Page 105 of The One
Wait, what didpapàexactly say?
I rack my brain for the memories of my father. His eyes lit up without fail whenever he spoke ofmamma.
“As soon as I looked into her eyes, I knew.”
It was the same for Tiero when he met Ella.
She pulled him out of harm’s way when Molinaro’s men tried to run him down. They fell, she landed on him, and their eyes met. Boom, that was it for him. He said it was as if the universe shifted and everything was different from then on.
That morning after Antonio’s first attack…
For fuck’s sake!
I’ve completely misunderstood what’s between us, mistaking it for an unusual kind of attraction.
I convinced myself it’s because of her inexperience and being completely different from the women I usually see. And while that has to be a factor, how could I overlook the most obvious?
Dammit!
It’s as if every cell in my body ignites at once.
My breath catches, my chest expanding as though I’ve been starved of air until this very moment. A weight I wasn’t even aware I was carrying lifts, leaving me impossibly light, almost dizzy. My pulse thrums in my ears, a rhythm that’s too fast, too wild, yet perfectly in tune with the truth crashing over me.
And as it does, warmth spreads from the center of my heart, flooding outward, until my fingers tingle and the edges of my vision blur like the world can’t quite keep up with the clarity in my mind.
My mouth curves into a smile, and I press a hand to my sternum, as if trying to hold this rush inside me.
Rom keeps throwing worried glances my way as I keep pacing the room, but I ignore him.
I should have known when her voice seemed to soothe a lost part inside me, and when a mere smile of hers manages to light up my entire day.
But it took being shot at for all the puzzle pieces to align.
I rub my face and shake my head.
Seriously! Fuck me!
What do I do now?
The energy inside me is ready to explode. My hands twitch at my sides. I need to move, to act, to dosomething.
I dart toward the door, but Rom steps into my path.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice full of concern. I must look unhinged, swinging from brooding to grinning like a maniac.
“Never better,” I assure him with a smile. “Carry on. I need to talk to my brother.”
Without waiting for a reply, I stride past him, already pulling my phone from my pocket. My fingers move swiftly, dialing Tiero’s number as I jog toward the nearest exit. The cool air greets me just as he picks up on the fourth ring.
“I’ve been such a fool I could kick myself. Tiero, she’s been right under my nose for years.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Tiero, I have found her.”
Chapter Forty-One
Mateo
