Rosa took it from me, flipping through the pages. “Hmm. Not bad. Maybe you’re learning.”
“Learning from the best,” I said, smirking.
She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”
We stayed there for a few more minutes and when the sun was starting to set, we left and began walking back to the condo only for Rosa to pause in front of a bookstore we’ve passed earlier.
“Hold on,” she said, her gaze fixed on the window display.
I followed her line of sight to a beautifully bound journal, its leather cover embossed with an intricate floral design.
“You like it?” I asked.
“It’s stunning,” she said, her voice soft.
Without a second thought, I stepped inside and bought it for her. When I handed it to her, the look on her face was worth every penny.
“Allesio,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “You didn’t have to…”
“I wanted to,” I said simply.
She hugged the journal to her chest, her eyes glistening. “Thank you.”
“Ifs fine,” I assured her with a light laughter.
We stopped for ice cream before heading home, Rosa insisting on trying three different flavors while I stuck to plain vanilla.
“You’re so boring,” she teased, taking a bite of her pistachio scoop.
“And you’re overcomplicated,” I shot back, stealing a taste of her strawberry cone.
She laughed, swatting at me playfully. “Admit it. You like my chaos.”
I smiled, shaking my head. “Yeah, I do.”
As we walked back to the apartment, Rosa slipped her hand into mine. The city around us buzzed with life, but in that moment, it felt like we were in our own little world.
“Allesio, are you happy?” she asked suddenly, her tone catching me off guard.
I glanced at her, frowning. “What?”
“Are you happy?” she repeated, her gaze steady.
“Of course I am,” I said, trying to sound convincing. “Why would you ask that?”
She shrugged, her eyes scanning my face as if searching for something. “You just seem… preoccupied lately. Like there’s something you’re not telling me.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I hesitated, the truth threatening to spill out before I could stop it.
“Rosa, I-”
Before I could finish, her expression softened, and she reached for my hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready. I just want you to know I’m here for you.”
Her understanding only made the guilt worse. I squeezed her hand, nodding. “Thanks.”
But even as I said it, I knew there was no way I could tell her what I was hiding.