Page 56 of Vita Mia

Nico threw his fork on the plate in exasperation.

“I loved Cecilia!”

“Don’t bring her up.”

“You don’t fear what my father would think. You don’t want to betray her. But she would want you to be happy. I can make you happy.”

“I don’t want happiness!” he shouted at her. Eve blinked at him hurt. “Not for me. I just want to live out the rest of my life here, being nothing more than a fisherman and wood chipper.”

He dropped his head back and continued with his eyes closed. “It’s not your fault that you have these feelings. I’ve inserted myself into your life. To protect you, not woo you. I love you Evie. As a daughter, give me that, nothing more.”

She grabbed her purse and stormed out. She wished he’d come after her. Tell her the things she’s always wanted to hear from him. Boo-Boo stood at the sight of her crying and growled at Nico. Her doberman went after her out of the door. At her car, she fumbled with her key. She couldn’t find it. She dug and dug into her purse but couldn’t locate it.

“Evie!” Nico said at the door.

Boo-Boo barked a warning at Nico not to come near her.

“Evie. Come back inside.”

“Why?” she shouted at him.

“Because we’re not done,” he said and went in.

Eve put her hand to her brow. She looked down at her dog who waited to see what her next move would be. “Andiamo,” she said to her best friend. Boo-Boo lead the way back into Nico’s villa.

***

EVE STRETCHED AND ROLLEDover to her back. Her lids slowly parted. She wasn’t prone to taking naps, but when she visited Nico she loved to lay in his bed. She rolled over to his pillow and sniffed his aftershave. Eve smiled. She lifted her head from the pillow and sat up. Sometimes when they fought he’d bring her here and lay her on the bed and sit in the chair and watch her sleep. Like her guardian. She could say anything to him, and she did. She’d try to shock him with tales of her lovers, or exploits and he’d never react. But she knew his protective side. After what happened to her when she ran away with Claudio and eloped at eighteen. Nico killed him with his bare hands in front of her when he found them.

She glanced over to the nightstand. There was an aspirin and glass of water. Eve ran her hand back through her long tresses that had tangled. She picked up the pill and tossed it into her mouth. She swallowed without water. The window to the bedroom had its shutters open. Nico probably left it that way so he could hear her if she called for him. And outside she could hear the mechanical roar of a buzz saw slicing wood as smooth as a knife slicing through warm butter. Eve scooted off the bed and went to the window without shoes.

Boo-Boo was outside chasing something in the grass. Her doberman’s diamond collar sparkled against her slender black neck in the sun. Nico was back at work. He was building another boat. He made some of the nicer ones for fishermen who had turned to tourism when the seasons allowed for more visitors to the island. Under the dying rays of the sun he worked shirtless with a dedication she didn’t see in most men her age. She could see his muscles tense and release as he worked the saw. She didn’t care what anyone said. He was the epitome of a beautiful man with the soul and temper to match. She’d tried to find someone to live up to his character. She’d thought Claudio was the one, and then Stefano. But neither had his spirit of kindness. She’d loved him all her life. And yes, it was a childhood crush that turned into something more, but the feelings were real. It wasn’t obscene or wrong. Because she knew buried underneath all his pain and grief he loved her more than a goddaughter.

Her cell phone rang. Eve turned from the window and looked at it on the bed. Her iPhone display showed the caller was her mother. She hesitated, sighed, and then walked over and picked it up.

“Yes, mummy?”

“Where are you?”

“Close, what do you need?”

“In Aspara? With Nico?”

“Mum? What do you need?”

“For you to stop running to Nico’s when upset with me!” Mirabella said.

Eve didn’t respond. She would not disrespect her mother but she would not bend to her rules. She was a grown woman, able to make her own decisions.

“I want you to be home for dinner.”

Eve sat on the bed.

“And I want to talk to you. About the interview. Gino told me you weren’t happy with me. I’m sorry, my love.”

“It’s your interview. Leave me out of it.”

“I can’t. I’m worried about you. Please. Come home for dinner and let’s talk. Okay?”

---